Hi there everyone, my name is Elisabeth. I’m a new contributor here at Smart Girls. I’ll be writing mostly about for the television section. I grew up watching Star Trek with my parents and it remains my favorite show, and now I’m a devoted fan of Doctor Who, Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, and Sleepy Hollow. I’m always looking for new sci-fi shows to watch. I’ve lived in New York for five years, where I am currently finishing my master’s degree.

Right now, I’m most excited for the premiere of Sleepy Hollow on September 22. Detective Abbie Mills is one of my favorite characters on television right now. Her independence and intelligence make her a refreshing female lead that is so rare on television these days. But my one worry is that in the new season, the writers will create new romantic entanglements for Mills. The fact that the audience got to focus on the paranormal adventure plot line and not on any romantic relationships between the protagonists left space open to focus on developing the nuances of the characters personalities. Mills character doesn’t depend on romantic feelings for her male companion, Ichabod. The strength of the first season of the show was in the characters, even though the plot was entertaining. Watching that show, I felt like real progress was being made for women in television. Sure, there is some sexual tension between Ichabod and Abby, but the fact that it goes unrealized because he insists (rightly) on staying loyal to his wife, quietly subverts the over-sexualized nature of most other mediums of entertainment.

I will watch the new season of Sleepy Hollow no matter what, but I’m hoping that the writers stick to their guns and continue to develop the friendship between Ichabod and Mills that makes this show so special. They don’t need romance to complicate the plot – at least not between Ichabod and Mills. That would be too easy. For now, I’m just happy to see how they team up to prevent the apocalypse.