The first season of The Librarians is over, but with it just renewed for a second season, is it worth your time to catch up on? Heck. Yes. Based on a series of movies for TNT starring Noah Wyle (E.R., Falling Skies) as Flynn Carson, The Librarians boasts great characters, silly plots, and a format reminiscent of Warehouse 13 to many. Let’s start off with what carries over from the movies.
Flynn Carson is the Librarian, an adventurer tasked with rounding up the few magic items left in the world and storing them in the Library, a place of safekeeping for magical items from history. When the Serpent Brotherhood sets in motion a plan to bring magic back to the world, Flynn rushes to stop them. This quest results in the Library being cut off from the world; a new Guardian summoned; three Librarians-in-Training (LiTs) being recruited; and Flynn abandoning his mission to seek a way to return the Library.
With Noah Wyle only occasionally dropping in as Flynn, carrying out the Librarian’s mission falls to the rest of the crew:
- Rebecca Romijn (X-Men, Eastwick) as Eve Baird, a colonel in NATO’s counterterrorism unit. She’s recruited by the Library as the Guardian, the Librarian’s protector. With the Librarian already being a ten-year veteran of the field, Eve instead trains the LiTs, protects them, and acts as the group’s leader.
- Christian Kane (Leverage, Into the West) as Jacob Stone, an Oklahoman oil field worker who is secretly a self-educated laureate in history, art, and literature. He becomes an LiT seeking adventure, and to escape from his small town life.
- Lindy Booth (Relic Hunter, Kick Ass 2) as Cassandra Cillian, a mathematics genius who has synesthesia, a neurological condition where mental stimulation causes unrelated memory sensations. She becomes a LiT for the wonder of magic, and in the hopes of curing her brain tumor.
- John Kim (The Pacific, Neighbours) as Ezekiel Jones, a world class thief who is an expert in security systems. He becomes a LiT to stave off boredom, and to find new things to steal.
- John Larroquette (Night Court, The 10th Kingdom) as Jenkins, the caretaker of the LiT’s home base. Jenkins provides advice and technical support to the team, but he seems to have some secrets of his own.
Of course, the characters are nothing if the stories don’t allow them to shine. While the stories are strong, I like that they aren’t afraid to sometimes be silly. Ever hear of someone weaponizing faerytales? What about introducing magic to a STEM fair to cause chaos? What if Prince Charming was a woman, and all of the women still swooned over her? This is something that a lot of new shows are picking up on: do the drama, but have fun in the process. The Flash, Agents of SHIELD, and Agent Carter feel similar to The Librarians, and it just makes them all so much easier to watch.
If you’ve been missing something to fill that particular Warehouse 13 void, The Librarians will do quite nicely. It has that same quirky feel; an “Island of Misfit Toys” family of agents that have fun carrying out their job and living a life of wonder. The dialogue isn’t quite as smooth as Warehouse’s first season, with many exchanges feeling like they’re trying too hard; but it’s easy to forgive, as many of the more serious moments are deep and heartfelt. Some may argue that the series of Librarians movies came before Warehouse, but as the format has been changed from a main character to an ensemble show between the movies and TV show, the current incarnation of The Librarians definitely owes much of its format to Warehouse.
If we talk about what makes the show great, then I guess, in fairness, we have to address what makes the show weak, as well. While the show is strong on female representation, with two main characters and several guest characters being women, it’s very weak on people of color. There’s only one main character of color, Ezekiel, one recurring character, villain Lamia, and only a few guest characters. We should not despair though, and instead write to the showrunner, John Rogers. He actually listens to his audience. Amazing, in this day and age. You can ask John Rogers, questions about the episodes at http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com.
Airing Thursdays on TNT, The Librarians will win you over with a quirky, family-friendly drama that’s simply out to have a good time. Watch it, enjoy it, and don’t take it too seriously. You have until the fall to catch up before new episodes return!
Kris Smith is currently a 37 year old US Air Force veteran who has returned to the student life. He was born in West Germany (There used to be an East and a West Germany, kids) and has lived in England, Utah, Alabama, Mississippi, four places in Florida, and two in Louisiana. He has attended Florida State University, graduated from Bossier Parrish Community College, and is about to start attending Louisiana State University in Shreveport.
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