SLEEPY HOLLOW: Tom Mison in the “Ragnarok” season three finale episode of SLEEPY HOLLOW. ©2016 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Tina Rowden/FOX

Spoilers! Season three of FOX‘s Sleepy Hollow TV series went out with a bang. In the penultimate third season episode, the show killed off the late Sheriff’s son, Joe Corbin (Zach Appelman). Sleepy Hollow has survived the departure of other heavily featured actors including Orlando Jones, John Noble, and Katia Winter. Friday’s third season finale death was a game changer, though. Nicole Beharie’s Lieutenant Abbie Mills, who, along with Tom Mison’s Ichabod Crane, is one of the two main characters, sacrificed her life to stop the Hidden One.

In an interview with TVLine, Sleepy Hollow showrunner, Clifton Campbell, said that while there will still be references to Beharie’s Abbie, the character is gone. He said the actress will not return to the show as Abbie Mills. He did say the “idea of her” will be around in the future, “but not as the character Abbie Mills.” Do you think that leaves wiggle room of some sort?

As mentioned in the report, Abbie’s death will “activate another Witness.” If Sleepy Hollow is renewed for a fourth season, Crane will have get to her, before the government does. Here is more from Campbell, via TVLine, on his plans for season four, should FOX renew the supernatural drama.

TVLINE | What can you tell me about the group that Ezra mentioned to Ichabod in the graveyard at the end of the episode? How might it manifest next season?
That’s our way in to a Season 4 that looks forward to the different understanding about what being a Witness is all about. We ran the clock out on both Abbie’s Witness relationship and how she was instrumental in bringing Ichabod into this world, and understanding and giving context and framing to what it meant to be a Witness. Then her job was done, and she did what all Witnesses apparently do, which is to pass the essence of their soul on through the bloodline. The organization… is something we’re exploring should we be fortunate enough to have a Season 4.

TVLINE | Having Abbie sacrifice herself twice in the same season — fans might think, “Well, you brought her back last time…” What’s the fundamental difference between her going into the tree and her willingly entering Pandora’s box?
Well, she knew she wasn’t coming out of the box in the finale. She knew, because of what they learned in the catacombs, that the box was missing its hope, which is at the center of darkness and gave it context, gave it form. She knew she was giving herself to the box… that that meant she would not be coming back.

At the midseason break this year, it was more immediate. The Shard of Anubis was going to blow; her sister and Crane and everybody in close proximity could suffer catastrophic loss. Abbie knows she’s giving her life up at the end of Season 3 to save the world. The difference is, from the audience’s perspective, is [at the midseason break] she had fallen into a realm that we didn’t know about. She didn’t die.

 

What do you think? Did you watch the Sleepy Hollow TV show’s third season finale? If FOX renews Sleepy Hollow for a fourth season, will you watch it, even though Abbie is truly dead? Tell us.