Elsbeth Recap: Let ’Er Rip (Van Winkle, That Is)

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The character Chop perfectly sums it up: he’s genuinely unnerved by the seemingly pleasant women of Sleepy Hollow. He finds himself caught up in a murder investigation because his company provided the decorations for the town’s Halloween maze. While the violence between these women isn’t funny, it’s amusing to watch Elsbeth investigate Sharon Norman for the murder of Beryl Nix. Elsbeth’s investigation is, as usual, persistent, detailed, and surprisingly upbeat. What’s particularly clever this week is how she carefully unravels Sharon’s web of lies, all while dressed in four different costumes inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. The contrast of Elsbeth, who feels out of place herself, wearing costumes of another outsider, Eliza, as she navigates the strict social circles of Sleepy Hollow, is one of the highlights of the season.

The strict rules in Sleepy Hollow aren’t actually official – they just reflect Sharon’s personal tastes. She presents them as formal rules, neatly organized in a binder, and delivers it with a welcome pie to new resident Beryl, creating the impression they’re more binding than they really are.

I sympathize with Sharon. She’s a very controlling person who tries hard to make her neighborhood perfect, and it was inevitable she’d eventually reach a breaking point. While her desire for things to be nice and organized is positive, she’s also caught in a cycle of worry about losing control and her standing in the community. This situation really shows what happens when someone realizes being the center of attention isn’t as great as they thought.

It doesn’t take long to realize Sharon is starting to unravel. Beryl’s reaction to Sharon’s organized binder and healthy pie is off-putting. Beryl immediately takes issue with Sharon suggesting the large maple tree between their yards be pruned, and even rejects the binder Sharon offers. Beryl is simply too unconventional – she’s openly artistic, a bit boisterous with her wind chimes and drumming, and has a lot of visitors at all hours – things Sharon finds deeply unsettling. Sharon wonders how she can possibly cope with a neighbor like this.

Sharon is losing sleep, and it’s starting to impact her volunteer work leading several local groups, including the PTA, Garden Club, and various neighborhood committees. Over the next few years – Beryl moved in May 2022, Sharon later recalls – Beryl integrates well with the other women in the neighborhood. However, despite Beryl’s invitations and offer to help with the Halloween maze, Sharon remains distant, unable to shake her initial negative impression. The final blow for Sharon comes with the death of a large maple tree. Beryl tries to comfort her as an arborist cuts it down, but it isn’t enough. Sharon feels like the tree was family, and while she doesn’t directly blame Beryl, she clearly suspects something isn’t right.

Sharon gets her opportunity for revenge when Beryl starts planning the Halloween maze. Sharon wants to make it extra frightening, though she hasn’t figured out the specifics yet – she just pictures herself as the center of attention. The other women at the planning meeting offer to help, and Beryl happily accepts Sharon’s offer, leading to a brief moment of optimism. The maze itself is terrifying, featuring an *Itinspired clown with a chainsaw, doctors wielding chainsaws, and Beryl portraying the town’s famous Headless Horseman. It’s a spectacular setup, but Sharon ruins everything by dressing in her husband’s surgical scrubs and using a real chainsaw to behead Beryl – actually kill her – while the children are distracted at the costume contest.

Remember Chop? He just wanted to enjoy a Halloween snack with his colleagues, but he ended up finding a severed head! The case falls to Elsbeth and Detective Donnelly because Beryl’s headless body was found in the city. Even though her head was discovered in Sleepy Hollow, the NYPD is in charge of the investigation. (Let’s just accept that for now!) Sharon isn’t sure what’s worse: Beryl’s murder, or the fact that detectives from New York City are now in her peaceful town. She’s certain of one thing: the killers must be the visiting prop crew. They’re a transient group, after all! They had the opportunity to commit murder while everyone was at the costume contest, but there’s no clear reason why they would, and the chainsaws they provide are surprisingly chain-free – for safety, of course!

Sharon remains determined to find the culprit. If Elsbeth doubts the innocent Chop and his crew were responsible, what about the men who frequently visit Beryl late at night? This throws Sharon’s claim about respecting Beryl’s lifestyle into question. Examining doorbell camera footage leads Elsbeth and Donnelly to discuss what it means to be a good neighbor. City dwellers, especially those in apartments, often have to tune out noise and activity due to close living quarters, but New Yorkers also have a strong sense of community. Donnelly observes that suburbs offer space but less privacy, and she clearly prefers the latter. It’s touching, yet sad, to see Elsbeth looking unsure about her own relationships with her neighbors while she’s wearing a beautiful, almost perfect, copy of the outfit Eliza wears to the horse races – a gorgeous look, though the large hat threatens to topple Carrie Preston over.

Donnelly and Elsbeth investigate several possible suspects, including the tree trimmer, Grant Harrison, and Sharon’s daughter, Avery, along with her friend Xander. Throughout the investigation, Elsbeth focuses on verifying Sharon’s alibi: she claims to have been scaring trick-or-treaters on her porch all evening. While the doorbell camera shows kids being frightened, it doesn’t actually show Sharon herself for the entire time. This means there’s no solid evidence proving she was on the porch throughout the murder, but also no proof she wasn’t.

Sharon is deeply disturbed by Avery’s questioning, unsure if it’s worse to think Avery might have been involved in Beryl’s death or that she was simply spending time with someone Sharon deems unsuitable. Fortunately, a photo with a timestamp proves Avery was having dinner with her father, immediately clearing her of suspicion. While relieved, Sharon is annoyed to discover this was part of their regular ‘Mom-Free Time.’ Sharon can be frustrating, but it’s clear she’s fiercely protective of Avery, and her desire to shield her daughter has led her to become overly controlling.

I immediately felt relieved when Elsbeth presented the evidence against Sharon, which she and Detective Donnelly had carefully gathered. They found a scarecrow dummy – a perfect copy of the costume Sharon wore – hidden in her garage. A fingerprint on the dummy matched the boy who had been on Sharon’s porch when Beryl was murdered. This was enough to get a warrant to search the rest of the Norman’s house. Tests on the washing machine’s drainpipes then revealed traces of Beryl’s DNA. Sharon must have panicked – destroying the scrubs would have been a much smarter move. Her husband probably wouldn’t have even noticed they were missing.

The episode really brings Sharon’s story to a close as her fantasies about Beryl finally crumble and she’s taken into custody. We also get a peek into Donnelly’s process – she’s workshopping her case report with Elsbeth, and the phrasing she’s trying out is fascinating, almost poetic! It’s a small moment, but I loved seeing Donnelly’s earlier observation about the kindness of city neighbors pay off. Elsbeth discovers a neighbor actually returned Gonzo’s beloved stuffed taxi – a sweet little detail that adds a touch of warmth to the whole investigation.

Captain Wagner has a realization at the precinct: trying to control people, especially your grown children, is pointless. His daughter, Julia, is incredibly patient helping him with his tech problems, and she’s happy to assist at work. However, she’s upset when he interferes with her personal life, specifically trying to stop her from meeting up with Cameron. Wagner recognizes he’s gone too far and apologizes, understanding how important his relationship with 27-year-old Julia is. He also wants to avoid being overprotective, whether with Julia or his colleague, Kaya. Hopefully, Julia soon sees that she deserves someone much better than the arrogant Detective Rivers.

From the Tote Bags!

Dr. Norman (Theis Weckesser) had a terrible week. He was publicly exposed as the person who destroyed trees, and his wife was revealed to be a murderer. It was a really rough time for him!

It’s been at least 20 years since I last watched My Fair Lady, so I’m hoping readers who know the movie well will share any interesting details or connections they notice with this episode.

I recently found a video from the Victoria and Albert Museum showing their textile conservators working on the dress Julie Andrews wore as Eliza in the embassy ball scene from the original West End production of My Fair Lady. The dress used in the film version is simpler and less detailed, but this video offers a fascinating look at a piece of musical and performing arts history.

Elsbeth has dressed up as Audrey Hepburn characters for Halloween for two years running! Fans are now wondering if season four will feature a costume inspired by another classic Hepburn film – perhaps Charade, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, or Funny Face?

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2025-10-31 06:56