The Librarians Season 3 Episode 9 Review: And the Fatal Separation
Kathleen Wiedel
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Well. Um. So, that happened. I'm really of mixed feelings about The Librarians Season 3 Episode 9, to the point where I can't decide – even sitting here writing this review – whether this episode was good or completely ludicrous.
The series itself definitely requires a certain level of whimsy in its viewers, but "And the Fatal Separation" definitely took suspension of disbelief to levels of parody.
The Monkey King of Shangri-La came out of nowhere as apparently the guy who's been teaching Jake next-level fighting skills (probably to make better use of Christian Kane's training).
The way Jake and the Monkey King spouted apparently-profound wisdom at each other in humorous fashion indicated that the writers were almost certainly aware of the exploitation of martial arts movie cliches.
A man who eats crackers in bed wakes up feeling crumby.
Monkey King
I was somewhat frustrated by the sudden introduction (coupled with an apparent time jump) of the Monkey King as Jake's teacher. This is likely an unfortunate side-effect of the time limitations imposed by having only ten episodes in a season.
Also completely out of the blue was the appearance of Eve's mentor, a character who has neither been seen nor mentioned before to my recollection, who runs DOSA and is apparently some sort of enormous mastermind. Say, what?!
If the writers expect us as viewers to take this woman's claims seriously, that Eve is (or at least supposed to be) some sort of sleeper agent in the Library, they have to do better than that incredibly unlikely and convoluted speech on the train.
Part of the problem was that DOSA didn't even come into the picture until this season, which would mean that they supposedly just let Eve run around with the folks they claim are either completely irresponsible or outright evil for two years.
And then there was the sadness that was the departure of Charlene. She's been an important part of the fabric of the Library, and there were a few sweet callbacks to the very first Librarians movie, too.
The parts featuring Charlene were humorous, touching, and sweet, and pretty much all-around entertaining.
Do you guys always do a recap before you go on a job? No wonder your missions take so long.
Charlene
And Jenkins's confession of love for Charlene at the end was just so heart-breaking, especially knowing she didn't return his love in the same way.
It was like I was watching three different episodes. Then I realized why: there are three different writers listed: Rob Wright & Steve Kriozere & Mark A. Altman.
I honestly don't know how the writing duties were divvied up here, but however it worked out, it really resulted in something of a disjointed and at times nearly incoherent story when taken as a whole.
Not that each of the pieces individually were really bad, they just felt like they were jumbled together messily. Each could easily merit its own episode, especially given the added sub-plot of Cassandra handling her growing abilities.
That certainly deserved more attention than it got here, especially given that "the temptation/corruption of magic" has been such a huge theme this season.
Look, I’ve been working with Stone and Ezekiel, trying to get everyone where they need to be, but… you’re the one I can’t help. I don’t understand magic like you do. I can’t imagine what it’s like, having a gift like yours. Still, I’ve seen the future you, and you’re amazing. And I know you’ll eventually get there. The Library chose you, not for your gift, but for your ability to know when to use it, and when not to. And when the time comes, I know you’ll do the right thing.
Eve
I found myself quite frustrated by this episode, as none of the story threads got the development each really needed. I'm aware (as mentioned above) of the limitations of a short season, but somehow "And the Fatal Separation" did not gel for me as a whole.
A few final notes before I turn the discussion over to you:
- As I recall The Librarians Season 1 Episode 1, there were in fact two bombs, not one: a nuclear bomb in the hands of terrorists pursued by Eve, and a zombie-apocalypse trap on an artifact retrieved by Flynn.
- If Jenkins is the last immortal linked to the Library, does that mean he's stuck there forever, without anyone else to see him to his rest at some point in the future?
- Did Cassandra actually put a curse on that shield, or was that just a bluff?
- What are your current bets for "main cast member most likely to die in the finale"?
- Be sure to stop by our Librarians quotes page for this episode's notable lines.
Be sure to watch The Librarians online if you haven't already! And don't miss the finale, The Librarians Season 3 Episode 10, "And the Wrath of Chaos."
So, what did you think of "And the Fatal Separation"? Were you surprised at the claim that Eve is a DOSA sleeper agent? Are you looking forward to seeing Jake's new-and-improved combat skills? Let us know in the comments below!
