14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
~I’m pretty organized when it comes to my work.
~I’m punctual. In fact, I hate being late. I’d rather be early than on time.
~I’m loyal. Friends, jobs, family. Once you have me, I’ll be around for ages.
~I’m friendly and I generally get along well with just about anyone.
~I have a very good memory, especially for things I’ve read. Like ridiculously good (though not perfect). Sometimes people find it weird just how much I remember.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Writing Prompt Wednesday: Cracks, T-Shirt, Deck Chair
Here is this week’s writing prompt. I went with Sixth Sense Cards from the Writer’s Tool Box this week.
The cards:
A sidewalk with a crack
The smell of the t-shirt from a B-52’s concert
A lime green deck chair
---
I sit on the steps to my porch, staring at the crack in the sidewalk. It’s been there forever, since I was a little girl. I don’t even remember what made it. One day it wasn’t there and the next it was. It’s grown slowly over the years, like I have, changed as the seasons come and go. It almost reaches from one side of the path to the other, tiny tendril crack spiking off of it like veins from an artery. A dandelion has sprouted from one section, its green leaves covering up portions of the crack, hiding it from my view with the jagged edges. It’s bright yellow flower waves at me in the light wind, garish and haughty in it’s vibrancy.
That breeze carries with it a familiar scent, the smell of the t-shirt from a b-52s concert. I don’t even know why he likes that band or how he got it. BUt it’s the smell of him, strong with the musk of bodies and beer and smoke mixed together with his grapefruit shampoo. It’s what I smelled the day we first met and it’s what I smell now as he walks up that cracked sidewalk toward me.
“Hey?” He says, and I see the dark blue and the logo of that hauntingly familiar shirt.
“Hey.” I reply, not sure if I should smile or frown. The smile wins.
“Can I join you?” he asks. I nod, but instead of letting him sit on the tiny steps, I move and he follows. We settle into the lime green deck chairs that are tucked into the corner of the porch. My mom bought them at a flea market, since they are her favorite color. Seeing them always cheers me up.
“So…?” he asks, his finger rubbing the armrest of his chair. There’s a small patch on the chair where the paint has chipped and my mom hasn’t gotten around to fixing it. His finger moves to worry the edge between the lime green and the plain wood underneath and I’m fascinated watching it move back and forth.
Finally, I remember he asked me a question.
---
Yea, once more I really don’t know where it was going, but these exercises are fun.
Friday I’ll do my next question in the 30 Questions.
Until then.
The cards:
A sidewalk with a crack
The smell of the t-shirt from a B-52’s concert
A lime green deck chair
---
I sit on the steps to my porch, staring at the crack in the sidewalk. It’s been there forever, since I was a little girl. I don’t even remember what made it. One day it wasn’t there and the next it was. It’s grown slowly over the years, like I have, changed as the seasons come and go. It almost reaches from one side of the path to the other, tiny tendril crack spiking off of it like veins from an artery. A dandelion has sprouted from one section, its green leaves covering up portions of the crack, hiding it from my view with the jagged edges. It’s bright yellow flower waves at me in the light wind, garish and haughty in it’s vibrancy.
That breeze carries with it a familiar scent, the smell of the t-shirt from a b-52s concert. I don’t even know why he likes that band or how he got it. BUt it’s the smell of him, strong with the musk of bodies and beer and smoke mixed together with his grapefruit shampoo. It’s what I smelled the day we first met and it’s what I smell now as he walks up that cracked sidewalk toward me.
“Hey?” He says, and I see the dark blue and the logo of that hauntingly familiar shirt.
“Hey.” I reply, not sure if I should smile or frown. The smile wins.
“Can I join you?” he asks. I nod, but instead of letting him sit on the tiny steps, I move and he follows. We settle into the lime green deck chairs that are tucked into the corner of the porch. My mom bought them at a flea market, since they are her favorite color. Seeing them always cheers me up.
“So…?” he asks, his finger rubbing the armrest of his chair. There’s a small patch on the chair where the paint has chipped and my mom hasn’t gotten around to fixing it. His finger moves to worry the edge between the lime green and the plain wood underneath and I’m fascinated watching it move back and forth.
Finally, I remember he asked me a question.
---
Yea, once more I really don’t know where it was going, but these exercises are fun.
Friday I’ll do my next question in the 30 Questions.
Until then.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Review of The Librarians 1x03 And the Horns of a Dilemma: Learning to Trust
Trust. It’s a tricky thing that little word. Some people give it freely while others guard it preciously and only bestow it on a select few. And yet, it is a key ingredient to any functional working relationship. You can’t have a relationship without it. Not a real one at least. Which is why, when someone breaks trust with you, it’s often the hardest thing in the world to regain.
In Horns, we see our LITs and their Guardian working to forge some kind of team, but failing because there is little trust amongst them. Eve doesn’t trust that the LITs will be able to survive without her. Jake no longer trusts Cassandra because of her actions in the previous two episodes. No one is sure they can trust Ezekiel since he’s a thief and is very vocal about only looking out for himself. And then there’s Cassandra, who doesn’t trust herself to be able to do what the team needs her to. If these four people can’t learn to extend some trust to each other, they are never going to be able to work together. And that’s what this episode is all about. Well that and escaping a magical maze and and an angry monster.
The beginning of the episode finds the LITs sneaking through a darkened warehouse, clearing trying to escape a dark figure. The thing that strikes me as interesting about this scene is how, despite supposedly being a team, the three LITs are completely separate in how they react and try to escape the person pursuing them. They each try to deal with the figure on their own, instead of working together. Jake decides to try to fight her (it’s Eve after all) while Ezekiel looks out for himself and just runs. Cassandra, oh dear Cassandra, doesn’t even get that far. She hides and then bumps her head on something, effectively ending any chance she had of getting away.
As the group walks back to the Annex, Eve chastises them for how they handled the situation. They are Librarians (in Training). They should be able to think their way out of the situations, but instead they aren’t doing anything. She decides that they are going to continue to run drills until she’s sure they won’t get themselves killed in the field.
Inside the Annex, Jenkins points out that another page has appeared in the clippings books and Eve gets annoyed, saying that the LITs aren't’ ready yet. And we find out that she isn’t letting them do anything but drill, despite new mysteries appearing each day. She just doesn’t trust that they’ll be able to handle it. And it’s frustrating our LITs to no end.
As Eve leaves to talk to Jenkins, Cassandra calls after her that Flynn told them to help people. And Jake pipes up, saying that Ezekiel is right and they have a job to do. This clearly frustrates Cassandra and gives us another glimpse of the underlying trust issues that exist amongst our team.
In the workroom, Eve has a little chat with Jenkins about the LITs. He points out that she’s going to have to put them in the field eventually. Eve counters by saying that she’s been in the field with trained soldiers and wound up losing them all. The LITs are not trained soldiers. And because of that, she can’t imagine that they’d be able to do anything but get themselves killed. Jenkins points out that the LITs job is to keep magic out of the wrong hands, and this means that they must be in harms way, the very thing Eve is trying so hard to avoid. Eve insists that they aren’t trained enough and Jenkins counters with the point that Librarians used to get no training at all. Eve wonders how many actually came back, and Jenkins’s answer is telling (and chilling): the best ones came back.
Back in the main part of the Annex, the LITs have decided that they don’t care what Eve says, they are going to look at the clippings book. They find that eight people have gone missing in the last year all from different places in the country and all without any active investigation going on. Eve doesn’t want to investigate, but the LITs insist, asking how many more people have to go missing before they step in. Cassandra even points out that the latest victim may still be alive. Eve asks if they are willing to risks their lives for this stranger and they all agree (well, Cassandra and Jake do. Ezekiel insists that he’ll just outrun anything that might kill them). With that, Eve acquiesces, and immediately regrets her decision. She wants a plan, but she still doesn’t trust that the LITs can take care of themselves enough to pull this off.
After a planning session when the LITs go over everything they have learned about the missing people, Eve decides they need to go to Boston (since that’s where all the people disappeared from). Thanks to Jenkins and some magic (literally) they can get there simply by stepping through the backdoor ( again, literally).
In Boston, they meet with the CEO of Golden Axe, the company all the missing people interned at before they disappeared. The CEO (who happens to be the same woman who watched one of her interns disappear in the cold open of the episode) tells them that they had no idea they had missing interns and insists the team talk to someone in HR. Eve clearly knows something is up and decides the team needs to split up. Since she still doesn’t trust the LITs to take care of themselves, she decides they should go to HR and see whatever show the CEO wants to put on while she (Eve) breaks into the server room to find records of the company’s wrongdoing. The LITs object, but Eve insists (read: orders) and sends them on their way. And of course, the LITs wind up in just about the least safe place they can be.
Each half of our team finds something very interesting on their excursions. Eve finds what looks to be a museum with lots of really old art and a large ball of string. The LITs find a room full of human skulls. Their respective discoveries drive them to contact each other and it’s by looking at the art that Jake figures out part of what’s going on. They have somehow stumbled into Theseus’s Labyrinth. While Eve works on a way to get them out, the LITs work on finding their own way out.
It’s during their escape attempt that things come to a head between Jake and Cassie. He comments about that fact that he’s stuck in the maze with two of the least reliable people he knows, making it clear that he doesn’t trust either of the other two LITs. Cassie demands to know what his problem is and they fall into a discussion of her betrayal and how Stone feels about it. It’s the first time the two have really talked about it since they started working together and Cassie feels she has the right to explain herself. She insists that Jake has no right to judge her for her actions, since he doesn’t know what it’s like to be in her position, with her diagnosis hanging over her head. Jake, ever the stubborn person he is, doesn’t think he would have done the same thing.
But their conversation is cut short when Cassandra realizes that there is a pattern to the maze and she can find the way out. Just as she’s finding the pattern, Ezekiel reminds them that they need to get out of there due to the minotaur chasing them. So Cassie and Jake set aside their trust issues for a time and follow Cassie’s “brain grape” to the exit.
The team eventually finds a way out of the Labyrinth thanks to Jenkins. After some discussion, they figure out the best way to stop Golden Axe is to steal the thread that’s powering the maze. The team decides to go back in only to discover that they are back in the Labyrinth. Within minutes they are running for their lives to escape a very angry minotaur.
Thanks to Jenkins, they find a place to hide for a few minutes so they can plan their next moves. And it’s in this place that Eve’s trust issues with the team finally come to a head. She starts to order the LITs around as if they were her soldiers until Cassie reminds her that they aren’t.
Suddenly, Eve realizes that she’s been going about this all wrong. Librarians win with what they know, so she asks the team what they know. After a few minutes, they come up with a plan to get out and get the thread. During the planning session, the LITs realize that they are going to need to split up.
This is where Eve really balks. She refuses to let them out of her sight but all three of the LITs point out that if they all stay together the minotaur will find them and will kill them. Eve and Jake need to distract the monster so Cassie and Ezekiel can get to the center and get the thread. Eve still hesitates, but Cassie tells her that the Guardian can’t protect them all. With a sigh, Eve gives in, asking how much time the thief and the synesthete need.
At this point, I don’t think Eve trusts them to come back, but she realizes that they are right. The best she can do now is hope they are up to the task. It’s the beginning of trust and that’s all she can give at the moment. It won’t be until the two “weakest” members of her team come back that she actually starts trusting them to be able to handle themselves (to a point).
So the team splits up, Eve and Jake to distract the monster and Ezekiel and Cassie to find the thread. In the midst of their journey to the center of the Labyrinth ,we get another discussion of trust, this time between Ezekiel and Cassie.
In Horns, we see our LITs and their Guardian working to forge some kind of team, but failing because there is little trust amongst them. Eve doesn’t trust that the LITs will be able to survive without her. Jake no longer trusts Cassandra because of her actions in the previous two episodes. No one is sure they can trust Ezekiel since he’s a thief and is very vocal about only looking out for himself. And then there’s Cassandra, who doesn’t trust herself to be able to do what the team needs her to. If these four people can’t learn to extend some trust to each other, they are never going to be able to work together. And that’s what this episode is all about. Well that and escaping a magical maze and and an angry monster.
The beginning of the episode finds the LITs sneaking through a darkened warehouse, clearing trying to escape a dark figure. The thing that strikes me as interesting about this scene is how, despite supposedly being a team, the three LITs are completely separate in how they react and try to escape the person pursuing them. They each try to deal with the figure on their own, instead of working together. Jake decides to try to fight her (it’s Eve after all) while Ezekiel looks out for himself and just runs. Cassandra, oh dear Cassandra, doesn’t even get that far. She hides and then bumps her head on something, effectively ending any chance she had of getting away.
As the group walks back to the Annex, Eve chastises them for how they handled the situation. They are Librarians (in Training). They should be able to think their way out of the situations, but instead they aren’t doing anything. She decides that they are going to continue to run drills until she’s sure they won’t get themselves killed in the field.
Inside the Annex, Jenkins points out that another page has appeared in the clippings books and Eve gets annoyed, saying that the LITs aren't’ ready yet. And we find out that she isn’t letting them do anything but drill, despite new mysteries appearing each day. She just doesn’t trust that they’ll be able to handle it. And it’s frustrating our LITs to no end.
As Eve leaves to talk to Jenkins, Cassandra calls after her that Flynn told them to help people. And Jake pipes up, saying that Ezekiel is right and they have a job to do. This clearly frustrates Cassandra and gives us another glimpse of the underlying trust issues that exist amongst our team.
In the workroom, Eve has a little chat with Jenkins about the LITs. He points out that she’s going to have to put them in the field eventually. Eve counters by saying that she’s been in the field with trained soldiers and wound up losing them all. The LITs are not trained soldiers. And because of that, she can’t imagine that they’d be able to do anything but get themselves killed. Jenkins points out that the LITs job is to keep magic out of the wrong hands, and this means that they must be in harms way, the very thing Eve is trying so hard to avoid. Eve insists that they aren’t trained enough and Jenkins counters with the point that Librarians used to get no training at all. Eve wonders how many actually came back, and Jenkins’s answer is telling (and chilling): the best ones came back.
Back in the main part of the Annex, the LITs have decided that they don’t care what Eve says, they are going to look at the clippings book. They find that eight people have gone missing in the last year all from different places in the country and all without any active investigation going on. Eve doesn’t want to investigate, but the LITs insist, asking how many more people have to go missing before they step in. Cassandra even points out that the latest victim may still be alive. Eve asks if they are willing to risks their lives for this stranger and they all agree (well, Cassandra and Jake do. Ezekiel insists that he’ll just outrun anything that might kill them). With that, Eve acquiesces, and immediately regrets her decision. She wants a plan, but she still doesn’t trust that the LITs can take care of themselves enough to pull this off.
After a planning session when the LITs go over everything they have learned about the missing people, Eve decides they need to go to Boston (since that’s where all the people disappeared from). Thanks to Jenkins and some magic (literally) they can get there simply by stepping through the backdoor ( again, literally).
In Boston, they meet with the CEO of Golden Axe, the company all the missing people interned at before they disappeared. The CEO (who happens to be the same woman who watched one of her interns disappear in the cold open of the episode) tells them that they had no idea they had missing interns and insists the team talk to someone in HR. Eve clearly knows something is up and decides the team needs to split up. Since she still doesn’t trust the LITs to take care of themselves, she decides they should go to HR and see whatever show the CEO wants to put on while she (Eve) breaks into the server room to find records of the company’s wrongdoing. The LITs object, but Eve insists (read: orders) and sends them on their way. And of course, the LITs wind up in just about the least safe place they can be.
Each half of our team finds something very interesting on their excursions. Eve finds what looks to be a museum with lots of really old art and a large ball of string. The LITs find a room full of human skulls. Their respective discoveries drive them to contact each other and it’s by looking at the art that Jake figures out part of what’s going on. They have somehow stumbled into Theseus’s Labyrinth. While Eve works on a way to get them out, the LITs work on finding their own way out.
It’s during their escape attempt that things come to a head between Jake and Cassie. He comments about that fact that he’s stuck in the maze with two of the least reliable people he knows, making it clear that he doesn’t trust either of the other two LITs. Cassie demands to know what his problem is and they fall into a discussion of her betrayal and how Stone feels about it. It’s the first time the two have really talked about it since they started working together and Cassie feels she has the right to explain herself. She insists that Jake has no right to judge her for her actions, since he doesn’t know what it’s like to be in her position, with her diagnosis hanging over her head. Jake, ever the stubborn person he is, doesn’t think he would have done the same thing.
But their conversation is cut short when Cassandra realizes that there is a pattern to the maze and she can find the way out. Just as she’s finding the pattern, Ezekiel reminds them that they need to get out of there due to the minotaur chasing them. So Cassie and Jake set aside their trust issues for a time and follow Cassie’s “brain grape” to the exit.
The team eventually finds a way out of the Labyrinth thanks to Jenkins. After some discussion, they figure out the best way to stop Golden Axe is to steal the thread that’s powering the maze. The team decides to go back in only to discover that they are back in the Labyrinth. Within minutes they are running for their lives to escape a very angry minotaur.
Thanks to Jenkins, they find a place to hide for a few minutes so they can plan their next moves. And it’s in this place that Eve’s trust issues with the team finally come to a head. She starts to order the LITs around as if they were her soldiers until Cassie reminds her that they aren’t.
Suddenly, Eve realizes that she’s been going about this all wrong. Librarians win with what they know, so she asks the team what they know. After a few minutes, they come up with a plan to get out and get the thread. During the planning session, the LITs realize that they are going to need to split up.
This is where Eve really balks. She refuses to let them out of her sight but all three of the LITs point out that if they all stay together the minotaur will find them and will kill them. Eve and Jake need to distract the monster so Cassie and Ezekiel can get to the center and get the thread. Eve still hesitates, but Cassie tells her that the Guardian can’t protect them all. With a sigh, Eve gives in, asking how much time the thief and the synesthete need.
At this point, I don’t think Eve trusts them to come back, but she realizes that they are right. The best she can do now is hope they are up to the task. It’s the beginning of trust and that’s all she can give at the moment. It won’t be until the two “weakest” members of her team come back that she actually starts trusting them to be able to handle themselves (to a point).
So the team splits up, Eve and Jake to distract the monster and Ezekiel and Cassie to find the thread. In the midst of their journey to the center of the Labyrinth ,we get another discussion of trust, this time between Ezekiel and Cassie.
(Can I just say I find it interesting and telling that Jake and Eve never have to have a real discussion about trust in their partnership. The two had an immediate understanding and that doesn’t change throughout the whole season. I think part of it stems from the two of them being warrior types. But also, Eve has always been honest with Jake, and never given him reason to not trust her. I don’t think that makes their relationship better necessarily, but it’s certainly easier in some ways.)
Cassie begins to have difficulty with the maze when they get to a room that seems to have been designed by M.C. Escher himself. She starts to doubt her abilities, saying that seven dimension is too much and that Jake was right about not being able to trust her. What follows is a lovely conversation between the thief and the synesthete where Ezekiel assures her that he understands why she did what she did with the Brotherhood. He tells her that he probably would have done the same thing if he’d been in her shoes. Only, he would have gone all the way with it, bringing magic back to the world completely and letting Flynn die. The way he sees it, Cassie may have screwed people over but she didn’t let anyone down. He offers to be Cassie other senses so she doesn’t get overwhelmed and she asks if he’s sure he trusts her to guide him through. He laughs at that, and reminds her that he’s the thief who always bails. Really she’s the one trusting him.
I find this whole conversation so interesting mostly, because Cassie is convinced that she is the untrustworthy one yet she is so willing to trust everyone else. Earlier in the episode she watched Ezekiel try to escape on his own, yet here, she hesitates not because she thinks he’ll do it again, but because she doesn’t see herself as trustworthy. She readily trusts everyone on the team, yet the only person on the team who seems to trust her is the person who is actually probably the least trustworthy of the bunch (at the moment). The most trusting of the group is the one everyone treats as the least trustworthy. Interesting, no?
Upon entering the control room, Ezekiel gets to work trying to get the thread, but is stopped when our favorite CEO Karen Willis appears pointing a gun and threatening. Ezekiel tries to be his charming self and talk his way out of the problem, but it doesn’t really work. So Cassie jumps on Willis and tries to hold her off while Ezekiel finishes grabbing the thread. She helps him out by getting Willis to shoot the case and the thief grabs the thread. For a moment, it looks as if he’s going to abandon Cassie when he bolts out the door with the thread, but a second later he’s back. With some quick thinking, they destroy the Labyrinth and get back to the Annex with all the others. With their job done for the day, everyone heads off to do their own thing.
Before the episode ends though, we get one last conversation about trust, this time the one that’s been building the whole episode. Cassie finally confronts Jake about why he is so angry at her. And we, like her, finally learn why he is having such a hard time trusting her again. See Jake hides his gift from his family, from everyone really. And Cassie was one of the first people he shared it with. Then she went and betrayed the team and now, he’s just can’t seem to get back to where they were before. He’ll work with her, but he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to trust her again.
I think the most important aspect to the issues between Cassie and Jake isn’t that she betrayed him, but that he liked her (I don’t know if he meant that romantically or just in a general way that you like your best friends) before she betrayed him. That’s what made it worse. If he hadn’t liked her, hadn’t connected with her so easily, her betrayal wouldn’t have been so bad (probably). Jake is clearly the type of person who has trouble connecting with people, really connecting with them. So when he opened himself up to Cassie, it was because he felt a connection of some kind. Then she shattered that connection through her actions with the Brotherhood and that hurt him, deeply. Now, he doesn’t want to risk that again. He’ll work with her, but he refuses to trust her again.
The episode ends with a brief conversation amongst the whole team, with Eve admitting she wasn't the best today. She admits that she had been trying to put the LITs into a box, but they don’t fit in one and she doesn’t know how to handle that. Jake suggests she should look at them as partners and Eve accepts this. She’s starting to trust them, and though she still has a bit to go before she does so fully, this is an excellent start.
Other random goodness:
~”I don’t do punchy”
~“I am here to do science and math . . . and occasionally hallucinate.”
~I love the scene where Jenkins has Jake hook up the globe to the door while he’s explaining. Then when Jake stands by him, Jenkins just stares at the cowboy until he walks back over with everyone else. Jenkins is the best.
~”Any door? Like, say, a bank vault door? I’m asking for a friend.”
~John Kim is seriously charming. I think that’s the only reason I can actually stand Ezekiel. Normally I probably wouldn't like his character, but you can’t help but like him a little cause of John.
~”Good luck.” “What?” “Nothing. Go away. I’m working.”
~”How many ways can I mean human skulls?!”
~”I am impressed. We’ve had Guardians lose librarians before but never three in one day. It’ll be quite some time before someone beats that.”
~”We’re not calling it a brain grape!” *Minotaur roars* “Follow the brain grape.”
~”So first time out, how’d it go?” The teams’ reactions to this are perfection. My favorite is Jake dropping the sword. Christian Kane has serious comedic timing. I love that we get to see more of that as the season goes on.
~”Nasty creatures. Hold a grudge.”
~”So annoying or cryptic, those are your two speeds huh?”
~”Back off. I’m doing math.”
~The final scene between Jake and Cassie was great. So emotional. All the kudos to Christian and Lindy for striking just the right emotional chord there. So good.
That’s it for this review. Next week, I’ll be doing Fables (not Santa). I’ll explain why in that post. In the mean time, come back Wednesday for my writing post and Friday for the next question in my 30 Questions series.
Until then.
Cassie begins to have difficulty with the maze when they get to a room that seems to have been designed by M.C. Escher himself. She starts to doubt her abilities, saying that seven dimension is too much and that Jake was right about not being able to trust her. What follows is a lovely conversation between the thief and the synesthete where Ezekiel assures her that he understands why she did what she did with the Brotherhood. He tells her that he probably would have done the same thing if he’d been in her shoes. Only, he would have gone all the way with it, bringing magic back to the world completely and letting Flynn die. The way he sees it, Cassie may have screwed people over but she didn’t let anyone down. He offers to be Cassie other senses so she doesn’t get overwhelmed and she asks if he’s sure he trusts her to guide him through. He laughs at that, and reminds her that he’s the thief who always bails. Really she’s the one trusting him.
I find this whole conversation so interesting mostly, because Cassie is convinced that she is the untrustworthy one yet she is so willing to trust everyone else. Earlier in the episode she watched Ezekiel try to escape on his own, yet here, she hesitates not because she thinks he’ll do it again, but because she doesn’t see herself as trustworthy. She readily trusts everyone on the team, yet the only person on the team who seems to trust her is the person who is actually probably the least trustworthy of the bunch (at the moment). The most trusting of the group is the one everyone treats as the least trustworthy. Interesting, no?
Upon entering the control room, Ezekiel gets to work trying to get the thread, but is stopped when our favorite CEO Karen Willis appears pointing a gun and threatening. Ezekiel tries to be his charming self and talk his way out of the problem, but it doesn’t really work. So Cassie jumps on Willis and tries to hold her off while Ezekiel finishes grabbing the thread. She helps him out by getting Willis to shoot the case and the thief grabs the thread. For a moment, it looks as if he’s going to abandon Cassie when he bolts out the door with the thread, but a second later he’s back. With some quick thinking, they destroy the Labyrinth and get back to the Annex with all the others. With their job done for the day, everyone heads off to do their own thing.
Before the episode ends though, we get one last conversation about trust, this time the one that’s been building the whole episode. Cassie finally confronts Jake about why he is so angry at her. And we, like her, finally learn why he is having such a hard time trusting her again. See Jake hides his gift from his family, from everyone really. And Cassie was one of the first people he shared it with. Then she went and betrayed the team and now, he’s just can’t seem to get back to where they were before. He’ll work with her, but he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to trust her again.
I think the most important aspect to the issues between Cassie and Jake isn’t that she betrayed him, but that he liked her (I don’t know if he meant that romantically or just in a general way that you like your best friends) before she betrayed him. That’s what made it worse. If he hadn’t liked her, hadn’t connected with her so easily, her betrayal wouldn’t have been so bad (probably). Jake is clearly the type of person who has trouble connecting with people, really connecting with them. So when he opened himself up to Cassie, it was because he felt a connection of some kind. Then she shattered that connection through her actions with the Brotherhood and that hurt him, deeply. Now, he doesn’t want to risk that again. He’ll work with her, but he refuses to trust her again.
The episode ends with a brief conversation amongst the whole team, with Eve admitting she wasn't the best today. She admits that she had been trying to put the LITs into a box, but they don’t fit in one and she doesn’t know how to handle that. Jake suggests she should look at them as partners and Eve accepts this. She’s starting to trust them, and though she still has a bit to go before she does so fully, this is an excellent start.
Other random goodness:
~”I don’t do punchy”
~“I am here to do science and math . . . and occasionally hallucinate.”
~I love the scene where Jenkins has Jake hook up the globe to the door while he’s explaining. Then when Jake stands by him, Jenkins just stares at the cowboy until he walks back over with everyone else. Jenkins is the best.
~”Any door? Like, say, a bank vault door? I’m asking for a friend.”
~John Kim is seriously charming. I think that’s the only reason I can actually stand Ezekiel. Normally I probably wouldn't like his character, but you can’t help but like him a little cause of John.
~”Good luck.” “What?” “Nothing. Go away. I’m working.”
~”How many ways can I mean human skulls?!”
~”I am impressed. We’ve had Guardians lose librarians before but never three in one day. It’ll be quite some time before someone beats that.”
~”We’re not calling it a brain grape!” *Minotaur roars* “Follow the brain grape.”
~”So first time out, how’d it go?” The teams’ reactions to this are perfection. My favorite is Jake dropping the sword. Christian Kane has serious comedic timing. I love that we get to see more of that as the season goes on.
~”Nasty creatures. Hold a grudge.”
~”So annoying or cryptic, those are your two speeds huh?”
~”Back off. I’m doing math.”
~The final scene between Jake and Cassie was great. So emotional. All the kudos to Christian and Lindy for striking just the right emotional chord there. So good.
That’s it for this review. Next week, I’ll be doing Fables (not Santa). I’ll explain why in that post. In the mean time, come back Wednesday for my writing post and Friday for the next question in my 30 Questions series.
Until then.
Friday, February 20, 2015
30 Things: Question 13
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
~I am a perfectionist and due to this I have a massive fear of failure. I want something to be so perfect that often, I don't finish it out of fear that it won't be good enough. I'm working on this.
~I'm a procrastinator. This also probably goes back to my perfectionism and fear of failure. Also working on this.
~I have trouble finishing things. See above issues for reasons. Working on this one too.
~I can be lazy at times. Working on this one as well.
~I can be judgmental when I think I know the right answer or way to do things. I'm much better about not being judgmental than I was when I was younger, but it is a struggle sometimes. God's been working on this with me for years.
As you can see, I am working to overcome these weaknesses, but I think it'll be a lifelong struggle. Still, everyone has weaknesses. Hopefully you can forgive mine.
See you next week for the next review of the Librarians.
Until then.
~I am a perfectionist and due to this I have a massive fear of failure. I want something to be so perfect that often, I don't finish it out of fear that it won't be good enough. I'm working on this.
~I'm a procrastinator. This also probably goes back to my perfectionism and fear of failure. Also working on this.
~I have trouble finishing things. See above issues for reasons. Working on this one too.
~I can be lazy at times. Working on this one as well.
~I can be judgmental when I think I know the right answer or way to do things. I'm much better about not being judgmental than I was when I was younger, but it is a struggle sometimes. God's been working on this with me for years.
As you can see, I am working to overcome these weaknesses, but I think it'll be a lifelong struggle. Still, everyone has weaknesses. Hopefully you can forgive mine.
See you next week for the next review of the Librarians.
Until then.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Writing Prompt Wednesday: Forbidden
I wanted to see where just writing from the first sentence prompt would take me, without having to work in other things. I've come up with interesting things doing that in the past, so that's what I decided to do this week. I planned to write for ten minutes, though I went a little longer than that. Not by much though.
Here is the prompt this week: There I was, just standing there, when what I wanted to do was forbidden. I
---
There I was, just standing there, when what I wanted to do was forbidden. Social customs forbid me from walking up to anyone of a higher rank and introducing myself. Or slapping them. Actually, they forbid me from introducing myself doing anything of any consequence in public. Being a woman often felt like the most constraining type of existence.
Across the room, the Marquis of Farron smiled and greeted guests while I stood, my corset pressing into my rib cage and my mother twittering away beside me. Why did I even care? I wondered as I watched him kiss the hand of another debutante while she simpered up at him. So he'd slighted me and my family by ignoring us. I shouldn't care what a stuffed suit thought of us.
And yet, I did.
Taking a deep breath to keep from sighing, I turned away. I needed to distract myself or I would get in trouble again. Mother was always telling me I was too impetuous, to fiery. Men didn't want a wife who would challenge them, she insisted. They want nice, demure things who just smiled and did what they were told. Unfortunately for her, I would never be that girl.
Shaking my head, I stepped away from the wall and Mother, who continued to talk to my sister. I needed air and I'd hear that the Marquis had lovely gardens at this house. Twisting and turning, I made my way through the throngs. Why did I let Mother bring me to these things? There were too many people, the air pressing against me like heavy hot hands, suffocating and inescapable.
Finally, after what felt like hours but was really only minutes, I stepped through the massive glass doors onto a beautifully sweeping terrace bordered by carefully manicured foliage. A few people occupied different places along the railing, groups of friends or couples sneaking some times alone together. At the far end, I found a small section unoccupied in a corner that had too much light to appeal to couples but not enough room to appeal to the groups of friends.
With a sigh, I leaned up against the railing, finally relaxing now that I was away from all the people and could finally breathe.
---
I have no idea where this was going. It is certainly interesting though. I wonder what would have happened next. And why did my character hate the Marquis so very much? Maybe one day I'll keep writing this and find out.
Friday I'll post the next 30 Things question.
Until Then
There I was, just standing there, when what I wanted to do was forbidden. Social customs forbid me from walking up to anyone of a higher rank and introducing myself. Or slapping them. Actually, they forbid me from introducing myself doing anything of any consequence in public. Being a woman often felt like the most constraining type of existence.
Across the room, the Marquis of Farron smiled and greeted guests while I stood, my corset pressing into my rib cage and my mother twittering away beside me. Why did I even care? I wondered as I watched him kiss the hand of another debutante while she simpered up at him. So he'd slighted me and my family by ignoring us. I shouldn't care what a stuffed suit thought of us.
And yet, I did.
Taking a deep breath to keep from sighing, I turned away. I needed to distract myself or I would get in trouble again. Mother was always telling me I was too impetuous, to fiery. Men didn't want a wife who would challenge them, she insisted. They want nice, demure things who just smiled and did what they were told. Unfortunately for her, I would never be that girl.
Shaking my head, I stepped away from the wall and Mother, who continued to talk to my sister. I needed air and I'd hear that the Marquis had lovely gardens at this house. Twisting and turning, I made my way through the throngs. Why did I let Mother bring me to these things? There were too many people, the air pressing against me like heavy hot hands, suffocating and inescapable.
Finally, after what felt like hours but was really only minutes, I stepped through the massive glass doors onto a beautifully sweeping terrace bordered by carefully manicured foliage. A few people occupied different places along the railing, groups of friends or couples sneaking some times alone together. At the far end, I found a small section unoccupied in a corner that had too much light to appeal to couples but not enough room to appeal to the groups of friends.
With a sigh, I leaned up against the railing, finally relaxing now that I was away from all the people and could finally breathe.
---
I have no idea where this was going. It is certainly interesting though. I wonder what would have happened next. And why did my character hate the Marquis so very much? Maybe one day I'll keep writing this and find out.
Friday I'll post the next 30 Things question.
Until Then
Monday, February 16, 2015
Review of The Librarians 1x02 And the Sword in the Stone: When a Plan Comes Together
I’m going to admit something to y’all: as hard as I try, I can’t always find an overriding theme with works that I read or watch. As much as I want to see some deep connective thread that ties the whole episode together, sometimes, it just escapes me. That’s pretty much what happened with this episode. I spent all week thinking about it and while I could easily come up with themes and threads for pretty much every other episode in the season, I kept coming up dry for this episode.
What I determined was that this episodes theme really was about solving the puzzle and getting the final team together. It was a continuation of last weeks episode in that while last week worked to get four lonely people together, this week was about what happened when they were together (or mostly together). It was about the adventure and the puzzle and the race against the clock. And that’s okay, because sometimes that’s what an episode of TV is. So this week will be more about what happened during the episode than anything else. Enjoy.
This episode picks up right where the first one left off. Which isn’t surprising considering that the first two episodes were technically meant to go together.
Just as Lamia’s goons are about to finish Flynn off, Eve shows up and bashes their heads together, saving Flynn from dying. At least for the time being. Unfortunately, as he explains to her, Jake, and Ezekiel, his wound is a magical wound that can’t be healed. Even though he drinks Bathsheba’s Oil of Healing, he’s only staved off death for a short time. He will eventually succumb to the wound Excalibur gave him.
While taking care of his wound, Flynn reveals that it was Cassandra that let the Brotherhood in. The group is suitable shocked. How could Cassandra -sweet, excited Cassandra- have betrayed them like this? They quickly realize that rather than worrying about this puzzle they instead need to find Charlene. Eve mentions that Charlene told her that she wanted them to meet her deep in the Library, at a place called the Corridor or Doors. So the group heads off to follow Charlene’s instructions.
At the front of the Library, Cassandra begins her journey of rethinking her involvement with the Brotherhood. She’s visibly changed from the bright, exuberant girl we first met in the previous episode. Here, she is quiet, subdued, clearly shocked by Lamia and the Brotherhoods harsh methods. She asks Lamia if it was really necessary to hurt Flynn. Lamia, the masterful snake that she is, appeals to Cassandra’s desire to help people (which part of what drove her to betray Flynn in the first place) and tells her that the Librarians are the wrong ones for keeping so much power locked away from the rest of the world. Cassandra still isn’t totally convinced and wonders how the Brotherhood’s actions can possibly make them “the good guys”. Lamia simply reminds Cassandra that they are going to use the magic in the Library to change the world.
Suddenly, both groups hear a large bell start tolling and they both know what it means. Flynn tells his group that it’s the countdown clock, and Eve wants to know what happens when the bells stop. Turning around, they see the Library begin to fold up on itself and she quickly understands. Back with Lamia, Cassandra gets a fuller explanation. Lamia tells her that the first Librarian has cut the anchor chain, and the Library is going to cut itself off from the rest of the world, isolating itself in its own pocket dimension.
Flynn and company arrive at the Corridor of Doors and as the number of tolls decreases, Eve forces him to pick a door which they jump through. On the other side, they take a few moments to figure out where they are (Oregon) then, realizing that Flynn is getting worse, decide they need to find a hospital. Eve uses her GPS to locate a road and they stumble across a man who happens to be waiting with a car. Eve asks if he can help them and he agrees. It isn’t until she asks how close to a hospital they are that things get weirder.
The man reveals that they aren’t going to a hospital, but somewhere else. And then he reveals that he knows about magic, Excalibur, Flynn, and the Library. No one understands, until the man reveals that his name is Jenkins, and they are actually at the Library. Well, sort of. It’s actually an annex where they can access all the Library’s knowledge, but not the actual Library itself. This information devastates Flynn. He suddenly comes to the realization that everything he’d gotten used to, everything he’d loved for so long, was gone, no longer available to him. He sinks into a stupor of despair, unable to do anything but wallow.
Back with the Brotherhood, Cassandra continues to question her decision. Her first question to Du Lac is if the others got out. Of course, she is still counting on the Brotherhood to heal her and save everyone else that science can’t save, so she’s not ready to leave them yet, but she is clearly concerned about the friends she betrayed. Du Lac assures her that this is his goal, even while preventing Lamia from killing Cassandra. Once Cassandra goes to rest, Du Lac reveals that he clearly has other plans for magic and Cassandra than he’s letting on.
At the annex, Eve is lamenting the fact that Flynn is falling apart. She has no idea what to do. Jenkins, in his wonderfully crotchety and wise way, reminds her that being a Guardian is about more than just keeping Flynn safe from physical harm. It’s about helping Flynn get through any danger, be it emotional, physical, or other. She needs to find a way to save him from drowning in his sorrow. This prompts the Guardian into action and she goes to find her Librarian.
What follows is a wonderful scene between Eve and Flynn, showing how much they connect, despite only knowing each other for a few days. She is exactly the person he needs right now, and she proves it by showing him that he’s hiding and reminding him what he needs to do. So, he decides to save the world one more time.
Of course, their little talk inspires Flynn and gets him going in the right direction. The Librarian and the Guardian rush down the stairs, Flynn rambling about what he’s figured out. Between Flynn, Jake, Ezekiel, and Eve, they figure out their next stop (London and the Stone from where Arthur pulled the Sword originally). Then Flynn begins to rush out. Ezekiel asks if he means for them (him and Jake) to come too. And Flynn takes a wonderful stride forward, saying that since he’s dying and they don’t have much time and they all started this adventure together anyway, yes the boys get to come too. The foursome runs out, leaving Jenkins alone once more in his annex.
In London, our foursome is perusing the Crown Jewels, looking for an artifact to use as a compass to locate the Stone. And once more, we see why all of these people are needed to get this job done. They need to steal one of the Crown Jewels to use as a compass. Flynn even tells Ezekiel he now knows why the Library chose the thief. (I love the mini heist they pull off. It brings back lovely memories of another Rogers/Devlin show that involved purloining things.)
Once they have the gem, Flynn quickly attaches it to some string (using gum, which is awesome) and recites a spell to show them where the Stone is. They follow the gem as it pulls Flynn along, until arrives at none other than Buckingham Palace. At this revelation, Eve storms off, asking how many other famous landmarks they are going to have to break into. Flynn assures the boys that she’ll be back.
Meanwhile, Du Lac explains to Cassandra what they are doing to jumpstart the return of magic to the world. He tells her how Excalibur factors into the plan. He also reveals a small clue about himself, saying how he remembers the road they are on (which is underground) ran aboveground through meadows. Clearly Du Lac is far older than we first thought.
Back at Buckingham Palace, Flynn, Stone, and Jones all stand in line, waiting to get into the party at Buckingham Palace with forged invitations. Just as it appears that the guards are going to detain them (since Ezekiel’s forgeries are crap) Eve appears again and gets them into the event (looking stunning while doing so).
They head into the party and decide that Jake and Ezekiel will look around outside while Flynn and Eve stay on the dance floor. The Librarian and the Guardian decide the best way to find the secret passage is to dance, since it will give Eve a way to keep Flynn on his feet (blood loss is starting to kick in) while also giving them an excuse to move around the room.
Outside, Jake and Ezekiel begin their search and are promptly distracted. Jake gets sidelined by a discussion of an art piece while our favorite Thief notices a lovely necklace that he decides should be in his company instead of around the throat of the British guest to whom it belongs.
Back on the dance floor, Eve and Flynn keep looking for the secret passage while also discussing his first mission. They also give us a cute little moment when Eve decides they should schedule a dance when Flynn isn’t slowly bleeding to death.
Meanwhile, under their feet, Lamia and her goons have successfully found the chamber with the Stone. Lamia orders a man to cut through the protective cage surrounding the Stone. Unfortunately for him, there is some kind of magic on the cage and he is vaporized. Lamia insists that Cassandra open the cage instead. While she may be starting to mistrust the Brotherhood, Cassandra is still there to help them, so she agrees. The cage can be opened by solving a complex puzzle involving high Enochian (a mathematical language based on ancient Greek and Hebrew apparently) which is right up Cassandra’s alley. She sets to work, while Lamia puts on the crown and grabs Excalibur, getting ready to enact the final part of their plan.
Upstairs in the ballroom, Eve and Flynn find the location of the secret door, then go grab the Thief and the Cowboy so they can get through the door. Using Ezekiel’s tech, they get the door open and the four head down into the bowels of Buckingham palace.
Meanwhile, Cassandra finishes solving the puzzle and opens the cage surrounding the Stone. Lamia is thrilled. So thrilled she promptly throws Cassandra into a jail cell. And this is what finally pushes Cassandra over the edge, causing her to realize that the Brotherhood isn’t out to help the world, only themselves. They want to control magic and Cassandra has just helped them get exactly what they want.
Our four heroes soon find themselves in a wine cellar, trying to open yet another secret door while Lamia rejoins the Sword to the Stone. Flynn’s wound is only going to get worse at a faster rate, so they don’t have much time to stop the Brotherhood. Thanks to Ezekiel, they find their second secret door and head down into the tunnels.
Down at the Stone, Flynn quickly realizes they need to come up with a plan to defeat Lamia. Thankfully, they happen to discuss this right outside Cassandra’s cell and the synesthete has some ideas for defeating Lamia.
I find the group’s reactions to Cassandra all very interesting and very indicative of who they are as people:
~Ezekiel, ever the selfish person that he is, holds nothing against Cassandra. We’ll learn later in the series that he probably would have done the same thing, and gone even further than she did.
~Eve seems unsure whether she should be mad at the young synesthete or not.
~Jake, however is not happy to see her and doesn’t want to hear her ideas. He was clearly very hurt by her betrayal and doesn’t trust her not to betray them again.
~Flynn is quick to forgive her, understanding that many people in her position would have done exactly the same thing. He thinks she deserves a second chance and wants to give it to her.
Flynn tells everyone that she had her reasons and to get her out of the cell. Jake tries to protest again, but Flynn puts a stop to it, saying that they all ganged up on him to do it together, so he wants to do it together. So they let Cassandra out of the cell and work out their plan.
They all get to work, each with their own jobs. And what I love about this is that, like so many things they will do and have done, every one of them is needed to pull off the plan. Without just one of them, they wouldn’t have been able to defeat the Brotherhood and foil their evil plan.
Of course Lamia challenges Flynn, asking how he possibly hopes to defeat them with (and I love this quote) his “little knockoff librarians, one who is doomed by her gift, one who fled his gift, and one who abuses it.” Or his little soldier girl. I love this description of the group, as it’s so perfect for where they are at the beginning of the series. But this is the beginning and so they will all have the chance to change and grow into the Librarians they will become. It’s lovely.
Flynn, ever the Librarian, tells her that no, he won’t use force to beat her. He will use knowledge and science to beat her. And then he does. Well that and Excalibur. Excalibur fends off Lamia, but it’s quickly clear that something is terribly wrong with Cal.
Flynn reveals that Cal’s magic has gone back into the ley lines and Cal is dying. In fact, so is Flynn. As his last act, the Librarian gives Cal to Cassandra. Cal has just enough raw magic left to heal her. She starts to use Flynn’s last gift, but as he slumps over succumbing to his magical wound, she can’t bring herself to do it, and instead uses Cal to heal Flynn instead of herself. Flynn recovers, but is sad. He insists that the magic was supposed to be for Cassandra, to save her. She tells him that he already did save her, and they share a small smile.
Unfortunately, that was Cal’s last act. Flynn takes up his friend one last time and lays him on the Stone, allowing Cal to fade back into the Stone from which he was pulled all those years ago. (It’s at this moment that the fandom cried for a sword, which I’m sure we’ve probably never done before.)
After saying goodbye to Cal, the group returns to the annex to say a last goodbye to each other. It looks like Cassandra, Jake, and Ezekiel have to go home. Flynn doesn’t think it’s fair or safe to involve them in the life of the Librarian any longer. They don’t like this idea, after all they’ve experienced and seen and protest, but Flynn, ever the lovely and kind person he is, has nothing to say in reply and just walks away. Eve, ever the pragmatist, reminds the three that they can’t tell anyone. Or rather, they can, but no one will ever believe them.
Back in the annex, Flynn has one last encounter with Judson, who gives him some advice for how to move forward. Flynn insists that he’s going to find the Library, but Judson reminds him that the Brotherhood has released magic back into the world. Flynn’s going to be busy. After a few moments of thought though, Flynn realizes he can start making some new rules. He runs outside and grabs the three before they can leave. Opening their envelopes, they discover that they won’t be going home after all. Instead, the Library has called them to be Librarians. They have a lot of work to do. He dubs them the Librarians in Training (LITs) and puts Jenkins and Eve in charge of training them and keeping them alive. Then, after a brief kiss with Eve, sets out to find the Library again.
And that’s it for the second half of the premier of the Librarians. Wasn’t it a fun romp?
Other random things I liked from the episode:
~Jenkins is the best. I love him.
~”I think you broke Africa.”
~“I am Henge and Key”
~”You didn’t turn off the glowy globe.” *Jenkins claps twice then sighs* “Hope it’s on a timer.”
~“Seriously, you’re going to put your gum on a stone worth €7M?”
~”Can you make me a duke?”
~”This is my first suit.”
~Eve & Ezekiel returning the stolen jewelry. Seriously. I love their expressions and everything about the little scene.
~”I was really expecting a better secret door.” “Oh write a letter!”
~”Why would you go there? That’s a horrible thing to say!”
~”They tunneled in from the side. It’s much smarter than what we did.”
~”Librarians win with electromagnets!”
~The entire exchange with the NATO soldiers. Everything about it was perfection.
~”Please, tell people about the magic library and Excalibur and how you broke into Buckingham Palace because King Arthur was really Roman and I’ll come visit you to make sure the straight jacket is not too tight.” The LITs reactions to this little speech is excellent as well. I just love all of these characters so much.
Next week, we’ll get to see how the LITs first mission goes in And the Horns of a Dilemma. It’s fun episode so I’m looking forward to it.
In the mean time, Wednesday will have a new writing exercise and Friday more of the 30 Things series.
Until then.
What I determined was that this episodes theme really was about solving the puzzle and getting the final team together. It was a continuation of last weeks episode in that while last week worked to get four lonely people together, this week was about what happened when they were together (or mostly together). It was about the adventure and the puzzle and the race against the clock. And that’s okay, because sometimes that’s what an episode of TV is. So this week will be more about what happened during the episode than anything else. Enjoy.
This episode picks up right where the first one left off. Which isn’t surprising considering that the first two episodes were technically meant to go together.
Just as Lamia’s goons are about to finish Flynn off, Eve shows up and bashes their heads together, saving Flynn from dying. At least for the time being. Unfortunately, as he explains to her, Jake, and Ezekiel, his wound is a magical wound that can’t be healed. Even though he drinks Bathsheba’s Oil of Healing, he’s only staved off death for a short time. He will eventually succumb to the wound Excalibur gave him.
While taking care of his wound, Flynn reveals that it was Cassandra that let the Brotherhood in. The group is suitable shocked. How could Cassandra -sweet, excited Cassandra- have betrayed them like this? They quickly realize that rather than worrying about this puzzle they instead need to find Charlene. Eve mentions that Charlene told her that she wanted them to meet her deep in the Library, at a place called the Corridor or Doors. So the group heads off to follow Charlene’s instructions.
At the front of the Library, Cassandra begins her journey of rethinking her involvement with the Brotherhood. She’s visibly changed from the bright, exuberant girl we first met in the previous episode. Here, she is quiet, subdued, clearly shocked by Lamia and the Brotherhoods harsh methods. She asks Lamia if it was really necessary to hurt Flynn. Lamia, the masterful snake that she is, appeals to Cassandra’s desire to help people (which part of what drove her to betray Flynn in the first place) and tells her that the Librarians are the wrong ones for keeping so much power locked away from the rest of the world. Cassandra still isn’t totally convinced and wonders how the Brotherhood’s actions can possibly make them “the good guys”. Lamia simply reminds Cassandra that they are going to use the magic in the Library to change the world.
Suddenly, both groups hear a large bell start tolling and they both know what it means. Flynn tells his group that it’s the countdown clock, and Eve wants to know what happens when the bells stop. Turning around, they see the Library begin to fold up on itself and she quickly understands. Back with Lamia, Cassandra gets a fuller explanation. Lamia tells her that the first Librarian has cut the anchor chain, and the Library is going to cut itself off from the rest of the world, isolating itself in its own pocket dimension.
Flynn and company arrive at the Corridor of Doors and as the number of tolls decreases, Eve forces him to pick a door which they jump through. On the other side, they take a few moments to figure out where they are (Oregon) then, realizing that Flynn is getting worse, decide they need to find a hospital. Eve uses her GPS to locate a road and they stumble across a man who happens to be waiting with a car. Eve asks if he can help them and he agrees. It isn’t until she asks how close to a hospital they are that things get weirder.
The man reveals that they aren’t going to a hospital, but somewhere else. And then he reveals that he knows about magic, Excalibur, Flynn, and the Library. No one understands, until the man reveals that his name is Jenkins, and they are actually at the Library. Well, sort of. It’s actually an annex where they can access all the Library’s knowledge, but not the actual Library itself. This information devastates Flynn. He suddenly comes to the realization that everything he’d gotten used to, everything he’d loved for so long, was gone, no longer available to him. He sinks into a stupor of despair, unable to do anything but wallow.
Back with the Brotherhood, Cassandra continues to question her decision. Her first question to Du Lac is if the others got out. Of course, she is still counting on the Brotherhood to heal her and save everyone else that science can’t save, so she’s not ready to leave them yet, but she is clearly concerned about the friends she betrayed. Du Lac assures her that this is his goal, even while preventing Lamia from killing Cassandra. Once Cassandra goes to rest, Du Lac reveals that he clearly has other plans for magic and Cassandra than he’s letting on.
At the annex, Eve is lamenting the fact that Flynn is falling apart. She has no idea what to do. Jenkins, in his wonderfully crotchety and wise way, reminds her that being a Guardian is about more than just keeping Flynn safe from physical harm. It’s about helping Flynn get through any danger, be it emotional, physical, or other. She needs to find a way to save him from drowning in his sorrow. This prompts the Guardian into action and she goes to find her Librarian.
What follows is a wonderful scene between Eve and Flynn, showing how much they connect, despite only knowing each other for a few days. She is exactly the person he needs right now, and she proves it by showing him that he’s hiding and reminding him what he needs to do. So, he decides to save the world one more time.
Of course, their little talk inspires Flynn and gets him going in the right direction. The Librarian and the Guardian rush down the stairs, Flynn rambling about what he’s figured out. Between Flynn, Jake, Ezekiel, and Eve, they figure out their next stop (London and the Stone from where Arthur pulled the Sword originally). Then Flynn begins to rush out. Ezekiel asks if he means for them (him and Jake) to come too. And Flynn takes a wonderful stride forward, saying that since he’s dying and they don’t have much time and they all started this adventure together anyway, yes the boys get to come too. The foursome runs out, leaving Jenkins alone once more in his annex.
In London, our foursome is perusing the Crown Jewels, looking for an artifact to use as a compass to locate the Stone. And once more, we see why all of these people are needed to get this job done. They need to steal one of the Crown Jewels to use as a compass. Flynn even tells Ezekiel he now knows why the Library chose the thief. (I love the mini heist they pull off. It brings back lovely memories of another Rogers/Devlin show that involved purloining things.)
Once they have the gem, Flynn quickly attaches it to some string (using gum, which is awesome) and recites a spell to show them where the Stone is. They follow the gem as it pulls Flynn along, until arrives at none other than Buckingham Palace. At this revelation, Eve storms off, asking how many other famous landmarks they are going to have to break into. Flynn assures the boys that she’ll be back.
Meanwhile, Du Lac explains to Cassandra what they are doing to jumpstart the return of magic to the world. He tells her how Excalibur factors into the plan. He also reveals a small clue about himself, saying how he remembers the road they are on (which is underground) ran aboveground through meadows. Clearly Du Lac is far older than we first thought.
Back at Buckingham Palace, Flynn, Stone, and Jones all stand in line, waiting to get into the party at Buckingham Palace with forged invitations. Just as it appears that the guards are going to detain them (since Ezekiel’s forgeries are crap) Eve appears again and gets them into the event (looking stunning while doing so).
They head into the party and decide that Jake and Ezekiel will look around outside while Flynn and Eve stay on the dance floor. The Librarian and the Guardian decide the best way to find the secret passage is to dance, since it will give Eve a way to keep Flynn on his feet (blood loss is starting to kick in) while also giving them an excuse to move around the room.
Outside, Jake and Ezekiel begin their search and are promptly distracted. Jake gets sidelined by a discussion of an art piece while our favorite Thief notices a lovely necklace that he decides should be in his company instead of around the throat of the British guest to whom it belongs.
Back on the dance floor, Eve and Flynn keep looking for the secret passage while also discussing his first mission. They also give us a cute little moment when Eve decides they should schedule a dance when Flynn isn’t slowly bleeding to death.
Meanwhile, under their feet, Lamia and her goons have successfully found the chamber with the Stone. Lamia orders a man to cut through the protective cage surrounding the Stone. Unfortunately for him, there is some kind of magic on the cage and he is vaporized. Lamia insists that Cassandra open the cage instead. While she may be starting to mistrust the Brotherhood, Cassandra is still there to help them, so she agrees. The cage can be opened by solving a complex puzzle involving high Enochian (a mathematical language based on ancient Greek and Hebrew apparently) which is right up Cassandra’s alley. She sets to work, while Lamia puts on the crown and grabs Excalibur, getting ready to enact the final part of their plan.
Upstairs in the ballroom, Eve and Flynn find the location of the secret door, then go grab the Thief and the Cowboy so they can get through the door. Using Ezekiel’s tech, they get the door open and the four head down into the bowels of Buckingham palace.
Meanwhile, Cassandra finishes solving the puzzle and opens the cage surrounding the Stone. Lamia is thrilled. So thrilled she promptly throws Cassandra into a jail cell. And this is what finally pushes Cassandra over the edge, causing her to realize that the Brotherhood isn’t out to help the world, only themselves. They want to control magic and Cassandra has just helped them get exactly what they want.
Our four heroes soon find themselves in a wine cellar, trying to open yet another secret door while Lamia rejoins the Sword to the Stone. Flynn’s wound is only going to get worse at a faster rate, so they don’t have much time to stop the Brotherhood. Thanks to Ezekiel, they find their second secret door and head down into the tunnels.
Down at the Stone, Flynn quickly realizes they need to come up with a plan to defeat Lamia. Thankfully, they happen to discuss this right outside Cassandra’s cell and the synesthete has some ideas for defeating Lamia.
I find the group’s reactions to Cassandra all very interesting and very indicative of who they are as people:
~Ezekiel, ever the selfish person that he is, holds nothing against Cassandra. We’ll learn later in the series that he probably would have done the same thing, and gone even further than she did.
~Eve seems unsure whether she should be mad at the young synesthete or not.
~Jake, however is not happy to see her and doesn’t want to hear her ideas. He was clearly very hurt by her betrayal and doesn’t trust her not to betray them again.
~Flynn is quick to forgive her, understanding that many people in her position would have done exactly the same thing. He thinks she deserves a second chance and wants to give it to her.
Flynn tells everyone that she had her reasons and to get her out of the cell. Jake tries to protest again, but Flynn puts a stop to it, saying that they all ganged up on him to do it together, so he wants to do it together. So they let Cassandra out of the cell and work out their plan.
They all get to work, each with their own jobs. And what I love about this is that, like so many things they will do and have done, every one of them is needed to pull off the plan. Without just one of them, they wouldn’t have been able to defeat the Brotherhood and foil their evil plan.
Of course Lamia challenges Flynn, asking how he possibly hopes to defeat them with (and I love this quote) his “little knockoff librarians, one who is doomed by her gift, one who fled his gift, and one who abuses it.” Or his little soldier girl. I love this description of the group, as it’s so perfect for where they are at the beginning of the series. But this is the beginning and so they will all have the chance to change and grow into the Librarians they will become. It’s lovely.
Flynn, ever the Librarian, tells her that no, he won’t use force to beat her. He will use knowledge and science to beat her. And then he does. Well that and Excalibur. Excalibur fends off Lamia, but it’s quickly clear that something is terribly wrong with Cal.
Flynn reveals that Cal’s magic has gone back into the ley lines and Cal is dying. In fact, so is Flynn. As his last act, the Librarian gives Cal to Cassandra. Cal has just enough raw magic left to heal her. She starts to use Flynn’s last gift, but as he slumps over succumbing to his magical wound, she can’t bring herself to do it, and instead uses Cal to heal Flynn instead of herself. Flynn recovers, but is sad. He insists that the magic was supposed to be for Cassandra, to save her. She tells him that he already did save her, and they share a small smile.
Unfortunately, that was Cal’s last act. Flynn takes up his friend one last time and lays him on the Stone, allowing Cal to fade back into the Stone from which he was pulled all those years ago. (It’s at this moment that the fandom cried for a sword, which I’m sure we’ve probably never done before.)
After saying goodbye to Cal, the group returns to the annex to say a last goodbye to each other. It looks like Cassandra, Jake, and Ezekiel have to go home. Flynn doesn’t think it’s fair or safe to involve them in the life of the Librarian any longer. They don’t like this idea, after all they’ve experienced and seen and protest, but Flynn, ever the lovely and kind person he is, has nothing to say in reply and just walks away. Eve, ever the pragmatist, reminds the three that they can’t tell anyone. Or rather, they can, but no one will ever believe them.
Back in the annex, Flynn has one last encounter with Judson, who gives him some advice for how to move forward. Flynn insists that he’s going to find the Library, but Judson reminds him that the Brotherhood has released magic back into the world. Flynn’s going to be busy. After a few moments of thought though, Flynn realizes he can start making some new rules. He runs outside and grabs the three before they can leave. Opening their envelopes, they discover that they won’t be going home after all. Instead, the Library has called them to be Librarians. They have a lot of work to do. He dubs them the Librarians in Training (LITs) and puts Jenkins and Eve in charge of training them and keeping them alive. Then, after a brief kiss with Eve, sets out to find the Library again.
And that’s it for the second half of the premier of the Librarians. Wasn’t it a fun romp?
Other random things I liked from the episode:
~Jenkins is the best. I love him.
~”I think you broke Africa.”
~“I am Henge and Key”
~”You didn’t turn off the glowy globe.” *Jenkins claps twice then sighs* “Hope it’s on a timer.”
~“Seriously, you’re going to put your gum on a stone worth €7M?”
~”Can you make me a duke?”
~”This is my first suit.”
~Eve & Ezekiel returning the stolen jewelry. Seriously. I love their expressions and everything about the little scene.
~”I was really expecting a better secret door.” “Oh write a letter!”
~”Why would you go there? That’s a horrible thing to say!”
~”They tunneled in from the side. It’s much smarter than what we did.”
~”Librarians win with electromagnets!”
~The entire exchange with the NATO soldiers. Everything about it was perfection.
~”Please, tell people about the magic library and Excalibur and how you broke into Buckingham Palace because King Arthur was really Roman and I’ll come visit you to make sure the straight jacket is not too tight.” The LITs reactions to this little speech is excellent as well. I just love all of these characters so much.
Next week, we’ll get to see how the LITs first mission goes in And the Horns of a Dilemma. It’s fun episode so I’m looking forward to it.
In the mean time, Wednesday will have a new writing exercise and Friday more of the 30 Things series.
Until then.
Friday, February 13, 2015
30 Things: Question 12
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
I start most days at 6am. Getting up, I go through my typical morning routine of getting ready for the day. I get up, take a shower, fix my hair (which generally just consists of either spraying some curling gel in it or pulling it into a ponytail. No fancy hairdos here.), and then go downstairs to eat breakfast. I usually don't need to be at work until a little before 9am, so I spend the next couple of hours getting my things together for work (making lunch, etc.) and doing a few relaxing things. I will work on my Spanish (I'm trying to beef up my Spanish skills since I'm going to Guatemala in June), write, pay bills, or watch some TV.
At 8:30 I leave for work. My work day is usually pretty basic. I do internet research for products that my company is getting ready to source and sell, so I spend most of my day reading various websites about whatever product I'm currently researching. I find out what makes a good product, then I find out what customers like or dislike about that type of product and about various competitor's products in the same category. Occasionally I have meetings with my boss to explain what I've found or help discuss what features we want in our product when we source it. I usually leave around 5pm.
After work, my evenings vary depending on the day of the week. Some nights, I'm home by myself so I grab some dinner and do some blogging/writing before watching a little TV and heading to bed. Other nights my husband and I have church meetings to go to. On nights that we don't have other things to do, we usually eat dinner together, then spend time relaxing by watching TV and talking. Then we go to bed around 9:30pm.
As you can see, my life is incredibly action packed. Not.
I start most days at 6am. Getting up, I go through my typical morning routine of getting ready for the day. I get up, take a shower, fix my hair (which generally just consists of either spraying some curling gel in it or pulling it into a ponytail. No fancy hairdos here.), and then go downstairs to eat breakfast. I usually don't need to be at work until a little before 9am, so I spend the next couple of hours getting my things together for work (making lunch, etc.) and doing a few relaxing things. I will work on my Spanish (I'm trying to beef up my Spanish skills since I'm going to Guatemala in June), write, pay bills, or watch some TV.
At 8:30 I leave for work. My work day is usually pretty basic. I do internet research for products that my company is getting ready to source and sell, so I spend most of my day reading various websites about whatever product I'm currently researching. I find out what makes a good product, then I find out what customers like or dislike about that type of product and about various competitor's products in the same category. Occasionally I have meetings with my boss to explain what I've found or help discuss what features we want in our product when we source it. I usually leave around 5pm.
After work, my evenings vary depending on the day of the week. Some nights, I'm home by myself so I grab some dinner and do some blogging/writing before watching a little TV and heading to bed. Other nights my husband and I have church meetings to go to. On nights that we don't have other things to do, we usually eat dinner together, then spend time relaxing by watching TV and talking. Then we go to bed around 9:30pm.
As you can see, my life is incredibly action packed. Not.
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