The Librarians 4×11 – The Trial Of The One – Recap

In The Librarians 4×11, “The Trial Of The One,” the time has come for the Librarians to choose who will tether to the Library with their Guardian Eve. But when no one seems able to decide, the Library steps in. It’s the Trial of The One – a fight between Librarians to determine who is worthy. But is this really the right path? Is having just one Librarian the only option possible?

Read on for our recap of The Librarians 4×11, “The Trial of the One.”

In The Librarians 4×11, what starts as a normal day at the Library turns into a nightmare when the Library starts showing signs of collapsing.

Jenkins explains to Eve and the Librarians that the Library is uncoupling from reality, but the Custodian has found a temporary anchor to save some time. Since the only thing connecting the Library to the world are Eve and the Librarians, he created this anchor with the first book ever in the Library – the first book of the Library of Alexandria, dating from the 3rd century BC. In connecting all the other artifacts present in the Library to this book through the three Librarians and their Guardian, they have created a bond between the Library and reality. However, Jenkins warns them that the ancient book is dangerous. It is full of crazy magic, and so it is better not to read it.

Unfortunately, this expedient is only temporary. Eve must tether to the Library immediately, with one Librarian. The problem is that she can’t choose one of them, and the three Librarians now seem to have reservations about becoming immortal.

The Librarians question Jenkins about the sound they heard when the Library started collapsing. It came from the Horologe of the Equinox, which measures the movement of key celestial bodies. The sound was warning them that the Equinox had begun, and thus they have a window of 24 hours to perform the tethering ceremony. After that window, there will be no more chances to perform the ceremony, and the Library will revert to what it was originally – an institution caring solely for the protection of the artifacts, only for itself, without a link to humanity. The next time the Horologe chimes, it will be game over.

Eve and the Librarians are back to Square One – they must decide who is going to tether with their Guardian. Cassandra, despite Jenkins’ warning, decides to consult the Library’s most ancient book. In it, she finds what could be the solution to their problems: “The Selection of One,” a spell that will tell them who to tether to the Library with Eve.

Shortly after, four red buttons appear in front of Eve, Cassandra, Jake, and Ezekiel. When they push them, they find themselves outside the Library, in a place they don’t recognize.

They are greeted by Jenkins, who sounds not quite like himself. He explains that they were transported to the Testing Grounds, and welcomes them to the Trail of the One. This is a fight between Librarians – a fight to the death – to determine who is the best.

It appears that the Library itself has taken possession of Jenkins’ body in order to communicate with the Librarians. It informs them that if they do not follow the rules, it will kill Jenkins using the Kiss of Mahakali, another ancient artifact.

As The Librarians 4×11 continues, Jenkins gives three rings to the three Librarians. They are called the Rings of Nightmares because they have the power to transport those who wear them to the heart of their deepest fear. Cassandra, Ezekiel, and Jake will have to face what they fear the most. If they are strong enough to face those fears, they will be strong enough to compete at the Testing Grounds.

Thanks to the Rings of Nightmares, we discover that Cassandra’s deepest fear is her schoolmates mocking her; Ezekiel’s fear is to be imprisoned; and Jake’s fear is magic. In the meantime, Eve is living her own nightmare. She has to watch what happens to her Librarians without being able to help them, while the Library points out how Flynn’s resignation from being a Librarians was her greatest failure.

The Library explains that the Librarians’ nightmares would end if they removed their rings. However, they can’t see them, and thus are not aware that they are wearing rings at all.

In a desperate attempt to uncover the truth, Eve retrieves an artifact called the Eye of Ampyx. It confirms that Jenkins is trapped and possessed, presumably by the Library. The artifact also helps Eve find out that she is wearing a Nightmare Ring, too.

In the meantime, the three Librarians find themselves at the Testing Grounds after facing their nightmares. They are ready to fight each other, and do not remember that they were ever friends.

Just when the three Librarians are ready to kill one other, Eve appears. She was able to remove her Nightmare Ring, thus escaping her nightmare, and she urges her three Librarians to do the same. That’s when they come to their senses, recognizing their Guardian and one another.

The Library, still possessing Jenkins, appears in front of them and urges them to choose one Librarian. Otherwise, the Library will end the Custodian. Eve tries to stall and asks the Library about the ancient book from which they read the spell that transported them to the Testing Grounds. Jenkins had told them that it could lock any artifact to place, and the Guardian wants to know if the Kiss of Mahakali is indeed an artifact. As the Library responds affirmatively, Eve puts her plan in motion. She brought with her the ancient book, and now she uses it to free Jenkins from the possession – and the dangerous artifact that could kill him. Not only does the Guardian manage to free Jenkins, she also frees the three Librarians.

Just when they think the nightmare in The Librarians 4×11 is over, the magic door opens and the Kiss of Mahakali is back on Jenkins. Unfortunately, the artifact kills him – despite the desperate attempts of the Librarians to save his life, Jenkins is gone just when he was beginning to appreciate life. Before dying, he tries to reassure his friends:

“I’ve had so much life, measured in centuries, millennia stretching to infinity. Now, I’m measured in heartbeats, decreasing heartbeats. Time finally running out. You all must know, serving you has been the greatest pleasure of my life. I may have been immortal, but you brought me to life.”

Heartbroken and enraged with the Library that let its Custodian succumb, the three Librarians resign, leaving Eve alone. But this isn’t the end of The Librarians 4×11! Someone suddenly appears next to Eve – it’s Nicole Noone! We find out that this was all her doing, from Flynn’s resignation to Jenkins’ death leading to the resignation of the other Librarians. It was all part of her plan, a plan leading to the end of the Library itself. Jenkins was right from the start – she’s always been a threat to the Library. She made Jenkins become mortal only to have him killed, and she’s holding Flynn captive.

Without the Librarians, there can be no tethering ceremony, and without a human connection, the Library will be lost forever. Eve is the only one left with memories of it, but her memories will soon start to fade away. When asked why she did all this, Nicole answers that it’s for revenge against Flynn and the Library. She was trapped 500 years in the past because of Flynn, and she waited and waited for him to come save her, but he never did.

The time has come – the Horologe of the Equinox is chiming for the second time, which means it’s game over. The Library slowly disappears all around Eve until she finds herself in another place, someplace she doesn’t recognize.

Will Eve be able to keep the memories of the Library alive? Will she be able to find her Librarians and revive their memories as well? Is it really the end for Jenkins? What about Flynn?

We will find the answers to all these questions next week, when The Librarians will be back for its season finale.

What did you think of The Librarians 4×11, “The Trial of the One”?