The Librarian: The Next Chapter Review
The Librarians: The Next Chapter is a fantasy adventure television series that is a spin-off to The Librarians film and tv series. The series premiered on TNT on the 25th of May 2025 with its first season of twelve episodes.
The Library is a mysterious organization tasked with protecting humanity from magical artifacts and those whom would use them to cause untold chaos. After being released from a time bubble in which he was trapped, Librarian Vikram Chamberlain inadvertently releases magic, trying to gain entrance into his annex of the library. With the help of a team that meets up by chance or maybe fate, they set out recovering and cataloguing the lost artefacts….
The Good
I like books, I love libraries, how can I not love a fantastical show, about an Indiana Jones type of Librarians, who get into wild adventures, trying to keep dangerous magical artefacts from causing mayhem. It’s a witty and hilarious series that brings back the magic of the old Librarian Series.
There’s cameo appearances from some of the original cast which help anchor it yet also giving it its own path… Regardless of the limited screen time, I was happy to see Jacob Stone, played by Christian Kane who does Parker in Leverage bringing his signature charismatic energy to the screen.
I wasn’t sure about Callum McGowan as Vikram Chamberlain a 19th century Librarian who suddenly finds himself in the modern world after some magical mishap in his last mission, adjusting to the cultural and technological differences, but he made it work, and kinda grew on me with his quirky charm.
The team arent trying to be the original actors and instead, each bring their own blend of chemistry into the mix, setting off a delightful reaction. Olivia Morris as Lysa Pascal a mathematician tech startup founder who suddenly inherits a castle with an annex to the library, Bluey Robinson as Connor Green a historian researcher with an interest in magic, and Jessica Green as Charlie Cornwall, a candidate for library Guardian.
While each episode is its own self-contained adventure of the week, there is an underlying story arc that connects up all the episodes and raises the stakes, with each reveal upto the season finale.
The graphics are decent, conjuring up some impressive visuals through the CGI, though it did get a tad bit cartoonish, but overally on point to give an escapist appeal for someone looking to find magic in teamwork.
The Bad
The Guardian’s character as the muscle didn’t always land, maybe because the others had more fleshed out characters, Charlie came across as an extra told to look pretty and cool while taking down bad guys.
The show seems to battle a tonal crisis where it cant decide if it’s a whimsical fantasy, a comedy or a dark magical thriller and muddles through all 3, with hit or miss sets, but hey its not trying to win awards.
The Ugly
While Vikram’s character is supposed to be excused as an archetype of his era, the series could have done better to show how he assimilated into a modern society, than just leaving him as a rather eccentric and abrasive character who only becomes likeable in the penultimate episode, which could be too rushed and too late as the show ends.
Final Thoughts
The Librarians: The Next Chapter is a fantastical return to a world of magic and adventure that appeals to old and new fans of The Librarian Series and a second season could be cooking.
Have you watched The Librarians or any of its derivatives?
Leave a Reply