The Librarians Season 4 'And the Graves of Time' Review

Episode Four 'And the Graves of Time' reunites Eve with Nicole as she sets off on her own mission to find her. Once Eve does, she learns the curse of immortality is seeing everyone you love, die as you pass through time.

This episode also explores the conflict between Flynn and Jenkins as they try to persuade one another Nicole can and cannot be trusted. It's engaging to see these two friends become more distant because of the choices the Library has made them make.

 

Eve's doubts about the tethering ceremony are interesting because she admits she's afraid she'll be alone if any of the Librarians decide to leave the Library behind.  Her connection to the Library and her friends are making her question if it's worth giving up her mortality. 

There is not only drama but some lighter moments as Cassandra's excitement at getting to be Jenkins whilst he and Flynn track Eve and Nicole is delightful and her enthusiasm is nothing but infectious. 

 

Nicole's past brings a lot of questions for the Librarians and Eve; her presence casts a lot of mistrust within the Library. It's important the writers address the secrets of the Library because it's such a vast, magical and dangerous place to commit too. 

It is great to see Eve and Nicole begin to trust each other; their argumentative conversations are very entertaining. The fact they are working together strengthens Eve's loyalty to the Librarians because she states she 'never leaves a soldier behind.' 

The mission to retrieve an artifact that has the ability to kill an immortal creates uncertainty surrounding Nicole's motive for retrieving it. But she proves she can be trusted as the man also looking for it is Rasputin who Nicole thought she had killed centuries before.

But, the most amazing twist comes later when Jenkins transfers his immortality to Nicole when Rasputin stabs her with her artifact. It is incredibly moving to see the Librarians love for Jenkins show itself as Stone almost refuses to continue translating the text which completes the transference. 

Ultimately, this episode is another strong chapter that deepens the doubts Eve and Flynn have towards tethering themselves to the Library. As Flynn begins to see the Library as a kind of prison that has kept him from discovering who he is outside of the Library, his sudden departure is an effective way to end the episode. 

The friendship built between Eve and Nicole is an outcome which is greatly welcomed as they relate and learn from each other. We can only hope Flynn hasn't abandoned the Library for good, not just for him but for Eve and the Librarians too.

The Librarians Season 4 'And the Bleeding Crown' Review

Episode Five 'And the Bleeding Crown' sees residents of a small town turn old by an eighteenth-century arch enemy of Darrington Dare, a past Librarian from eighteenth-century London.  

As the Librarians investigate, Flynn lets his fanboy run riot as he meets his hero Darrington Dare after he saves Cassandra, Ezekiel, and Stone from a bunch of lumbering zombie clones with melting skin. 

 

Writer Tom MacRae encapsulates Flynn's amazement and Dare's eccentric and narcissistic tendencies remarkably well.  The energy Flynn and Dare create as they discuss the mystery behind the elderly overload is absolutely hilarious. It balances brilliantly with the big questions the episode generates. 

Flynn is becoming even more unsure of the rules of the Library as Dare states there can only ever be one Librarian.  This idea of a Librarian civil war is gripping and raises serious questions about whether the Librarians could turn against each other.

 

This is a daring idea and one which will test the Librarians friendship to the limits. The twist of this story is the Librarians becoming old too but it's not really them, it's their clones!  Seeing the Eve, Cassandra, Ezekiel, and Stone as elders who complain about the temperature and how tired they are is fantastically funny.

It is also wonderful to see Cassandra reflecting on what she will be like when she grows old, something she didn't believe would happen with her brain grape. Darrington Dare also learns something from Flynn who states he needs friends to be the Librarian and to ensure he survives longer. 

As Flynn tries desperately to save the Librarians from dying, he calls upon Jenkins to use his immortal life force to overload the crown of Dare's greatest nemesis. It's an exciting and gripping conclusion to a story that initially began as another general saving the day but turned into a quest for answers.

With the surprising twist, an imaginative plot and fantastic performances from the cast, 'And the Bleeding Crown' is another triumph and succeeds in feeding us more doubt and fear among the Librarians as they begin to question the Library and their role within it. 

The Librarians Season 4 'And the Silver Screen' Review

Episode 4 of 'The Librarians' sees Eve and Flynn transported into one of Eve's favorite classic noir movies after their attempt at a normal date ends up being another crazy adventure for the duo. Cassandra, Stone, and Ezekiel go against Jenkins wishes by following them into the movie world, first through a western than a sci-fi drama. Jenkins must find the magical artifact causing this magical conundrum before the Librarians are stuck in the fictional world forever.

Writer Noah Wyle creates a wonderful noir atmosphere as Eve and Flynn act out the film as is intended in the hope they will be transported back into the real world once the plot is followed through. Flynn's distress and Eve's delight is both funny and engaging because of their complete opposite reactions. Also, Flynn is clearly intrigued by Eve's love of the film and characters which adds another interesting element to their relationship.

 

The development of this relationship is becoming more compelling as they discuss doing 'normal' things like going to see a movie. Eve displays a slight irritation at not having enough time to do these normal things.  

However, this is soon forgotten as Eve relishes acting in her favorite movie. The chemistry between Noah Wyle and Rebecca Romijn is vibrant, exciting, warm, funny and unpredictable. Their conversations are compelling, silliness, respect, and love and it's fabulous to see them working as detectives.

 

Director Jonathan Frakes provides color, vibrancy, and variety as Cassandra, Stone and Ezekiel travel through a hilarious gun-off where Cassandra saves Stone and Ezekiel from being hanged. Then, they end up on a spaceship where they are kidnapped and all blued up in classic alien costumes.

It's a spectacularly imaginative and funny sequence being able to see the Librarians become fictions themselves. Also, it's even more hilarious to see that Cassandra is a fan of the sci-fi film she is now in and recounting the dialogue with absolute confidence and clarity.

 

As Jenkins works with the owner of the Hollywood Theatre, the daughter of the film's writer, the twist of the story resolves itself through a past regret as the true writer of the films reveals she is the mother of the owner of the theatre. 

It reigns the magic and drama of the story back to the heart of the series- showing the Librarians why they save the world and who they do it for. It's people. Strangers who they will never meet. 

 

'And the Silver Screen' is a highly creative, witty, exciting, compelling and heart-warming episode. Writer Noah Wyle and Director Jonathan Frakes create an adventure that is brimming with imagination, important questions and an emotional conclusion.

It's almost like Wyle is displaying our very own geeky consciousness through the Librarians. Eve's memory of watching her favourite noir movies with her grandmother is a feeling we relate to and it's the love and passion for a fictional world and characters that connects and inspires us. 

 

 

 

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The Librarians Season 4 'And the Christmas Thief' Review

It's Christmas! And the Librarians are getting all festive and cheerful if Cassandra gets her way with episode three, 'And the Christmas Thief.' In this episode, we are introduced to Ezekiel's mum, who along with her three adoptive daughters, worships the Patron Saint of Thieves, vengeful brother to Santa!

The Librarians are also tasked with keeping Santa's sleigh safe whilst he parties with Jenkins, Flynn and Eve on vacation. After Ezekiel visits his Mum on 'Thanks taking day', a darkened version of Christmas that celebrates greed instead of giving, he unintentionally reveals the library to his Mum. And after she steals the globe which controls the magic door, it's up to Ezekiel, Cassandra and Jacob to use Santa's sleigh to retrieve the globe and escape from the Patron Saint of Thieves.

Ezekiel's backstory is interesting because it allows Ezekiel's Mum relationship's with her son to develop Ezekiel's transformation as a dedicated and morally grounded Librarian. The thread between Ezekiel's choice of career and his defensive attack at pretending he doesn't care about people and his actions comes from his Mum's lack of belief in him.

More so, I loved the scene between Ezekiel, Cassandra and Stone when he tries to convince them he can retrieve the globe by himself. Cassandra acting like big sister and Stone fighting with Ezekiel like two squabbling brothers is a wonderfully playful scene. 

 

The Christmas elements of the episode give the plot a valuable lesson in why it is always better to give rather than receive. It's a testament to the writers that it's Ezekiel who is the barer of this noble truth.

As Ezekiel and his Mum head back to the Bank of Thieves to return a painting stolen from the Patron Saint, Cassandra and Stone contact Jenkins to ask him to help them repair the globe and open a door.

It's so uplifting to see Cassandra so excited and fascinated by magic. What's so unique and fabulous about all of the characters is their openness to express their playful and childlike side, something some adults may feel they cannot express even though every aspect of ourselves should be embraced and celebrated. 

Jenkins return comes with a great twist as he brings the Patron Saint a letter from Santa which gives him permission to gain ownership of the sleigh. But, there lies the conundrum as Stone reveals the Patron cannot accept something which is given to him willing, it must be stolen. 

The most poignant moment of the episode concludes with Ezekiel and his Mum giving back the gifts she stole using the magic door. It's a moving moment between a mother and son who have lost their way and found each other again, just in time for Christmas!

'And the Christmas Thief' is a festive treat full of warmth, family, laughter and drama. There is a fine balance between slapstick and complex character development, especially for Ezekiel. Every performance is strong and dynamic, giving the interactions between the characters charisma and clarity.

 Merry Christmas and to all a good night!

The Librarians Season 4 'And the Steal of Fortune' Review

Episode 2 of Season 4's The Librarians 'And the Steal of Fortune' sees the team investigate the casino and horse racing establishment 'Fortune Downs' which is the only connection between the people who have experienced the worst luck possible. 

This leads on from the Librarians questioning Flynn about having a normal life. He admits as Librarians they cannot experience 'normality' because it causes too many distractions and emotional attachments which could put them in danger. 

But, Jacob refuses to believe this so he and Ezekiel visit an old friend. After Jacob's friend suffers a seizure to a bee sting that would otherwise have been harmless, they discover other victims of 'bad luck' as they realise magic is at the root of the probability inconsistencies. 

As they head to the casino, Cassandra and Ezekiel experience the normality that they were hoping for as Cassandra uses her incredible maths skills to calculate which number the ball will land on at the roulette table and Ezekiel becomes obsessed with winning money on the game machines.

It turns out the owner of the casino is only the lackey for the physical embodiment of the Goddess of Fortune, Fortuna. She is using magic to bring bad luck to anyone who looks at her so she can become flesh again and bring bad luck to the rest of the world. 

This is one of unique qualities the series has- incorporating mythology into a modern context and communicating it with precision and passion. There is plenty of humour in this episode; Cassandra's happiness at winning at the roulette table and Ezekiel going a bit crazy at the games machines is a wonderfully playful collection of scenes.

 

But, as Cassandra's winning cause her to be kidnapped and interrogated by Fortuna, it allows her to demonstrate some sneaky improvisation as she claims Saturn sent her to disrupt Fortuna's plan.

As a sub-plot, Flynn and Jenkins discuss the Library's origins and the after effects of Nicole's departure in the opening episode. It's really interesting to see their friendship tested because they are two longest members of the team with the most knowledge and experience of the Library, and even they are beginning to question if they can truly trust the Library.

'And the Steal of Fortune' is another wacky, fun and mythology driven story that continues to develop the characters and test the core friendships between them.

 

The Librarians Season 4 'And the Dark Secret' Review

The Librarians finally returned for their fourth season, beginning with 'And the Dark Secret' in which a secret sect of the Vatican Church uncovers an ancient map detailing the location of four cornerstones of the Library of Alexandria (the original library). 

Flynn and the team liaise with Flynn's previous Guardian, Nicole, who has been locked in a dungeon under the Library for five hundred years after she was sent back in time by a rift caused by an explosion that Flynn set off on their last adventure.

Jenkins and Flynn become conflicted about Nicole's motivations as Jenkins believes she cannot be trusted. But, Eve persuades Nicole to help them find the remaining cornerstone after she admits she hid the last remaining stone, which are being collected by Vatican priests, secret members of an order intent on destroying the Library and removing knowledge and wisdom from the world.

The Librarians are now at a stage where they are learning the sacrifices they need to make in order to become effective librarians. Cassandra is beginning to learn how to use her new powers, Jacob is loving giving his expertise on architectural history and Ezekiel is starting to question whether they can truly trust the Library and its secrets. 

The hunt for the cornerstones provides an Indiana Jones style adventure to the season opener. Cassandra's solution to breaking through crystal to get to the one of the stones brings a lightness and fun to this series story arc of whether you can truly trust the institution you dedicate your life too.  

It's a fascinating question and one that will make this season one of the most compelling, especially when the Librarians start to question their role within the Library and how much they must sacrifice. 

Flynn's revelation that he caused Nicole to be sent back in time after causing an explosion that was meant to save them, raised more questions about how he truly feels about being a Librarian. It certainly gave Eve and Flynn's guardian/librarian relationship some engaging conflicts. 

Prophecy is given a central focus and is a thought-provoking concept in itself. Jenkins states everything that has happened with the Library was destined and needed to happen. But, they are a point now where no-one knows what will happen.

For Cassandra, Jacob and Ezekiel, it's interesting to see them question their commitment and role within the Library. Cassandra is more openly accepting of her fear of the future which I believe will ensure she overcomes whatever challenges lay ahead for her. 

 

The resolution to the episode is strong as Cassandra and Jacob calculate how to generate enough energy to keep the rift that the cornerstones have created open so Flynn can save Nicole who is pulled through it. 

It showcases the Librarian's intelligence, resilience, bravery and adaptability and demonstrates how powerful they are as a team. It's a fast-paced, dramatic and intense conclusion to an already strong episode.

'And the Dark Secret' sets up the over arcing themes of trust and uncertainty for the future effectively. Each member demonstrates their skills and unique abilities brilliantly, culminating in a compelling, funny and fast-paced opening for the series. It's good to have the Librarians back saving the world!