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2 • December 25 - 31, 2016 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media A ction, adventure, intrigue — these may not be the first words that come to mind when we think of librarians, but one TV show offers viewers a twist on the stereotypically mundane profes- sion. A group of unlikely heroes bat- tles an ancient god to prevent pure evil from being unleashed on the world in a new episode of the third season of "The Librarians," airing Sunday, Dec. 25, on TNT. Based on David N. Titcher's ("Hou- dini and Doyle") "The Librarian," which was released in 2004 and spawned two sequels, the fantasy drama follows a group of Librari- ans dedicated to protecting the unwitting public from the hidden magical realm and its threats. Now in season 3, the show stars Rebecca Romijn ("X-Men," 2000), Christian Kane ("Leverage"), Lin- dy Booth ("The Famous Jett Jack- son") and John Harlan Kim ("The Neighbours") as the latest team of Librarians tasked with keeping the world safe. John Larroquette ("Night Court") portrays Jenkins, their reluctant caretaker. The big news this season is the return of Noah Wyle, who starred as the lead Librarian, Flynn Carsen, in the original movie franchise. Wyle filmed the first movie while on a hiatus from his role as Dr. John Carter in NBC's mega hit "ER," and was starring in TNT's "Falling Skies" when "The Librari- ans" series was conceived. In a November interview with "Enter- tainment Tonight," he talked about how refreshing it has been to play Carsen again. "I've always looked at Flynn and the Librarians franchise as medicinal doses every time I get a little too oversaturated doing dra- ma," said Wyle, adding that work- ing on "The Librarians" was "like a summer vacation job." Wyle has guest starred in occa- sional episodes of the first two seasons, of course, but he's even more involved in season 3 of the hit drama. He's been an executive producer for the show since the beginning and, in March, it was announced that Wyle would ap- pear in seven of this season's 10 episodes. He's also slated to direct two episodes, and even write one. In fact, Sunday's episode marks his writing debut. Entitled "And the Trial of the Triangle," the epi- sode follows the team's efforts to unravel the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle as they try to find the Eye of Ra and stop the spread of pure evil. The installment is particularly challenging for Wyle's character, as Carsen must pass a series of tests that not only help him find the Eye, but also teach him a lot about himself. The actor told "ET" that the experi- ence was "way better than [he] expected." Carsen's partner is Eve Baird (Romijn), a former antiterror agent for NATO who took on the role of Guardian in the series debut, which aired in December 2014 to more than five million viewers. Baird uses her military training to protect Carsen and the other Li- brarians on their many harrowing adventures. However, now that she and Carsen are romantically involved, she struggles to keep her feelings for him from getting in the way of her duty to protect the others. The other members of the team each possess unique skills that help them on their many quests. Kane is Oklahoma-born cowboy Jacob Stone, the perfect combina- tion of brains and brawn, thanks to his knowledge of art, architec- ture and history. Cassandra Cillian's (Booth) in- tellectual gifts are enhanced by a condition known as synesthesia, which allows her to link her senses to her memory. As a life- threatening tumor me- tastasizes in her brain throughout the season, she's overwhelmed by hallucinations, and must learn to control her gifts to help the team unravel myster- ies of magic and sci- ence. New recruit Ezekiel Jones (Kim) is an unlikely choice to save the world. He's actually a world-class thief, but his skills are invaluable when the Librarians need to get in or out of somewhere. While Baird recognizes that he has potential, not everyone is happy to have him on board. For many fans and critics, the highlight of the show is Emmy winner Larroquette as Jenkins, the reclusive caretaker of the Library's Annex in Portland, Ore- gon. He was none too pleased when Baird and the others set up their base of operations in his quiet sanctuary, where he likes to tin- ker with gadgets. At the end of the first season, it was revealed that Jen- kins is actually the immortal Knight of the Round Table Gala- had. The stakes are high in season 3 as the team faces off against the ancient Egyptian god of chaos, who wields the power of pure evil. As if that wasn't enough, the team also runs afoul of the Department of Statistical Anomalies (DOSA), which has been set up to appre- hend the Librarians and take con- trol of the magical artifacts hidden inside the Library. All the while, the Librarians dis- cover that there are even more artifacts in the world than they ex- pected. Ranked the No. 2 basic ca- ble series in its freshman year, "The Librarians" averaged more than five million viewers per episode, and clocked in as one of cable's top 20 original dramas. Find out if season 3 lives up to the hype and join Flynn, Baird and the others on another epic adventure in a new episode of "The Librarians," airing Sunday, Dec. 25, on TNT. Stacks of thrills Season 3 of 'The Librarians' in full swing on TNT Cover Story this week Noah Wyle, Rebecca Romijn and Lindy Booth star in "The Librarians" 001509644r1 Kinship Partners Inc. Match of the Month For more information about Kinship Partners, call (218) 829-4606 or visit www.kinshippartners.org Be a Friend. Be a Mentor. Photography donated by True Photography & Design Why not start your own friendship journey? As 2016 ends, it is time to make personal commitments for the coming year. Dawn Ohman did that over two years ago when she met Alexis. "I am a mentor because it is my turn to give back," said Dawn. "When my oldest son was 7 years old he had a Kinship Partner. He is now 32, and he has often talked about the times he spent with his mentor and how much it meant to him." Dawn and Alexis have made a weekly commitment to one another. They enjoy a long list of activities including fishing, bowling, and swimming as most kids do. But Alexis also looks forward to a trip to the local DQ for a treat and some homework help. Thank you, Dawn and Alexis, for remaining committed to mentoring. Having a reliable adult as a friend can be priceless for a child. 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