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thelibrarians_tvAirdate: 25 Dec 2016 in the U.S.
I've been looking forward to this episode... let's see how Noah's first script holds up!
(If you're reading this post months later and feel like jumping in, please do.)
I've been looking forward to this episode... let's see how Noah's first script holds up!
(If you're reading this post months later and feel like jumping in, please do.)
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Date: 2016-12-28 02:17 am (UTC)I'm disappointed they're going with a Bermuda Triangle plot. The area doesn't actually have a greater-than-average rate of disappeared ships! As dangerous oceanic regions go, it's not even in the top 10. Surely one of these geniuses would know that.
The staged fight was pretty adorable. I didn't quite catch why it was necessary, I just love it when team members are so on the same wavelength that they can pull a stunt like that, improvised, and make it work.
Eve pwning Flynn in the bathroom was great. Actor is definitely a masochist.
Eve's plane-flying skills come into play once more!
...The hypnotism bit was super weird but ok.
I feel like we already had the arc of "Flynn realizes he's too much of a loner, learns the value of opening up and bonding with the LiTs." Am I completely misremembering? And didn't he learn it through teamwork the first time, too, instead of through a series of weird internal conversations with the cast of Alice in Metaphorland?
Jenkins/Galahad as the White Knight is good casting, I'll give it that.
Had some good character moments, and some good lines, but I wish there had been less time and energy spent rehashing emotional beats we've already hit, and more on making a substantial quest-of-the-week.
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Date: 2016-12-28 02:54 pm (UTC)The staged fight was pretty adorable. I didn't quite catch why it was necessary
It was so they could get their equipment around security. Ezekiel needed a distraction so he could turn off the x-ray machine.
It probably won't happen, but I would like to see Flynn and Eve have a real conversation about some of the things that were said during that "fight".
I feel like we already had the arc of "Flynn realizes he's too much of a loner, learns the value of opening up and bonding with the LiTs." Am I completely misremembering?
It definitely felt like I was having Deja Vu during those scenes. I understand that change takes time and in reality, Flynn wouldn't just suddenly become a team player overnight, but watching the same arguments and looks of disappointment thrown at him over and over again becomes less meaningful or interesting the third or fourth time around. Especially since not 30 seconds prior to Flynn promising to do better he flat out told Jenkins to keep yet another important bit of information from everyone.
The writers need to come up with another reason why Flynn disappears for awhile next season because Flynn being a "runner" is getting old.
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Date: 2016-12-29 02:14 am (UTC)See, if they were working with other government agencies, they could just get official dispensation to bring their equipment on the plane. Like the MiBs apparently did with their firearms (!!).
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Date: 2016-12-29 08:56 am (UTC)That is such a good point! I don't think that's what the writers are going for at all... hmmm.
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Date: 2016-12-30 12:42 am (UTC)Yeah, the whole thing was a bit absurd. lol
See, if they were working with other government agencies, they could just get official dispensation to bring their equipment on the plane. Like the MiBs apparently did with their firearms (!!).
Even better, Ezekiel could have just forged some government documents for everyone since he was making fake IDs anyway. Maybe they'll be a twist at the end of the season where they team up with DOSA and become official in some capacity?
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Date: 2016-12-28 10:21 pm (UTC)The "fun" bits were a bit over the top (hypnotism animals, really?), and he wrote himself as the hero of the story, but he also wasn't afraid to make himself look silly and I very much respect that.
I agree with y'all that the storyline of bringing him back into the team was one that's been done before, but I have that same problem with most of the character development this season - it should already have been done last season. I admit I don't mind it this much with Flynn, since I always thought his sudden conversion to "not running anymore" at the end of s2 was completely unbelievable. So much so that I had to write a 50K epic to convince myself. (No kidding.)
So in that respect, I was happy to see that character aspect revisited. Of course, it wasn't really successful this time, either. No surprise there. *sigh*
Also, the foreshadowing of his death is really clear by now. He thinks he is the one going to die. Which only makes me think Eve is going to wrest the sacrifice from him at the last minute. Hmpf. :/
All in all, I really liked this episode, silly shenanigans and horrible studio lighting included. It's probably not one you can watch twice, but it was fun the first time.
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Date: 2016-12-30 12:53 am (UTC)It's so obvious that it's Flynn that it probably won't be him. I'm not sure it's Eve either just because we've been down that road before. I'm just holding on to hope that whoever ends up dying, it will not be a permanent death. :(
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Date: 2016-12-30 08:41 am (UTC)Good point. (Although with the show doing *every* plot point for the second time this season, I wouldn't be surprised if they rehashed that one again.)
The longer this season goes on, the more I think the death will not be permanent, either. Flynn is the only one they can let die without consequences. (Although, if Eve died, and Flynn led the magic rescue mission next season, that would actually be something I'd be eager to watch. This is the first time I've thought about next season with anything approaching excitement. Hmm.)
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Date: 2016-12-29 11:52 pm (UTC)It felt like two halves of different episodes (plane crash vs Wonderland) and neither was explored fully. I wanted to see more of Wonderland. Did Hatter Ezekiel even have any lines?
It's good that the show called out Flynn's issues, now fix them. Those issues are pretty much exactmy why I only like Flynn in small doses.
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Date: 2016-12-30 08:34 am (UTC)I thought they did all they could with the plane crash. My problem with it was the whole hypnotism thing. Couldn't they have put the door on the toilet and let everyone just walk through? (Yeah, that would have been less over-the-top and Noah obviously wasn't all that much for the subtle.)
I completely agree with you on the Wonderland part. I think Ezekiel's face wasn't even visible, forget any lines.
It's good that the show called out Flynn's issues, now fix them. Those issues are pretty much exactly why I only like Flynn in small doses.
I'm all with Eve in loving Flynn, but after this episode I wouldn't hold it against her to just give up on him. It hasn't been the first time those issues have come up, and he hasn't changed *at all*. Worse, he told them to their faces that what they think is crap and only admitted to any of his faults when his life was threatened.
And even after all that, he didn't tell them what he found. Sorry, Flynn. You had enough chances.
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Date: 2016-12-30 11:33 pm (UTC)I feel like Flynn was particularly insufferable this episode.
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Date: 2017-01-01 06:22 pm (UTC)I also feel like there should have been more people/things in Wonderland given all the disappearances. I was expecting a whole city or something.
I don't like the whole Flynn must die plot either. I don't think he will, but I think it'll loom over everything for a while. I also don't think Eve or any of the LITs will die. I think Eve's being "special" will come into play and it will save everyone.
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Date: 2017-01-01 07:03 pm (UTC)Yes! I had completely forgotten about that. But there were ships in the sky everywhere, so I had assumed that all the trapped ships would still have people in them. The Librarian survived for centuries in there, so they should have, too. Probably too expensive... ;)
I don't like the whole Flynn must die plot either.
My first idea was also that Dean was just teasing the death, but the longer it went on I am starting to believe that someone is actually going to die. *sigh*
it'll loom over everything for a while
Yeah. I still don't know why they decided to go that route.
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Date: 2017-01-05 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 09:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 07:33 pm (UTC)Jonathan Frakes. Seeing his name always make me happy because he picks the best episodes to direct, not only here but in other shows too. And this was no exception. Much as I love Ezekiel the character I find Kim's acting to be the weakest of the cast, but even he was pulled by the strong script and direction.
And the script! Noah Wyle's love of the show and characters showed through. There were so many good moments, so much humour. Flynn's ancient Spanish was hilarious.
I didn't mind the overbright CGI with fake!Jenkins because this was so clearly a constructed universe, and the effects with the chessboard and fall through the rabbit hole more than made up for it.
I liked Jake's literary expertise. This is one of the things I talked about, the need for specialities.
And team work. Can Noah write more episodes please, because everyone bringing their skills to the table and working together was everything I wanted, everything I think earlier seasons had.
Also the clothes for the intervention were amazing. Eve looked great - I dislike the jumpsuits - Jake and Ezekiel were nicely presented and even Cassandra looked beautiful. It didn't last, because Cassandra's wardrobe always has to look like she picked it up blindfolded at a jumble (rummage) sale but every now and then we get an amazing dress (the nightclub episode with Dorian Gray for example) or this beautiful black number and I love it.
The little team touches, Cassandra and Ezekiel huddling together during the intervention and then Stone helping her off the table later were sweet.
Eve and Flynn's argument was nicely done, bringing up all their actual baggage. Still she should have known better than to expect him to get off the plane if she wasn't pushing him from behind!
I've had my bet on Flynn to die since I heard about the planned loss of a character. This early foreshadowing actually makes me less sure rather than more certain. It's less of a shock, too expected now in some respects. I'm nervously eyeing up Jenkins, the only other one to know the cost, who's immortal and might be willing to sacrifice that to save Flynn - or come out unscathed/resurrected, the loss being a psych-out by the writers. (Game of Thrones tried this after all)
Or Eve. This episode proves how much she and Flynn do care about each other and isn't it a Guardian's job to save a Libraian, even from themselves, even at the cost of their own life? I'm wondering if it will tie in with the Oracle's prediction about how Eve will change the library. Maybe she won't truly die but become part of the library itself?
Anyway, a great episode from a great combo team of writer/director and I'd love to see more like this :D
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Date: 2017-01-07 08:49 pm (UTC)Yes, I've come to appreciate his direction, too.
Noah Wyle's love of the show and characters showed through. There were so many good moments, so much humour. Flynn's ancient Spanish was hilarious.
I liked how humorous it was, and at the same time logical and in character.
Still she should have known better than to expect him to get off the plane if she wasn't pushing him from behind!
Grrr.
I dislike the jumpsuits
Actually, I don't know anyone who likes them. But I thought the ones this season were a tad better than the ones last season. The costume designer had more time to look for decent ones in between seasons, maybe. ;)
I've had my bet on Flynn to die since I heard about the planned loss of a character. This early foreshadowing actually makes me less sure rather than more certain.
Vexing. Still vexing. :)
[Jenkins is] immortal and might be willing to sacrifice that to save Flynn - or come out unscathed/resurrected
Oh, good point. He might count on it and be wrong, too.
I'm wondering if it will tie in with the Oracle's prediction about how Eve will change the library. Maybe she won't truly die but become part of the library itself?
Oi, you have all the good ideas. This sounds likely (and boy would I hate it).
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Date: 2017-01-15 11:07 am (UTC)http://tinny.dreamwidth.org/300233.html