Castle and Sleepy Hollow Thoughts

[iaria]

Castle 7x01 'Driven'

It was okay, and I liked the new mystery, but I had a couple big issues with it.

• I don't mind Esposito/Ryan's faltering belief in Castle. I though Espo's almost immediate turn against Castle was a little fast but I also thought it made sense that he would be the first because his number one loyalty has always been Beckett. I actually really love how protective he is of her so it worked for me. Ryan taking longer to lose faith, and even then being 'i don't know how to explain the evidence any of way' instead of completely anti-Castle, also made complete sense since Ryan/Castle have always been closer.

• I did take issue with was Beckett faltering. Some uncertainty, fine. But not to the extent she showed, not to the point of her deciding that he was probably faking his amnesia. After all they've been through and with how devoted he is to her I was left going 'really, Kate?' How about some trust?

• I can't believe that she would actually think for a second that Castle would just abandon his life. Her believing that he would leave her is one thing but what really gets me is that she could even entertain the possibility that Castle would abandon Alexis. The only way he would ever do that is if he thought he needed to in order to protect her. And yet no one points that out, or even seems to consider it. It's all about Beckett and her relationship with him.

• Which leads me to how backgrounded Alexis and Martha, and their reactions, were for a lot of this episode. It started from the very beginning when we getting Beckett running to the burning car, crying and freaking out, the camera lingering on her devastation. Meanwhile we get a shot of a shocked Alexis and Martha standing on the bridge watching - and they feel a lot more like spectators to Beckett's grief (on the same level, literally even, as Espo and Ryan) rather than participants with their own equal grief. It bugged me.

• It would have been very easy to add more of Alexis/Martha's grief/sadness. The biggest misstep for me was not adding them to the montage of Beckett searching for Castle. It wouldn't take too much screen time to add a couple short scenes of Beckett keeping them appraised of the investigation, the three of them eating together (Beckett lives at Castle's penthouse after all) or Beckett comforting a crying Alexis. It could have been a great opportunity to deepen the bond between them.

Sleepy Hollow 2x01 'This is War'

I really enjoyed it.

• Everything to do with Abbie/Ichabod was delightful. The hugs, Ichabod's determination to save her no matter what, them being awesome partners in their shared hallucination. They were great. I also really loved Abbie cutting off fake Ichabod's head because he mispronounced 'lieutenant/leftenant'.

• I really liked how the episode started. In other circumstances the Key would come off very contrived but here it ended up really working. I liked that it was the bad guys who ended up leading our heroes directly towards how to free Abbie.

• Loved the Jenny/Ichabod hug and Jenny reminding him how to protect himself in purgatory. She was worried and protective over him and I find that adorable. Also loved the Abbie/Jenny hug when Abby got out of purgatory. So many wonderful hugs this episode.

• I really loved that Jenny saved herself from her kidnapping.

• "I needed to know that I still have some trace of free will left. You remind me that I am human." - Andy. Aww, I hope he manages to be saved somehow. It was so great to see him again. I was sure we wouldn't since John Cho got his own show.

• I enjoyed Ichabod's harping on the horribleness of Benjamin Franklin. His utter disdain and distaste for him was amusing and I love when he gets all bitchy-irritated.

Sleepy Hollow 2x02 'The Kindred'

• I like Captain Reyes thus far. She seems very tough but fair. I liked her interactions with Abbie where she was brisk but not uncaring.

• "I'm not the witch in the family." - Ichabod. Hee.

• The Kindred is interesting. I wonder just how much intelligence and free will it has? It went out of it's way to protect Abbie/Ichabod and I'd like to think it will be an ally but I'm skeptical. It seems likely that this is going to bite them in the ass, eventually.

• I can't believe they didn't tell Irving anything about Henry. Man, that was a screw-up.

• So the Mills sisters' mother who is "a little bit totally crazy" is definitely going to be involved in some way with the supernatural, yes?

• Ichabod vs the 21st century is the best.