The Librarians Season 2 Episode 8 Review: And the Point of Salvation

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It started out as your average time loop episode, but The Librarians Season 2 Episode 8 pulled a fast one and revealed halfway through that it wasn't a time loop at all, but a computer game! Well, more or less.

Fortunately, genre-savvy Ezekiel was the one who remembered each loop and was able to ultimately complete the "escort quest," saving Eve, Jake, and Cassandra.

At It Again - The Librarians

Obviously, if you don't like time loop episodes, you'd probably find this one tiresome, as Ezekiel ended up loosing track of the number of times he reset to the beginning. Once he realized that the reset was actually a return to a "save point," things went completely off the rails in hilarious fashion.

Case in point: Ezekiel loaded up the backpack with all sorts of ridiculous things, and it didn't get any heavier or more bulky, because, of course, he was merely adding it to his "inventory."

Of course, there was a profoundly sad aspect to this episode, too, in that the game reset every time somebody died. Which Ezekiel had to experience so many times that he actually lost count.

John Kim did a fantastic job portraying the growing frustration and emotional wear weighing down the normally carefree, happy-go-lucky Ezekiel. He first realized the true nature of their situation after completely going whack-happy with a crowbar on a crate and a bunch of other stuff.

And that touching scene with Eve telling the story of the two generals and the river! Very well done. It could have felt cloying or sappy, but given the circumstances, it came across just right.

If Ezekiel hadn't lost all his memories of the entire mess, he would have definitely needed a lot of head-shrinking, that's for sure.

It was definitely a cheat of them (albeit an extremely predictable one) to make Ezekiel forget his experiences of the time loops. There wasn't a complete loss in the character development department, though, as Colonel Baird pointed out:

[to Ezekiel] Well, you might not know what you're capable of, but *we* do.

Eve

Be sure to check out our Librarians quotes page for some of the memorable lines from the episode!

But back to the topic at hand. At least Ezekiel was aware that he had apparently done some unexpectedly heroic things, even though he thought they were pulling his leg. There was a certain speculative look on his face at the end of the scene, so that's something, at least.

On a much lighter note, there was this little bit of hilarity when Ezekiel informed them that they were stuck in a time loop, and they were convinced he was crazy:

"Crazy"? So, on a scale of "running from minotaurs" to "Santa Claus is now a best mate of ours," where would a time loop fall?

Ezekiel

One of the funniest moments was actually when Ezekiel first convinced them that it was a video game... by shooting Jake in the leg and then giving him a med-kit (which, naturally, fixed him instantly). Instead of being angry about being shot, Jake immediately started geeking out about being in a video game!

Finally, Jenkins seemed about ready to get some answers about Prospero's plan by compelling a faerie. True to tricky form, the fae did give him the answers he asked for, completely too late to avert anything at all.

A few final thoughts before I sign off:

  • As Ezekiel pointed out, escort quests are indeed hated by a lot of gamers, because the character you're escorting almost inevitably does something frustrating or just plain stupid, like attracting a whole ton of enemies who promptly kill the escortee (and then you).
  • How long were they trapped in the "game"? Since they weren't actually in a virtual space (the artifact was overwriting reality, according to the dialog), shouldn't significant time have passed outside the facility? Maybe I missed a line somewhere?
  • Bread and honey, which Jenkins used in his ritual to summon the faerie, are much loved by faeries, according to lore. This also popped up in the Harry Dresden books, where the title character actually managed to charm an entire legion of pixies with a steady supply of pizza.

So, what did you think of The Librarians Season 2 Episode 8? Did you enjoy the homage to video games and those annoying escort quests? What do you think was Prospero's Evil Plan to deal with the Librarians? Let us know in the comments below!

If you missed this episode or you just want to enjoy it all over again, be sure to watch The Librarians online for all the fun and witty banter! The Librarians Season 2 Episode 9, "And the Happily Ever Afters," airs Sunday, December 20, 2015 at 8/7c on TNT.


And the Point of Salvation Review

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The Librarians Season 2 Episode 8 Quotes

Cassandra: But quantum computing could change the world!
Eve: The way *Atlantis* was changed?

Fae: I know many things. I know what ends your immortality. You cannot be killed, but you can die. Is this not worth a bargain?
Jenkins: Hm. No.

  • Permalink: Hm. No.
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