TV Show Review: The Librarians - Season 2

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun fantasy show

Cons: All cons magically erased

The Bottom Line:

Magic continues

As fictional comes to life

Fun show all around

The Librarians Take On Fictionals

Most of the shows I watch are on the major networks.  I just don’t have time to watch the rest of the shows out there.  One of the exceptions is The Librarians.  This show airs short seasons usually around the holidays on TNT, and it is completely fun.  Season 2 is a perfect example of that.

Now if you are picturing a show about people sitting around talking about books, you couldn’t be further from the truth.  You see, these librarians are connected to a library that houses magical artifacts and keeps them from falling into the wrong hands.  They are a different bunch.  There’s thief Ezekiel Jones (John Harlan Kim), super math genious Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth), and history expert Jake Stone (Christian Kane).  They are protected by their guardian, Eve Baird (Rebecca Romijn).  Finally, there’s Jenkins (John Larroquette), who keeps the library running smoothly.  This series is a spinoff of a three made for TV movie series that starred Noah Wyle as librarian Flynn Carsen, and he guest stars on a regular basis as well.

When this season opens, the various librarians have been out on their own for months, using their individual skills to round up artifacts.  However, the library brings them all back together as a new magical threat begins to emerge.  Prospero (guest star Richard Cox)) has figured out a way to escape from the pages of his Shakespeare play, and he is determined to take over the real world with the help of other Fictionals, that is fictional characters.  Naturally, the librarians have to band together again to keep this new magical threat from taking over our world.

Not that this is the only thing they fight this season.  Over the course of these episodes, they face a creature that grows stronger with each lie told, investigate college students vanishing, and find themselves fighting for their souls with the Devil.

Obviously, there’s a lot of fantasy involved in these stories, and I love them for it.  The creativity the writers show in creating these episodes is always a lot of fun.  Even when something appears familiar, they still manage to put their twist on it.  While there is a big villain of the season, the standalone episodes are just as entertaining.  Frankly, it’s a relief not to have to track everything happening every second.  Yet the overarching story comes together for a wonderful climax at the end of the season.

Most importantly, it’s fun.  There is plenty of humor to go along with our fantasy.  It’s rare that I don’t laugh at least once an episode, usually at Ezekiel, although all the characters are given their moments to shine.

And the actors take full advantage of those moments.  The acting is perfect and the cast balances the special effects, comedy, and action of each episode with the quieter moments.  While this may be a smaller TV show budget, they make every penny stretch to maximum effect.

As I mentioned earlier, this show has short seasons.  Season two consisted of 10 episodes, and this set has all of them in their native wide screen and surround sound.  Extras include a gage reel, seven behind the scenes featurettes, and a director’s featurette for every episode.

The Librarians is a throwback to the type of show that isn’t as popular on TV right now – a show that is about having fun.  If that’s what you are looking for, you’ll want to be sure to check out season 2.

Season 2 Episodes:

1. And the Drowned Book

2. And the Broken Staff

3. And What Lies Beneath the Stones

4. And the Cost of Education

5. And the Hollow Man

6. And the Infernal Contract

7. And the Image of Image

8. And the Point of Salvation

9. And the Happily Ever Afters

10. And the Final Curtain