9) Sleepy Hollow

When I reviewed the pilot episode of Sleepy Hollow back in fall 2013, I raked it over the coals. Even though it was right up my ally in terms of content, I found the delivery to be lackluster. After tuning in for the next couple of episodes however, I’m glad that I stuck it out.

Television is in no way suffering from a shortage of period dramas, but taking a character out of time and into the present day made for an interesting juxtaposition that other shows can’t really compete with (although, Outlander has a similar concept in a sense).

One of the most interesting things about this series is watching Tom Mison’s version of Ichabod Crane reconcile his pre-existing knowledge with what he’s presented with in a contemporary context. It creates a certain amount of naive amazement within the narrative that comes with being introduced to modern conveniences for the first time.

Unlike other characters who are plucked out of the past, (Jeremy, who has lived through the transition, and Katrina (Katia Winter), who has been able to observe them from purgatory to an extent), he is alone in the relative newness of the world. This allows for the writers to concoct a really unique relationship between Crane and his partner/Guide, Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie), which continues to be a highlight of the show.