"Dark Mirror"

"The time has come; the new world begins now."

"Dark Mirror" is the thirteenth episode of Season Three of Fox's Sleepy Hollow. It was written by Sam Chalsen & Nelson Greaves and directed by Sylvain White. It is the forty-fourth episode of the series overall, and debuted on March 4, 2016.

Synopsis[]

As a monster resembling the fabled Jersey Devil ravages Sleepy Hollow, Crane must draw on his past to find the connection. Meanwhile, Jenny and Joe stumble as they navigate their new relationship and Abbie continues to struggle with the aftermath of her trauma.^[1]

Recap[]

A jogger films himself and his companion, Alice, running through the woods. Suddenly, something grabs Alice and hauls her into the trees. The jogger runs over and finds Alice's bloody corpse on the ground... and then something attacks him. The Hidden One then arrives and reminds the creature that he is its master. The creature kneels before him and begs forgiveness.

Abbie is jogging trying to block out memories of the Catacombs. She returns home and goes to her garage, and unveils the symbol on the wall. In the house, Crane, Joe, and Jenny make Sunday brunch. Crane complains about how the food is named, and Jenny realizes something else is going on.

He shows the others his letters from Immigration; he had missed his interview when he was looking for the missing Abbie. Jenny says that they'll use Joe's money to hire Crane a lawyer to plead his case, and goes to make mimosas. She goes to the garage to get champagne and sees the cloth on the wall. Abbie interrupts her, holding her the bottle of champagne, and gets Jenny inside.

The group finishes breakfast; Crane and Jenny take the dishes to the kitchen. He feels better and points out that Abbie has cheered up recently, however, they both think that Abbie his hiding something. They agree to keep an eye on Abbie without pushing her. The FBI calls Abbie and tells her about a possible serial killing of two antiquarian professors.

Abbie and Crane check out the crime scene. The wounds are too precise for an animal attack, and there is evidence of poison. Crane suggests that the wounds are a mixture of snake, wolf, and scorpion, but Abbie notes that the blood splatter indicates one attacker. Considering, Crane says that there were rumors of an creaturel in the Jersey woods: the Jersey Devil.

Joe and Jenny drive back to Jenny's trailer, and find the floor flooded. The water hookup has cracked and Jenny shuts off the valve. Joe figures that she'll need a whole new system, and points out that the entire trailer could use an update. He's more than glad to spend some of his money to do the work.

At the archive, Crane checks the references to the Jersey Devil dating back to 1777. There are a dozen unexplained deaths in the Jersey woods in the last ten months, and the last two were the runners in Atlantic County Park. Crane remembers the place and checks his maps, and tells Abbie that he met Benjamin's rival scientist Japheth Leeds there.

A flashback shows Crane writing in the woods when Leeds approaches and asks if he intends to be another of Franklin's whipping boys. Leeds insists that Franklin is no rival because of his lack of skill, and tells Crane to pass on his message. Crane wonders why Leeds' Electrostatic Inducer is superior to Crane's lightning, and Leeds merely tells him that he chose the wrong mentor. Leeds' work included isolating animal traits and using them to augment humanity: genetic manipulation. He finds Franklin's comments about Leeds in his Almanac, and finds a coded message. Franklin says that Leeds had turned to alchemy and ancient magic, turning his back on the scientific community. Leeds experimented on himself, altering his body. Leeds drinks his formula and screams in pain, and then mutates into the creature that will be known as the Jersey Devil.

Crane and Abbie realize that Leeds is still alive over 200 years later, and head to Atlantic County Park. En route, Jenny calls them to say that the two murdered professors had a Mayan prayer mask and a Celtic plate on loan. Both plates were solid gold and known to be the vessels of the gods. She heads back to her trailer to find the reference back.

At the park, Crane and Abbie find the ruins of Leeds' cabin and in an old stove marked with alchemical markings, hHe finds a hidden switch and the entire platform moves aside to reveal a passage downward. They descend and the gaslights activate automatically, revealing Leeds' lab. The Witnesses find notes with references to the Hidden One. Crane realizes that Leeds is a worshiper of the Hidden One, and came in service to his master. Abbie finds a necklace in the shape of the temple symbol, and Crane looks at it. He doesn't know what it means but suggests that it represents evil if Leeds had it.

Jenny drives back to her trailer and discovers that Joe has bought her a new one. He comes out with a giant red bow and admits that she wasn't supposed to be back yet. Jenny is furious that he replaced her stuff without asking, and Joe assures her that all of her stuff is in either the Masonic Cell or a storage unit. She gets in the truck, tells Joe to get in, and heads to the Cell.

Crane finds Leeds' research and notices that Abbie is staring single-mindedly at the symbol. She's also found a wax cylinder from a phonograph, and Crane plays it on Leeds' device. It's a movie projector, and Leeds has recorded information on the Hidden One. He documents how the gods of the ancient era ruled over humanity, and Pandora was one of the servants.

The Hidden One is outcast and condemned to live in the Catacombs, and Pandora brings the offering to him. She once offered him a flower to bring him a bit of joy, and the Hidden One eventually tells her that he stands guard over all of the evil in the world, hidden in a Box. He summons the Box and shows it to Pandora, and explains that the evil within the Box is filtered through his brother's golden hourglass... and the evil is the only thing that can destroy his brother. Pandora and her brethren unleash the Box's contents, however, humanity betrayed the Hidden One and locked him away forever.

Crane realizes that the gold of the stolen artifacts is the key, and Abbie figures that Leeds plans to recreate the Golden Hourglass. The two relics are pieces of it, and the Hidden One plans to use the power of the monsters he summons using the Hourglass. The transformed Leeds enters and recognizes Crane. Crane says that Franklin knew Leeds' true nature as an abomination. The Jersey Devil pours himself a drink and insists that his god is bent on restoring power to the worthy. He describes a golden age where geniuses are recognized. He then lashes out at Abbie, and the Witnesses open fire on him. He's immune to their bullets, but Crane manages to stab him in the back with his own scorpion tail, even though he scratches himself on the stinger. The Jersey Devil recovers and knocks Abbie unconscious. Crane collapses from the venom and Leeds picks up a technology-laden staff and walks out.

Abbie wakes up and has the dying Crane tell her what she needs to make an antidote. She does so just in time, but she freezes as she sees the symbol again. Crane whispers her name, and after a moment Abbie finishes her job and gives him the antidote. As she waits for him to recover, Abbie grabs the symbol. Crane finally comes to and Abbie apologizes for being distracted. He realizes that the symbol captured her attention, and warns that it is evil, but Abbie says that she's needed it for months. She saw it on the temple wall and it gave her peace, and still does. Crane says that soldiers returning from the war do what they need to carry on.

Crane mixes an explosive to blast open the door. Jenny calls from the cell and reads Abbie a legend about an hourglass artifact that bestows omnipotence on the user. The key ingredient is the Fire of the Gods, which will transform the relics into the Sands of Life. Abbie tells Crane what Jenny has discovered, and he realizes that the staff the Devil took is his Electrostatic Inducer. They assume he is going to the highest point in the area and Crane says that he knows where it is.

The Hidden One watches in his scrying well as the Devil begins the ritual. He places the Inducer in the bowl just as Crane and Abbie arrive. Crane warns that the Hidden One cannot be trusted, and the Devil says that he chooses him as his master. He activates the Inducer and lightning strikes it, melting down the stolen relics, transforming into the Sands of Life. Abbie opens fire without effect. Crane dismisses the display as parlor tricks, and Abbie slips around the side as Crane tells Leeds the Hidden One will betray him. Abbie grabs the inducer and drives it into the Devil's chest, the lightning strikes, hitting the Inducer and disintegrating the Devil, but the Sands of Life are gone.

Joe brings the old trailer back and assures her that it's all the way it was. He admits that he jumped the gun, but insists that his heart was in the right place. Jenny points out that he stole her home, and says that it's about boundaries. They kiss and Jenny tells Joe to never touch her staff again without asking. She then goes inside and locks Joe out.

At home, Abbie sits and fingers the symbol. Crane returns and tries to slip by her, and Abbie asks him to talk to her. He says that he understands what she's going through, and it's not his place to judge. Abbie points out that Crane almost died because she needed the symbol, and she thought all along that he could control her impulse. She realizes that she was lying to herself, and gives the symbol to him. She stares at it and says that she needs his help.

At the cave, the Hidden One gives the same flower to Pandora, and says that she is the only gift that he ever needed. He then asks Pandora to join him and offers his hand, and Pandora takes it. They go to the scrying well together and the Golden Hourglass floats out of the water. The Hidden One takes it and the Sands of Life flow down into it. Turning it over, the Hidden One says that the time has come and the new world has arrived.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Charles Aitken as Japheth Leeds
Peter Mensah as The Hidden One

Co-Starring[]

Kevin Tan as Auction Man

Trivia[]

Production Notes[]

While preparing their breakfast Crane complains that "...these eggs are named after a traitor...". Presumably he is preparing Eggs Benedict and is referring to Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold. However eggs Benedict are not named after Benedict Arnold but Lemuel Benedict, a New York banker who in 1894 ordered his favorite foods for breakfast when staying at the Waldorf Hotel and suffering from a hangover.
The monster in question is a replica of the NJ Devil, not the actual urban legend. Japheth Leeds was never born from Mother Leeds, but rather an inventor and Ben Franklin's rival who mutated himself. It is, however, possible that he could belong to the Leeds' family.
Japhet Leeds was the husband of Deborah Leeds the woman who may have been the historical basis for "Mother Leeds" the woman who gave birth to the Jersey Devil in the folk story.