| This article is about the Season One episode, "John Doe". For the character who was briefly known as John Doe, see Thomas Grey. |
- "You look good for two-hundred. But a change of clothes wouldn't hurt."
- —Abbie Mills to Ichabod Crane
"John Doe" is the fifth episode of Season One of Fox's Sleepy Hollow. It was written by Melissa Blake and directed by Ernest Dickerson. It is the fifth episode of the series overall, and debuted on October 14, 2013.
Synopsis[]
When an unidentified boy is discovered in Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane and Lt. Abbie Mills are called to the scene. After speaking with the child, they immediately realize that something sinister and sickly is afoot and the duo go on a hunt to discover his home and origins - and are shocked by what they find.[1]
Recap[]
A little girl in the forest is seen collecting things in her basket when a little boy comes out of nowhere and she teases him to catch her. She runs behind some trees and disappears, leaving the boy to be chased by a helmeted horseback rider with a bow. The horseman chases him through the woods until he gets to a road before vanishing into black dust.
Meanwhile, Abbie is helping Crane settle into Corbin’s old cabin, and they talk briefly about fate. She teases him about not knowing what modern words mean and not being able to get the plastic from around one of his purchases. There is a moment where Crane worries that his look doesn’t quite fit in with modern times, but Abbie reassures him otherwise. She gets a call about a found boy and Crane wants to accompany her to the scene noting “routine” has taken on new dimensions with them.
The mystery boy was seen stumbling down the street, where he passed out, and a concerned mail carrier called it in. A witness said she had earlier seen the boy by the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. On the scene, Luke Morales questions Abbie’s decision to bring Crane with her, but she brushes him off when Crane calls her attention to the boy’s condition; blackened veins in his hands, the boy’s clothing and, when they revive him, Crane recognizes the boy is speaking Middle English, which was only spoken during the Middle Ages – and is something Crane, the history professor, can speak.
Back at the office, Abbie has to explain to Crane what kidnapping is and they are told the boy was taken to Westchester Memorial Hospital and is known to them as “John Doe.” Crane tells them he knows what a John Doe is, informing them that the term originated in England before even his time. He tries to tell them about the Middle English the boy spoke and questions who the “Evil Girl” the boy mentioned might be. Captain Irving is skeptical, and tells them that he’s alerted the CDC. When he leaves Abbie and Crane, Morales approaches Irving and questions Crane’s work as a consultant after having been a suspect. Irving tells him Crane is valuable, to stay focused on his own work, and brushes him off.
At the hospital, the boy is in quarantine and the CDC agent assigned to the case has Crane sit in front of a webcam to communicate with the boy. He is less concerned about the person, and more concerned about "the vector" angering Crane who says he will treat the boy as the child he is. He reassures the boy that he shouldn’t be afraid, learning that his name is Thomas and he’s sorry for following the girl, who he knew he wasn’t supposed to follow. Abbie thinks he may have been kidnapped, and that teaching him Middle English was one way the person could keep him from asking for help. Crane disagrees, wondering if the boy might just be disoriented and lost. Thomas tells them that his home is in Roanoke.
The CDC man immediately radios that the Roanoke, Virginia hospitals need to be checked. Crane thinks that Thomas might be from the lost colony on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. He explains that Virginia Dare was the first American colonist born in Roanoke, but when her father returned to the colony in 1590, the entire town had vanished. Irving calls to tell them that the EMT who first treated Thomas is infected and deteriorating rapidly and the nurses are starting to feel ill – they could have an outbreak on their hands. In his hospital room, the EMT seizes and sees a vision of the same helmeted horseback rider before his eyes turn black and he collapses.
Crane and Abbie decide to check out the Rockefeller Park where Thomas was seen. Crane proves a skilled tracker, and explains he learned foxhunting as a boy. He reveals that he had a nobleman for a father, and a rather "regal upbringing," one of the things he is glad to have left behind. He shows Abbie different plants and the ways in which she can orient herself in the woods. They find two sets of footprints, with one starting out of nowhere, determining they may have belonged to the “evil girl” Thomas mentioned.
Back at the office, Luke Morales and his partner, Devon Jones, have a discussion about getting cut out of cases because of Crane. Morales is becoming increasingly antagonistic about Ichabod Crane being around.
At the hospital, more people are becoming sick and Irving believes it could be an act of bio-terrorism. The man from the CDC tells him the boy’s immune system is different and he shows different blood patterns. Along with that, they found no evidence that the boy had ever been immunized against anything.
Abbie and Crane come across a tiny island in the river, with Crane thinking it may house the missing Roanoke colony. He correctly identifies a secret river crossing, and they cross into the town. As the townspeople swarm them, it is confirmed that they are in Roanoke and Abbie realizes that everyone in town is infected with the same thing that Thomas is suffering from, but don't appear sickened. A man explains to them that Thomas was raised there when the Horseman of Pestilence infected the entire colony. Virginia, the youngest and first to die, her spirit appeared and brought them here to live unaffected by the disease, and at the same time, containing it. It was only when Thomas left the colony that he took pestilence with him, enacting the Horseman’s plan. Abbie and Crane realize they have to bring Thomas back to the colony to save everyone from the sickness. On their way out of the colony, Abbie notices the Horseman of Pestilence on the outskirts of town, leaving them with little time.
As soon as they return to the hospital, Crane realizes he has been infected from his first encounter with Thomas. He is immediately sedated and taken into quarantine. Soon after, he finds himself with Katrina, who warns him that he must be close to death to be with her right now. She explains to him that he is sick and he’s come to her in purgatory, where Moloch keeps her captive. When he presses her for more information, she tells him that she knows why she cannot leave, but before she tells him, he is pulled back to the land of the living.
Morales receives a phone call confirming questions he had about Crane’s job, while Abbie asks Irving for his help in moving Thomas and Crane. Irving denies her request and she goes into the hospital chapel for guidance. Disheartened, she goes to leave when an old woman comes in and blesses herself with the holy water. This helps Abbie to realize that the water in Roanoke could save Thomas and Crane. Many religions use water to purify.
Still skeptical, Irving sets up transfer orders for Crane and Thomas and covers for Abbie when she leaves with the two of them in an ambulance. The three of them struggle to get through the woods, but after a shot of adrenaline for Crane, they make it back to Roanoke. Crane carries the boy to the well and as they surface, the oncoming Horseman of Pestilence disappears. As they realize they’ve won, a white light glows and Abbie is standing next to Crane in an old, broken well. The village is a ruin and Thomas and the other townspeople are seen walking away. Crane realizes the entire town was dead all along. It was only once Thomas left the town that he was seen by other people and able to spread the plague. Crane notes that Abbie's faith as one of the Witnesses was what allowed her to save the day. When Irving calls Abbie to let her know that everyone infected is recovering, she has to remind Crane that his place is in Sleepy Hollow, voicing concerns that he might have stayed with the colony.
The Headless Horseman is elsewhere seen coming out of the water and getting on his horse, leaving a fiery trail in his path.
Cast[]
Starring[]
Guest Starring[]
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Co-Starring[]
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Trivia[]
- The US title "John Doe" refers to a placeholder name used for people whose identity is not known. In the case of the episode, it specifically refers to Thomas Grey.
- The Japanese title refers to the Village of Roanoke which disappeared entirely.
- This episode introduces another of the Four Horsemen, Pestilence, also known as Conquest.
- While tracking Thomas Grey's path in the woods, Crane discovers a mimosa pudica a plant that "closes up for days in response to human touch." In the village, however, a young girl picked one and offered it to Abbie, all without it closing up at all - an early indication that the girl was no longer human, but a ghost.
Body Count[]
- EMT - Infected by Thomas Grey.
- Thomas Grey - Tricked by Conquest. Was cured in Roanoke where he was discovered to be already dead.
International Titles[]
| International Titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language: | Title: | Translation: |
| French | "La Colonie Perdue" | "The Lost Colony" |
Multimedia[]
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Promotional Photos[]
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