Suspicious suicides at Terrytown lead the Mills sisters to uncover the truth about their mom’s life and death. Here is a recap of the Sleepy Hollow episode “Mama.”
Recap:
Through the fog, Abbie spots a hooded figure. She approaches it, saying, “Mama,” then wakes. Abbie tells a sick Ichabod about this dream. A call from Reyes pulls her away, leaving Ichabod to rest under a bundle of blankets. A third suicide in as many nights at Terrytown prompts Reyes to give Abbie full control of the case, so Abbie takes Jenny to a meeting with Irving. He can’t make sense of this. Watching the surveillance tape of one suicide, the Mills see their mom standing in the corner.
Flashback to the Mills as kids. Mama yells at them for taking the bus and orders them to trust no one. Back in the present, Hawley arrives with maps and books from the cabin, as well as matzo ball soup laced with sleeping pills for Ichabod. The map shows that Terrytown stands on a point of convergence for the spirit world. Visiting Terrytown again, they stop another patient from committing suicide just in time. Abbie sees her mom flash into view, then they both disappear, only to reappear elsewhere.
Abbie soon finds Jenny and an alphanumeric code carved on a door. It corresponds to a patient video session, which shows Nurse Lambert urging Mama to kill herself. Abbie remembers meeting Nurse Lambert today, but the doctor insists she doesn’t exist. Irving gets a visit from the mysterious Lambert. She draws him a bath, and he slides underwater with a zip tie in hand, trying to strangle himself as he drowns. The Mills and Hawley rescue him. Irving recounts what happened – the nurse gave him pills and then everything she said made so much sense. It was demonic influence.
The Mills and Hawley visit an old part of Terrytown, peeling back the wall to see drawings. Jenny connects one to her past when Mama tried to suffocate herself and Jenny with the car’s exhaust. Hawley and Jenny search for the journal with information on how to stop Lambert, who kidnaps and restrains Abbie. While trying to force-feed Abbie pills, Lambert is grabbed by Mama. Jenny starts on the spell, which sends Lambert into ashes down the floor grate. Mama disappears. Wanting to see her mom one last time, Abbie, Jenny, Ichabod, and Hawley summon her. Mama knew all along that Abbie was a witness and just wanted to protect her family. Flashback to there being a demon in the car’s back seat. Mama barrels out of the garage and has watched over Jenny ever since. Mama leaves for good this time. On their way home, Irving runs into the road and hops in the back of Abbie’s car.
Katrina refuses to cooperate with Henry, who’s comparing the baby’s situation to his own orphan past. When Henry guilts Katrina into holding the baby, he spreads darkness into her neck. She later notices the black veins. It’s devil’s breath. Katrina picks special leaves, mashes them, and recites a spell to expunge the accursed. When she finds the baby, now grown into a child, he calls her, “Mother.”
Comments:
– The episode that gave us our first look at Mama Mills was fairly solid and engaging. Though focusing more on emotions than danger, “Mama” kept the tension up and fit into the rest of the season seamlessly by including a blend of stand-alone and serialized stories.
– I guess by now we should expect each episode to start with a dream sequence.
– Ichabod trying to open the childproof medicine … we’ve all struggled with that, buddy. It’s interesting to note that even though Ichabod does have these more and more frequent run-ins with some facet of modern society that he doesn’t understand, it doesn’t ever diminish his intelligence. They’re played so naturally.
– Speaking of Ichabod, he was so minimal in “Mama,” and yet the episode felt completely normal. It’s a testament not only to the writers’ ability to craft a story of the week, but also to the other actors to hold their own in the show.
– As much as I enjoyed seeing Lori Mills in person, there was something about the acting that kept me from fully being absorbed into those scenes. It’s like she was trying too hard to be angry, albeit the emotion was justified. The sweet goodbye scene between her and her daughters made it all worth it.
– The lighting and music during the scene where they’re peeling back the wall was just beautiful. It’s great to see the series continue to be as cinematic as it was in the first season even though they’re dealing with more episodes this season.
– Lori’s reassurance to Abbie that the Witnesses are meant to win this war came at the perfect time during the season. With Abbie and Ichabod continually being challenged by Henry’s newest demonic plans, they (and we) needed this reminder to keep hope alive.
– “When I’m rested, there shall be hell to pay.” – Ichabod, as he battles a head cold
– “Don’t give me that ‘aiding and abetting a fugitive’ look, Mills.” – Irving
