Sleepy Hollow: And the Abyss Gazes Back Recap

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Sleepy Hollow: And the Abyss Gazes Back (2×06)

Synopsis: Abbie and Ichabod, along with Hawley and Jenny’s help, race to save Sheriff Corbin’s young son Joe, who has been cursed by Henry. Meanwhile Henry gives Irving a choice and Irving must face the repercussions of his actions.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Abbie is trying to teach Ichabod to embrace the art of yoga, claiming they are training for the war against Moloch. Ichabod clearly has no adroitness for yoga, and instead is still worked up over Katrina’s lies, telling himself she only lied to keep him safe. Despite what he tries to tell himself, it is clear he is disappointed and hurt over Katrina’s withheld information. Time will only tell how strong their faith and trust in each other actually is. It seems war doesn’t permit the luxury of dwelling on personal matters. While yoga clearly does nothing to make Crane feel better, he knows what will. Nothing makes a man happier and cheerier than a good old ice-cold beer. Once more, alcohol clearly solves all problems of the heart.

While drinking with Ichabod at the bar, Abbie breaks up a bar fight involving Joe Corbin, Sheriff Corbin’s son. Joe is clearly bitter and angry, having just been honorably discharged from the military. Joe harbors no happy feelings towards Abbie, stooping so low as to call her a charity case that his dad took pity on and got him killed.

After leaving the bar, Abbie and Ichabod receive a noise complaint apparently involving Joe once more. Joe clearly doesn’t make a great first impression. While responding to the dispatch, Ichabod and Abbie nearly hit a strange creature in the road. Soon after they discover a gruesome scene of carnage and a distraught Joe claiming “it” is going kill them all. At the hospital, Abbie offers to help Joe, but Joe refuses any help from her.

Meanwhile in Tarrytown, Irving faces Henry once more. Henry claims Irving bartered his soul for services rendered. Basically when Irving dies, Henry will own him. Irving desperately claims he will find a way to get his soul back, but Henry offers Irving a swifter, easier alternative. Irving must take a life to get his own soul back. Henry aks him to kill another Tarrytown patient, who just so happens to be the drunk driver who put Irving’s daughter in a wheelchair. Despite this, Irving claims he won’t kill for vengeance and is not a monster.

Back at headquarters, Ichabod and Abbie have diligently done their research like always and discover that Joe Corbin was also the sole survivor of an attack on his platoon on Afghanistan, which lead to his discharge. Coincidence or not? Both bodies found at both of the scenes were hollowed and devoid of their organs. Ichabod recalls a hunting expedition involving Daniel Boone where Boone’s brother resorted to cannibalism as a result of PTSD. Daniel looked high and low for an answer to the condition that ailed his brother. As such, the Native American curse of the Wendigo or skinwalker was born. The beast, spurred by the lust for blood can only return to human form after consuming human organs. The two conclude that Joe Corbin must be the Wendigo.

Joe is one step ahead of them though, and has already left the hospital. While searching Joe’s home, they find Sheriff Corbin’s last will and testament, claiming Joe must protect specific artifacts of his father’s. Joe was indeed searching for something that night in the woods, and was not simply out for a late night snack in the woods. Ichabod and Abbie race back to the woods where they find Joe with a strange looking box. Joe tries to flee, but not before being consumed by lust and transforming into the demonic Wendigo. Seconds before attacking Ichabod, Abbie shoots Joe, temporarily incapacitating him.

They chain up Joe, still in his Wendigo form, in their underground cell. They waste no time inviting Hawley over to get his attention and his help in finding a cure. Hawley seems to have other things on his mind though, sparing a couple of glances of affection at Abbie, until Jenny and Ichabod begin to notice. Could Hawley harbor some romantic feelings for Abbie, all while supposedly sleeping with Jenny? I daresay I hope this does not turn into a romantic triangle. Abbie and Jenny have only just begun to see eye-to-eye and adding Hawley to the mix is sure to destroy that precious relationship between the sisters.

Using human organs from the hospital, they manage to turn Joe back to human. Joe is skeptical at first that they can help, but soon spills his dark secrets. While in Afghanistan he received a letter covered in white dust. Ichabod claims it was human bone hexed with dark magic and they surmise Joe received some sort of supernatural anthrax. Joe says that the letter stated that he was cursed and the only way to rid himself of the curse was to trade one of his father’s artifacts for the cure. It seems Henry sent the curse, desperately desiring a liquid called Jincan, the object in the box Joe unearthed and an incredibly powerful poison from China.

Back in the library Hawley and Abbie are no closer to finding a cure, but discover that the fourth turn of the Wendigo is irreversible. Joe’s next turn will be his last and leave him a bloodthirsty beast forever. Spurred by this new information, Hawley and Ichabod seek the help of the local Shawnee tribe. Meanwhile, Abbie and Joe share a touching moment where they reflect on Sheriff Corbin’s legacy and memory. But this happy moment soon turns sour as Henry comes striding into the underground prison with armed guards. Way to ruin a lovely moment Henry. Henry demands they give him the Jincan. Joe, in an attempt to mitigate any violence and save the Mills, steps forward and leaves with Henry and the Jincan in return for Henry’s promised cure. Instead of curing him though, Henry cuts Joe, causing him to turn into the beast once more.

Ichabod and Hawley return with a rather trivial complicated cure, but when is curing demonic conditions ever easy? Abbie and Ichabod cut themselves in an attempt to lure Joe to them. Cornering Joe into an alley, Ichabod manages to cut the beast and recite a Shawnee incantation. With Abbie’s determination, they succeed and Joe turns back into a human.

Abbie later bring Joe into the supernatural fold where she reveals Sheriff Corbin’s true hobbies to him. Joe wants to continue carrying on his father’s torch of protecting people and asks Abbie for a letter of recommendation to Quantico. Maybe Joe does have some redeeming qualities after all…

Back in Terrytown, Irving approaches the drunk driver, demanding an apology. He claims he has no desire to kill him either, but Irving is soon angered by his audacious comments and begins to strangle him. Realizing that this is exactly what Henry wanted, Irving relents, but not before being restrained by staff. After his outburst, Irving calls Abbie, telling her that Henry owns his soul and that she will likely not see him for a while. Irving’s actions are irreparable. Henry has already done some unimaginable things and he surely has more devilish plans up his sleeves. While Abbie never gave up on Joe, Ichabod plans to do the same for his son.

Back at the manor, using the Jincan, Henry creates a spider that he then releases on Katrina whilst she sleeps. The spider creepily slips inside her mouth. Next week it looks like they face the repercussions of Henry’s actions and Katrina’s life once more hangs in the balance.

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