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Geek Girl Authority
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
THE LIBRARIANS: THE NEXT CHAPTER Recap: (S01E11) And the Graffiti of the Gods
With only two episodes to go, things ramp up in The Librarians: The Next Chapter 's 'And the Graffiti of the Gods.' It takes great magic to bring someone like Gregor the Hammer (Adnan Haskovic) through time and space. However, with the help of his personal heavy metal army and well-timed celestial events, it looks like it's working out. RELATED: Catch up with our recap of the previous episode of The Librarians: The Next Chapter , 'And Going Medieval' In 'And the Graffiti of the Gods,' artwork comes to life, wreaking all sorts of chaos. Meanwhile, Vikram (Callum McGowan), having survived a nearly disastrous — but pre-ordained — joyride through time, expresses his newfound appreciation for his team in a rather unusual, highly unexpected, but very Vikram way. Image Credit: Courtesy of TNT The Librarians: The Next Chapter, 'And the Graffiti of the Gods' In the Art District of Belgrade, a girl wearing headphones walks past a wall of graffiti art faceless hoodie-wearing silhouettes. A shopkeeper accuses her of stealing from him. She denies it, and as she runs away, she sees one of the graffiti figures move. Behind her, it steps out of the wall and grabs the shopkeeper. She runs home. Above her, on a catwalk, Winslow Lynch (Aleksa Samardžić) watches. Returning to his portrait of Gregor, he uses the scrying glass to awaken Gregor and reports that he's found her in time for Melpomene's Moon. Gregor announces that even the Librarian won't be able to stop his return. The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Photograph by Aleksandar Letic A New Vikram At the Annex, Charlie (Jessica Green) gives Vikram a contract to sign and seal in blood, binding him to never time-travel again without the Library's express permission. Vikram points out that the issues that arose in their last adventure were no match for his superb team. He quickly follows the accolades up by asserting that they're endangered by missions, so he'll take on all future assignments alone. RELATED: TV Review: The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 When the pendulum alerts them to new magical activity, he tries to wave them off. It doesn't work. They identify the new event as happening in the Art District, aka 'The Other Side of the Tracks.' The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Photograph by Aleksandar Letic A Good Girl The girl gets home, locks the door, and calls out for her grandmother. Her grandmother can tell her granddaughter, Hermione (Hannah Devlin), is shaken and asks what's happened. Hermione tells her she saw graffiti move. Winslow's gang marches towards their building. In the flat, her grandmother asks if Hermione's seen this before. A rock breaks their window. A painting of a sword-wielding knight in armor on the wall comes to life. Hermione jumps back and bumps into another knight. The two knights head out the door. Another painting of storm clouds billows out of the canvas and fills the flat with lightning and wind. Hermione peeks out the window and sees the hoodie-wearing gang in the street. She and her grandmother hide behind the couch. Suddenly, they hear Vikram's voice taunting the thugs. He leads the team in and asks if anyone's having trouble with their art. RELATED: Dean Devlin Dishes on The Librarians: The Next Chapter 's Magical Homecoming Hermione explains what's been happening. Vikram tries to impress them with his status as The Librarian, but Hermione's grandmother is underwhelmed. Charlie notes that the suits of armor were from paintings inside the apartment, then asks where the hoodies came from. Hermione says they're painted out on the street and offers to take them there. Hermione As they're walking to the graffiti hoodies, Hermione tells the team that her grandmother doesn't know that Hermione painted the hoodies. She tells them she saw her art move when she was running from a nasty man. When Charlie asks what he looked like, Hermione sees the shopkeeper painted on the wall, angry and trapped. They head back to Hermione's flat. Vikram calls Mrs. A. (Caroline Loncq) for a magic door to take the rest of the team back to the Annex. He feels that the danger is too great for them to stay, but he can face it because he's The Librarian. Lysa (Olivia Morris) rolls her eyes at that. Vikram wonders about Hermione's grandmother's non-response to his title. She comes in, asking if they found anything. She introduces herself as Katherine (Éva Magyar). Connor (Bluey Robinson) blurts out that Hermione painted the hoodies and upsets Katherine. Hermione doesn't see what the big deal is. She's painted all the art in their apartment. RELATED: 5 Great Books About Libraries and Librarians Lysa notes that it's only Hermione's art that's coming to life. She and Connor ask to see her paints and brushes. Hermione says her studio is upstairs and leads them up a ladder. Safe Room In the studio, Vikram advises the others to create a safe room in the building that has no art in it at all. They agree that's a good idea until Vikram tells them to lock themselves in the safe room. The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Image Credit: TNT Instead, Charlie stays with Vikram, while Lysa and Connor ask Katherine for a room they can empty of art. As Katherine leads them to a store room, she explains that Hermione lives with her because her parents died in a car accident. The store room holds many of Hermione's paintings. Connor comments that Hermione is a prolific artist. Katherine corrects him by saying she's 'unique.' In the studio, Vikram tests the paintings with an atomizer filled with minotaur saliva solution. Nothing glistens when sprayed, not even the creepy clown painting that Charlie doesn't like. While she and Vikram are looking the other way, the clown steps out of the painting and stares at them. When they turn around, it's back in the painting. RELATED: On Location: The Belgrade Fortress on The Librarians: The Next Chapter Connor and Lysa discuss Katherine's sketchy behavior. They agree to watch her. Hermione arrives and asks if she can help them. As Connor leads her back to the store room, Lysa hears something and walks off on her own. When Connor realizes Lysa's not with them, he goes off alone to look for her. Under the Influence When Connor spots Lysa, she's strangely silent and gestures for him to follow her. They end up in a courtyard where hoodie-wearing figures are chanting. Both of them fall under the spell. Winslow directs them to bring Hermione to him immediately. They leave to do his bidding. Winslow heads to his van, in which he's brought Gregor's portrait. He reports that they'll have Hermione soon. Gregor smiles, stating that as soon as they do, he'll be free. In the flat, Vikram tests the paintings to no avail. He tells Charlie that nothing they've found is the magical artifact. Thus, the case is closed, and she should take the other back to the Annex while he checks a few things out. She refuses and asks why he's become so overprotective. He tells her that since choosing to return to 2025 from the medieval era, this time is now home. With the team as his friends and Lysa as his biological family, he is terrified he'll lose them. RELATED: Olivia Morris Shares How The Librarians: The Next Chapter Hooked Her From Page One Hermione leaves Katherine in the safe room to look for Connor and Lysa. Lysa finds her in the halls and urges her to hurry and follow her. Suddenly, the clown from Hermione's painting grabs Lysa. Connor calls to Hermione from the other end of the hall, encouraging her to come with him. Hermione hesitates. Katherine steps out of the shadows, silent. The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Photograph by Aleksandar Letic Don't Mess With Gran Connor makes a move towards Hermione. Katherine stops him. He rubs his thumb across her face. Her skin smudges like paint. In the flat, Charlie and Vikram hear Hermione scream. They run out and find Hermione alone. She tells them the clown and Katherine took Lysa and Connor upstairs. In the studio, they find Lysa in the clown painting, while Connor's joined Katherine in a portrait. Vikram's heartbroken, feeling that he failed them. Charlie tells him to do better, then, and find a way to save them. RELATED: Read our Foundation recaps He asks Hermione about her art, and she says that she suddenly became good at art about six months ago. That coincides with when Vikram opened the Annex's magic well. Considering that, he asks what Hermione's mother's maiden name was. She says it was Pavlos. Vikram gets very excited and tells Hermione that only she can release their friends from the paintings. The real Katherine joins them and explains to Hermione that her power put Lysa and Connor into the paintings. Out in the courtyard, Winslow orders his gang to get Hermione. The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Photograph by Aleksandar Letic Nerds Gone Emo Back in the flat, Vikram explains that Katherine and Hermione are direct descendants of the Greek Muses. The well's magic activated Hermione's gift. Someone wanting to steal her gift would need to sacrifice her under the light of Melpomene's Moon, a celestial event happening that night. RELATED: Read our Leverage: Redemption recaps Winslow calls out to Vikram from the courtyard. Charlie notes that the hoodies around Winslow aren't from the graffiti art. They're just groupies. Vikram guesses Gregor's Hammer has been using a spell in their music to enthrall listeners at their concerts. Winslow leads the gang in a magical chant to bespell Vikram and Charlie. Out of sight, Vikram and Charlie cover their ears. They pretend to be enchanted and learn that Hermione's art has been protecting her. The Best Version Vikram and Charlie explain that Hermione's art has been protecting her from threats. Hermione's subconscious controls them. She realizes that if she has control, then she can fight back. Katherine's afraid and tells her it's too dangerous. Drawing from his own sentiment, Vikram tells her that protecting those they love can prevent them from becoming the best version of themselves. Hermione speaks passionately to Katherine about doing the right thing and convinces Katherine that she can save them. RELATED: TNT Unveils The Lazarus Project Season 2 Premiere Date and Trailer Gregor Hammer's gang tries to batter the door down. The door opens, and a knight, a wolf, the clown, and the thunderstorm emerge. Finally, Hermione's version of The Scream steps out. Its scream drives the acolytes to flee. The art returns inside, but Winslow sneaks in after them. In the studio, he unrolls something on the floor and hides. Vikram asks Hermione to bring Lysa and Connor back from the paintings. With Kathrine's encouragement, she manifests the power to do so. Suddenly, a disturbance where Winslow laid out a canvas draws Vikram's attention. When Hermione used her powers on Lysa and Connor, she also released something else inadvertently. He's Back Gregor manifests and gloats that he's been ahead of Vikram every step of the way. With Hermione's power, he'll recruit an army from the world's art galleries. When Hermione challenges him, Winslow leaps out of hiding and holds a knife to her throat. RELATED: Read our Wynonna Earp recaps Gregor and Winslow, with Hermione captive, leave the others, locking them in the studio. They head to the courtyard to sacrifice Hermione under the moon's light. The acolytes return to witness the ritual. With the Dagger of Urania, he approaches a terrified Hermione. Around the corner, the team prepares to rescue her, having climbed out a window from the studio. Charlie has spray paint cans for Hermione to create art that she can bring to life to protect herself. They roll a can to her. As Gregor begins the ritual, clouds block the moonlight, put there by Hermione. Lightning breaks her bonds. She draws a door to escape through. Looney Times The team steps into the courtyard. They each paint a cartoonish weapon that Hermione turns into reality. Wielding these, they defeat the acolytes. However, Gregor grabs Hermione from behind, the Dagger of Urania at her throat. He plans to use Hermione as a hostage to get away. RELATED: Read our Revival recaps Connor whistles from up high, where he's hanging on a window ledge. He paints an anvil that Hermione manifests. It drops onto Gregor's head, producing cartoon birds to circle his head before he passes out. Charlie finds the scrying glass on Winslow and takes it back. The Librarians: The Next Chapter – Photograph by Aleksandar Letic The acolytes scatter as they wake up. As the team heads out, Vikram asks for a moment with Gregor, now bound in jumbo chains. Vikram tells Gregor that he'll face a Library trial for his crimes. Gregor laughs at the idea. Connor and Heights. Again. He tells Vikram that he has grown weak and that his love for his friends will cost him his life in the end. Looking up, Vikram sees Connor still hanging high on the courtyard wall. Winslow appears in the window above him and begins to cut the rope. Gregor gives Vikram a choice. Free him, and Connor lives. For now. RELATED: Read our recaps of The Librarians: The Next Chapter Connor's rope snaps, but Vikram's hand grabs his and pulls him to safety. Out by the hoodie paintings, Hermione frees the shopkeeper from his mural. She gives the team a painting of herself losing her powers. She makes it real, sealing them into the painting, stating she's not ready for them. Back at the Annex, the team discusses Gregor. Vikram disappears while they're talking. Out on the streets of Belgrade, a well-dressed Gregor passes a tour group. He spots a TV in the window of an electronics shop showing a program about modern warfare. His eyes light up. New episodes of The Librarians: The Next Chapter air on TNT on Mondays at 9 pm ET. SDCC 2025: Anne Rice Immortal Universe Panel Unveils Dark Delights for THE VAMPIRE LESTAT and TALAMASCA 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.
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Serbia secures fifth postponement of US sanctions against NIS oil firm
BELGRADE, July 28 (Reuters) - Serbia has secured a fifth postponement of planned U.S. sanctions against Russian-owned oil firm NIS ( opens new tab, which operates the country's only oil refinery, Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Monday. The postponement would be a month long, and a longer extension was not possible, she said in a written statement. "Our top priority is to maintain a stable supply of oil derivatives, and ... to remove NIS from OFAC sanctions list. The most important factor for that is progress in the dialogue between the U.S. and Russia," Djedovic Handanovic said. The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control initially placed sanctions on Russia's oil sector on January 10, and gave Gazprom Neft 45 days to exit ownership of NIS. The U.S. Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. On Thursday, Belgrade sought an additional 180-day postponement from the U.S. NIS - in which Gazprom Neft ( opens new tab owns a 44.9% stake, Gazprom ( opens new tab 11.3%, and the Serbian government 29.9% - operates Serbia's sole refinery, in the town of Pancevo, just outside Belgrade. The facility has an annual capacity of 4.8 million tons and covers most of the Balkan country's needs. Sanctions could jeopardise its supplies of crude. Serbia sold a 51% stake in NIS to Gazprom in 2008 for 400 million euros ($464 million). On February 26, Gazprom Neft transferred a stake of around 5.15% in NIS to Gazprom in an attempt to ward off sanctions. NIS imports about 80% of its oil needs through Croatia's pipeline operator Janaf. The remainder is covered by its crude oil production in Serbia.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A small Serbian town is home to Robin Hood - in a new TV series
SIMANOVCI, Serbia (AP) — Villages and castles from 12th-century England came to life in a small town in Serbia for the filming of a new series about Robin Hood that has just wrapped in the landlocked country in southeast Europe. The 10-episode take on England's beloved medieval outlaw who, in lore, stole from the rich to give to the poor, comes from Lionsgate Television, and is expected to premiere on MGM+ in the U.S. and parts of Europe later this year. The Associated Press recently visited the set in Simanovci, the village which is home to a film studio and not far from the capital of Belgrade. Thorough research for the series was visible in the scenography and costumes, taking the cast — and the studio — back in time to the stony interiors of a candlelit castle, complete with stained-glass lancet windows. The 'sweeping, romantic adventure' offers a historically grounded look into how Robin Hood grew up to become an outlaw-turned-hero in the wake of the Norman conquest of England, the producers say. 'We actually show the beginning of Robin Hood,' producer, director and writer Jonathan English, who was a main driving force behind the project, said in an interview. 'We start the story with him as a child.' Self-described as a 'huge fan of all things medieval,' English marveled at Robin Hood's persistent global appeal. 'You can stop a pensioner on the streets of Belgrade and he knows who Robin Hood is. You can stop a teenager on the streets of Beijing, and they know who Robin Hood is,' he said. Asked whether the story is still relevant, following countless cinematic and small-screen adaptations, English insisted that 'it is incredibly relevant, probably more today than ... 50 years ago or 100 years ago, even.' 'It's a story about class and the absolute tyranny of class, people who believe that they can have everything and control everything and can own everything and everybody else could just, you know, get lost,' he said. 'There's always been wealthy people, but now you have uber-rich people. And the divide between the uber-rich and the rest of the world is extraordinary now.' The show's plot centers strongly on the romance between Robin and Marian. He is a Saxon forester's son and Marian is the daughter of a Norman lord but they overcome the divide to jointly fight for freedom and against injustice. Australian actor Jack Patten plays Robin, joined by Lauren McQueen as Marian. The two appear alongside Sean Bean as the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham, and Connie Nielsen, who plays Eleanor of Aquitaine, the queen of England and wife of Henry II. Patten admitted he was nervous ahead of his 'third gig since getting out of drama school.' His Robin is 'any young 24-year-old ... trying to find his place in the world' and who 'gets dealt some pretty tricky cards.' McQueen said Marian's character will be 'quite empowering' for young women watching the series. Filmed in multiple locations in Serbia and with hundreds of staff and crew, the series is 'huge' even by Hollywood standards, showrunner and writer John Glenn said. He described the new show as 'much more Peaky Blinders in tone' than previous incarnations, referring to the hit U.K. TV series about gangsters in 1920s Birmingham. Both Glenn and English said they chose Serbia because of high-standard facilities and crews but also because of the natural scenery that could mimic a medieval English landscape. 'It's hard to find ancient forests now in England,' English said. 'There's not a lot of undeveloped wilderness." Jovana Gec, The Associated Press
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
A small Serbian town is home to Robin Hood — in a new TV series
Villages and castles from 12th-century England came to life in a small town in Serbia for the filming of a new series about Robin Hood that has just wrapped in the landlocked country in southeast Europe. The 10-episode take on England's beloved medieval outlaw who, in lore, stole from the rich to give to the poor, comes from Lionsgate Television, and is expected to premiere on MGM+ in the U.S. and parts of Europe later this year. The Associated Press recently visited the set in Simanovci, the village which is home to a film studio and not far from the capital of Belgrade. Thorough research for the series was visible in the scenography and costumes, taking the cast — and the studio — back in time to the stony interiors of a candlelit castle, complete with stained-glass lancet windows. The 'sweeping, romantic adventure' offers a historically grounded look into how Robin Hood grew up to become an outlaw-turned-hero in the wake of the Norman conquest of England, the producers say. 'We actually show the beginning of Robin Hood,' producer, director and writer Jonathan English, who was a main driving force behind the project, said in an interview. 'We start the story with him as a child.' Self-described as a 'huge fan of all things medieval,' English marveled at Robin Hood's persistent global appeal. 'You can stop a pensioner on the streets of Belgrade and he knows who Robin Hood is. You can stop a teenager on the streets of Beijing, and they know who Robin Hood is,' he said. Asked whether the story is still relevant, following countless cinematic and small-screen adaptations, English insisted that 'it is incredibly relevant, probably more today than ... 50 years ago or 100 years ago, even.' 'It's a story about class and the absolute tyranny of class, people who believe that they can have everything and control everything and can own everything and everybody else could just, you know, get lost,' he said. 'There's always been wealthy people, but now you have uber-rich people. And the divide between the uber-rich and the rest of the world is extraordinary now.' The show's plot centers strongly on the romance between Robin and Marian. He is a Saxon forester's son and Marian is the daughter of a Norman lord but they overcome the divide to jointly fight for freedom and against injustice. Australian actor Jack Patten plays Robin, joined by Lauren McQueen as Marian. The two appear alongside Sean Bean as the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham, and Connie Nielsen, who plays Eleanor of Aquitaine, the queen of England and wife of Henry II. Patten admitted he was nervous ahead of his 'third gig since getting out of drama school.' His Robin is 'any young 24-year-old ... trying to find his place in the world' and who 'gets dealt some pretty tricky cards.' McQueen said Marian's character will be 'quite empowering' for young women watching the series. Filmed in multiple locations in Serbia and with hundreds of staff and crew, the series is 'huge' even by Hollywood standards, showrunner and writer John Glenn said. He described the new show as 'much more Peaky Blinders in tone' than previous incarnations, referring to the hit U.K. TV series about gangsters in 1920s Birmingham. Both Glenn and English said they chose Serbia because of high-standard facilities and crews but also because of the natural scenery that could mimic a medieval English landscape. 'It's hard to find ancient forests now in England,' English said. 'There's not a lot of undeveloped wilderness."
Washington Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
A small Serbian town is home to Robin Hood — in a new TV series
SIMANOVCI, Serbia — Villages and castles from 12th-century England came to life in a small town in Serbia for the filming of a new series about Robin Hood that has just wrapped in the landlocked country in southeast Europe. The 10-episode take on England's beloved medieval outlaw who, in lore, stole from the rich to give to the poor, comes from Lionsgate Television, and is expected to premiere on MGM+ in the U.S. and parts of Europe later this year. The Associated Press recently visited the set in Simanovci, the village which is home to a film studio and not far from the capital of Belgrade. Thorough research for the series was visible in the scenography and costumes, taking the cast — and the studio — back in time to the stony interiors of a candlelit castle, complete with stained-glass lancet windows. The 'sweeping, romantic adventure' offers a historically grounded look into how Robin Hood grew up to become an outlaw-turned-hero in the wake of the Norman conquest of England , the producers say. 'We actually show the beginning of Robin Hood,' producer, director and writer Jonathan English, who was a main driving force behind the project, said in an interview. 'We start the story with him as a child.' Self-described as a 'huge fan of all things medieval,' English marveled at Robin Hood's persistent global appeal. 'You can stop a pensioner on the streets of Belgrade and he knows who Robin Hood is. You can stop a teenager on the streets of Beijing, and they know who Robin Hood is,' he said. Asked whether the story is still relevant, following countless cinematic and small-screen adaptations, English insisted that 'it is incredibly relevant, probably more today than ... 50 years ago or 100 years ago, even.' 'It's a story about class and the absolute tyranny of class, people who believe that they can have everything and control everything and can own everything and everybody else could just, you know, get lost,' he said. 'There's always been wealthy people, but now you have uber-rich people. And the divide between the uber-rich and the rest of the world is extraordinary now.' The show's plot centers strongly on the romance between Robin and Marian. He is a Saxon forester's son and Marian is the daughter of a Norman lord but they overcome the divide to jointly fight for freedom and against injustice. Australian actor Jack Patten plays Robin, joined by Lauren McQueen as Marian. The two appear alongside Sean Bean as the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham, and Connie Nielsen, who plays Eleanor of Aquitaine, the queen of England and wife of Henry II. Patten admitted he was nervous ahead of his 'third gig since getting out of drama school.' His Robin is 'any young 24-year-old ... trying to find his place in the world' and who 'gets dealt some pretty tricky cards.' McQueen said Marian's character will be 'quite empowering' for young women watching the series. Filmed in multiple locations in Serbia and with hundreds of staff and crew, the series is 'huge' even by Hollywood standards, showrunner and writer John Glenn said. He described the new show as 'much more Peaky Blinders in tone' than previous incarnations, referring to the hit U.K. TV series about gangsters in 1920s Birmingham. Both Glenn and English said they chose Serbia because of high-standard facilities and crews but also because of the natural scenery that could mimic a medieval English landscape. 'It's hard to find ancient forests now in England,' English said. 'There's not a lot of undeveloped wilderness.'
