Season 2 of TNT's Best Series Will Be Your Next Fantasy Obsession | Review

4 hours ago 10

Published Jul 29, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, and conducts interviews. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His novella, The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain, was released in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.

It is often the case in our modern streaming age that fantasy shows are geared more towards mature audiences, and that's something of a shame. Fantasy, as a genre, offers the viewer a magical perspective on the world while speaking fondly to the inner child. There is a reason that so many grow up with the legends of King Arthur, the realm of Narnia, and the journeys of small Hobbits who make a world of difference. While few contemporary programs capture that same childlike wonder and sense of fantastical adventure, The Librarians: The Next Chapter is an outlier that does so quite wonderfully — and now in its second season, that enterprising spirit has only increased.

'The Librarians: The Next Chapter' Is a Novel Take on 'The Librarians' Formula

From the beginning, The Librarians: The Next Chapter was meant as a spin-off to continue The Librarians franchise beyond the original TNT series and the Noah Wyle-led made-for-TV movies that preceded it. It's not a direct continuation of past entries, nor was it meant to replace the adventures of the heroes we came to love over those installments. Rather, it's more akin to how Stargate Atlantis operated parallel to Stargate SG-1, or how Angel ran alongside Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It can be watched entirely independent of the original program or in conjunction with it. The only difference is that these are the only Librarians exploits currently on the air. However, it more than makes up for that sorry fact with fast-paced, character-driven episodes that somehow manage to recapture the spirit of the original series.

Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek

Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.

🚀Star Wars

💍Lord of the Rings

🧙Harry Potter

👑Game of Thrones

🖖Star Trek

FIND YOUR UNIVERSE →

What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question.

ABeing part of something larger than myself — a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me. BThe journey itself — the places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way. CLearning — unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more. DLegacy — the name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me. EUnderstanding — exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast.

NEXT QUESTION →

Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully.

AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture — connected by conflict, trade, and the Force. BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges. CA world hidden inside our own — full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned. DA brutal, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation. EA future where humanity has reached the stars — and must decide what kind of species it wants to be.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul.

AThrough sacrifice and courage — someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to. BThrough fellowship — the impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road. CThrough growth — confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge. DThrough strategy — outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt. EThrough dialogue — finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer that doesn't require a body count.

NEXT QUESTION →

Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for.

AA small crew — a pilot, a rogue, a warrior — each broken in their own way, unbeatable together. BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road. CFriends who grew up alongside me — who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway. DAllies whose loyalty I've earned — and tested — and whose ambitions align with mine, for now. EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space.

NEXT QUESTION →

What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are.

AI want to use it to protect — and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful. BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up. CI want to earn it — through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it. DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me. EI want to understand it — its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real threat.

NEXT QUESTION →

How does your universe treat good and evil? A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map.

AThere is a dark side and a light side — and the choice between them is always present, always personal. BEvil is real and ancient and patient — and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it. CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people — and people are complicated, always capable of both. DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency. EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems — and understanding it is the first step to solving it.

NEXT QUESTION →

What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying?

AThe reluctant hero — ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act. BThe unlikely carrier — the one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything. CThe student — not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs. DThe player — sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it. EThe explorer — drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before.

NEXT QUESTION →

What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you.

AThat hope is real — that even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible. CThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try. CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise. DThat the wheel keeps turning — that power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it. EThat humanity — or whatever we become — is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be.

REVEAL MY UNIVERSE →

Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…

Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.

Star Wars

You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.

You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance.
You'd find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources.
Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story.
The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is.

Lord of the Rings

You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.

Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate.
You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival.
Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance.
Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world.

Harry Potter

You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.

The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle.
You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely.

Game of Thrones

You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.

Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation.
You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be.
Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer.
Winter always comes. You are already prepared.

Star Trek

You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.

Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear.
You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better?
You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

Amazingly, the spin-off reinterprets the material in a fresh way that doesn't undo (or simply redo) what's been done before. It's its own thing, though it undoubtedly falls under the same distinct brand of fantasy adventure. Developed by Dean Devlin and John Rogers, The Next Chapter owes much of its charm and whimsy not just to the creative minds behind the series, but those at the forefront of each episode. After getting to know them over the first season, Season 2 wastes no time sending us flying through the magical door with its lead cast into whatever new mystery presents itself. Callum McGowan leads the charge as time-displaced Vikram Chamberlain, head Librarian of the Belgrade Annex, who has struggled to adapt to the 21st century — and he's no closer to adapting to our world.

In many respects, McGowan's performance is remarkably reminiscent of Tim Mison's Ichabod Crane from Fox's gone-too-soon paranormal drama Sleepy Hollow, another man-out-of-time who uses his knowledge of history to battle supernatural forces in the present day. While the similarities between these two men are strong, The Librarians' tone stands in stark contrast to the moody look and feel of Sleepy Hollow, which was sometimes a bit more of a horror show than straight fantasy. Thus, McGowan plays Vikram with a bit more levity and wonder in each step, emphasizing his 19th-century eccentricities in each scene. One may be tempted to consider him a "discount Crane" in some sense, but that's an oversimplification that doesn't account for the differences between these series. Of course, The Librarians doesn't work in this format without a team to fill out the Annex, and Vikram's cohorts offer their own unique strengths.

Lysa Pascal (Olivia Morris) is proficient in physics, mathematics, and engineering. Her personal tragedy and desire for a "found family" fuels her devotion to the team, and stands in contrast to Vikram's struggles to accept his place in this "brave new world." But while Lysa is the team's resident magic skeptic, former professor-turned-conspiracy buff Connor Green (Bluey Robinson) is a true believer to his core. Despite his belief, however, he wrestles with obsessiveness regarding magic — an obsession that may very well grip him if he isn't careful. Morris and Robinson balance each other quite well, with Charlie Cornwall (Jessica Green of The Outpost fame) — the trio's Guardian — there to pull them out of the fire. Of the four, Green's character is perhaps the most underdeveloped, but like Rebecca Romijn in the previous series, she has arguably the most creative potential. It's one thing to guard one Librarian, but how does one manage three? That is, in part, what this season is about.

'The Next Chapter' Season 2 Introduces New Faces and Revives Returning Favorites

The first two episodes of this season — "And the Burning Heart" and "And the Tethered Wish" — establish the mantra of "be careful what you wish for" as the long, unwinding thread connecting each character dot this season. Naturally, this idea begins to take hold once the group encounters a Camelot legend: Dominic Monaghan's Merlin. Yes, that Merlin. The former ally of King Arthur has returned after centuries of slumber, and though the character was referenced on occasion in the original Librarians, this marks his first official appearance. Well, after that brief tease at the end of Season 1's "And the Unfinished Business," of course.

Monaghan may not be anyone's first choice for Merlin (he's always felt more Hobbit-ish than wizard-y), but The Lord of the Rings star proves himself a brilliant cast. Not only does his distinct interpretation of the ancient wizard fit in quite well with the franchise's usual, offbeat depictions of Arthurian figures, but Monaghan plays the part so smoothly that one cannot tell if he is a true friend or conniving foe. Annex caretaker Mrs. Astolat (Caroline Loncq) has her own opinions, but the jury is still out. In addition to new faces like Merlin, old Librarian staples pop up this season as well. Christian Kane returns as fan-favorite Jacob Stone in the second episode, which feels more like a crossover with The Librarians than just a simple one-and-done guest appearance.

As always, Kane's dynamic with The Next Chapter cast is so natural that we almost wish both Librarian groups could come together permanently. The season is peppered with offhanded references to John Harlan Kim's Ezekiel Jones and John Larroquette's Jenkins, which further connect the Portland Annex with the Belgrade-based team, but despite how often these characters are name-dropped, it never feels forced or overly indulgent. Rather, it's just another reminder that the events of The Next Chapter don't occur in a narrative vacuum — how Vikram and his team deal with magic will affect other characters we care about too. Perhaps it also helps that we already know that these nods are planting seeds for Lindy Booth's confirmed franchise as Cassandra Cillian this season. Here's hoping TNT renews this show soon so that we can reunite the whole North American branch of the Library...

That said, The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 isn't just notable because of its impressive (and long-anticipated) guest stars. That's just icing on the cake. TNT's flagship fantasy series builds on its first season foundation by giving each of our heroes a personal wish worth wrestling with. Vikram's is explored in the second episode, but the season premiere hints at what drives each member of the team into this new normal at the Library. Admittedly, it does so in a way so incredibly on-the-nose that it leaves little to the imagination. The Librarians has never been known for its subtlety, and if there's one obvious criticism of the second season, it's that the dialogue could sometimes use a little finer-tuning. That said, considering how hours like "And the Feast of the Vampir" and "And Going Medieval" were able to surprise us in the back half of last season, we're hopeful that future episodes will land better.

'The Librarians: The Next Chapter' Is Fantasy Entertainment Perfect for the Whole Family

This season of The Librarians: The Next Chapter continues to explore a world full of magic that unapologetically pulls from mythology, literature, and religious texts. True to form, it's unafraid of being overly referential, occasionally goofy, or of wearing its heart on its sleeve. This may be a turnoff to some who prefer their fantasy to be a bit more high-brow or grimdark, but that's been this world's charm ever since executive producer Noah Wyle's very first feature-length installment. (Speaking of, it appears we're nowhere closer to Flynn Carsen's return since Wyle's busy over on The Pitt.) It's because of this lighter tone and the occasionally unserious (though never emotionally dishonest) adventures that The Next Chapter is perfectly addictive family-friendly entertainment, not unlike its predecessor. I just wish the full season was out already.

In short, The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 is an exercise in fantastical adventure that doubles as endless fun. No, it's not as high-budget or expansive as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, nor does it have quite the devoted following as a show like Supernatural, but this is a cult series well worth picking up. McGowen, Green, and the rest of the cast continue to leave a distinct mark on The Librarian franchise, and I wouldn't be surprised if, in another decade or two, we're calling for their return in The Next, Next Chapter... If you're looking for a lighthearted drama with characters worth rooting for week-in and week-out, look no further.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 premieres on TNT on August 2, 2026.

Release Date May 25, 2025

Network TNT

Showrunner Dean Devlin

Writers Dean Devlin

Franchise(s) The Librarians

Caroline Loncq

Elaine Astalot
Callum McGowan

Vikram Chamberlin

Pros & Cons

Everything you loved about the original Librarians series is made new here.
The main cast has great chemistry that is finally beginning to rival the original team.
Dominic Monaghan is perfect as Merlin. We can't wait to see what he does next.
The promise of returning franchise cast members is an exciting one.

Noah Wylie is an executive producer, but would it kill him to come back as Flynn Carsen?
Repetitive themes could derail longterm character development, but it's still quite early in the season to tell.

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