Sleepy Hollow S1E5 - "John Doe" Recap

A young boy wearing olden-time clothing comes across a little girl in the woods. They begin to play but then one of the four horsemen begins to chase the boy. He reaches the edge of the woods and is nearly hit by a car. The horsemen chasing him turns to dust upon reaching the edge of the forest.

Ichabod is now residing in Corbin's old cabin which suits him nicely, given its older style. Abbie is helping him to settle in when they receive a call. They arrive at the scene of the young boy who was found wandering in the woods. They have been unsuccessful in identifying him. Ichabod notices the boy's veins blackening and asks Abbie if this condition is common to the present day. The boy wakes and speaks in a language no one but Ichabod is able to understand. As the boy is taken to the hospital, Ichabod informs Abbie that the boy is speaking Middle English, from the Middle Ages.

Abbie and Ichabod look through the database of missing children but are unable to find a match to the boy. For now, they must call him John Doe. Ichabod tells Irving about the Middle English and that the phrase he uttered at the scene meant "Evil girl." Irving has called in the CDC and tells Ichabod to go question the boy, as if anyone else could translate Middle English.

At the hospital, the young boy is now under quarantine. Ichabod is instructed on the technology and the information he is expected to obtain. Ichabod chides the CDC figure for his calloused manner before beginning. He learns that the young boy is named Thomas and he hails from Roanoke. The present day figures assume he is referring to Virginia but Ichabod suspects the boy is referring to the lost colony of Roanoke that disappeared in the late 1500's.

While Ichabod and Abbie investigate, Crane calls to inform them that the EMT who treated Thomas is now infected with the same disease. Thomas' health is deteriorating and the CDC may have an outbreak on their hands. At the hospital, the EMT hallucinates (or does he?) a vision of the Horseman.

Ichabod tracks Thomas' journey through the forest and Abbie follows closely behind. Ichabod states that his father was a nobleman and fox hunting is what led him to gain these tremendous tracking skills. They find another set of footprints which would likely belong to the "evil girl" of which Thomas spoke. They track the trail to a lake in the middle of the woods. Using the markings on the trees, Ichabod figures out there is a hidden path that allows them to seemingly walk across the water. Upon reaching the other side, they discover the lost colony of Roanoke, all of whom are infected with the same condition as Thomas.

Ichabod and Abbie learn that the colony was cursed by the Horseman of Pestilence. Virginia Dare, the first person to die from the disease, led them to this location where they have been able to live without the disease claiming anyone's lives. Thomas brought the disease to the outside world and his symptoms began to manifest. In order to save Thomas and the other, they must bring Thomas back to the colony. As if this plague weren't reason enough, the Horse of Pestilence will return and join with the Horseman of Death if they don't fulfil this task. Before leaving, Abbie spots the Horseman of Pestilence, restless and ready to wreak havoc on the outside world.

When Ichabod and Abbie return to the hospital, they find that the infection has begun spreading quickly. To make things worse, Ichabod discovers he himself has been infected. The CDC swarms and sedates him, preparing to take him into quarantine. Once unconscious, Ichabod meets Katrina. She can tell that he is will and fears that if he dies, he will be trapped with her.

At the hospital, Morales receives a call from Oxford's history department, where he has been inquiring about Crane (and his cover story). The woman with whom he speaks informs him the Crane is on sabbatical and on loan to law enforcement. He seems discouraged and it's evident that his unresolved feelings for Abbie are his true motives for digging into Crane's past.

Abbie tells Irving that she needs to get Ichabod and Thomas out but he finds this idea to be madness. He tells her to report to Morales and get back out on the street to help combat this. She ends up in the hospital chapel where he begins to talk to God. She asks for a sign and when nothing comes, she heads for the door. She passes by a woman who blesses herself with the Holy Water. Abbie then realises that the water in the colony is what keeps the people safe.

Abbie returns to Irving to tell him that if she can get Ichabod and Thomas back to the colony, she can stop the disease from spreading. He asks if she truly believes that this will work and she replies that she has no other choice but to believe. Irving agrees to let her go through with this plan. He agrees to cover for her while Ichabod and Thomas will seemingly be transferred to a new facility.

As Ichabod carries Thomas through the forest, he tells Abbie about his visit with Katrina. Ichabod is worried that they're losing Thomas but they're able to reach the colony. The Horseman of Pestilence begins riding, elevating the sense of urgency. Abbie injects Ichabod with some adrenaline when he appears too faint to carry on. They reach the colony and Ichabod brings Thomas to the water, where they submerge themselves. Just when the Horseman looks as if he'll reach them, they rise from the water and the Horseman bursts into dust. The water has worked its magic and the two of them are cured. But then, the colony around them disappears. Their surroundings now appear to be just another part of the forest. Ichabod realises that Thomas and all of the colony were dead the whole time, but he became flesh and blood when lured back into the real world by the evil girl. Abbie is called by Irving, who tells her that everyone now appears to be cured. Ichabod and Abbie decide to head home, as there is much work to be done.

At the lake, later that night, the Horseman's white horse with the red eyes stands in wait as the Headless Horseman (of Death) rises from the water. With his axe in hand, he rides off into the forest.

Sleepy Hollow airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.