‘Sleepy Hollow’ Episode 11 Recap: ‘I Will Possess Your Soul’

Ichabod, Abbie and Jenny battle against a demon capable of possessing human bodies and the target marked next is Irving’s daughter Macey….

By Damon Martin — Editor/Lead Writer

The demons are descending upon Sleepy Hollow and in the latest episode, the threat witnessed against Captain Irving’s daughter in the winter finale comes to fruition as Ichabod, Abbie and her sister Jenny battle against an unseen villain who can take any shape and any form.

It’s been a few weeks since Sleepy Hollow last aired so as a reminder — Captain Irving was taking his daughter on a trip through the park when he stopped to buy Macey some hot chocolate for a cold day. Unfortunately one of Moloch’s demons was already awaiting Irving’s arrival as he sent a chilly message much colder than the winter day they were experiencing as he warned the newest member of Team Ichabod that his daughter’s soul may be sacrificed in this war for the very survival of our world.

Before the battle for Macey’s eternal soul can begin, Sleepy Hollow first picks up on Ichabod’s own personal turmoil. It’s something that’s been brewing all season long, but finally Abbie is able to convince him to face his own darkest horrors — changing out of his 18th century wardrobe while trying to squeeze into a pair of modern skinny jeans. Luckily before Abbie can successfully convert him to new clothes, Ichabod comes to a stunning realization — no man should wear skinny jeans.

Quickly, Ichabod is back in his Revolutionary garb while back at the Sleepy Hollow police station, Captain Irving is conducting interviews with the hot chocolate vendor trying to see what he knows about the ominous warning he issued young Macey just a few days earlier. Of course as witnessed in the last episode, the vendor was merely a vessel for a demon hopping from one body to the next, and as we learn very quickly this time around, that possession can happen in an instant.

The demon pops up at the station and quickly transfers bodies again, this time taking over one of Irving’s own officers. Little does he know as he sets up a safe house for his daughter and wife to stay in while they investigate this threat that the very police officers that are going along for her protecting are carrying the demon hell bent on her destruction.

Back at the archives, Ichabod and Abbie start going through some of Corbin’s old files trying to track down if he ever battled against a demon possession during his investigations into Sleepy Hollow’s haunted history. Sure enough it turns out he did face off against a child possessed by a demon, and as it turns out that person was none other than Abbie’s sister Jenny.

The pair finds Jenny and shows her the tape of Corbin attempting to exorcize the demon from her body as she watches in horror as the hell spawn contorts and twists her body while spouting hateful words and demonic pledges at her eventual savior. The tape is cut off before the actual exorcism is shown, but the group finds a few key elements while watching the video.

First off, the demon was contained by salt — in ancient rituals salt is used to surround a demon and they cannot cross the lines. Second the demon was chanting something at Corbin while he attempted to exorcize Jenny from the possession — it turns out the demon was speaking ancient Aramaic backwards and once translated the name revealed was Ancitif, an ancient demon who possesses a soul, that can move from body to body, who was eventually defeated after infecting a group of nuns hundreds of years ago. Their weapon was a blessed lantern, and as it turns out those same lanterns were gifted to Benjamin Franklin during the war by the French when Ichabod recognizes the design.

Seems even back in those days the French were aware of the war brewing on the soil of the new nation, and they wanted to lend a spiritual hand. Now the only problem is finding out where one of these lanterns exists in modern day, but luckily Jenny has that answer.

During one of her less scrupulous times outside the law, Jenny teamed up with a group of religious fanatics just this side of David Koresh while helping them build a supply of weapons and other artifacts for the battle ahead between good and evil. One of those items collected was a lantern — the very lantern that they now need to expel the demon.

The team has to hurry because the demon not only followed the Irvings to their hideout, but he’s managed to pass bodies again to now take over Detective Morales before moving to Macey herself. Side note — why are safe houses in these types of shows always in the middle of nowhere? Wouldn’t it be safer to be around a lot of people so there’s more of a chance people would witness bad stuff coming from a mile away? I digress…

With Ancitif now embedded deep in Macey’s body, her charge is simple — go and retrieve George Washington’s bible or the vessel he currently possesses will be turned into a bloody mess. Irving complies but not before calling Ichabod and Abbie to verify that the bible is still at the archives, thus giving them time to complete their mission while also letting them know where he would be with the demon in tow.

After a brief battle with the backwoods bible thumpers, Ichabod, Abbie and Jenny retrieve the lantern and head off to the archives to do battle with the demon.

Jenny appears to face her old friend Ancitif, who reveals that deep inside her soul she wanted nothing more for years than to kill her own sister. Abbie appears and stands side by side with Jenny, not listening to the wicked warning from the hellish force of evil. Just as demon-Macey is about to attack we see that Jenny and Abbie have spread salt on front of them, which is a line Ancitif cannot cross. A moment later Ichabod traps the demon surrounding the other side with salt as well.

Ichabod raises the mystical lantern and after a few tormented screams from the demon warning of their eventual doom, he is sucked into the relic and Macey is free from his clutches.

Back at the cabin after saving Macey, Ichabod and Abbie sit down with Washington’s bible to try and reveal one of the hidden messages the father of our country hid within its pages to help battle against the forces of evil. Ichabod uses a concoction to help hidden ink glow in the dark, and after the lights drop, the words are illuminated

December 18, 1799.

The interesting part about the date? It was written by Washington himself — and the date is exactly four days after his death — December 14, 1799. Did Washington know the significance of this date and he was killed before what was about to happen or was he actually still alive on December 18, 1799 to write the note?

Much more will be revealed in the two-hour season finale for ‘Sleepy Hollow’ season one next Monday night on FOX. Stay tuned to Nerdcore Movement for our recap and review on the entire season next week!