Sleepy Hollow S1E7 - "The Midnight Ride" Recap

April 18, 1775; it's the night of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride and the message, "The Regulars are coming," is spread amongst the Boston villagers. Paul Revere and his attachment are then chased through the forest by the Hessian soldier, who cuts each of them down before reaching Paul Revere.

In present day, Ichabod is amazed by the massive quantity of food supplies that Abbie has purchased for him at a Costco-like establishment. He is also appalled by the way people have contaminated the planet when Abbie explains that water must be bought instead of drunk from the tap or a lake. Abbie's mobile alarm goes off, warning her that it is one hour until sundown when the Horseman shall ride again. The Freemasons have asked to meet with Ichabod but Abbie is not permitted to accompany him, as they have a "no girls allowed" rule.

Abbie heads back to the station and Morales attempts to chat her up. Clearly he's still carrying a torch for her. He repeatedly pesters her to give him some time and she finally relents and agrees to meet for coffee the next day. Later, Morales hears someone call his name from an alleyway. He heads down there and finds Andy Brooks. Andy warns him that he needs to stay away from Abbie and that he is the only who can protect her. He states that a war is coming and he will soon have to choose a side.

As Abbie leaves work, she checks her mobile and listens to a voicemail form Ichabod. He tells her to meet him at the Freemasons house, saying he will rectify the rule that prevents her from attending meetings. When Ichabod arrives, he hears a noise and grabs a sword from a hallway. As he explores the house further, he finds a beheaded Freemason sitting at the table. Abbie arrives shortly after and they they see the Headless Horseman with a bag full of the Freemasons heads before he rides off.

Captain Irving wants to know who the Freemasons are and asks why they had their heads chopped off. He also asks where the heads are and Abbie tells him that the Horseman rode off with them. Irving tells her that the currenty working theory is cult ritual suicide and they mustn't tell anyone otherwise. Abbie then finds Ichabod in another room searching through books for something. He gets the right book but upon getting to the pages he needs, they are torn off. He then tells Abbie that when he fought the Horseman in battle, he knew he would die after his chest was wounded. His dying wish was for the Horseman to die with him and this was what forged the blood bond between them. He declares that this wish has remained intact. Ichabod then spots a portrait of George Washington slashed at the throat. Ichabod then realises that the Horseman is in search of his skull. If he is reunited with it, he'll be able to hasten his summoning of the other Horsemen. Now Ichabod and Abbie must find it before he does.

Captain Irving is less than pleased about Ichabbie's need to destroy evidence. Unfortunately, he no longer has it, as it has been sent to another lab for further testing. Ichabod warns him that the Horseman will continue to kill innocent people and Irving is not having any of that. He tells them to stay at the station and that it won't be long before he brings it back. Irving visits the lab where the skull is. The scientist tells him there is no definable cell structure, no DNA markers, and no discernible sign that the skull was ever alive. When Irving asks the scientist to get a box to transport it, the skull opens its eyes to the audience. Headless shows up and begins shooting the lab up with a machine gun and eventually a shot gun. Irving is the only left alive to fight him and even pulls a Matrix in dodging being hit with the axe. Irving ends up in a shootout with him but is able to send smoke spraying at the Horseman, giving him his opportunity to get the skull and get away. Irving gives the skull to Ichabod and Abbie and it's evident that he now believes everything they say. After coming face to not-face with Headless, all his doubts have been dispelled.

Ichabod and Abbie get to work on trying to destroy the skull but are unsuccessful with every method they use. They head out to try to get another device to try to destroy the skull but before they can leave, Ichabod spots four lights in the distance. He rings Abbie with him towards them and they find the heads of the Freemasons with lights inside them and the tops of the heads lined with silver. Ichabod tells Abbie that Paul Revere used this technique to illuminate lanterns in 1775. There was an enemy coming by sea. John Adams handed a document to Revere. There was a special document in the possession of the Freemasons that contained enemy secrets that could defeat the crown. They realise that a particular symbol used to trap demons was on this document and Ichabod remembers that the Horseman was after Paul Revere. This secret document must have the key to destroying the skull.

They visit the Terrytown Museum of Colonial History where they learn that the mauscript is on loan to a museum in London but thankfully, they have uploaded a transcript of the document online - Ichabod has no idea what that means of course. Abbie prints out a copy of it and gives it to Ichabod who gets to work on trying to decipher the code. Abbie steps out to call Luke, who ignores it as he is haunted by his encounter with Andy. Right after that, Andy attempts to sneak up on Abbie but she lands a blow to his face. She is shocked to see him alive (somewhat) and he warns her that she cannot kill death and that trapping him will be the only way to defeat him.

Ichabod struggle yet again to use the laptop and fumbles over pressing random buttons. He accidentally opens a pornographic video chat and is so flustered that he slams it shut. He then goes over to the Horseman's skull and finds that Paul Revere hid the password, "Cicero" onto the back of its teeth. This is the code to deciphering the message. Ichabod then comes across Abbie and Andy and asks him if he is still in communication with the Horseman. He says that he is but that he is there to help Abbie. Ichabod tells Andy to tell the Horseman to meet him at the cemetery when night falls if he wants to get his skull back. Andy agrees to deliver the message and disappears when Ichabod and Abbie turn their backs for a mere moment.

Abbie tells Ichabod about Andy's warning that the Horseman can only be killed, not trapped, and Ichabod says he knows how - having deciphered the message: "Death cannot be slain, but it can be captured and caged against its fiery will. As sunlight is his only weakness, a witch must be summoned to cast a spell transforming the moon into the sun whilst death is exposed." Abbie notes that when the manuscript was written, witches were the only source of sunlight when the manuscript was written but in modern settings, UV light should work just as well.

Ichabod and Abbie have Irving help them. They get to work on preparing multiple skulls and light them up throughout the underground tunnels as a means of baiting the Horseman. While they prepare, Irving and Abbie also inform Ichabod about Jefferson's fathering six children through one of his slaves and when Ichabod tries to deny such "salacious gossip," Irving explains that DNA testing does not lie. Ichabod is also upset upon learning that Jefferson took credit for a line he was the first to utter. Ichabod and Abbie also have a discussion about the fact that Abbie doesn't feel she can ever be in a relationship with someone because there will always be too many secrets she'll be unable to share. Both Ichabod and Abbie have moments where they feel utterly alone.

The sun sets and the Horseman rises. Ichabod baits the Horseman by holding the skull up. The Horseman chases after Ichabod who leaps off his horse and jumps down a tunnel. The Horseman begins checking and smashing each of the decoy skulls. He then finds himself between Abbie and Ichabod who are both holding skulls. He realises Abbie is holding the real one and begins chasing after her. Ichabod tells her to snuff the light (the light inside the skull). We hear Abbie calling for Ichabod, saying that she fears she has broken her ankle. The Horseman begins walking towards her and then Abbie shouts for the trap to be sprung. Irving switches on the UV light and Ichabod arrives to help Abbie put him in chains. The Horseman is trapped... for now.

Sleepy Hollow airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.