The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Who Really Pulls the Strings?

Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0

4

Everyone needs a vacation. Even Librarians.

Mind you, a holiday at a resort situated on a reactivated magical ley line might not be the most relaxing, but okay.

A retreat targeted by a magically-animated, revenge-driven ventriloquist dummy? Yeah, a staycation might be a better idea next time.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 8, “And the Last Resort,” highlights a powerful conflict between the forces of established custom and those of modernity. It’s not only magical, it’s emotional, with balance being the key in both cases.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter “And the Last Resort”

When the Chronos Compass sends the team to investigate the Marionette Resort and Spa, Vikram gets exceedingly excited to visit a site he enjoyed nearly 200 years ago.

The contrast between his delight and Connor’s fear of puppets is a defining tension in the episode, echoing how Vikram carries his archaic understanding of the world while Connor’s all about technology.

At the same time, the clash of tradition and innovation plays out between Nadia and Dimitri, the resort’s sibling owners, as well.

It’s Dimitri’s bulldozer approach to jettisoning the resort’s trademark entertainment — the nightly puppet show and its performer, Arthur — that triggers the magical consequence.

Revelry and Rumination

Beyond investigation and relaxation, Vikram aims to recapture his nostalgic love of the Marionette Resort.

Based on the many photographs of his antics on the walls, he spent a lot of time there, enjoying the amenities, food, and general vibe.

Instead, he finds the puppet show on hiatus, the lake polluted with mercury, the food updated and out-sourced, and the other Librarians more engaged by the resort’s mobile app than his memories of the place.

Vikram has repeatedly mentioned how he feels like a man out of sync with the times. It’s the basis for his sympathy for Merlin and, last season, some empathy for Gregor.

At the Marionette Resort, he sees how the passage of time can leave behind even people who aren’t time-travellers.

Relic of Antiquity

When speaking with Arthur, who describes feeling obsolete, Vikram identifies with the sentiment.

He also notes the comparison Arthur uses, referring to himself as a “relic of antiquity.” When Percy the Puppet uses it as well, it clues Vikram in on the fact that Arthur is actually in control.

Some habits are worth holding onto. Many of the Marionette Resort’s historical features feel steeped in the values of the founders and their descendents.

However, Arthur’s habit of bottling up his angry emotions — when his own great-great-great grandfather had advised future artists to be in touch with all their emotions — is what causes the magic to spill into Percy.

And into Charlie. And into Connor.

The brilliance of the narrative is that giving Arthur magical puppet master powers gives him control in a situation where he felt powerless and victimized.

Avatar of Anger

Although it’s his dissociated subconscious that puppets Percy to action, as I mentioned when discussing the Rage Demon on The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 1, “And the Burning Heart,” anger only feeds anger.

The more vengeance Percy metes out, the greater the fury Arthur unconsciously builds, and the more powerful Percy becomes.

“I feel my power growing. Soon, I’ll be able to control Dimitri, body and mind. He’ll do what I want, say what I think, act as I would…. I have been manipulated my entire life, but soon, I will pull the strings.” — Percy (Arthur)

His ultimate goal to turn everyone into puppets is fittingly bonkers and (for those who know) tantamount to a Level-Five Transporter Accident.

When Vikram finally pushes Arthur to vent his rage, the magic building up around Percy and controlling the others — fueled by those bottled feelings — dissipates.

The Question of Connor

We learn that Connor’s fear of puppets stems from his 6th birthday when his mother told the ventriloquist she hired the details of his life so that the dummy could appear to know all about him.

What’s fascinating about this deep-rooted paranoia is that Connor is our paladin of invention.

He has no qualms about Internet research, AI development, and social media platforms, all which are far more intrusive and insidious than potentially psychic puppets.

So what is it about the low-tech performative artistry of puppets that freaks him out?

Redirecting the Magic

Although Arthur gave Percy to the Librarians so he could “retire,” it should be pointed out that there was no ley line magic in Percy, and there never had been.

The ley line’s wild magic, as confirmed by Lysa’s detector device and Vikram’s spidey-senses, had infected Arthur at that moment of humiliation when Dimitri had him and his puppets thrown out.

So, although Percy is secured in his little Snow White-like glass coffin/display case, the Librarians are just going to trust that Arthur’s now completely emotionally healthy?

I can’t help but feel like that’s a loose end that might bite them in the butt somehow.

Leaving someone out there with magical puppet master abilities when Merlin’s also running around with visions of rebuilding Camelot in his head is just a bit problematic.

What do you think, Fanatics? Am I being paranoid? Seeing patterns where there aren’t any? Am I completely off-track? From which direction do YOU think Merlin will attack?

Shoot your best thoughts and theories into our comments below and please take a moment to rate this episode!

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