I just finished the second season of The Librarians on TNT this past weekend. Yes, I know I'm a month behind! I rarely watch shows on the nights they come on, you know, for life reasons. OK, it's mostly because I'd rather sleep. Anyway - in two short seasons, this has become one of my favorite shows!

The Librarians is a spinoff of The Librarian films, also developed by TNT. You don't need to have seen the movies to understand the show, but having a a little background on the main character from the films, Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle), won't hurt. Flynn is the Librarian. His job is to procure and protect magical artifacts. Those artifacts are kept at, you guessed it, the Library.

In the pilot episode of The Librarians, we learn that the Serpent Brotherhood has been killing off others who were chosen to be Librarians. Flynn and his guardian, Col. Eve Baird (Rebecca Romijn), rescue three - world-renowned art expert Jack Stone (Christian Kane), mathematical genius Cassandra Cillan (Lindy Booth), and master thief extraordinaire Ezekiel Jones (John Harlan Kim). To sum up the first episode, the Serpent Brotherhood is on a quest to release magic back into the world; they grievously wound Flynn; and the Library ends up lost in space and time.

Season 1 centers around the search for the missing Library. As the Librarian, Flynn takes that quest on himself, leaving the three Librarians-in-training, or LITs, to form a team under the guardianship of Col. Baird and guidance of Jenkins the caretaker who also happens to be Sir Galahad (John Larroquette). In Flynn's absence, Stone, Cassandra and Ezekiel solve magical mysteries, recover powerful artifacts and protect the world against supernatural threats.

Probably the biggest reason why The Librarians is such an appealing show to me is that its inspiration draws so heavily on literature, most notably the stories surrounding Camelot, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table throughout both seasons. William Shakespeare plays a prominent role in season two, although you won't know it's really him until the finale. Instead, the Librarians will deal with Prospero, from Shakespeare's The Tempest. You'll also get to enjoy the company of Moriarty, from the Sherlock Holmes stories. Some other literary characters you'll encounter throughout the show include a Minotaur, Dorian Gray and Santa Claus. The Librarians also dabble with dragons, get sucked into a video game, and destroy the house that's behind the legend of all haunted houses.

The show is smart and funny; the plot line is well-developed; and I must say I did not see the twist at the end of the season 2 finale AT ALL. If you're into literature, legend and myth, The Librarians is definitely the show for you. And the best part? It's been renewed for a third season!