TV DVD Review: "The Librarians": Season One

Synopsis: In this follow-up to the TNT telefilm trilogy, Librarian Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle, ER) enlists the help of three would-be Librarians--cancer-stricken math genius Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth), master thief Ezekiel Jones (John Harlan Kim), and super-smart art expert Jacob Stone (Christian Kane)--to keep the villainous Serpent Brotherhood from ruling the world via magic.  Along for the ride is their new Guardian, former miliary colonel Eve Baird (Rebecca Romijn).  Together, they will meet Santa Claus, experience fairy tales come to life, and attend a high school science fair that isn't all it seems to be.  Will they be able to save the day using their smarts and strength?
As seen on TNT.  Also features an appearance by screen legend Bob Newhart.

The Good: At its core, this is a fun, action-packed serial with plenty of fantastically convoluted plots.  The actors all do amazingly well, especially when the story forces them to go beyond their normal character, which happens quite often.  For the most part, the violence isn't graphic, and the profanity is kept to a minimum.  Cassandra is rather attractive, and it's awesome to see a disabled character portrayed as not only likable, but über intelligent as well.

The Bad: As much as I liked this, it did have some troublesome moments.  While all of the episodes had at least a profanity or two, the eighth episode ("Heart of Darkness") had more than I was comfortable with, and was a bit scary as well.  Also, the final episode contains misuses of Jesus' name, as well as a bloody sequence that is repeated several times.  Though the wardrobe is mostly modest, Cassandra and a female villainess are seen in immodest garb at times.  Some discerning viewers may quibble with the usage of magic throughout the series.

Conclusion: I requested this from the library because I had a feeling I'd like it...and, for the most part, I did.  Not only was it full of action and fantasy elements, but the character of Cassandra was awesome, and the profanity was kept to a minimum, which is a surprise for a cable series on a non-kiddie network.  While the concerns listed above may keep some viewers away, I'm curious as to where the series goes from here, particularly after the events of the finale, which won't be described here.  In short: If you like action/fantasy series, check this out.

Score: 4/5