‘Sleepy Hollow’ recap: Weep No More, My Lady

It’s shortsighted to think that only Betsy Ross, Lt. Abbie Mills, Katrina the defanged witch and scads of female “Sleepy Hollow” fans have Crane on the brain.

As it turns out, there’s a jilted lover in Ichabod Crane’s past, and she’s having a really tough time letting go. Meaning, it’s been more than 200 years and she’s still carrying that torch. It might be the stuff of local legend, but the so-called Weeping Lady is alive(ish) and roaming the town looking to off any woman close to Crane.

The green-eyed monster is, truly, a green-eyed monster in this episode of the Fox supernatural sci-fi buddy cop drama. Too obvious? Maybe. But when this obsessed soul helps drive a wedge between Crane and Katrina? All good.

Small digression: Even if you’re not a committed ‘shipper, you have to admit that the deck seems to be increasingly stacked against a happy Crane and Katrina reunion. Can all us fans agree on that much? Full disclosure: Team Abbie over here!

And though this hour reveals a widening rift between Crane and his erstwhile wife, it’s not the only challenged relationship. We see what happens when Henry Parrish (John Noble) steps outside his Moloch-proscribed boundaries. He has some ‘splainin’ to do to his demon overlord about resurrecting the Weeping Lady, and it doesn’t go well. Bad Horseman of War! Sit in the corner!

Back to the crime at hand, which is the tragic murder of “Miss Caroline,” a Crane groupie and fellow enthusiast for Revolutionary War battle reenactments. In return for her thoughtful gifts of hand-sewn breeches and homemade Lingonberry preserves, a vengeful Weeping Lady attacks her and drowns her in the river.

The punishment does not fit the forgivable crime of falling for the smokin’ hot Crane and likely buying that jam at Whole Foods.

It does, however, set Crane (Tom Mison) and Abbie (Nicole Beharie) on a search for the perpetrator, who leaves enough clues that even a high schooler getting busy at a waterfront Inspiration Point can identify her. Ichabbie head to Sleepy Hollow’s library for details on the legendary sobbing figure, who wastes no time opening a dark portal in the middle of the floor, sucking Abbie into Blackbrook River.

Crane’s strong arms pull her from the deep, of course, but it’s the surfer-dude-antiquities-dealer Nick Hawley who gives her the liplock of life. Opportunist! Hawley -- not Hotley, as some fans have taken to calling him -- just happens to show up in the middle of the action, again. But this time, he actually offers to help with the next monster of the week. Should that earn him any points?

Something lost -- Katrina’s love letter to Crane, delivered by crow -- and something found -- black lace from the Weeping Lady’s shawl, make this scene pivotal. Crane immediately recognizes the fabric that Abbie tears from her attacker and fesses up about a jealous and possessive former flame. Mary Wells (guest star Heather Lind) followed him to “the colonies” and tried to drag him back to England so they could live a not-at-all-delusional life together.

Important note about 18^th century romance: “promised” and “betrothed” apparently do not describe the same level of commitment. Crane, saying he was only “promised” to Mary, thought he had delicately ended his relationship with her all those years ago. She’d forgiven him, in writing, and gone home to lick her wounds, he assures Abbie. (He’s wrong; more later).

Crane realizes he’s dropped Katrina’s love missive while saving Abbie and that it’s likely in Mary’s clutches. So this relentless stalker has another target. He and Abbie rush to Evil HQ, also known as the mansion prison, to try to protect Katrina (Katia Winter) and stop the Weeping Lady with a crossbow from Hawley.

Katrina’s already been dragged underwater by this point, but she manages to bust out enough magic to save herself. Crane and Abbie try to put Mary down, but it doesn’t work. Katrina says that only a spell will free the troubled spirit and enlists Abbie to help her with an incantation that eventually lets Mary RIP. Not before she rats out Katrina with a single pointed finger, though.

The aftermath here is as crucial as the fight itself. Katrina has some ‘splainin’ to do too. As it turns out, she met with Mary back in the day and, after a lot of harsh words, watched her fall to her accidental death. She wrote that magnanimous goodbye letter so Crane would move on and hid the truth from him about Mary’s sad fate.

Not that he’s keeping a mental tally or anything, but Crane quickly ticks off Katrina’s Big Fat Lies. He’s steamed. And then he watches as Katrina kowtows to the Headless Horseman, in fact saving his life but also showing her shifting allegiance.

Marriage is tough enough, he tells Abbie at Miss Caroline’s Colonial-themed memorial, but how can it survive without trust and honesty. How, indeed?

And in other interpersonal news, Jenny Mills (Lyndie Greenwood) lets us in on what most of us have only suspected since Hawley made his first appearance. He’s her “friend,” remember? In fact, they were totally an item. Taking bets on how long their “professional” façade will last.

How will Henry get back into the good graces of Moloch? That may provide the next big fireworks.