- "Because your friend and mentor, George Washington, he believed, as I happen to believe, that when the chips come down, something must be sacrificed for the greater good."
- —Malcolm Dreyfuss to Ichabod Crane
"Homecoming" is the sixth episode of Season Four of Fox's Sleepy Hollow. It was written by Joe Webb and directed by Jim O'Hanlon. It is the fifty-fifth episode of the series overall, and debuted on February 10, 2017.
Synopsis[]
When the team realizes that the talisman which Dreyfuss seeks might be hidden in the most obvious of places, they race against the clock to find it before the evil forces are aligned. Then, with heightened emotions and bittersweet memories, Jenny and Crane revisit important parts of their past as they return to Sleepy Hollow. [1]
Recap[]
Crane and Diana stop off at a convenience store on their way to Sleepy Hollow. After she buys him a blue Slushie, they go out to the SUV and Crane assures Diana that they are a step ahead of Malcolm if they get hold of the last piece of the Stone. For it to work, it will have to drain the life force of thousands of innocents.
Malcolm drives out to the countryside and calls to Jobe. He gets no response and cuts his thumb, and then calls upon Satan to direct him to Jobe. A whirlwind forms nearby and Malcolm goes to it. Jobe is imprisoned in a coffin, and Malcolm frees him. Malcolm points out that Jobe was supposed to remain at his side, and Jobe apologizes for his dereliction of duty. Malcolm says that he needs the last piece of the Stone and Jobe to find it.
As Diana and Crane drive into Sleepy Hollow, he recalls his first awakening in the town. He admits that a lot of his memories are tied up there, for good or for bad. He explains about the Bible that George Washington left for him to explain his Witness status, and figures that the general had good reason to keep him in the dark when they worked together. Diana calls him a good soldier. Jenny, Jake, and Alex arrive in Sleepy Hollow separately. Jake admits that he was expecting a more supernatural vibe, and Jenny remembers her various supernatural encounters. She tells them to keep their guards up. Jenny takes out the Judas Scepter to find the last piece, and explains that it's drawn to magic. It leads them past an old building with a sarcophagus on the roof. Jenny is unable to pinpoint the magic source, and then the "signal" goes dead. Crane suggests that the meeting of ley lines may be messing with the signal, and Alex suggests that they overlay the ley line map with a topographical map to isolate the interference. Crane leads them to the archives to get his map. Meanwhile, a jackal-masked figure emerges from the sarcophagus.
The team enters the Archives and Crane, Jake, and Alex do their research while Jenny points out the secret tunnel to Diana. Jenny looks at Abbie's coffee cup and says that they all had something special. Crane finds the maps they need and Alex says that she can build a Faraday cage that will filter out the excess magical energy. Jenny takes her to her storage unit to get the components she needs, while Crane and Diana look for information on the Stone. Jake goes with the two women to get the components, and both he and Alex figure that they're finally making a difference. Jenny warns that they have to be realistic about the dangers they face, and digs up the trapdoor to her storage unit.
In the archive, Crane shows Diana letters written by Washington and reveals a cipher that he missed before. One letter shows a meeting between George Washington and Benjamin Banneker. A flashback shows Banneker going to Washington's tent and says that his survey team has found the Stone. He has come for permission to make a division to stop the Stone from falling into enemy hands. Washington says that Banneker will divide the Stone into four pieces, and will hold onto one piece. The division will endure no matter what happens to the nation. Washington says, however, that they must first use the Stone before they divide it. Banneker warns that the cost is measured in human lives, but Washington says that the Stone is the only thing that will let the nation survive its infancy. Crane and Diana decide that if they find the rest of the correspondence then they can learn what the threat was that Washington faced. Diana suggests that they find the piece first, and they head out.
Once Alex builds the Faraday device, they attach it to the Scepter and go back to the town square. They get a clear rating this time and the Scepter leads them to a nearby graveyard. On the building above, the jackal-headed figure draws an arrow and fires. Jenny knocks Jake out of the way just in time and they take cover. Jenny gives the Scepter to Alex and the archer shoots it. The Scepter dissolves in a matter of seconds, while the archer fires another arrow at Jenny and she just avoids it. Jenny figures that the Stone piece is in the crypt beneath them, but they can't get to it with the archer shooting at them. She says that they should run in different directions to confuse it. Jake reluctantly agrees and they run.
When the trio gets back to the archive, Jenny tells Crane and Diana what they encountered. Crane finds a book describing the Sphinx, a guardian demon used by Egyptian pharaohs to guard their treasure. He figures that they need to solve a riddle to defeat the Sphinx, and Jake suggests that they use the tunnels to access the crypt. Jenny says that they can provide a distraction long enough for Jake and Diana to get into the crypt.
Crane and Diana enter the tunnels and he explains that Banneker became one of Washington's closest advisors. He was not happy to know how many people knew the secret of his Witness status, and tells Diana that they will be honest with Molly. They come to the passage leading to the crypt and check with Jenny. She says that they're ready, and tells Jake and Alex to stay with the truck. They refuse and Alex points out that Jenny has gone off on her own before. Jake insists that they can handle themselves and they're old enough to make their own decisions. Jenny admits that she was out of line and thanks them for their honesty, and gives them weapons. The Sphinx starts firing at them and they take cover. Diana and Crane enter the passageway and come to a series of switches. He warns that he'll need time to translate the cipher.
The Sphinx comes down and attacks Jenny, and she holds it off long enough for Alex and Jake to hit it. They divide its attention and it hesitates. Crane opens the crypt door and the last piece is on a pedestal. The Sphinx weakens and Jenny shoots it, figuring that the others got the talisman. The demon dissolves into dust, and Jenny thanks Jake and Alex. As Crane takes the piece, the crypt door closes, sealing Diana outside. Jobe appears and teleports the piece into his hands, and then teleports away with Crane just as Diana solves the lock and enters.
Back at the archive, Diana tells the others how Crane disappeared. They figure that Malcolm and Jobe were involved, and Alex wonders if they can use anything else to use the talisman. Diana suggests that they track Dreyfuss Enterprise's businesses in the area. Jenny discovers that three months ago the company started a commemorative park on the site of a Colonial-era battlefield. She says that they need to arm up and go in smart.
Crane wakes up on a pattern in a stone wall at the park construction site. The Stone is resting in the floor, and Malcolm and Jobe enter. Malcolm proposes a toast to ending the division after two centuries, and Crane refuses to drink with him. He points out that the Stone will kill everyone in Sleepy Hollow, and Malcolm explains that after years spending millions on live-preservation science, one of his FBI contacts learned of a 250-year-old man. Crane deduced that Dreyfuss had Walters killed, and held him captive to obtain information. Malcolm then asks if Crane finds the Stone familiar, and tells him to imagine it filled with blood. Malcolm points out that Crane hasn't been able to harm the Horseman since cutting off his head 250 years ago, and Crane only did it because of the power of the Stone. In the end, Washington sacrificed Crane to destroy the Horseman.
Crane realizes that he fought the Horseman on the Stone, and Malcolm says that both he and Washington knew that they need to sacrifice people for the greater good. He tells Crane that Banneker pleaded Crane's case with Washington, that he wondered how Washington could sacrifice his friend, Crane, only to be told that it is war. He has to sacrifice a man that he loves and trusts because he has no other choice. Banneker leaves only to run into Crane outside. He tells Crane that they are both soldiers and must do what they are ordered to do. Crane says that he won't fail, and Banneker agrees, then wishes him well.
Malcolm leads Crane outside to the old battlefield where he once died. Malcolm says that it's where he will gain eternal life as soon as one more individual arrives. The Horseman rides up and dismounts. They go inside and Jobe ties Crane up. Crane tells Malcolm that it's not too late to walk away with his soul intact, but Malcolm ignores him. Jobe hands him a sacrificial knife. Jenny and the others arrive outside and spot Malcolm and the others. They prepare their weapons and get ready to go in.
Malcolm cuts Crane's hand with the dagger and then the Horseman's hand. Their blood mixes and drips onto the Stone, and Jobe says that he's cast a spell that will protect the area from the Stone's affects. Malcolm begins the ritual, but Jenny uses a blessed lantern to trap Jobe inside. The others run in and drop explosive charges on the Stone. Malcolm calls to Jobe but gets no response, and the Horseman grabs his axe. Ichabod grabs a discarded gun and shoots it, wounding it thanks to the power of the Stone. The team runs out and Malcolm starts drinking the liquid that has emerged from the Stone. They get out and trigger the charges, and the construction site blows up.
The next morning, Crane goes to Abbie's grave and catches her up, telling her that there was no trace of Malcolm or the Horseman. The blast tore the lantern out of Jenny's hand, but Crane figures that they secured a strong victory. He then starts talking about what he's been doing recently, he assures Abbie that she's always with him, leaves her a Headless Horseman bobble head, and leaves.
Later at the bar, the group share a toast to absent friends a victory well fought. Crane goes to the jukebox and notices Washington on his coin. Diana comes over and he says that Washington made the right decision, sacrificing him to defeat the Horseman. He points out that if he hadn't died then he wouldn't be part of the new team, and Diana agrees that they're a team. Crane assures her that Molly's experience will be far different from Abbie's, and Diana wonders if it's the last they will hear from Malcolm. He warns that evil has a tendency to return, but if it does then they'll face it together.
At the construction site, Malcolm crawls out of the wreckage and pulls a shard of metal out of his stomach. The wound heals instantly and Malcolm laughs in triumph as he realizes that his plan worked.
Cast[]
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Trivia[]
- Malcolm Dreyfuss achieves his goal and becomes immortal, therefore avoiding having to give up his soul as he will never die.
- The ultimate fate of Jack Walters was revealed after he had been absent since "Ragnarok".
- George Washington had the stone dais in the center of the Philosopher's Stone separated into four pieces and gave then to trusted allies such as Benjamin Banneker and the Dyer Sisters.
- Ironically, since the Witnesses left Sleepy Hollow, the population of the village has increased.
- It was revealed in a flashback that the Philosopher's Stone was at the exact spot where Ichabod and Death's blood intermixed. This is what linked the two together.
- Diana calls the team, "Team Witness" for the first time.
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