Television: Sleepy Hollow, "Sanctuary"

Can I make a cheap knockoff of this show and call it Snoozy Valley or something?

Anyway, some rich brat named Lena comes to Sleepy Hollow to look over an old house that belonged to her family. She has some idea of restoring it. But then she finds brambles in a closet and the house decides to claim her. What is this, a retelling of Briar Rose?

When she goes missing, Captain Irving taps our daring duo to pursue the missing persons case. Why? Because Lena had the name "Katrina C." written on a piece of paper. As in Crane's wife.

Lena's family history (since it seems important): She's a descendant of Lachlan Federicks of the Continental Congress. By Crane's account, Federicks was a top-notch guy and his house was open to all.

Finding the house, and Lena's car outside, they also find Lena's bodyguard inside. Dead. So of course they call for backup. Something they never do when in mortal peril, but somehow think to do when faced with a dead guy. But then the house locks down on them anyway.

And then the ghosts start. A black woman in Colonial dress who had been a companion of Federicks. There are crows flapping around in there, too, but they don't seem to be ghosts.

Abbie and Crane find the bramble closet and Lena trapped within. As they try to free her, a tree out in the front yard . . . becomes an Ent? Seriously, I don't know. It starts walking and Lena tells them the house is alive.

Meanwhile, Jenny invites Irving to Thanksgiving dinner.

Lena tells Abbie and Crane a legend about Federicks being involved in witchcraft. Crane believes Federicks used magic to try and protect people in his house. Hence the connection to Katrina; they may have been members of the same coven.

Then it turns out Irving has been canceling weekends with his daughter and his ex-wife threatens to sue for full custody if he doesn't stop putting work ahead of time with his daughter. It was like we were in a totally different show there for a few minutes.

Back at the house, Abbie has a vision of Katrina giving birth to a baby boy while crows flap at the windows. So . . . suddenly everyone has kids in this show? First Irving then Crane?

The Ent-like thing, then, was some kind of creature sent to destroy Katrina and the baby. But Abbie doesn't know what happened after that. Funny how visions cut out at the most dramatic moments.

But hey! The Ent thing is back, so maybe they can ask it?

The ghost of the black Colonial woman turns up to lead Abbie, Crane, and Lena to safety. They get out of the house! But Crane grabs a flare and an axe and goes back in, determined to finish the thing that may have harmed his wife and child.

And he does.

And then they leave.

Later, Abbie tries to coax Crane to Thanksgiving dinner. And then she and Crane go through a box of documents sent on by Lena. Turns out Abbie is descended from the woman who helped Katrina give birth.

Time for rum. Cheers!

. . . Wait. Does this mean they're not going to Thanksgiving?

One of the better episodes of the season, partly because the climax (Crane v. Ent) was not prolonged and, because the build up to it was no so big, did not fall short the way so many have done. Also, the mythology was extended in small ways, as were relationships: Irving and Jenny, Abbie's ties to Crane. They gave Irving a bit more backstory, too. Not sure what that's going to be worth later. But on the whole, a solid outing.