Sleepy Hollow – NYCC

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

At New York Comic Con, I had the opportunity to sit down with Sleepy Hollow cast members Tom Mison (Ichabod Crane), Lyndie Greenwood (Jenny Mills), as well as newcomers Janina Gavankar (Diana) and Jeremy Davies (Malcolm Dreyfuss). It was easy to see the rapport and friendship that the old and new cast members have with one another, as laughs ensued around the table on the twists and turns to come in Season Four. Spoiler alert: be on the lookout for Ichabod v. slushie machine.

Following the death of Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie), a lot has come into play for Ichabod and Jenny. With a secret Order in Washington and a new villain on the way, both Mison and Greenwood believe that last season’s heart-wrenching finale will bring some fresh ideas to the series. “Obviously we’re all very sad and we feel the loss, but I also think it does open up plenty of opportunities,” said Mison. “But when you’re going into your fourth season, we’ve been on air for a while, that we can take it off in a new direction and hopefully surprise people.”

While Ichabod and Jenny will grieve for their loss, the mission to find the witness is still a key factor. Along the way the dynamics will change, as encounter new characters and create new relationships while cultivating their own. “I think that Jenny and Ichabod have a mission to find the witness, and anyone who can aid in our search is going to be accepted,” said Greenwood. “Definitely her primary focus is the mission. She realizes that there’s a battle bigger than herself and her emotions and so she is definitely very focused on her mission because she’s lost her sister and her boyfriend. Except for Ichabod. I think Crane and Jenny have a really special thing this year because it’s all they have left.”

And one of the newest characters to enter the Sleepy Hollow cast? Janina Gavankar as Diana, an agent/mom who is career-focused, mourning the loss of her partner and a tad bit skeptical on the possibility of supernatural activity. “I mean when you first meet her, she’s never seen anything supernatural,” said Gavankar. “She works with the Department of Homeland Security; it’s been a pretty straightforward career for her thus far. She can’t deny it for very long though.”

As another individual who is dealing with the loss of her partner, expect a potential bond between Ichabod and Diana this season. “Ichabod particularly openly discusses how much he needed Abbie with Janina’s character Diana,” shares Mison. “When we meet her, she has just lost her partner, so they’re two people who need something and they’re not quite sure what it is. She certainly doesn’t expect that it would be a 150-year-old man.”

With the new season debuting in 2017, fans should expect a lot of twists and turns, especially with new baddie Malcolm Dreyfuss. “[Malcolm] is someone who is born almost literally in the delivery room…he’s kind of egregious and genius, and he’s dangerously aware of this to the extent that it leads to justify doing diabolical things,” said Davies. But Malcolm is not just another supernatural character for the team to defeat: he’s a tech billionaire and much to our shock, human! We’re not quite sure whether the supernatural aspect will play into Malcolm’s character. “It the field of all possibilities, my friend,” said Davies. “But he is a man, which again, is far worse than any monster or definition of monster. Man has done the most damage.”

Will the group be able to overcome this real evil? Davies did not disappoint in giving us insight to Malcolm’s villainous and potentially unbeatable persona. “He is monstrous to the extent, (as) one distinction to this season is that he is the most polymorphous and monstrous creature you can imagine,” added Davies. “One other distinction in this season is that in the past all the villains in past seasons have been quite formidable, ultimately defeated and this character might give us an idea of what it’s like when a villain wins.”

So, what will happen with the secret government agency? Will Ichabod and Jenny find the witness? Will Malcolm truly be the one true villain? Be sure to tune in as Sleepy Hollow returns for their fourth season on January 6, 2017!