NYCC 2015: The Librarians Season 2 Panel

Michael Moccio ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Editor-in-Chief
Official Description: The enchanting action-packed series, THE LIBRARIANS, returns to NYCC with a first look at Season 2! After saving the world from legendary evil in Season 1, the Librarians have returned to face all new missions and all new ancient enemies. Outsmarting evil and protecting the world. It’s just another day in the life of a Librarian. Join the cast of THE LIBRARIANS, including Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane, John Kim, Lindy Booth and John Larroquette for a first look at the Season 2 premiere and Q&A. After the Panel, you’ll get the first look at TNT’s all new series, AGENT X, starring Sharon Stone and Jeff Hephner.
The lights dimmed and a promo reel of Season 1 began to show, recapping the major elements of the first season. After the moderator stepped out onto the stage—it’s the i09 Staff Writer who reviewed the series. She introduced each member of the panel, to rousing applause by the audience.
“We all make things up for ourselves,” Larroquette said, on how much he knows—or lack thereof—about his character. “I knew he was old, but I didn’t realize he was that old. And it’s thanks to Dean Devlin and the writers.”
“For me, it’s about how everyone becomes a family,” said Kane. He pushed how each of them don’t now a
“The thing about Ezekiel, is that the writers are good at selectively dropping hints,” said Kim. “The description I got for the part was ‘international man of mystery.’ And by international, I mean Australian! As far as how our characters’ past, a lot of us do a lot of work behind the scenes. To collaborate with such a great writing and producing team is a joy.”
“The writers know us better now in Season 2,” said Booth. “So now we can all get a little meatier with them. We’ve all been exploring a bit of that.”
“First of all, we didn’t know we would have a Season 2,” Kane said, talking about the ending. “And that’s all thanks to you guys.”
“There’s a giant disaster in New York,” Booth said, talking about the season premiere. “The theme of this season is going to be we’re better together and it’s a great reason for all of us to come back. Of course, it’s a struggle and we have to relearn how to work together.”
“You’re going to really enjoy the opening of this season,” said Kane.
“The thing about Ezekiel, is that the writers are good at selectively dropping hints,” said Kim. “The description I got for the part was ‘international man of mystery.’ And by international, I mean Australian! As far as how our characters’ past, a lot of us do a lot of work behind the scenes. To collaborate with such a great writing and producing team is a joy.”
“The writers know us better now in Season 2,” said Romijn. “So now we can all get a little meatier with them. We’ve all been exploring a bit of that.”
“First of all, we didn’t know we would have a Season 2,” Kane said, talking about the ending. “And that’s all thanks to you guys.”
“There’s a giant disaster in New York,” Romijn said, talking about the season premiere. “The theme of this season is going to be we’re better together and it’s a great reason for all of us to come back. Of course, it’s a struggle and we have to relearn how to work together.”
“You’re going to really enjoy the opening of this season,” said Kane.
“I remember showing up in the pilot,” Kim said, “and Dean gave me the keys to the car, really. He let me give so much suggestions. It’s something I’m extremely grateful for. I think we’ve worked out a flow now in Season 2 and we know all our strengths.”
Romijn stepped onto the stage, playfully poking fun at New York traffic.
“I think it’s the new edgy,” Devlin said, talking about how genre shows have turned dark. “There’s a lot of good work going on. But I miss shows that the entire family can watch. And a show that genuinely loves the genre. Some people approach these things as ‘oh, this will be a commercial show’ and others approach it because we think it’s fun. We love this as much as Scorsese loves an art film. All these actors here know exactly how to play that. It’s not so elevated that we lose the drama and the stories, but it’s elevated enough we can have a lot of fun.”
They then played some clips and a trailer from Season 2. The first clip showed how everyone wants to work alone, because they’ve been “doing the whole ibrarian thing solo,” as Ezekial says in the trailer. Of course, Romij’s character is exasperated, so it’s clear this is what the panelists meant when they said they’d have to learn how to work together again.
The second clip showed how a secret government technology military operation (DARPA) found a hunk of Atlantean piece of metal. Booth’s character was interested in how it could revolutionize modern technology, but no one else was particularly enthused, particularly Jenkins.
The moderator then turned to the Easter Eggs shown in Season 1. Romijn revealed the following: “Prospero, James Moriarty, Queen of Hearts, Frankenstein,” before being stopped by Devlin. Everyone then gave what they’d want to face.
“Our world is limitless,” said Rmijn. “I can’t believe what they keep coming up with.”
“When John told us fictionals would come to life,” Booth said, “I went ‘Whaaat?’ It was so cool, like a dream come true. The cast is so amazing and it keeps getting better and better. Watching them come to life, it was really amazing.”
“With the movies, it was about the Librarian getting artifacts to the library before it could get released into the world,” Devlin said. “But now they’re trying to get the genie back in the bottle. They have to make people think they didn’t see what they just saw. It becomes a much harder job.”
“I think with magic existing now, it makes it more limitless,” Booth added.
“We started this panel by showing you a recap of Season 1… all those things, you have to know for Season 2,” Devlin revealed, showing that Season 2 would continue on from plot elements in Season 1. “They’re going to spend more time curing the library.”
“The Library is sick,” Romijn added. “We also had another alternate universe episode that we loved doing.”
“I think that becomes a theme,” Booth says, talking about incorporating science and magic. “How do we begin to live in a world where both of these things need to exist together? There are different opinions on how that should be handled.”
“I think they touched on how there’s a lot of science in magic and vice versa,” Kane added.
“We’re still learning,” Kane said. “We just saw so much magic in the first season, we’re still shocked. We’re all still trying to figure that out. Jenkins lets us figure it out. Sometiems he knows an answer, sometimes he doesn’t, but he lets us try.”
“Now that we’re full-fledged Librarians, it’s like having too many cooks in the kitchen,” Kim said. “At the end of the day, we still do defer to Jenkins.”
“Flynn is in half the episodes this season,” Devlin added, “and actually directed an episode this season. One of the best.”
The panel then turned to Audience Q&A.
Will The Librarians come to the graphic novel format?
Devlin: We’re looking into it.
The one episode you were undercover as a country singer was cool! Is there any chance of us seeing your music on the show?
Kane: We just wrapped for Season 2 and I’m going back to Los Angeles this week and I’m hitting the studio. We’re going to start working on another album.
Devlin: While he isn’t singing this season, there will be a viral video released where he’s singing.
If they ever decided to make a sequel of Tenth Kingdom would you be on board?
Larroquette: I think it’s open to it.
If you were asked to do a Marvel or DC movie, what character would you want to be?
Booth: I don’t know! Scarlet Witch it good. Maybe Poison Ivy? There’s so many good red heads out there.
Kim: I hear Hugh Jackman’s leaving soon…
Booth: Oh, then definitely Wolverine!
Larroquette: I’ve never understood why they wouldn’t make a J’onn J’onez movie.
Kane: I mean, if Hugh Jackman is stepping down…
Kim: This one’s for you diehard comic book fans: but, Amadeus Cho is the new Hulk and I’d love to do that.
Do you have plans to put in more direct or indirect references to the movies?
Devlin: If you’ve been involved in the universe, you get Easter Eggs no one else gets, but you don’t need them to enjoy the show. But I’m old. I’ve done a lot of stuff, but nothing is as much fun as doing The Librarians. For me, the more we can expand the universe, the more we can live in the universe, the happier I am.
Without revealing too much, would we be seeing any romance between the fictionals and Librarians?
Romijn: Maybe! I don’t want to spoil anything. Our Season 2 villain is James Moriarty, who’s conjured up by Prospero. Throughout the Season, he and I work against each other and together to help Fynn and Prospero. I have to keep reminding him and me that he’s not real. So, you never know.
And that was the conclusion of the panel, followed by the sneak premiere of Agent X. Check back for more NYCC news and developments at Emertainment Monthly!