BWW Recap: How Could You be so Heartless, SLEEPY HOLLOW?

What do you get when you mix reality dating shows, rocky relationships, and a heart-eating vamp? Why, you get this week's episode of SLEEPY HOLLOW, of course! Ichabod and Katrina attempt to mend their relationship while simultaneously trying to grapple with reality television (they probably should've taken these challenges on one at a time), but Abbie is concerned about Henry - he's been quiet for a week, and that's just not like him. So, what has our old friend been up to lately?

A succubus. He's been working on creating a succubus. You know, as you do. Henry struts into his lair (can I call it a lair?) carrying a rather ancient-looking jar, places it down, and pulls out a human heart. One simple incantation later, and that heart is beating and ready to power the body of a naked, shimmering lady who has conveniently appeared before him. It's time to set her free. We're not sure exactly what her purpose is yet, but we discover her motivation pretty quickly. She wanders into a nightclub and wastes no time focusing on a shy, kind of nerdy guy whose sights are set on a girl he can't have. Then, like the chameleon she is, the creature hones in on his desires, morphs into the guy's ideal girl, and lures him out to his car. They're in the middle of...er...getting to know each other...when things heat up. She leans in for a kiss, but instead morphs into a creature with glowing red eyes and sucks the desire right out of the poor guy. Ichabod and Abbie report to the scene soon after, and we learn two things: Abbie is confident that the cause of the man's death is supernatural, and Ichabod - oddly enough - knows about nightclubs. Only his nightclubs are places where people waltz. Clearly, times have changed.

Abbie and Ichabod take the images back to their headquarters and consult with Katrina, who recognizes the marks left on the body. She explains that, by focusing on the "life points" that the creature targets, she can figure out which creature they're dealing with. Katrina has a flashback, Ichabod helps make her comfortable and relaxed, and Abbie's beginning to feel like a bit of a third wheel.

Speaking of third wheels, while the dynamic trio tries to uncover the nature of the newest beast, a girl at a diner downtown leaves, upset, after her best friend's boyfriend sets the record straight and explains that he doesn't have feelings for her. It turns out, she doesn't have feelings for him, either, or for any man, for that matter. The succubus finds her, morphs into a replica of her best friend, and sucks out her heart, just as she did to the boy from the nightclub. When Abbie calls Ichabod to alert him to the murder, he reveals that Katrina suggests considering not only demonic creatures, but artifacts as well.

Cue Hawley.

Abbie meets him at a bar, but he doesn't recognize the wounds on the bodies. I recognize something, though, and so does Abbie: Hawley's got a little bit of a crush! Unfortunately for Hawley, Abbie's over it before it even starts. She heads back, empty handed, to Ichabod and Katrina, and they start putting the pieces of the puzzle together. They realize the creature is a succubus, drawn to the deepest desires of the heart. Katrina tracks the succubus's energy, which leads them right to Hawley's boat. By the time they get there, Hawley is mid-battle with the succubus, and he's not doing too well. He manages to tase her with an ancient crystal (again, as you do), giving Ichabod and the others enough time to fight her off. On the way home, Ichabod, riding shotgun with Hawley, realizes what his desire was: his attraction to Abbie. Later, while investigating the origins of the succubus, Ichabod essentially gives Abbie his stamp of approval on Hawley...but Abbie's still not interested. Yet.

Meanwhile, Katrina's nightmares are becoming more vivid and more frequent. Her latest features a baby in a cradle and Henry, in their old house, beside it. She explains that she feels like a part of her is still somewhere else, even though the demon baby that was inside of her was killed. (Or was it!?)

With a little research, they identify the succubus as a creature called the Incordata, or "the Heartless," so called because she feeds off of the desires of the heart...and because she literally has no heart. Somehow, this connects back to the origins of Valentine's Day (I love ya, Ichabod, but sometimes those explanations are just too long). Katrina focuses her visions and sees that her baby - the demon baby they thought they killed weeks ago - is with Henry and the Incordata, and it is feeding off of the energy collected by the succubus from her victims. They devise a plan: Ichabod and Hawley are to go to the nightclub in hopes of luring the succubus, while Abbie and Katrina are to go to Henry's house to find and destroy the succubus's heart.

At the club, Ichabod follows the succubus into a supply closet (now there's a sentence I never thought I'd write), while Katrina and Abbie prepare the heart for destruction. The succubus lunges at Ichabod, and the heart emits a blast that knocks Katrina to the floor. Abbie resumes the incantation, and Hawley bursts in to help fight off the succubus. Abbie's version of the incantation seems to be working: the heart is on fire! Literally! The Incordata throws herself at Hawley, giving Ichabod enough time to stab her in the back with Hawley's Norse knife. When that's not enough, Ichabod takes Hawley's gun (he had a gun?!) and shoots her. The creature disintegrates, and all is well.

For now. Hawley and Ichabod have had bonding time, as have Abbie and Katrina, and everyone realizes they're more powerful together than they are apart. Katrina even recognizes the need to kill Moloch - a big step for her, considering her faith in Henry, one of the Horsemen. She devises a plan to get to Moloch through Abraham by proclaiming her pretend love to the Headless Horseman. When Abbie tells Ichabod about the plan, he's oddly okay with it; he learns to trust his wife and her powers. There's some more forced chemistry between Hawley and Abbie (sorry guys, I'm not buying it), and Katrina returns to Abraham. He brings her to Henry, and Katrina looks in the crib and finds...a baby. Not a demon, but a perfectly normal, adorable baby. And now she's torn. She can destroy a demon, but can she destroy her child?

All in all, the episode felt a little forced. The chemistry just isn't there between Hawley and Abbie (I'd make a pun about the relationship being heartless, but I'll spare you that one), and that's okay - she doesn't want a relationship with him, so maybe we don't even need to go there! As for the succubus, it's not a great demon, but it's not the worst, either. Let's see how next week's episode stacks up against this one.

Did you think this week's episode was full of passion, or was it a little bit more heartless (I went there after all!) than episodes past? Let us know in the comments below or chat with me on Twitter @CourtHenley!

Check out a sneak peek at next week's episode titled 'Mama' below:

Photo credit: FOX

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