#married

The Death of Hope and the Murderers Who Killed It

As a person who watched this show consistently for the past 3 years, I can say that the biggest draw to this show was the equality in the partnership. As much as the Sleepy Hollow story is about Ichabod Crane, this show didn’t take place in his time period. It took place in hers. She was the touch stone. She was the audience’s point of reference. The human in the inhuman. The natural in the supernatural. They made her into a support beam when she was the foundation. Everyone loved the chemistry between the 2 characters and to have that constantly being thrown aside in season 2 and 3 was rude and oblivious. Sleepy Hollow had one of the largest minority supporting cast of any show right now, especially in the Sci first genre. Abbie was supposed to be a main character, the witness wife to Ichabod’s witness husband, but they treated her like a side chick. And on top of that, they played with us, the viewers, the fan base, so disgustingly.

They took all, that was sacred in this show burned it with Greek fire, had it dipped in acid, and fed it took Moloch’s minions. They went back on the biggest point of the serie’s mythos. It was the point that was hammered home every season. It was the reason the show was what it was. Every episode, every moment, every action was held to this idea. It was the reason Ichabod was saved in the first place. If it was not Abigail Mills he would fail. It was her presence, her existance, her partnership with him that made everything possible. She is not an interchangeable character. Yes, the witnesses support each other mutually, but the way things played out made Abbie’s character a stepping stool in HIS journey, rather than than a partner.

Sleepy Hollow writers made Ichabod into that kid in a project that gets all the credit for simply doing the easy half. They made him a coward. And on top of all that, after ship baiting all season, they couldn’t even be bothered to have him admit his feelings. Not even once. They tried top capitalise on us without giving us anything. They exploited the fan base and the fan base is very upset. They exploited Abbie and the fan base is livid. But because they exploited Nichole, there is no words for the hurt and rage the fan base currently feels.

At this point, it doesn’t matter who they bring in for the possible season 4. No one trusts them anymore. There is no fan base anymore. And a lot of people feel that even if they continue and bring in this relation of Abbie, she’s simply going to be an “appropriately white” relative. It will be the lightest of light skinned black girls. And who’s to say that they won’t just disregard their own timeline and mythos again and simp,y find some white girl who is going to be again distant relation? No matter who she is, she won’t have the same chemistry. She won’t be Abbie.

While I don’t particularly like this analogy, Ichabod is the brain and Abbie is the heart. As much as each one is important, the brain simply can’t survive without its heart. Abigail Mills stood for so much in an industry and genre the doesn’t love the Abigail Mills and Nichole Beharies of the world.

To the Fandoms Helping Out:

We want to keep this event Abbie Mills specific. We are joining together to combat systemic discrimination in the media. However due to Abbie Mills’ unique place in television we want to make sure to keep this event focused on Abbie herself. 

Please remember when speaking of the discrimination that Abbie faces, speak directly to her blackness, while Abbie is woman of color she faced discrimination specific to that blackness. In 3 seasons of television:

Abbie Mills was not kissed and had no onscreen romance

Abbie sacrificed herself thrice for the world, her partner Ichabod never did

 she was repeatedly sidelined and displaced while white women were pushed into her place (said women were then horribly written besides)

Sleepy Hollow itself was originally promoted as diverse show making their treatment of the black actors and characters on this show that much more egregious

the “don’t need no man trope” which is specific to black women was applied to her by the writers room: “Abbie loved Ichabod, but Ichabod was in love with Abbie.”

Abbie also faced colorism from her own fandom as some viewers repeatedly called for her to be replaced by her light-skinned, acceptably curly haired sister

originally Abbie was supposed to die mid-season, that’s right as far as the writer’s of Sleepy Hollow were concerned this co-lead, only black woman leading a genre show, arguably fan favorite’s death didn’t even warrant a season finale

her final words to her partner were that “her purpose was to carry him forward and she had nothing more to do”, in an interview with one of the writers they said: “she had served her purpose”

she existed solely for the benefit of a man

while she started strong Abbie was diminished in every way as her S1 love interests were written out apropos of nothing to make room for story line’s that centered the conflict around her white male partner (now I like Ichabod, but their storylines needed to be equally important)

all POC supporting cast were either killed off or slowly disappeared from the show: John Cho, Orlando Jones, Jill-Marie Jones, Amandla Stenberg,Nicholas Gonzalez. 

Nicole Beharie herself was not invited to the season 2 DVD commentary, she recently had to ask the Sleepy Hollow fox twitter account to follow her, she was told that no one wanted to see her at conventions without Tom Mison

Essentially they hired an amazing Julliard trained actress and diminished her and the character she played in every conceivable way. The simple human wastage is disgusting, the constant slights are an outrage, and the blend of racism and sexism she endured us beyond the pale. And all of it is specific to her blackness so remember that when we work this trending event. 

She is not simply a WOC, but a black woman. The strong woman who doesn’t need a man trope is specific to her blackness, being a pack mule whose feelings are not considered is specific to her blackness, being considered disposable is specific to her blackness and being only considered for her usefulness to her white co-workers is specific to her blackness.

Abbie Mills being killed on Sleepy Hollow just goes to show me the writers, producers, and showrunners of Sleepy Hollow were never truly invested or interested in her character. They never expected this amazing black female character, played by a very talented black woman, would resonate with so many people. They never expected Abbie to have the fanbase she had, or to become as popular as she is. 

It says to me all the praise they got in season one for the shows diversity was really all talk. That once Abbie got too popular, they pushed Katrina out to the forefront hoping desperately fans and viewers would latch on to her like they did Abbie. Because they didn’t see Abbie as special, unique, and important. 

I stopped watching the show mid-way through s2, but Abbie was always the reason I wanted to watch. She was the heart of the show in the early seasons. She was the cornerstone of what made the show work. 

I’m not sure if Nicole wanted to leave the show (given that the showrunners seemed clueless as what to do with the character and utterly unwilling to pursue the obvious Ichabbie romance), or if this was a showrunners only decision. Either way, it’s a sad loss for television. I only hope Nicole can find better work and better roles where she can really shine as an actress. She deserved so much better than what she was given on Sleepy Hollow. And fans deserved better from the showrunners. Abbie Mills deserved better. 

I dug through some old boxes. I don’t have a lot of stuff from the old days, but I did find this. I thought you might want to know more about who you are, where you came from.

At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA. At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.  At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer. 

At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.   At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.

At age 28, Wayne Coyne ( from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook. At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.  At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.  At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs. Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51. Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40. Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40. Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 42. Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46.

Morgan Freeman landed his first movie role at age 52. Kathryn Bigelow only reached international success when she made The Hurt Locker at age 57. Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76. Louise Bourgeois didn’t become a famous artist until she was 78. Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure because you haven’t found fame and fortune by the age of 21. Hell, it’s okay if you don’t even know what your dream is yet. Even if you’re flipping burgers, waiting tables or answering phones today, you never know where you’ll end up tomorrow. Never tell yourself you’re too old to make it. 

Never tell yourself you missed your chance. 

Never tell yourself that you aren’t good enough. 

You can do it. Whatever it is. 

[via]

Sleepy Hollow: “Ragnarok” Episodic Photos

—“You have endured an ordeal few can even imagine.” —“Except you.”