The Librarians [Series Review]
Ok, so I didn't mean to do a rewatch of this series, but it's really good, and you all should see it. Also, I've never done a review style like this before, so let me know if you like it.
Rating: TV-14
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Cast: Rebecca Romijin, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth, John Harlan Kim, Noah Wyle, John Larroquette
Creators: John Rogers
Summary: A group of geniuses are recruited by a magical library to hunt and retrieve dangerous, magical artifacts.
My Thoughts: I'm not kidding when I say that in 2017 I watched an episode or two of this show every day. Yes, that included lots of rewatches. And, three years later, it still holds up. The cast is great, the writing is great, and they manage to come up with different ideas so the story isn't ever boring.
I love how the team works together. There are a lot of types of people I would recommend this show to. Basically if you like quirky, character-fueled stories, or fantasy, you'll like this. Basically, the show is Leverage meets Warehouse 13 meets Indiana Jones.
So, now, I'm just gonna do an overview of the seasons, and then my favorite episodes.
Season One
This was my personal favorite season. It introduces all the characters, and had some of the most creative plots. I mean, the Serpent Brotherhood kidnapping Santa Claus? The Apple of Discord which turns the Librarians into the worst version of themselves? Witchcraft at a STEM fair? Weaponized fairy tales? A labryinth under a skyscraper in Boston? Awesome. This season mostly works on introducing the characters, and their connection to the Library. This season's Big Bad is the Serpent Brotherhood, an ancient cult insistent on bringing magic back to the world. Really, it's mostly Dulaque and Lamia. This season also has the best guest stars. *cough* *cough* Tricia Helfer.
I mean, LOOK AT HER.
My Favorite Season One Episodes: The Horns of a Dilemma [obviously], Santa's Midnight Run, The Apple of Discord, The Fables of Doom, The Rule of Three, The Crown of King Arthur, The Sword in the Stone
Season Two
Season Two is my third favorite season. The show has sort of found its groove by this point. The season villain is Prospero, who somehow got out of his play, and Moriarty, who becomes Prospero's assistant. This season wasn't my favorite, but I still loved it, and it had some really good episodes.
My Favorite Season Two Episodes: The Drowned Book, And What Lies Beneath the Stones, The Cost of Education, The Image of Image, The Infernal Contract, The Point of Salvation
Season Three
Season Three I wasn't overly fond of, and it's my least favorite season. The main villain is Apep, an Egyptian god. This season is still great, but it felt lackluster compared to the others. And, also, a bit less creative. Still definitely worth watching, though.
My Favorite Season Three Episodes: The Rise of Chaos, The Reunion of Evil, The Tears of a Clown, The Trial of a Triangle, The Fatal Seperation
Season Four
Season Four is my second favorite season. It introduces Flynn's former Guardian [Guardians protect the librarians], Nicole Noone. It's not necessary to see the movies that lead up to the show, but it might make this season less confusing. This one also had some creative ones, especially the one where Jenkins switches bodies with Jeff Peppers, a nerdy fan of his.
So, yes, this season is definitely worth watching. I love it.
My Favorite Season Four Episodes: The Steal of Fortune, The Christmas Thief, The Silver Screen, the Disenchanted Forest, The Hidden Sanctuary, The Trial of the One, The Town Called Feud
Characters
Eve Baird
Colonel Eve Baird is the Guardian, meaning she's the physically strongest and the best fighter, and less brainy, though she's far from being unintelligent.She's a very practical person, who relies on facts, rules, and organization, and doesn't tolerate people screwing around. Eve is a great character, and, unlike most variants of this character type, she was actually done well. The show just wouldn't be the same without her, and she's definitely needed to provide order among chaos.
Jacob Stone
Jacob Stone specializes in art, architecture, history, and foreign languages. He's a rough-and-tough cowboy, who seems more like the type of guy you'd be in a bar fight with then discuss poetry with [he can handle both easily]. A big part of his character is him coming to terms with being a genius, and not trying to hide it, which is what he did with his dad. I like Stone, and his character arc is great. He's not my all-time favorite, but he's a good character.
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Cast: Rebecca Romijin, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth, John Harlan Kim, Noah Wyle, John Larroquette
Creators: John Rogers
Summary: A group of geniuses are recruited by a magical library to hunt and retrieve dangerous, magical artifacts.
My Thoughts: I'm not kidding when I say that in 2017 I watched an episode or two of this show every day. Yes, that included lots of rewatches. And, three years later, it still holds up. The cast is great, the writing is great, and they manage to come up with different ideas so the story isn't ever boring.
I love how the team works together. There are a lot of types of people I would recommend this show to. Basically if you like quirky, character-fueled stories, or fantasy, you'll like this. Basically, the show is Leverage meets Warehouse 13 meets Indiana Jones.
So, now, I'm just gonna do an overview of the seasons, and then my favorite episodes.
Season One
This was my personal favorite season. It introduces all the characters, and had some of the most creative plots. I mean, the Serpent Brotherhood kidnapping Santa Claus? The Apple of Discord which turns the Librarians into the worst version of themselves? Witchcraft at a STEM fair? Weaponized fairy tales? A labryinth under a skyscraper in Boston? Awesome. This season mostly works on introducing the characters, and their connection to the Library. This season's Big Bad is the Serpent Brotherhood, an ancient cult insistent on bringing magic back to the world. Really, it's mostly Dulaque and Lamia. This season also has the best guest stars. *cough* *cough* Tricia Helfer.
My Favorite Season One Episodes: The Horns of a Dilemma [obviously], Santa's Midnight Run, The Apple of Discord, The Fables of Doom, The Rule of Three, The Crown of King Arthur, The Sword in the Stone
Season Two
Season Two is my third favorite season. The show has sort of found its groove by this point. The season villain is Prospero, who somehow got out of his play, and Moriarty, who becomes Prospero's assistant. This season wasn't my favorite, but I still loved it, and it had some really good episodes.
My Favorite Season Two Episodes: The Drowned Book, And What Lies Beneath the Stones, The Cost of Education, The Image of Image, The Infernal Contract, The Point of Salvation
Season Three
Season Three I wasn't overly fond of, and it's my least favorite season. The main villain is Apep, an Egyptian god. This season is still great, but it felt lackluster compared to the others. And, also, a bit less creative. Still definitely worth watching, though.
My Favorite Season Three Episodes: The Rise of Chaos, The Reunion of Evil, The Tears of a Clown, The Trial of a Triangle, The Fatal Seperation
Season Four
Season Four is my second favorite season. It introduces Flynn's former Guardian [Guardians protect the librarians], Nicole Noone. It's not necessary to see the movies that lead up to the show, but it might make this season less confusing. This one also had some creative ones, especially the one where Jenkins switches bodies with Jeff Peppers, a nerdy fan of his.
So, yes, this season is definitely worth watching. I love it.
My Favorite Season Four Episodes: The Steal of Fortune, The Christmas Thief, The Silver Screen, the Disenchanted Forest, The Hidden Sanctuary, The Trial of the One, The Town Called Feud
Characters
Colonel Eve Baird is the Guardian, meaning she's the physically strongest and the best fighter, and less brainy, though she's far from being unintelligent.She's a very practical person, who relies on facts, rules, and organization, and doesn't tolerate people screwing around. Eve is a great character, and, unlike most variants of this character type, she was actually done well. The show just wouldn't be the same without her, and she's definitely needed to provide order among chaos.
Jacob Stone specializes in art, architecture, history, and foreign languages. He's a rough-and-tough cowboy, who seems more like the type of guy you'd be in a bar fight with then discuss poetry with [he can handle both easily]. A big part of his character is him coming to terms with being a genius, and not trying to hide it, which is what he did with his dad. I like Stone, and his character arc is great. He's not my all-time favorite, but he's a good character.
Cassandra Cillian
Cassandra may be my favorite of the main characters. She's a quirky, sweet, enthusiastic science and math expert, with a fondness for unusual fashion, knitting, and kittens. Cassandra can actually see the math inside her head, and is extremely gifted. However, this gift comes with a curse, as she has a brain tumor that will kill her one day, Cassandra tries to stay optimistic, but it's hard. Her storyline starts out strong, and just gets stronger. Cassandra is a complicated character that most people either hate or love. I'm pretty sure you can tell what side I'm on.
Ezekiel Jones
Ezekiel is a thief, a tech expert, and a mischevious trouble maker. Ezekiel loves fun, and hates to be bored. He also has a lot less respect for intellectual knowledge than Stone or Cassandra. He's also extremely lucky. Ezekiel may seem like a very one-sided character, but he's not. He's great. Ezekiel is yet another well-developed character.
Flynn Carsen
Flynn is the Librarian. Unlike the others, he has a wide range of knowledge, but is very scatterbrained and hyper, and likes to do things without planning them out, or telling anyone about it. He doesn't show up all the time, but he's an awesome character, and very interesting.
Jenkins
Jenkins is the caretaker of the Library. He's very grumpy, and makes a big deal about how he hates the Librarians coming in and invading his space. Really, he likes them, but won't admit it. He's a wonderful character, and, after careful consideration, may be my favorite main character. Oh, and he's absolutely hilarious----in a very deadpan way.
Other Characters
These are sidde character that I think were done especially well.
Lamia is Dulaque's second-in-command. She's a talented martial artist, and swordswoman. I felt like she was a good character, and could've stayed on a little longer. Also, she was kinda my first TV crush/obsession, so I have a soft spot for her.
Nicole Noone was Flynn's guardian, and pretty much everything I can say about her is a spoiler, so I'll just say she's awesome, and the actress did an amazing job.
Moriarty was a lot different than any other version of Moriarty but I liked him. He was a good character, and the dynamic he had with Eve was great.
Karen Willis is undoubtably my favorite villain who was only on for one episode. She's smart and pretty and awesome, and so many other things. So, yeah, I like her. A lot. And I wrote a fanfiction about her.
Have you seen The Librarians? Favorite season and episodes? Do you ever get crushes on minor characters?
Yay, I've been looking forward to this review! It sounds like an awesome show.
ReplyDeleteYay, I'm so glad. It's a really great show, and fun to watch with family members or friends.
ReplyDelete