'The Librarians' Retro Recap: 'And the Crown of King Arthur'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of TNT’s The Librarians, because this series is simply magnificent in so many ways. It not only bucks the trend of current television by refusing to become dark and gritty, it features wonderful characters with good hearts that want to do good in the world and every single adventure they go on is thrilling and engaging and really, I can’t get enough of this wonderful show and the good news is, my days of watching re-runs on Hulu are over, because season four is just a week away and I thought I would do something a little different to celebrate the show’s return.
 
Rather than just fan boy over the show it seemed like it might be more fun to look back at some of the episodes I’ve been re-watching from the past three seasons, and reflect upon not only the joy they brought me the first time I sat down to watch them, but what they mean to the series and the fans now because we’ve watched this intrepid group grow over the past four years into some incredible people. So to kick this mini-retrospective of the show, I thought it would be best to not only reflect upon prior episodes on the show’s brand new night, since season four will be featured on Wednesday nights going forward, but to start our journey down Librarian lane where this incredible adventure began in The Librarians and the Crown of King Arthur.
 
Now the first thing I noticed in re-watching the series premiere, is how well this sucker has held up over the years. Often times the first ever episode of a particular show looks and feels different and dated, to the point where it sometimes takes you off guard, but that simply wasn’t the case with this one. This felt like any other episode of the show, with the right mix of wonder, and the saga’s trademark love for humor and lightheartedness. But this has always been a series that features a deeper meaning for its fans and as this particular tale progressed before my eyes once again, I came to realize that this episode has become incredibly relevant as season four draws near.
 
Because this was it, the beginning of the journey, and when you look back at all the characters minus Flynn, you come to realize that the Library gave them a level of hope and purpose that they never knew was possible in life. They were of course getting by before Flynn found them, but in a matter of moments, they were heroes, they were introduced to a world they never knew existed and it was up to all of them to make the world a better and safer place and while this one ended on a cliffhanger with betrayal, it all worked out in the end and in a way, you learn to appreciate these characters more because of the series premiere since in this particular moment, they are so incredibly relatable because we have been where they are in this story, searching for something more.
 
But despite the incredible relatability of the characters, the best part that comes with re-watching this episode, is the sheer fact that a powerful sense of adventure and the excitement that comes with it hangs over every second of the story. Sure, you know how it ends, you know what’s coming next, yet the anticipation and the wonder are still there and that’s what makes this series so special, it activates something wonderful in our imagination, and I’m fairly certain the awe I experienced in re-watching this one will be waiting for me next Wednesday when the season four premiere, hits the airwaves. Until then.   

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