Fox's "Sleepy Hollow" is set to return this fall with an 18-episode season after a successful first season that delivered plenty of excitement, twists, and genuine thrills, but ultimately left plenty of questions unanswered and created plenty more. The fates of almost all its characters were left hanging in the balance and fans are desperate for any insight as to what will happen next. Now Variety has revealed some clues as to what to expect with the second season, teasing that the season 2 premiere will be, in the words of actress Nicole Beharie, "explosive". I'd expect no less from one of the most fun shows on television.
The sprawling grounds of Los Angeles’ Hollywood Forever Cemetery provided the ideal atmosphere for a screening of Fox’s “Sleepy Hollow” Monday night, part of an attention-grabbing For Your Consideration campaign that saw gangs of Headless Horsemen descend on media outlets throughout the city to terrorize staffers with photo ops and sweet treats. It also provided the opportunity for the cast and crew to talk what fans can expect in season 2.
Ichabod Crane himself, Tom Mison, shared…
“The great thing is, the second season starts exactly at the moment the finale left off, so all of the pace that’s been building up through the last 13 episodes, it’s just straight in. We’re hitting the ground running, so there’s no time for Ichabod or Abbie to sit back and consider what’s happened.”
The season 1 finale left Ichabod and Abbie (Beharie) buried alive and trapped in Purgatory, respectively, with Beharie explaining the plight of her character:
“[She's] a little terrified — Purgatory is challenging, that’s the whole idea. Every story you hear about it is that it’s going to try you and challenge you and play with your mind. It’s interesting how she deals with it.”
Last season also brought the revelation that Ichabod’s son, Jeremy Crane (a.k.a. Henry Parish as played by John Noble), is War, the second Horseman of the Apocalypse, which makes defeating the Horsemen all that more complicated for our heroes. As series producer Robert Orci puts it:
“Now Crane knows his son is a villain and that’s tough to deal with, but (Abbie’s) not related to (Jeremy). So she’s now aware that she’s got to fight however she can to do what she has to. They may not always agree, even though they’re joined at the hip.”
Finally, the producers all agreed that guilt would be the driving force for season 2, particularly for Ichabod, who Wiseman admits “feels like he has failed.” Executive Producer Mark Goffman expanded on this, saying:
“I think the first season was very much about figuring out the sins of the past and how he got to where he is, and now it’s about really embracing that. His wife is now out of Purgatory, his son — who he never knew — he wants a chance to see if there’s any redemption there, so we’re dealing with family bonds and the idea of redemption and hope, and that’s a really interesting area for him to explore.”
It sounds like the show, which is already steeped in some fun mythology, is going to make great use of its 18-episode order. No word yet as to when it will premiere, but we'll be keeping you updated. It's going to be an exciting ride according to Beharie, who says that fans should "Buckle up!".
What are you most looking forward to from the second season of "Sleepy Hollow"? Spit some bullets in the comments below.