The Librarians: The Next Chapter is a welcome return to the fantasy-adventure franchise and an example of just how well Electric Entertainment has carved out a unique niche on television. It’s been over 20 years since David Titcher’s first Librarian movie aired on TNT, and now the network is hoping to carve out a second hit TV show from the same cloth. So far, they’re on the right track.
It’s only been seven years since The Librarians aired its series finale, which is just the right amount of time for The Next Chapter to feel new without audiences needing the entire concept re-explained to them. To that end, Dean Devlin and John Rogers (who co-wrote the premiere episode) are impressively efficient at laying the groundwork. It takes 13 minutes for The Next Chapter to explain how Librarians and magic work, introduce three of the show’s new protagonists, and recreate a Library annex. Devlin and Rogers are experts now at weaving exposition into banter in the middle of adventure scenes.
And it’s the writing that is The Next Chapter‘s biggest asset. Like The Librarians (and even like Leverage and Leverage: Redemption), this show has a very specific tone. It’s the modern equivalent of USA Network’s “blue sky” programming, such as Psych, White Collar, and Burn Notice — fun, light-hearted, and above all, dreaming big. Every episode feels like an adventure, which is doubly important when this is a series in the adventure genre. Viewers will appreciate having a genuine escape to lose themselves in, without worrying about drama for drama’s sake or more mythology than they want to keep track of (although there is one mystery set up involving Olivia Morris’ character Lysa Pascal).
Of course, the Next Chapter cast is the X-factor that everyone will be asking about. Audiences will want to compare this group to the original Librarians ensemble, which is both helped and harmed by the presence of Christian Kane. It’s a true joy to see Kane in anything, but his return as Jacob Stone in the Next Chapter premiere is particularly useful, like a comforting hand to guide fans back into this world and into the arms of the new characters. Yet conversely, it encourages that comparison — and it’s going to take a little bit for the actors to grow beyond the initial archetypes of their roles.
There’s the skeptic/scientist, represented by Morris as Lysa, who describes herself as “a mathematician, an engineer, and a physicist.” Bluey Robinson brings plenty of energy as the believer, Connor Green. Electric fans will recognize The Outpost star Jessica Green as Charlie Cornwall, the sequel’s equivalent to Colonel Eve Baird. Callum McGowan stars as Vikram Chamberlain, a displaced Librarian from 1847. The episodes and McGowan’s performance lean a little too much into Vikram’s “fish out of water” status; he doesn’t have the effortless charisma that Noah Wyle’s Flynn Carsen did. Wyle brought a certain panache and charm that nobody can replicate.
The characters should develop with time, and all of the actors show that they get the tone of the series and that the objective is purely to entertain. The Next Chapter looks beautiful and breaks out plenty of magical effects and monsters to make the show feel as big as it needs to be. Anyone wondering why Devlin and company wanted to bring back The Librarians will get their answer by the end of the Next Chapter premiere: it’s a whole lot of fun with infinite possibilities.
The Librarians: The Next Chapter premieres Sunday, May 25, following the NBA playoffs on TNT, with new episodes airing Mondays beginning May 26.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Aleksandar Letic for The CW