Sleepy Hollow
Fox executives explained their decision to renew "Sleepy Hollow" for season 4 and talked about the series after Abbie Mills' death. Tina Rowden/FOX

The most shocking aspect of the Season 3 finale of Fox’s supernatural drama, “Sleepy Hollow,” was the death of FBI Agent Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie). The unexpected twist drew the ire of fans, who expected Ichabod Crane’s (Tom Mison) fellow witness to at least have an affair with him before being killed off.

The series was surprisingly renewed for a fourth season despite the network receiving significant backlash from fans. The top executives at Fox addressed the renewal decision and expressed their excitement for Season 4 at the Television Critics Association.

“It was obviously a very hard conversation. Crane and Abbie were the spine of the show,” Fox entertainment president David Madden told press (via TVGuide), acknowledging the importance of Beharie’s character. “It was difficult to figure out whether it was right thing to do to continue or not. The producers very emotionally said, ‘We think there is a fourth season of the show and longer,’” he said.

Madden explained that when the creative team of “Sleepy Hollow” pitched an array of new characters and situations in which out-of-time Crane could get into, the Fox executives were impressed. “And the first seven scripts [of ‘Sleepy Hollow’ Season 4] are really fun. We think there’s a lot of good new stories to tell,” he teased (via TVLine).

Furthermore, Fox CEO Dana Walden was also confident about the revamp.

Earlier, Walden had told press that a variety of factors led to Beharie’s untimely exit. “We ended up being put in a situation where that was a decision that needed to be made,” she said.

Meanwhile, several fans have responded to the Fox executives’ comments on Season 4. Many are still angry and sad that the network renewed the TV show without Nicole Beharie’s Abbie Mills.

“Sleepy Hollow” Season 4 will air in mid-season, most likely in early 2017. Will you give Season 4 a watch? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.