Lena Gilbert drives up to her former family home with her body guard Sam, who tries to argue that they shouldn't enter because the house looks haunted and they don't know if it is structurally safe. Lena makes her way to a closet to finds that roots have grown through it. She cuts her hand on a thorn and then the roots reach out and trap her.
Ichabod and Abbie are at the station and Crane is snarking about the drivethru food and Abbie says that this is as much as a Thanksgiving as they are getting. Abbie then lists what a traditional family meal consists of and Crane informs her that the pilgrims didn't have any sugar to make a pie with and they would have eaten venison not turkey. Crane admits that all this talk of holidays and family time irks him because he cannot be with Katrina. Abbie tells Crane that he has lost more than anyone ever should and therefore has a right to be unhappy.
Frank interrupts their conversation to say that Lena Gilbert has gone missing. Abbie wonders why Lena is their concern and Frank tells them that the Senate Majority leader contacted him to report Lena missing. When Frank mentions that Lena is a billionaire, this throws Ichabod for a loop because that was the GNP of all 13 colonies in his lifetime. Frank then shows them a note Lena wrote which has Katrina's name on it. Frank adds that according to the GPS on Lena's car, her last known place is in Sleepy Hollow. Crane and Abbie leave the office and Abbie suggests that this might be a coincidence but Ichabod is not convinced. Crane points out that Lena's lineage dates back to the founding fathers and asks Abbie to do a search on Lena's family. Ichabod realises that Lena is related to Lachlan Federick. Ichabod says that he knows where Lena went.
Abbie and Crane pull up at the house Lena went to check out and Crane is astounded with how run down it is. We get a flashback to Crane and Katrina arriving at the house. As they walk in the front entrance, Katrina says that the house is a safe haven and that everyone there, regardless of the colour of their skin, is free and guaranteed Lachlan's protection. Lachlan even paid them all a living wage.
Abbie and Ichabod enter the house calling out for Lena. They enter a room when Abbie notices someone sitting in a chair. The person turns out to be Sam and he is dead. Abbie says it looks like Sam has been attacked by an animal. Ichabod notices blood on the floor which causes them to think that Lena was dragged away. Abbie gets on the walkie talkie to get additional units but gets no signal. When Abbie tries to leave, the doors and windows all slam shut, locking them in the house. Abbie declares that they are in a "damn haunted house.' Abbie tries the doors and says that she is not staying there but Crane replies that they are trapped in there for a reason and so they need to find Lena.
Abbie sees a vision of a woman and walks into another room. Crane follows her but doesn't see her but says that they can survive this. Abbie suggests that they move on because Lena is not there but Ichabod pauses when he finds a book once owned by Katrina. The book contains a letter Crane wrote to her on the day he faced the Horseman. It's his death letter and Crane thinks that they were meant to find it. Abbie moves into another room and asks Crane if he is sure the house wasn't haunted before and filled with crows.
We get a flashback to Ichabod and Abbie meeting Lachlan and Grace Dickson. Crane says that Lachlan and Grace talked of evil and so he believes that the house was also a supernatural haven. They continue to move through the house and find blood on a post and so head downstairs. Abbie opens the closet and finds Lena trapped inside. Together, Crane and Abbie work to free Lena and this wakes a wooden creature outside of the house. The creature moves towards the front door, as Lena says that the house is alive. Crane and Abbie try to calm Lena and Crane brings up Lachlan and how brave he was.
At the station, Frank leaves a message for Abbie about her whereabouts and takes the time to complain about having to deal with Jenny's bs. Jenny returns the gun and Frank points out that she stole it. Frank then asks for the rest and Jenny puts another gun on the table, after claiming she thought it was a gift. Jenny gets up to leave but pauses and then asks Frank if he would like to come over for Thanksgiving dinner. Frank is amazed that Jenny can cook and says that they are going to act like normal people for a change.
They are interrupted by Franks ex-wife Cynthia and his daughter Macy, who is in a wheelchair.
Abbie, Crane and Lena are making their through the house and Crane pauses to ask why Katrina's name appeared on a note that Lena wrote. Lena informs Crane that she found the name on a registry and that Katrina was the last person to seek sanctuary there before the manor was abandoned. Abbie asks what Lena is doing there and Lena says that the house has been a family mystery and when she found the registry with Katrina's name on it, she thought she found the key to the mystery of the house. Lena adds that Lachlan was involved in witchcraft. Crane says that this might explain why Katrina was so interested in visiting this place. Abbie says that something terrible happened here and it has to do with Katrina. The three begin to panic when they hear the creature enter the house.
Abbie, Crane and Lena get separated leaving Abbie on her own. Crane and Lena are being pursued by the monsters, while Abbie fights off crows. Abbie calls out for Crane but gets no answer. Abbie continues to move forward on her own but stops when she gets a vision of a Grace telling her, 'it's time."
Back at the station Macy is moving through the precinct when Jenny walks right by her. Macy stops Jenny and says that Jenny should say hi since she is dating her father. Jenny replies that she is not dating Frank and doesn't even really like him. Macy says that things are better with her father, now that she lives in the city with her mother and Frank lives in Sleepy Hollow. Jenny suggests that Macy should give Frank a chance because he is not a completely terrible person.
Cynthia and Frank sit to have a coffee and he assures her that there is nothing going on between him and Jenny. Cynthia tells Frank that what he does on his own time is none of her business but how he behaves as a parent is. Cynthia points out that Frank has only seen Macy one weekend since he transferred to Sleepy Hollow. Frank promises to make it up to Macy but Cynthia cannot understand what is so challenging in Sleepy Hollow that Frank cannot see Macy. Frank says that he has to handle this and that the work he is doing is important. Cynthia says that Macy is doing fine for now but won't last if Frank hides from his responsibilities as a father. Cynthia then informs Frank that she has papers drawn up demanding full custody and will file if he cancels one more weekend, before leaving the room.
Abbie now heads downstairs and Grace's ghost appears again and tells her to hurry. Abbie gets a vision of Katrina in labour. Katrina gives birth to a little boy, with Grace's help, as crows crash repeatedly into the window. Abbie again starts moving through the house and she is grabbed by Crane. It seems that Lena and Crane have been separated from each other. Together they start looking for Lena and Abbie reveals that she saw Katrina giving birth in a vision. Crane says no and that Katrina would have told him. Abbie suggests that Katrina must have needed to keep it secret and if Lachlan was a part of Katrina's coven, it would make sense that she would go there for safety.
In another vision we see a very pregnant Katrina entering the house. Abbie says Katrina would have assumed the hex on the house would keep the baby safe. Crane asks about the baby and Abbie reveals that Katrina had a son. We get a flashback of Lachlan and Katrina, with Lachlan realising that evil had broken through the protection. Abbey tells Ichabod that the evil appeared the moment the baby was born. Lachlan told Katrina and Grace to leave with his carriage and then died confronting the creature. When Ichabod asks what happened to his son, Abbie replies that she doesn't know. Crane wonders if the baby survived and escaped the creature.
Lena screams and Abbie and Crane go running into the basement. Lena is being held captive by the wood creature. Abbie is unable to get a clean shot and Lena yells for them to run. Crane notices the roots and Abbie shoots, which causes the creature to feel pain and leak blood. The creature drops Lena and the Grace appears to Abbie saying, "this way." Abbie gets a vision of Katrina holding the baby and following Grace out. Abbie, Crane and Lena take the same path out that Katrina and Grace did.
Outside, Crane goes to the trunk and grabs two flares and an axe. Abbie tries to stop him but Crane is determined and demands that Abbie not follow. Back in the house, Crane sets off the flares and waits for the creature. The creature and Cane battle it out and Crane tells it that he knows who it serves and why it came here. Crane informs it that it cannot attack those he loves without consequence. Crane hacks the creature to death telling it to give Maloch his regards and leaves the house.
When Crane returns to the car Abbie is shocked to see him covered in blood.
Back in town, Abbie goes to see Crane about Thanksgiving but he is not interested. Abbie then pulls out a bottle of Crane's favourite rum. Abbie says that Thanksgiving is not easy for everyone and she talks about how hard it was to see other families when she was a kid. Crane then talks about the good family time he had with his father as a child. Abbie suggests that they should cherish what they have in the here and now. Crane hands Abbie a box from Lena which contains the records from the house. It turns out that the ghost they saw was Grace Dickson and she is an ancestor of Abbie's. Crane says that his path was always entwined with Abbie. Abbie grabs the booze and they toast to finding family.
This is the first episode of Sleepy Hollow that I actually liked. Ichabod's pain at exactly what he lost was very real. Unfortunately it was contrasted with Frank and his inability to parent given everything going on the falls. I didn't like the juxtaposition one little bit, particularly because Black men are frequently portrayed as dead beat fathers in the media.
So we heard repeated how amazing Lachlan was because of the sanctuary he created. Even then, there were people who did not own slaves or believe that the terrible institution was a good thing. It seems to me that seeing people as equal should not receive such praise because it should be the default position.
Even though things are still rough between Jenny and Frank it seems to me like their relationship is improving quickly. I wonder if these two are being set up for a romance? I do like the addition of Franks disabled daughter. We don't often get to see disabled characters in this genre. I hope that she will not just be a character in passing and will become a more visible part of the show.
