The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Will Connor Get Cooked?

Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

4.5

Food is magic. Really.

How many fairy tale, folklore, and mythological characters were lured away from safety or tempted into danger by a shiny apple, a tantalizing (!) smell, or the promise of a full belly?

And monsters need to eat too. Right?

The Librarians: The Next Chapter “And the Recipe for Disaster”

Once again, as has been the trend this season, the Librarians must confront and defeat magical beings on The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 4, “And the Recipe for Disaster.”

And for the second time in two consecutive offerings, one of the team members is targeted and caught up in the magical occurrence.

We learned on The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 1 “And the Burning Heart,” that Connor’s deepest fear was losing his mind, something he was accused of when he first began to research and teach about the existence of magic in the world.

Harboring that fear still, he subconsciously feels alone on the team and falls victim to the smell spell projected out by the Cooked! show’s hosts, Gunther and Hilda.

Cooked!

As a retooling of the Hansel and Gretel story, “And the Recipe for Disaster” does a brilliant job of fracturing the classic fairy tale, first published in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm but with roots in the 14th century’s prevalence of famine and child abandonment.

I assume that Gunther and Hilda were once mortal children. In order to survive their family’s abandonment, they overpowered the witch who would’ve eaten them and their despair.

In doing so, they inherited her hungry magic, transforming into creatures that must feed on the sorrows of humanity.

Then, Vikram’s release of magic combined with the modern trend for cooking shows inspired them to take their hunger to the masses rather than wait for meals to come to them.

It’s all so weirdly logical. Of course, they’d feed on those attracted by the smell spell. Why wouldn’t they consume the very people who seek comfort in cooking competition shows?

Smell-o-Vision

The sense of smell is such an evocative thing. It can stir up memories and emotions, triggering all sorts of unexpected reactions.

As Lysa bemoans the loss of her olfactory abilities to her cold, the others lose their memories to Hilda and Gunther’s magical studio scent spell.

It seems their magic predominantly utilizes smell, as people have to breathe, so they really have no defense against it.

If memory serves, Hansel and Gretel were first attracted to the witch’s gingerbread house by the smell of food. Smell magic would be far-reaching and most effective at attracting hungry prey.

By projecting the attracting gingerbread spell through the television, they amplify their reach even further.

And the novelty of smelling something through the TV means their victims take even deeper breaths, falling further under the spell. How deliciously clever!

The (Micro)Wave of the Future

My second favorite element of “And the Recipe for Disaster” is Vikram’s use of the microwave to foil Gunther and Hilda’s gingerbread spell.

“That’s the real magic of food. It’s not about the competition. It’s not even about the meal, really. It’s about breaking bread with people who accept you.”

Microwave mug bread > Gingerbread spell. Who would’ve thunk it?

Vikram’s expertise isn’t just in what he knows: it’s the zeal with which he learns. He, like the other Librarians, implicitly knows that knowledge is infinite. There’s always something new to absorb and process.

The Most Delicious Easter Egg

I did say the microwave mug bread solution was my SECOND favorite thing, right?

Can you guess what my first favorite thing is?

Here’s a hint: It’s in the background.

Another hint: It’s Dean Devlin (show creator) related.

Last hint: If you didn’t see it when it happened, you probably don’t watch The Ark.

Yup, Dean Devlin’s other show currently running, Syfy’s The Ark, also films in Belgrade, Serbia, at the PFI Studios. So having the uniforms cameo in the background while at the Cooked! studios was delightfully easy-peasy.

Seriously, how fun is that?

Cooking Up a Storm

To extend the metaphor, “And the Recipe for Disaster” feeds the soul and thoroughly satisfies with its message of community, support, and comfort.

Connor’s memory of the team’s first meal together is a cornerstone to his sense of self.

Each of the contestants on Cooked! feels connected to their recipes through the happy memories their food evokes.

Even Gunther and Hilda find food motivating and comforting.

Going back to my assumption that they were human children at one point, it was famine and hunger that drove their family to abandon them. Food was safety and security.

Threatening food security brings out the monster in all of us. It literally made monsters of Gunther and Hilda.

At the same time, the fact that they sought to eat the Cooked! contestants, only to be turned into food themselves, is an incredibly fitting solution.

But like the Genie from The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Episode 2, “And the Tethered Wish,” something about storing them in a cookie jar for the rest of time doesn’t quite sit right with me.

Could this be leading to a Merlin-led uprising of jailed magical folk? Who else has been incarcerated in the Library for the crime of existing or surviving? There’s some food for thought, Fanatics!

Hit our comments with your thoughts on “And the Recipe for Disaster,” and vote for which Belgrade Library Annex team member you think would be the best cook!

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