THE LIBRARIANS: THE NEXT CHAPTER Recap: (S01E04) And the Thief of Love

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6 hours ago

Our intrepid Librarians team has dealt with monsters, witches, and ghosts so far. So, of course, they need to deal with a god next. Specifically, in The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Episode 4, 'And the Thief of Love,' their mission is to contain the magic of Cupid's arrows when someone starts using them to rob banks and steal dry-cleaning.
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The mention of love steers us to Vikram's (Callum McGowan) lost love, Anya, who we know was engaged to Gregor (Adnan Haskovic) of hammer fame. Vikram's close personal acquaintance with Cupid (Celyn Jones) won't stop the mischievous deity from telling tales to the team. How much will his gossip reveal? Photograph by Aleksandar Letic The Librarians: The Next Chapter, 'And the Thief of Love'
At the Paris Credit Alliance, a woman in blue jeans and a brown suede jacket carries a large briefcase in through the front doors. She secures the doors, opens the case, and pulls out a bow with a quiver of arrows. Notching the arrow, she announces that it is a robbery. When a man approaches her, trying to talk her into putting the arrow down, she shoots him. The arrow disintegrates into red glitter. It regenerates in the quiver. A woman security officer approaches. The archer shoots her. When that arrow disintegrates as well, the two bank employees begin kissing passionately as all the bank customers run away screaming.
The archer hits a few more targets. Each time a pair is hit, they start kissing. With chaos rampant, the archer walks to a nearby counter, reaches over to open a box, and removes a large gold key. The bank tellers hide and watch as she takes it to the giant vault door on the far side of the lobby, ignoring all the kissing couples.
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In the Annex, Mrs. Astolat (Caroline Loncq) interrupts Vikram's manic dance break to point out the pendulum's frantic activity. Noting that the magical activity is in Paris, Vikram offers up the information that Anya was a Parisian. Before leaving with the team, Charlie (Jessica Green) confirms with Mrs. Astolat that Anya is buried in Paris. Mrs. Astolat warns her that Vikram can't find out since he still harbors hope that he'll be reunited with Anya. Paris
At the Paris Credit Alliance, the team questions the bank's employees who are still acting like infatuated lovers. In reviewing the surveillance video, they learn the archer stole the contents of one safety deposit box. They discuss the case as they stroll through Paris. Vikram spots the Eiffel Tower. He does not approve. The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Photograph by Aleksandar Letic
To solve their dilemma, Vikram believes they should look for Cupid. However, when they find him, Cupid is aged, depressed, and drunk. He declares that Love is dead in the 21st century. The team debates the benefits of modern dating apps with Lysa (Olivia Morris) and Connor (Bluey Robinson) pro-apps and Cupid and Charlie anti. They get a little off-track when Cupid spills the tea that Anya was engaged to Gregor. He reveals that Vikram asked him to make Gregor fall in love with someone else.
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They ask Cupid how to track down the archer. He says he's retired, that he buried his arrows a long time ago. Of course, he literally buried them (with his bow) and now can't remember where. Shot Through the Heart
Returning to the Annex, Vikram explains that the bow will corrupt a mortal wielder and leak magic residue everywhere they go. Connor tracks the pendulum's seemingly random movements and narrows down their search to the place the pendulum points to the most often. They find a building in the 14th arrondissement . Connor doesn't consider it breaking in because they're Librarians. Vikram argues that they aren't, that The Library has to grant that title. Connor looks chastened by this.
In a storage room, they find a rack of dry cleaning and several crates of wine. The archer is hiding behind some boxes. Vikram senses her presence just before she jumps out with an arrow notched. Vikram dodges her shots and confronts her. She runs away, and he follows. Outside, she shoots him in the back. Turning to face her, he falls deeply in love with her. She runs again, leaving him standing there with a besotted look on his face.
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The team returns to Cupid's haunt. He reasons that the archer isn't committing random petty crimes. She's targeting someone specific. Cupid advises that they just give up. Lysa offers to leave him alone if he helps them contain the arrows' magic. He wagers on his dart skills, hoping to get them to leave him alone that way. Connor takes the bet. Cupid passes out and loses the bet. God of Love
At the Annex, Mrs. Astolat wakes Cupid up with a bucket of water. Charlie notes that Mrs. Astolat and Cupid have a history as well. While she and Mrs. Astolat try to sober him up, a challenging task as he has an infinite number of flasks stashed in seemingly bottomless pockets, Lysa and Connor try to figure out the archer's target while Vikram behaves strangely even for him.
Connor identifies the logo on cufflinks he took from the storage space as the symbol for the Travelers Paris, an exclusive gentleman's club established in 1903. Looking up the member list, they find Guy Leroy (Jadran Malkovich). The wine in the storage space is Chateaux Leroy vintage, and his initials and crest are on the dry-cleaning garment bags. His assets are tied up in the Paris Credit Alliance.
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Vikram, Lysa, and Vikram meet with Guy Leroy, a wealthy hedge fund manager who treats his assistant terribly. He mentions his last assistant was a disappointment whom he fired recently. Vikram asks if he has a photo of her. Guy shows them a picture of the archer. Her name is Marie (Jasmine Blackborow). He doesn't believe her capable of targeting his assets. Vikram becomes incensed at what he deems Guy's gross underestimation of Marie. Connor and Lysa run interference, but Guy gets uncomfortable. Noting the time, he mentions that he's expected at the Paris Museum, where he is donating a priceless Faberge egg to the collection. Man With a Mission
Left alone, Vikram declares his hatred for 'pompous, self-important, egocentric men who look down at the brilliant women working beside them.' Lysa's delighted to hear this. Then he describes the punishments he plans for Guy, and her delight fades. The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Photograph by Aleksandar Letic
At the Annex, Cupid digs into a massive feast. He and Charlie discuss their respective roles and responsibilities. Cupid tells her that none of it matters. The world's a mess, and neither a god of love nor a Librarian is going to fix it. Especially not Vikram, he notes, since he's obviously been shot by one of his arrows. Charlie runs off with this news.
Vikram, Lysa, and Connor follow Guy to the museum. They wait outside for Marie to show up. Vikram spots her but doesn't alert the others. He proposes they split up. While they watch the front, he'll watch the back. He finds Marie and warns her against going inside. Offering his assistance, he promises they'll get her revenge on Guy.
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Charlie finds Lysa and Connor just as Vikram and Marie escape on a moped. Charlie explains that Vikram was hit by an arrow and has been working against them the whole time. Outsmarting the Librarian
Charlie, Lysa, and Connor report back to the Annex and Mrs. Astolat. She insists that they fix the situation.
On the streets of Paris, Marie tells Vikram why she's targeting Guy. He promised to mentor her, but instead, he tried to kiss her. When she rejected him, he fired her and made sure no one else would hire her. She plans to use Cupid's arrows to show him how love can truly be weaponized.
In the Annex, Connor looks up the Faberge Egg Guy showed them. Marie plans to steal it from the museum when Guy's in attendance, so he knows it was her. Charlie cautions that with Vikram at her side, Marie's use of magic will increase significantly. Connor points out they won't be able to succeed without Cupid.
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Outside the museum, Vikram explains that Marie can use the arrows to enslave every person in the museum and command them to bring her all the art and artifacts in the museum. They'll shoot an arrow into the air conditioning system. Once everyone has breathed in the magical effects, Vikram will play a video of her promising her love in return for their obedience. The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Photograph by Aleksandar Letic
Cupid, now sober and angry, refuses to help the team save Vikram. He accuses Lysa, Connor, and Charlie of being too scared of love to take a chance on it. Besides, without his arrows, he can't do anything. Mrs. Astolat, taking a break from her knitting, proposes that they make replacement arrows that he can charge with the essence of true love. Cupid argues that if true love still existed, anyone hit by his arrows would shake off the spell in favor of the true stuff. The Power of Love
Back in Paris, Charlie, Lysa, and Connor consider how they could charge up arrows with enough love to make them work. They need a powerful source of intense love energy. Connor points out that the Eiffel Tower is the biggest, most iconic symbol of true love in the city.
In order to harness the love energy, Connor has to climb the tower and set a rocket that they'll launch into the incoming storm cloud, which will draw lightning through the tower and into the arrows rigged at its base. The love that saturates the tower from the millions of visitors will imbue the electricity with the power they need.
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While Connor climbs the tower, Vikram and Marie lie in wait on a rooftop near the museum. After he successfully sets up the rocket, Lysa launches it, and energy fills the tower. From their rooftop, Vikram realizes the team is up to something and goes to investigate. At the base of the tower, Charlie picks up one lone arrow from the bundle. The surge of power incinerated the others. Vikram arrives, vowing to stop them from using the arrow. Charlie challenges him to take it from her. Breaking the Spell
Charlie leads Vikram into a nearby cemetery. He attacks her, demanding that she leave him and Marie to live happily ever after. Charlie reminds him that as his Guardian, everything she does is to protect him. Spinning away, she leaves him facing a gravestone that reads, 'Anya Besson, 1820-1897, Aimer c'est vivre. ' [Translation: 'to live is to love'] The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Photograph by Aleksandar Letic
Seeing Anya's gravestone breaks the arrow's spell. Charlie apologizes. Vikram crawls up to the gravestone and lays a hand on it, tearing up as he speaks to Anya, sorry for letting her down. Cupid, cleaned up in a white suit, touches his shoulder. He asks Vikram if love is worth all this pain. Vikram tells him he wouldn't trade the pain he feels for anything. His love for Anya is real because it broke the arrow's spell. Furthermore, this proves that his love for her was real when they were together. 'This pain exists,' he says, 'because she exists.' This inspires Cupid.
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On the rooftop, Marie tires of waiting and shoots an arrow at the crowd below. Cupid grabs the arrow mid-flight. He shoots his single-charged arrow into the sky. Marie tries to shoot him with her arrows, but he knocks them away as he explains who he is and why she cannot harm him with them. His arrow falls back to earth and strikes Marie. The bow and quiver disappear and reappear on Cupid. Marie faints, but he catches her. Love Hurts
In the aftermath, Marie comes to her senses, wishing there was something she could do to make up for the harm she did. Cupid assures her that his arrow cured her and anyone she hit with arrows during her crime spree. Vikram asks if Cupid is back in business. Cupid admits that he is.
Connor asks Marie what she stole from Guy's safety deposit box. She pulls out an envelope that contains proof that Guy has been stealing from his company. She admits she still wants him to suffer for what he did to her. Cupid states that karma gets everyone eventually.
The team returns to the Annex. Vikram thanks Charlie for helping him break the spell. He also takes a moment to thank Connor and Lysa for cleaning up his mess. Again. As they walk away, Mrs. Astolat enters and congratulates Charlie on her successful Guardianship. Charlie apologizes for breaking her rule about showing Vikram the grave, but Mrs. Astolat replies that in this instance, rules were meant to be broken.
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In Guy's offices, tax agents are taking his files. As the head investigator questions him, Cupid hits him with an arrow. When she tells him the truth will make her happy, he spills everything about his embezzling. He also confesses that the Faberge Egg is a fake. Cupid winks at the camera.
New episodes of The Librarians: The Next Chapter air on TNT on Mondays at 9 pm ET.
New TV Shows This Week (June 8 – 14) Diana lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she invests her time and energy in teaching, writing, parenting, and indulging her love of all Trek and a myriad of other fandoms. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. You can also find her writing at The Televixen, Women at Warp, TV Fanatic, and TV Goodness.