The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 2: Wishes Do Come True

Critic’s Rating: 5 / 5.0

5

Wow, is this ever Jeremy Swift’s week to shine!

Probably best known as Leslie Higgins on Apple TV’s Ted Lasso (returning Aug 5), Swift guest stars on The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 2, “And the Tethered Wish,” and it is FAB-U-LOUS!

As a freed genie, he’s living his best life and wreaking revenge on humanity in the most Monkey’s Paw, be-careful-what-you-wish-for manner, and it is simply glorious.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter “And the Tethered Wish”

It’s interesting to note that on both The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 1, “And the Burning Heart,” and The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 2, “And the Tethered Wish,” the team runs into individuals who know all about the Library.

Merlin greets Vikram by his title on the Season 2 premiere. Swift’s genie here has no trouble identifying his pursuers either.

It does make things a lot easier when the team doesn’t have to explain who they are and what they do each time, but what are the chances?

Anyhoo, what a fun sort of chaos this is!

Not only do we get Jeremy Swift casting off his Leslie Higgins heartwarming stodginess in favor of glam guy-liner and some truly bold fabric choices, Christian Kane returns as Jacob Stone as part of his Dean-Devlin-contractual-obligation (I kid, I kid!) to appear in every series.

Jacob Stone, Experienced Librarian

Words cannot adequately express how much joy the Christian Kane-Dean Devlin working relationship brings me.

Whether he’s playing the hitter, Eliot Spencer, on Leverage, ex-DEA agent Alex Walker doing his best to relax on Almost Paradise, or genius art and architecture specialist Librarian Jacob Stone, Kane’s signature gruff but well-meaning demeanor warms my heart.

If only he’d sing more on the shows. #MyWishList

Here, when Vikram’s careless wish yoinks Jacob to Belgrade and binds them together, it trips multiple narrative devices.

First, it tips the team off to the genie’s shenanigans.

The Annex pendulum would probably have picked up on it eventually, but since the genie could be selective about the wishes he granted, he was canny enough to keep it just under the magical radar.

Second, it takes Vikram out of play temporarily, allowing the rest of the team to spring into action.

Finally, it forces Vikram to work with a fellow Librarian whom he cannot impulsively run away from on his own tangent. Well, he tries. But, no.

Vikram’s greatest challenge since being pulled back into the time stream on The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Episode 1 has been taking the “I” out of “team.”

If Wishes Were Horses…

Not to discount his growth over Season 1, nor the difficult decision he made on the finale (The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Episode 12), but Vikram’s natural instinct is still to go it alone.

He recognizes the value of having Lysa, Connor, and Charlie (and Mrs. Astolat!) on his side, but he’ll always believe his way is best and that best should be implemented immediately.

Never mind the many times this hasn’t worked out.

With the titular tethered wish tying him to Jacob Stone, he no longer has the option to take off half-cocked.

At the same time, their attempts to test the limits of the tether offer opportunities for some classic physical comedy.

Many, many opportunities. And it never gets old.

A Jacob in a Bottle

I love the mechanics of genie lamp/bottle operations innovated here.

Borrowing from the Titan Atlas’s labor, where he must hold up the sky unless someone is foolish enough to take his place, the genie’s prison must always have an occupant.

So, of course, the genie’s altruistic master in the cold open — who probably watched a lot of Disney’s Aladdin — ends up trapped by his good deed of freeing his genie.

Once the team realizes there’s a non-magical person trapped in there, they immediately set about rescuing them. Using the Annex’s magic doorway to access the bottle is some brilliant problem-solving.

Of course, Jacob’s not super keen to be stuck in the bottle in the victim’s place. No matter how comfortable it is.

It all culminates in one of the most entertaining Benny-Hill-esque chase scenes as the team attempts to corral the genie back into his bottle.

A Moral Quandary

I think we can all agree that freeing this particular genie is not a good idea.

His disregard for the well-being of humans in general — while understandable considering his millennia in servitude — recklessly endangers the world.

However, to bottle him up and store him in the Library for eternity does strike me as problematic too.

I’m not saying that I have an answer. Just pointing out that, based on this case, all genies are condemned to servitude and/or incarceration for their entire existence simply for the crime of being who they are.

What Would You Wish For?

Over to you, Fanatics! Given the premise of The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 2, “And the Tethered Wish,” what tops your wishlist?

Would you want the power of the freed genie? Physical autonomy and the choice to whose wishes to grant?

Would you want to be the genie’s master? Three wishes, knowing you’re enslaving a sentient being and exploiting their powers?

Or would you want to be one of the random folks who makes a thoughtless wish only to have it come true?

Or something else? Hit our comments with your craziest #Wishlist items and be sure to rate the episode in the poll below!

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