Ben Franklin-stein's Monster rises on 'Sleepy Hollow'

Ben Franklin like you've never seen him before has had a major role on the season-opening episodes of Sleepy Hollow.

He was a nudist who turned to witches to create a "Franklin-stein Monster" capable of defeating the Headless Horseman of Death, if you go by Fox's supernatural creepfest.

That kite the Founding Father flew in a thunderstorm? Not a thing to do with electricity. And he was wearing not a stitch of clothing while tying the knots on the kite.

Franklin was attempting to get a heavenly lightning bolt to vaporize a key capable of unlocking Purgatory. The reason: If the demon Mollock ever got that key and escaped, welcome to the Apocalypse.

Bet they didn't teach you that in grammar school.

"Blowhard, braggart, blatherskite and gasbag," is the contemptuous description of Franklin shared by main character Ichabod Crane. The Revolutionary War captain himself rose from the dead at the start of last season.

In the season opener, when Detective Abbie Mills reads a book title -- Benjamin Franklin's Impact on Colonial America -- Crane acerbically responds, "Impact? On the scores of strumpets he crushed beneath his girth, perhaps."

Crane explains he unhappily served as Franklin's apprentice in Philadelphia, at Washington's request.

Mills and Crane are the "Two Witnesses" foretold to be humanity's last hope to stop the infamous Four Horsemen from bringing about a new world disorder.

Only two Horsemen have appeared so far: the headless one -- the Horseman of Death -- and the Horseman of War, who happens to be Crane's son, who looks old enough to be Crane's grandfather.

Here's the Kindred fighting Mr. I-Can't-Wear-a-Hat:

The distraction gives Crane time to attempt to free his witch wife, Katrina, who declines, thinking it's better if she stays and spies on the man who lost his head over her long ago.

Don't expect it to make sense without being a faithful fan or binge-watcher.

Franklin is expected back in the season's seventh episode, according to IMDB.com.

In a way, the rewriting of Franklin's character is a compliment. Is there another colonial character worthy of playing the role of a mad scientist demon-slayer?

Both episodes are available for viewing online at Fox.com and Hulu.com. The first season is available to Hulu Plus subscribers.

A favorite was the episode where Mills and Crane interrogate the man without head.

Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com. Follow @petemucha on Twitter.