In maybe an act of defiance (given how fans reacted to the exit of star Nicole Beharie at the end of the most recent season), Fox has very surprisingly renewed “Sleepy Hollow” for a 4th season, despite low ratings, and the loss of a fan favorite character.

I shared my surprise when Fox announced in March of last year that it had renewed the series for a third season, given the sharp drop in ratings the series suffered from season 1 to season 2. For example, its season 1 premiere drew over 10 million viewers, while its season 2 premiere episode drew half of that number, at just over 5 million viewers – a 50% drop. And season 2 ratings only got worse as it progressed, leading to its season finale at the end of February of 2015, which drew just over 4 million viewers during its time slot. And by the end of its most recent season – number 3 – its draw was under 3 million viewers.

In fact, it was the network’s lowest-rated veteran drama this season, and yet, Fox remains committed to it. It could also simply be a move to make the series a more attractive property for syndication or streaming, with an added season.

So who’s coming back? Per the Fox press release, Tom Mison, Lyndie Greenwood, Lance Gross and Jessica Camacho.

As for the story, the network says it will focus on “the search for truth about the lives of Witnesses.”

I’m sure that means something to fans of the series…