In this article, we’ll be dedicating our time to talking about the American fantasy and adventure TV show entitled The Librarians. It aired for the first time in December 2014 on TNT. If you’ve seen or are a fan of David Titcher’s film series The Librarian, then you would probably be interested to know that this series is a spin-off.
Developed by John Rogers, The Librarians continues where the movies left off. The companies behind the production and release of this TV series include Electric Entertainment and Kung Fu Monkey Productions. On the other hand, the show’s produces include Geoffrey Thorne and Paul Bernard, while the executive products include Dean Devlin, John Rogers, Marc Roskin, and Noah Wyle.
Essentially, the show is all about a group of librarians who act as guardians towards certain special artifacts protected within the Library. These librarians don’t just take care of books, though, they also protect the world from evil. In fact, they’re the only ones who can fight these evils, as no one else in the world has the same capabilities they do.
For the most part, the librarians come across villainous fictional characters who want the world to return to the dark ages. Similar to the film, there can only be one true Librarian. If not, the world will be sent to ruin and chaos.
Unsurprisingly, given the popularity of the original films, The Librarians was able to garner a solid and steady fanbase from the get-go. Even critics seemed to enjoy the show, saying that even though the material was familiar, it was still capable of standing out and being effortlessly silly.
What Is The Librarians All About?
If you’re not familiar with the plot of The Librarians, the show is about four people who were requested to apply to become The Librarian at the Library. These people were Ezekiel, Cassandra, and Jacob, while Eve Baird was chosen to become the new Guardian. However, these four candidates didn’t appear during the “auditions.”
What stands out the most about The Librarians is Noah Wyle who plays Flynn Carsen. Viewers of the show got to witness him transform into the familiar librarian from the movies, and he does a fantastic job of critiquing the new recruits of the Library while holding back his punches at the same time.
That being said, The Librarians doesn’t just target a specific niche audience. No, it actually makes an effort to target a much broader audience too because you don’t need to have watched the films first if you want to enjoy the show. As long as you enjoy media that involves treasure hunts, weaponized magic, as well a tongue-in-cheek kind of humor, then you’ll definitely enjoy The Librarians.
Even though the series does a fantastic job at maintaining the humor, all thanks to Wyle’s wonderful performance of Carsen, it’s also worth mentioning that all the other characters could do better at portraying their respective characters. For instance, Romijin plays the new mentor, and without a doubt, she does a great job at it. However, there are a few instances where she seems too stiff or wooden, which can be jarring to a viewer’s experience.
That being said, fans of the movies shouldn’t hesitate to watch this series—each season brings with it much-needed familiarity and comfort. The show is fast-paced but not enough to feel like you’re whizzing by, plus there are many last-minute saves that make your adrenaline rush. Overall, The Librarians keeps things playful and entertaining at the same time, making you want more and more.
The Cast of Characters
The Librarians has a solid cast of characters, including Rebecca Romijin who plays Colonel Eve Baird, a former NATO who was chosen by the Library to become its “Guardian.” She is given the task to protect and train the new Librarian recruits. Then, we have Christian Kane who portrays Jacob Stone, who happens to be a genius who has an IQ of 190.
As mentioned, Noah Wyle plays Flynn Carsen, someone who is already a veteran when it comes to the happenings within the Library. John Larroquette portrays Jenkins, otherwise known as Galeas or Galahad, who is the library’s ill-tempered caretaker. He has worked at the library “for longer than anyone knows,” and is, therefore, an expert at ancient lore.
The character Dulaque is played by Matt Frewer, a mysterious leader of the Serpent Brotherhood who also happens to be immortal. John Harlan Kim portrays the character Ezekiel Jones, an Australian thief who also happens to be a computer wizard. In fact, Jones is responsible for hacking international agencies.
Cassandra Cillian, who is played by Lindy Booth, is a mathematician who goes through hallucinations both auditory and sensory. Other than that, she also has a rare condition known as synesthesia.
These are only some of the main and recurring characters you’ll see on the show. Their presence within the entire series is further enriched by all the other supporting characters they come across, as each and every character has a significant role to fill. If The Librarians gets renewed for a Season 5, we’re excited to see a whole slew of new characters.
When Are We Getting a Season 5?
Unfortunately, TNT confirmed in 2018 that they would not be renewing The Librarians for a fifth installment. Dean Devlin, the series’ executive producer, broke the bad news to the entire world through a Twitter post, where he said that he would try to “move the show elsewhere.”
The Librarians was actually really well-received among viewers during the time it was released, alongside The Last Ship and Major Crimes. However, TNT decided to take its network and maneuver it towards a different course. Meaning to say that they were changing its brand to something darker and edgier, and The Librarians just didn’t fit that.
After news of its cancelation, avid fans actually set up a petition to bring the show back, with 7,122 supporters overall. Unfortunately, this just wasn’t enough to get the show renewed.
Conclusion
It’s truly saddening that wonderful and popular shows like The Librarians get discontinued, especially since we don’t find a lot of good family-friendly content nowadays. Nevertheless, it is what it is. We are just thankful that the show had a good run during the time it was around.
