The Librarians Season 3 Episode 3 Review: And the Reunion of Evil
Kathleen Wiedel
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While retrieving this week's MacGuffin, Cassandra and Jake encountered the titular Reunion of Evil in The Librarians Season 3 Episode 3. The attendees were, of course, Norse Frost Giants, much to the dismay of our heroes.
Naturally, this resulted in all sorts of hilarity and shenanigans as the two Librarians tried to blend in with this less-than-savory crowd.
"And the Reunion of Evil" was directed by none other than Noah Wyle (Flynn Carsen) himself, and he acquitted himself quite well behind the camera with this episode.
The real measure of any work — whether literature or a movie or an episode of television — is whether or not it entertains the viewers. And I confess to having a lot of fun with "And the Reunion of Evil." Was the premise silly? Sure. But I felt that they made it work.
Eve continued to badger the Librarians (Ezekiel in this case) to basically Be All They Can Be, having seen them each at the height of their skills and prowess as Librarians in the finale of the first season, The Librarians Season 1 Episode 10.
Cassandra's continued interest in magic stems from this, as well. I really enjoyed having Cassandra partner up with Jake again for this episode; it seems like forever since the two of them have really paired off, and Lindy Booth and Christian Kane play so well off each other.
I appreciated the scene in which they argued about the use of magic in their job as Librarians because it actually looked rationally at the issue from both sides, though I think Jake ultimately had the edge.
It's the 'not bad' parts that make people thing the 'bad' parts really aren't that bad. It's *dangerous*. Yeah, magic got us out of trouble today. But it's also what put is *in* it, too.
Jake
Magic and its dangers has been an overarching theme so far this season. Is it possible, I wonder, that magic will claim the life of one of our Librarians? That thought certainly puts a bit of a damper on the frivolity that encompassed a good portion of the episode.
While this is still clearly the same series as its inception, however, it's clear that the stakes are higher than ever this season. And if one of our beloved characters is doomed, who will it be? The obvious choice is Eve Baird, given all the foreboding this season, but still...
On a side note: when Norman the Frost Giant started going on about insurance coverage?
Norman: Did you know that only a small percentage of the population has adequate coverage for natural disasters?
Jake [annoyed]: Norman... really...?
Norman [oblivious]: Oh, yeah! Bankrupting them has been totally awesome!
I was reminded of a weirdly similar — but backwards — exchange from Tron, of all things.
Ram: I was an actuarial program. Worked for a big insurance company. It really gives you a great feeling helping folks plan for their future needs. Of course, if you take the payments as an annuity over the years, the cost is really quite minimal.
I don't know if the writer of this episode, Kate Rorick, ever watched Tron, but the comparison certainly gave me giggles, that's for sure. (Tron, for those of you who don't know this awesome 1980's masterpiece, had a computer programmer sucked into a system he was trying to hack.)
And I also had to laugh at Ezekiel growing progressively more attached to the egg, to the point he actually had it in a baby carrier. Awwwwww. It's worth noting that one of my favorite episodes of the previous season was The Librarians Season 2 Episode 8, "And the Point of Salvation," which was Ezekiel-centric. Too bad he doesn't remember it!
He's like Switzerland -- minus the odd affinity for cuckoo clocks!
Jenkins [regarding Ezekiel]
A few final notes before I turn the discussion over to you, my friends:
- Norman and the other Frost Giants accused Jake-as-Finklestein of showing up looking like a rock star; Christian Kane is a successful musician/singer, though in the country music sector.
- Angrboða in Norse mythology was the mother of the monstrous wolf Fenrir by none other than Loki. Yes, the guy who was played by Tom Hiddleston in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Does Ezekiel now have to raise Nessie, Jr.?
- Once again, The Librarians writing staff really showed that they know how to write amusing gags. Check out our Librarians quotes page for some of the good ones from this episode!
- Near the start of the episode, the camera lingered briefly on a picture of Flynn Carsen on the wall. Setting aside the giggle factor since Noah Wyle was actually directing said shot, it appeared to be a poster from The Librarian and the Quest for the Spear, the first of The Librarian movies and the one that kicked off the franchise.
If you haven't already, be sure to watch The Librarians online! And tune in on on December 11, 2016 at 8/7c. on TNT for The Librarians Season 3 Episode 4, "And the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy," directed by showrunner Dean Devlin!
So, what did you think of "And the Reunion of Evil"? Was Cassandra right about using magic, or was Jake right about its dangers? Did Noah Wyle do a good job directing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
