S04.E09: And a Town Called Feud

[formerlyfreedom]

When a Civil War re-enactment in a town called Feud is plagued by ghosts, the Librarians have to uncover the truth of what really happened there over 100 years ago.

[FormerMod-a1]

I liked it.  Mortal Jenkins is fun, but I still want him to become immortal again.

[mythoughtis]

With all the discussion of tethering- seems like Cassandra and Jenkins are the real ties to the library. I would assume that it  was Charlotte as a guardian that was tethered with Judson( ?) because Jenkins was already immortal. 

It was a good episode.  Thought for sure museum owner was going to turn out to be the widow. I was wrong and glad I was- liked the way it ended. 

Cassandra is still too perky. 

[JonasArm]

Often some good moments when it's Stone and Jones bickering. Of course the obvious is on display here as Flynn is the only well rounded librarian.

Cassandra is hard to watch for me and I'm still not over the fact that she's never apolozied for her past actions (if I remember correctly).

Does Eve know where the heart is ?

[Clanstarling]

Yeah, when Eve tapped her right side, I did laugh a little.

I'm don't really like whole "one librarian to rule them all" theme (okay, just the one librarian, got carried away). I think it's obvious that the library knows what it wants. Stone is probably the most well rounded, but adding a techie thief and a brilliant mind add to the available skills for the ever changing world makes sense to me, since not everything is ancient artifact related.

Edited January 18, 2018 by Clanstarling

[libgirl2]

11 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

I liked it.  Mortal Jenkins is fun, but I still want him to become immortal again.

So do I. 

[mirrorrim]

Why can't Jenkins be the one tethered to the library? Who was tethered with who when it was just Flynn as the librarian? Was Ms. Noone, Flynn's old guardian, tethered? But she wasnt right, cuz she had to go around the rules to become immortal (the first time) and they've made it clear Eve has had to think hard about becoming immortal when she is tethered. So then who was tethered then if not Flynn and his old guardian? And since Flynn and Ms. Noone weren't tethered, that means there is no rule that it must be a librarian + guardian tethered. But they are not looking at any other options other than that. I'm confused. 

Edited January 18, 2018 by mirrorrim

[tennisgurl]

Another good episode, I loved the Stone and Ezekiel bickering, and how the whole civil war ghost story worked out. I love a ghost story, and I love history, so this was pretty made tailor made for me. I thought that it would turn out that the museum lady would be the widow, so I was pleasantly surprised by what they actually did with it. This is another episode without a real "villain", it was just people making mistakes and learning a lesson, and everything works out for everyone pretty much. The ghosts were just trying to move on with their family, and the museum lady was trying to help her town, even if she went about it the wrong way. 

I enjoyed the war reinactors and their hijinks as well, especially the rivalry between the confederate conspiracy theorist and the union guy who apparently kept stealing his boyfriends when they were in high school! I also loved when Eve went over to the Union reinactors and they all saluted to her when she did her "Military voice" at them. 

I think the "we are better librarians because we work together" stuff works well in the way that it shows how the main characters work together, but the whole thing seems silly. Its obvious that the three librarian work well together and balance each other out, why the debate? 

[mythoughtis]

I believe Charlene and Judson were tethered. They are both gone now, hence the need for new people to be tethered.  They were a guardian and librarian pair. However- I think we will eventually find out that the two don’t need to be in those positions- nor do they need to be a romantic couple. So Jenkins and Cassandra are my suggestions. 

[Maelstrom]

OK, I just can't with this whole contrived "there must only be one Librarian" farce. Show, you already addressed that issue in the first season. You did a much better job there. And it was touched on again in season two, to reinforce what we learned in season one about why the whole team is needed. Please stop insulting me with this pathetic retread of a storyline. What, one long dead Librarian from the past comes along and says "oh noes!" and suddenly everyone's in a tizzy? Come on! Like times and circumstances haven't changed within the Library like they have in the real world? People used to think that leeches made you healthy and lead face paint was a swell idea. So why can't the One Librarian To Rule Them All* schtick be just as outdated? Come on.

Hmm, that didn't start out as a rant in my head. Oh well. All that aside, another fun episode. Christian Kane bickering with a pseudo little brother will never not entertain me. Rebecca continues to nail the dry, sardonic tone that makes me love Eve so. My favorite part had to be her telling the two boys not to worry, that they were both pretty, and them immediately erupting into an argument over why each is actually the prettier one. Ha!

Cassandra went to a lot of trouble setting up High Tea at the Annex. I'm impressed!

*Thanks, Clanstarling!

[thuganomics85]

Enjoyed the case of the week since I'm always a sucker for a story involving the Civil War era.  Nora Dunn is one of those actresses I always enjoy, enjoyed the squabbling between the reinactors, and what really happened between the two brothers that were on "opposite sides of the war."  And while I'll don't think it will ever top Spencer/Hardison on Leverage, I really have grown to enjoy Jake and Ezekiel's bickering.

The stuff with Jenkins and Cassandra was fine, but I agree that this story seems like it is going through the motions because clearly it's going to end with all three of them still needing to be the Librarians.  Maybe there will be a twist or something that makes this interesting, but for now, it's kind of by the numbers.

[Skyfall]

13 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

Enjoyed the case of the week since I'm always a sucker for a story involving the Civil War era.  Nora Dunn is one of those actresses I always enjoy, enjoyed the squabbling between the reinactors, and what really happened between the two brothers that were on "opposite sides of the war."  And while I'll don't think it will ever top Spencer/Hardison on Leverage, I really have grown to enjoy Jake and Ezekiel's bickering.

The stuff with Jenkins and Cassandra was fine, but I agree that this story seems like it is going through the motions because clearly it's going to end with all three of them still needing to be the Librarians.  Maybe there will be a twist or something that makes this interesting, but for now, it's kind of by the numbers.

Only twist I can imagine and it’s only if the writers/producers figured this was going to be the final season: tethering ceremony doesn’t happen or gets interrupted and the Libary is lost for good.

[Sarah 103]

22 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

With all the discussion of tethering- seems like Cassandra and Jenkins are the real ties to the library. I would assume that it  was Charlotte as a guardian that was tethered with Judson( ?) because Jenkins was already immortal. 

I would love to see Cassandra and Jenkins tethered, if it's possible. 

7 hours ago, mirrorrim said:

that means there is no rule that it must be a librarian + guardian tethered. But they are not looking at any other options other than that. I'm confused. 

I do not know if the tethering has to be a guardian/librarian pair. Judson and Charlene were tethered, but the connection to Judson was lost accidentally, and Charlene intentionally cut her ties to the Library. Currently, no one is tethered, which is why they have the problem. Things seemed to be fine with just Charlene, so maybe they only need one, in which case Jenkins, as a former Librarian and once again mortal, will tether once again becoming immortal. 

6 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

 I thought that it would turn out that the museum lady would be the widow, so I was pleasantly surprised by what they actually did with it.

I thought for sure the museum woman would be the widow or somehow behind the supernatural, but I was okay with being wrong. 

6 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

I believe Charlene and Judson were tethered. They are both gone now, hence the need for new people to be tethered.  They were a guardian and librarian pair. However- I think we will eventually find out that the two don’t need to be in those positions- nor do they need to be a romantic couple. So Jenkins and Cassandra are my suggestions. 

I hope Jenkins and Cassandra are the pair that get tethered. I feel like they have spent the entire season setting it up. 

2 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

Christian Kane bickering with a pseudo little brother will never not entertain me. Rebecca continues to nail the dry, sardonic tone that makes me love Eve so. My favorite part had to be her telling the two boys not to worry, that they were both pretty, and them immediately erupting into an argument over why each is actually the prettier one. Ha!

Cassandra went to a lot of trouble setting up High Tea at the Annex. I'm impressed!

I love seeing Stone and Jones bicker and fight like brothers. It's always good for a quick comic moment. I was impressed with Cassandra's high tea as well. 

[Frozendiva]

I thought this was on last week. Recorded it to find  that except for the first few minutes, I had already watched it.

Liked the Jenkins grocery store complaints, the High Tea.

[ganesh]

13 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I'm don't really like whole "one librarian to rule them all" theme (okay, just the one librarian, got carried away). I think it's obvious that the library knows what it wants.

CLEARLY since the Library invited them in the first place, and the show has definitively answered this already not only through regular episodes, but in the season finales. This is a DUMB plot. AND Cassandra saying she was being selfish because she stayed behind to find a way for everyone to stay together is one of the most ridiculous things I've every heard. 

7 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I enjoyed the war reinactors and their hijinks as well, especially the rivalry between the confederate conspiracy theorist and the union guy who apparently kept stealing his boyfriends when they were in high school!

That was such a throwaway, I was like, huh? HA!

2 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

Please stop insulting me with this pathetic retread of a storyline.

I think if this was season 1 it might hold interest, but this follows no continuity from what went before. And, if they're so bent on it, then Cassandra would have been looking for evidence of a time when there were more than two than just the brothers anyway. Which she was not, which is why this plot is a farce. 

The ghost story was good and using the civil war as a background always offers something interesting. I thought Nora Dunn was in on it too. 

[GaT]

This whole tethering thing is sounding why too much like a wedding to me.

[Clanstarling]

8 hours ago, GaT said:

This whole tethering thing is sounding why too much like a wedding to me.

Yep, except that it is truly and sincerely for life (well, eternity for at least one of them, right?), and there aren't other...benefits (though there could be - just not a required part of the package).

I loved the throwaway line too. They've been doing some fairly subtle social commentary this season. I've enjoyed it.

11 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I would love to see Cassandra and Jenkins tethered, if it's possible. 

I do not know if the tethering has to be a guardian/librarian pair. Judson and Charlene were tethered, but the connection to Judson was lost accidentally, and Charlene intentionally cut her ties to the Library. Currently, no one is tethered, which is why they have the problem. Things seemed to be fine with just Charlene, so maybe they only need one, in which case Jenkins, as a former Librarian and once again mortal, will tether once again becoming immortal. 

I thought for sure the museum woman would be the widow or somehow behind the supernatural, but I was okay with being wrong. 

I hope Jenkins and Cassandra are the pair that get tethered. I feel like they have spent the entire season setting it up. 

I love seeing Stone and Jones bicker and fight like brothers. It's always good for a quick comic moment. I was impressed with Cassandra's high tea as well. 

Everything you said. :)

As for Jenkins and food - I don't think I want to be immortal if I don't particularly want to eat. I'd shrug it off since he said he could eat as an immortal, it just wasn't required - but during the high tea he seemed to enjoy the food as if tasting it for the first time.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Clanstarling

[ChelseaNH]

I need to get on my high tea high horse:  "high tea" is not "super ultra-fancy tea" despite what various supposedly upscale restaurants would like you to believe.  Fancy afternoon tea is still afternoon tea; high tea is "well, it's high time you got around to feeding me" and involves far more sustaining fare.

Since I have watched television before and know they're not going to get rid of half the cast, I too find the whole "one librarian" debate a waste of time.  Find a better source of inter-team tension, show.

But it was fun to see teamwork again.

[rur]

Besides the "high time" reference/explanation, I've also read in a couple of places that the "high" in high tea refers to the height of the table (probably because of what was being provided). So, in a sense, they had high tea, since they weren't sitting in another room with a small, low table in front of them.

[KirkB]

While I do love watching John Larroquette work some of Jenkins responses since becoming mortal seem a little odd to me. He's acting like he's never tasted food or gone to the bathroom. Which would be fine for an eternal being forced to descend to the lower planes. But wasn't he, as Galahad, once human? A human who became immortal? Or am I wrong? I get perhaps forgetting what good food tastes like, not having had to eat in so long, and I understand his unfamiliarity with modern grocery stores, but he's acting like he's experiencing a lot of this stuff for this first time, not being reintroduced.

Edited January 20, 2018 by KirkB

[Clanstarling]

2 hours ago, KirkB said:

While I do love watching John Larroquette work some of Jenkins responses since becoming mortal seem a little odd to me. He's acting like he's never tasted food or gone to the bathroom. Which would be fine for an eternal being forced to descend to the lower planes. But wasn't he, as Galahad, once human? A human who became immortal? Or am I wrong? I get perhaps forgetting what good food tastes like, not having had to eat in so long, and I understand his unfamiliarity with modern grocery stores, but he's acting like he's experiencing a lot of this stuff for this first time, not being reintroduced.

This is part of my problem with the now mortal Jenkins, because I do believe he was mortal as Galahad. Aches and pains, needing reading glasses. Those things I can get behind. The rest of it, not so much.

It also made me wonder - who does the grocery shopping for our gang? 

[KirkB]

2 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

It also made me wonder - who does the grocery shopping for our gang? 

Stone. No way would I trust Ezekial or Cassandra to do the shopping, and Eve would just come back with bare essentials.

2 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

This is part of my problem with the now mortal Jenkins, because I do believe he was mortal as Galahad. Aches and pains, needing reading glasses. Those things I can get behind. The rest of it, not so much.

It's funny, which is obviously the point, but it comes off as odd if you spend any time thinking about it. Which, all things considered, is probably one of the things we're not supposed to do.  :)

[Clanstarling]

6 minutes ago, KirkB said:

Stone. No way would I trust Ezekial or Cassandra to do the shopping, and Eve would just come back with bare essentials.

It's funny, which is obviously the point, but it comes off as odd if you spend any time thinking about it. Which, all things considered, is probably one of the things we're not supposed to do.  :)

Stone - I like it! Well thought out reasons too. :)

Yes, I do overthink it a bit sometimes, and then hand wave outrageous stuff at other times.

Edited January 20, 2018 by Clanstarling

[Skyfall]

Anyone else think they might’ve filmed two endings for next week depending on Me, Myself, & I, TNT, etc

Edited January 20, 2018 by Skyfall

[Matt K]

7 hours ago, KirkB said:

While I do love watching John Larroquette work some of Jenkins responses since becoming mortal seem a little odd to me. He's acting like he's never tasted food or gone to the bathroom. Which would be fine for an eternal being forced to descend to the lower planes. But wasn't he, as Galahad, once human? A human who became immortal? Or am I wrong? I get perhaps forgetting what good food tastes like, not having had to eat in so long, and I understand his unfamiliarity with modern grocery stores, but he's acting like he's experiencing a lot of this stuff for this first time, not being reintroduced.

To be fair though, he was last human was like 15 centuries ago.  So he's been immortal for most of his life.  I can see it being easy to forget what it was like to have to go to the toilet or be hungry.  I do like Jenkins adjusting but, for the reasons mentioned above, I hate the "there can only be one" librarian plot thread.

[j5cochran]

Someone on the writing staff is a Civil War reenactor. In the early scene with the three Union soldiers, one of them made a derogatory remark about someone as a total "farb". 

That's a reenactorism, dating back to the 1960s. When a gent shows up in a polyester uniform, dripping in gold braid, or a lady arrives in a Scarlett O'Hara prom dress, with a zipper in the back, the more experienced of us say (usually under our breath), "far be it from me to criticize . . . ."

The writer nailed it!

[LoneHaranguer]

On 1/20/2018 at 8:55 AM, KirkB said:

I get perhaps forgetting what good food tastes like, not having had to eat in so long, and I understand his unfamiliarity with modern grocery stores, but he's acting like he's experiencing a lot of this stuff for this first time, not being reintroduced.

Would he consider what he used to eat "good", compared to what's available in modern times?

[Clanstarling]

1 minute ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Would he consider what he used to eat "good", compared to what's available in modern times?

Some things change, I imagine at least some meats taste pretty much the same. Some of the vegetables probably tasted a lot better (tomatoes of my childhood were wonderful, and even the best don't come close - heirlooms included). It is an interesting question, though. I recently cooked an old recipe I'd loved 40 years ago in my early days of cooking, and could not stand it. But then, I have been eating and developing my palate ever since.

[lizzyp]

I really enjoyed the snippets of architectural history/ safe cracking how to's.  It reminds me of why the Library chose these people and it got me realizing how much I've missed the focus being on their individual competencies.  Now it's more of a throw away, but one of the things that really sold me on the series was in the premier when Jake and Flynn were geeking out over the painting.  How awestruck Jake was when he said 'it's the Roman hypothesis!'  Somewhere along the way they took a detour at slapstick, which is entertaining, but I love the geeky history stuff and Ezekiel's thief knowledge.  I think Rogers used to call it 'competence porn.'

I'm in a strange place where I still enjoy the show but not for the reasons I did in the beginning.

[kassygreene]

I think it was around the time John Rogers left the show.  His last blog post at kfmonkey promised wowsers for the next couple of weeks (January 2015), but nothing ever was posted.  His last writing credit for the series was the season 2 finale. 

[lizzyp]

I think that was the Shakespeare episode, wasn't it?  That was the first and only episode my mom watched and her comment was 'what a shame there wasn't more for the rest of those actors to do!'  And I think that may be what hasn't been working for me.  I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but the way Flynn pops in and sucks up all the screen time, then drops out for half the season is making it really hard for me to find a rhythm.  And  it's all about me, right?  Another dead horse, and I'm sorry about this one too, but one of the best things about Leverage was that the team was almost like a character all its own.  Each episode had a dash of each character and the stew they blended to make.  I knew that even if I wasn't seeing a character they were still a part of the action.  When Flynn comes roaring into the Library Jones, Cassandra and Stone are relegated to set dressing.  They might get about 5 minutes screen time, all of them together because they are a team, but that's it.  And I know that's part of Flynn's character, not knowing how to work with a team or be part of a team, but I needed that story to be shown differently because I ended up loathing Flynn.  Then I felt justified in hating him when he disappeared without even saying goodbye to Eve.

 

I still enjoy the show, but I'm a little disappointed.  There were so many elements that I was really looking forward to (I loved the movies, I loved Leverage, I loved Raiders of the Lost Ark, I'm a trivia nerd, my mom was a librarian, John Larroquette! Stunning set,,,) but it didn't come together that way, so I enjoy it like a sit com now.

[KirkB]

I actually agree with you lizzyp. As much as I like Flynn, whenever he is there (which also tends to be an episode Wyle is directing) he tends to get the focus of the scenes and the story. Which is usually okay considering how at the beginning he was in the first episode to set the story up and then gone until the finale when he returned as backup. But he was full on at the forefront of nearly every episode for the first half of this season. I want to see Stone, Cassandra, Ezekial and Eve getting help from Jenkins to save the world, not stand around and help Flynn save it. That's why I thought the first season worked so well, Flynn was around, and it was a big deal when he showed up, but the show wasn't about him.

[kassygreene]

When the series was announced I found and watched the three movies, and was extremely unimpressed with Flynn.  Wyle plays Flynn as written, so I am not Wyle-hating, I just Flynn-hate.  I watched the series anyway because of Christian Kane and the hope that some of the Leverage magic would carry through.  And I like the series, but I like the Flynn-less shows best.

I was astonished and pleased that there was a fourth season (because of the newest batch of TNT execs), and I will be even more astonished if there is a fifth.

[lizzyp]

I will be surprised if there is a season five too.  And I'm not nearly as upset about it as I thought I'd be.  I still watch Leverage reruns all the time, but this would not be must own DVD's for me.  I feel like this was a missed opportunity. I really hope Devlin reevaluates his continuing relationship with TNT though. 

[KirkB]

I watched and enjoyed the movies, and was disappointed when I first heard there might be a show because it would NOT have Flynn. But somewhere between the last time I saw a Librarian movie and when the series started I got hooked on Leverage and so the combination of Devlin and Kane drew me in despite the fact it looked like Flynn wouldn't be on much. Then I got to really like the first season and was surprised by the fact I found Flynn kind of intrusive when he finally did come back because I came to really enjoy the trio and Eve.

This last season had been hit and miss for me. I'm not sure what it is but I think the magic is gone. I was annoyed when Leverage was cancelled not long after I got into it. At this point I'm not sure I'll be as bothered if Librarians doesn't get a 5th.

[andromeda331]

This season has been hit or miss for me too. There's been a few episodes I liked a lot but just as many I didn't. I liked this episode. The stuff with the town. I loved the beginning with the reenactors talking about their plans and later the one guy yelling at the other about stealing all the boyfriends. Stone and Jones bickering, and at the museum. I liked that Nora Dunn wasn't evil or bad. I also assumed she was a widow. Nope, just trying to keep the town alive. Jenkins having fun eating at High Tea. I don't like the one Librarian plot it makes no sense. The Library chose these people and for a reason. Which they knew back in season one and touched upon in season two. Why no one is considering or remembering that I don't know. The Librarian before Flynn went evil and they didn't get rid of the Librarians. Not one is thinking that maybe because that Librarian went evil and Flynn's had issues (mentioned in the last movie and Judson told Baird Flynn being alone for 10 years effecting him) that the Library decided maybe it was time to have a group. Or that they each have different fields and skills so what would they fight about?