Heartless (Sleepy Hollow)

"Heartless"
Sleepy Hollow episode
The Succubus Lilith as seen in Heartless
Episode no.	Season 2 Series 21 Episode 8
Directed by	David Boyd
Written by	Albert Kim
Teleplay by	Albert Kim
Story by	Albert Kim
Produced by	Marc David Alpert
Featured Music	Robert Lydecker
Cinematography by	Tod Campbell
Editing by	John L. Roberts
Production Code	2AWL08
Original Air Date	November 10, 2014
Length	43 Minutes
Guest Actors
Tom Mison - Ichabod Crane Nicole Beharie - Abbie Mills Katia Winter - Katrina Crane John Noble - Henry Parrish Matt Barr - Nick Hawley Caroline Ford - Lilith Neil Jackson - Abraham Van Brunt Jeremy Owens - Headless Horseman Elena Sanchez - Demon Lilith
Episode Chronology
← Previous "Deliverance" Next → "Mama"

For other uses of the word Succubus, see Succubus (disambiguation).

Heartless was the eighth episode of the second season of the American television series Sleepy Hollow. It originally aired on November 10, 2014 and was written by Albert Kim and directed by David Boyd.

In this episode, Abbie Mills and Ichabod Crane hunted a succubus, named Lilith, that was conjured by Henry to collect the life energy needed to raise Moloch. The Succubus was described as being a demon whose heart was stored away from its body. It was drawn to secret desires, and was able to mimic them.

The Succubus took the appearance of an attractive young woman, sucking the life force out of both male and female victims in public places. Nick Hawley was almost killed by the Succubus, but was rescued by Abbie Mills and Ichabod Crane.

Later in the episode, Katrina Crane and Abbie recited the incantation to destroy the Succubus' heart at the cemetery, while Ichabod Crane and Hawley tracked the Succubus to a club in order to destroy her body. Though they succeeded in destroying the Succubus, her work was already done, as she had absorbed enough life force to bring Moloch into the world as a seemingly innocent-looking human baby as the episode ended.

Production Data

• Series: Sleepy Hollow
• Season: 2
• Episode Number: 8 (21st Overall)
• Episode Title: Heartless
• Directed by: David Boyd
• Writing credits: Albert Kim
• Production Company: Sketch Films, K/O Paper Products and 20th Century Fox Television
• Running Time: 43 Minutes
• Country of Origin: America
• Originally Aired on: November 10, 2014
• Number of American Viewers: 4.65 Million

Cast

Actor/Actress	Role
Tom Mison	Ichabod Crane
Nicole Beharie	Abbie Mills
Katia Winter	Katrina Crane
John Noble	Henry Parrish
Matt Barr	Nick Hawley
Caroline Ford	Lilith
Neil Jackson	Abraham Van Brunt
Jeremy Owens	Headless Horseman
Elena Sanchez	Demon Lilith
Greg Perrow	Duncan
Connor McCabe	Robbie
Raven Whisnant	Kalinda
Colin Owens	Eric
Jenna Bryant	Melissa
Mary Russell	Becky
Brett Kelley	Bachelor
Sophia Grillo	Bachelorette
Kevin Patrick Murphy	Bartender

Plot

Reunited with Ichabod, Katrina tries to give Ichabod room to trust her again. They're interrupted by Abbie trying to track down Henry after a week of not hearing from him. In his lair, Henry takes a human heart out of a clay pot and recites a chant which starts it beating. Moments later a naked woman appears in front of Henry and tells her it's time to get to work.

Elsewhere in a club, a shy nerdy young man tries to get up the nerve to talk to a girl. The Succubus transforms her appearance into something like a Librarian and then speaks with him. They are then seen in a car together and after he asks her name, she transforms into a demon and sucks his soul out of him. Abbie and Ichabod arrive on the scene and after seeing the body, Abbie questions Crane's faith in Henry, as this seems to be his work. Back at his estate, Henry mirror-conferences with a very angry Abraham, who wants Katrina back. Henry reminds him that Moloch has forbidden Abraham from going after her and they have a new plan. The Succubus arrives moments after and expels the man's soul into a glass jar.

Abbie and Crane try to identify the creature, Katrina noting that the puncture wounds are over a life force area that certain supernatural creatures target. She then has a vision of a screaming baby in a crib which worries Crane. Abbie tries to make plans with Crane, but he is more concerned about escorting Katrina home.

In a diner, a man tries to talk to his girlfriend's friend, mentioning that she's always hanging around him and implies she has a crush on him. She becomes flustered, runs out of the diner and in the parking lot, she meets the Succubus, who mimic her crush, then steals her soul.

Crane thinks he's narrowed down the creatures but Abbie wants to consult an expert and she meets with Hawley. Hawley tries to talk Abbie into a date but she is more focused on getting answers. Hawley does not have answers and Abby leaves soon after, Hawley turning his attention to a woman in the bar. Abbie, Crane and Katrina eventually put the clues together and come to the conclusion they are dealing with a Succubus, Katrina explaining that they are drawn to secret desires and can mimic people's desires. Meanwhile at the bar the Succubus buys Hawley a drink and begins to talk to him.

Elsewhere, Katrina recites a spell to try to track the succubus. She drips wax on a map and it encircles the harbour, Abbie realizing that the Succubus is at Hawley's boat and he is seen with the Succubus there. Abbie and Crane arrive at the dock and hear Hawley struggling with the Succubus, who has transformed into her demon form. Crane tries to knock the Succubus out with a pole while Hawley uses a crystal, pressing it into her skin which burns her, but the Succubus begins to take his soul regardless. Abbie arrives and shoots the Succubus which scares her away, but does not harm her.

While Abbie calls Katrina, Crane tells Hawley that that the creature is drawn to those with secret desires and Crane notes the way Hawley is looking at Abbie, but Hawley tries to brush Crane off. Abbie soon tells them that Katrina's magic is unable to track the Succubus at that moment and they have no idea where she went. Later, when Crane returns to the cabin, he wakes Karina up from a nightmare in which she saw a crying baby in a cradle and Henry standing over it. She tells Crane it's like a part of her is elsewhere and can't let go. Abbie arrives and reveals that succubi usually feed monthly and cannot understand why she is feeding so much. Katrina then has a vision of the succubus standing over the cradle with Henry and his soul jar. When Katrina describes Frederick's Manor covered in vines, they tell her she's seeing the present. Katrina tries to focus her vision and sees the contents of the soul jar being poured onto a writhing green slimy demon baby. Katrina recognizes it as the one that was inside her -- Moloch. It appears that Henry summoned the succubus to complete the process that began inside Katrina which then causes Abbie and Katrina to start fighting over whether Henry can be saved or not and Crane has to break up the fight.

Returning to the archives, Abbie finds a description of the succubus which calls them Incordata. Crane finds a reference which indicates that the Incordata's heart is stored separately and can be killed if her heart is destroyed. Additionally, a story is told that In the first century a roman priest defeated the first Incordata and gave the remains of the heart to the Emperor Claudius who immortalized the priest as St. Valentine, hence the custom of giving hearts on Valentine's Day. Katrina explains that the heart would have to be on consecrated ground or in a cemetery. Abbie discovers that Henry recently bought a plot at a cemetery. Crane suggests Abbie go with Katrina to protect her and when she points out Crane doesn't know what the succubus looks like, he answers that Hawley does.

Hawley and Crane go back to the club, where they plan to wait until Katrina and Abbie destroy the heart. Hawley gives Crane a mystical knife to use in fighting the succubus and soon after the succubus arrives seeking out her next victim. At the cemetery, Abbie and Katrina search for the heart and notice a hex inscribed over a crypt. Back at the club, Hawley tries to remember what the succubus looks like, but explains that it is more of a feeling than anything else. Suddenly he sees the succubus, but then she disappears and Crane and Hawley split up to follow her. Crane manages to follow her into a storage room which she traps him in.

Katrina finds the heart jar and when it is opened Abbie sees maggots and Katrina sees rats, because of a spell that preys on individual fears. Abbie gathers her courage and puts her hand into the jar, removing the heart. Meanwhile the Succubus appears as Katrina and speaks in her accent. She tells Crane she can sense his desire and also his doubts, trying to ensnare him in her trap. As this unfolds, Katrina begins her spell to destroy the heart and Abbie calls Hawley, who tells her he lost Crane and is looking for him.

The succubus approaches Crane, but he stabs her. Katrina does not finish the spell when she is thrown back by a burst of energy and knocked out. Abbie sees the heart is still beating, which means the succubus is still alive and then the succubus is seen drawing out Crane's soul, but Hawley enters the room and attacks the succubus. Abbie picks up Katrina's spell book and starts reading the spell, completing the ritual which causes the heart to smoulder, burst into flames and then is destroyed. The succubus is attacking Hawley and he is trying to fight her off when Crane throws the knife into her back. When she turns and charges him, Crane shoots the Succubus with Hawley's revolver which then causes the Succubus to burst into flames and then disintegrate into nothingness.

Abbie helps Katrina out of the crypt, and tells Katrina that they are stronger with her help than without. Katrina knows Henry will try again and Abbie believes at first that Katrina agrees that Henry must be stopped, but Katrina says she has to destroy Moloch. Katrina can sense his growing power, but he's still vulnerable and Katrina thinks she can convince Abraham to take her back, knowing that Crane will never let her do it, but she asks Abbie to tell him that she's moved on so that she can attempt to destroy Moloch. At the cabin, Abbie finds Hawley bandaging himself from the wounds from the succubus and she gives him what's left of the charred heart for him to sell.

Crane arrives and Abbie tells him that Katrina has moved on. He thinks it's a bold move, but could pay off. He says Abbie was right about letting relationships evolve. He describes Katrina as the love of his life who is also a skilled operative. Katrina returns to Abraham, who asks Henry to let her stay. Standing over the crib in Frederick's Manor, Henry agrees, checking that Katrina is wearing her necklace. Henry allows her to see Moloch in the crib which Katrina sees as a baby boy and not a slimy green demon lord baby as the episode ends.

The Succubus Lilith

The Succubus Lilith's human form

The Succubus Lilith's demonic form

• Name: Lilith
• Status: Deceased? (Unclear, possibly only banished)
• Species: Demon
• Affiliation: Evil
• Gender: Female
• Hair Colour: Black
• Allies: Jeremy Crane, Henry Parrish
• Enemies: Ichabod Crane, Abbie Mills, Nick Hawley, Katrina Crane
• First Appearance: Heartless
• Last Appearance: Heartless
• Portrayed By: Caroline Ford (Human) and Elena Sanchez (Demon)

Lilith was conjured by Henry to collect the life energy needed to raise Moloch. She was described as being a demon whose heart was stored away from her body. Lilith was drawn to secret desires, and was able to mimic them. She took the appearance of an attractive young woman, sucking the life force out of both male and female victims in public places. Nick Hawley was almost killed by her, but was rescued by Abbie Mills and Ichabod Crane. To end her threat, Katrina Crane and Abbie recited an incantation to destroy Lilith's heart at the cemetery, while Ichabod Crane and Hawley tracked Lilith to a club in order to destroy her body. Though they succeeded in destroying Lilith, her work was already done, as she had absorbed enough life force to bring Moloch into the world as a seemingly innocent-looking human baby as the episode ended.

Lilith had two forms in the episode, one that of an attractive woman and the other a demonic form. Little was told about her past, and her purpose was focused on the mission she was conjured to preform. While in her human form, Lilith was sexually attractive, seductive and seemed to have a semblance of mind control as one of her powers. She also displayed a level of above-human strength in both of her forms. She could alter her outward appearance to appeal to the desires of those she was attempting to ensnare, but this transformation, or illusion, could be broken if she lost eye contact with her victim. It was also shown that her powers allowed her to change her appearance if multiple persons were looking at her, each seeing Lilith as their fondest desire. It was also shown that bullets and some magical items could not harm her. However, Lilith's weakness was that if her heart was located and then destroyed, her life on Earth would come to a close soon afterwards. It was also mentioned that Succubi normally feed monthly, though they could be commanded to feed more often and share the soul essence that they collected. While her threat was ended, and it appeared that she was destroyed, this could not be confirmed, and she may have only been sent back to where she came from to await being summoned again.

External Links

• Sleepy Hollow article at Wikipedia
• List of Sleepy Hollow episodes at Wikipedia
• Heartless at the Internet Movie Database
• Heartless at the Sleepy Hollow Wikia
• Heartless episode recap at Entertainment Weekly.com
• Heartless episode recap at SpoilerTV.com
• Heartless episode review at IGN.com
• Heartless episode review at TV Fanatic.com