The Librarians – Season 2 Premiere Part 1 “And the Drowned Book” Review. Magic is Back!

Season 2, Episodes 1

Air Date: Sunday, November 1, 2015 at 8/7c on TNT.

Rating: ★★★★★

Our trusted librarians, well, most of them, return for a second season of wondrous adventures but this time, magic has returned and with it, mayhem and confusion galore. Our librarians – Jake Stone aka “Stone” (Christian Kane), Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth), Ezekiel Jones aka “Jones” (John Kim), and Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) – along with their guardian Eve Baird (Rebecca Romijn), have their work cut out for them as they battle the forces of evil while dealing with their own personal issues. Oh, and the Library is acting strangely. No biggie.

For those unfamiliar with The Librarians TV series or the films the show is based on, you can still understand what transpires this season although you might miss a few inside jokes in some of the episodes. The personal connections may seem muddled as well but you can always catch up on the series via TNT On Demand or online at www.tntdrama.com/shows/the-librarians.

Being a “librarian” and a “guardian” is best summed up by a conversation between Eve and Flynn from last season’s finale, “And the Loom of Fate.” Flynn wasn’t quite himself, hence, his confusion.

Flynn: “What is a librarian?”

Eve: “They’re the ones who protect the rest of us from the magic, and the weird, and the things that go bump in the night.”

Flynn: “What’s a guardian?”

Eve: “We’re the ones that protect the librarians.”

When last we saw our librarians, the Serpent Brotherhood had succeeded in cutting the fabric on the “loom of fate,” going back to the time of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table, thus disrupting the very fabric of time and altering events. We also learned reuniting Excalibur with the stone would restore magic in the world.

The first half of the season two premiere, “And the Drowned Book,” opens nine months in the past. The sword has been returned to the stone, flooding the world with magic and reopening the magical lay lines. Meanwhile, a mysterious man (guest star Richard Cox) shrouded in shadows summons a dark figure from the pages of Sherlock Holmes. Fast forward to present day where Jenkins (John Larroquette), the library’s keeper, keeps witnessing odd occurrences throughout the library, including the disappearance of several artifacts.

What I love about The Librarians is the message – knowledge is power. A television show that celebrates reading, libraries, antiquities, and learning in such a fun, adventurous, and creative way is an A+ in my book. “And the Drowned Book” depicts a re-imagining of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, in which Prospero the Magician (Cox) takes center stage. Prospero seeks to rewrite his story; instead of casting aside his magic, he seeks to regain his powers in order to use them at will.

Throughout “And the Drowned Book,” each of the librarians are given a mission by the “clipping book.” It’s a curious coincidence that leads all of them, including Flynn and Eve, to the same location in New York. If only they could work as a team and not fly solo, they would be able to pool their resources and realize something is afoot with this latest mission.

I simply adore The Librarians, but I have to say Wyle’s performance resonates with me the most, especially in “And the Drowned Book.” His infectious enthusiasm as Flynn meets, or so he thinks, one of the most famous detectives in literature put a huge grin on my face. The way he fawns over the man he thinks is Sherlock Holmes is quite endearing. I would do the exact same thing if Agatha Christie came to life. Alas, it isn’t Holmes. Guest star David S. Lee does a superb job of playing the elusive and equally brilliant James Moriarty, Holmes’ arch nemesis. Moriarty aids Prospero in his mission to restore his broken staff and the process brings a horrendous storm over New York. Can our librarians work together to solve the mystery before it’s too late?

Stay tuned…part two of the two-hour premiere, “And the Broken Staff,” is coming up. Read my review here. (insert link after I’ve posted.)

What did you think of “And the Drowned Book?” Did you piece the clues in the museum together to realize it was Prospero?

For more on the show, go to http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/the-librarians.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.