With the Librarians preoccupied for three weeks due to the last episode's events, Prospero is able to reveal his grand plan: to turn the world into one huge forest. In order to put a stop to his plans, Flynn and Baird must travel in time to Shakespeare's age, and learn of the villain's origins. But when it looks like they may be unable to return to the present, will the other Librarians be able to defeat Prospero on their own and save the world?
Tropes:
- Author Avatar: Prospero is - or was - one to Shakespeare.
- Back from the Dead: Excalibur.
- Big Damn Heroes: Excalibur, brought forth courtesy of the Lake Foundation.
- Chekhov's Gun:
- When Prospero first appears in the past, his magic is based on Shakespearean works, such as giving one man a donkey's head and turning another into a statue. In the end, Flynn, Baird, and Cal are turned into a statue until the present day.
- The Lake Foundation returns, saving Eve's life and allowing her to bring forth Excalibur.
- Cringe Comedy: Flynn has a strong grasp of the text of Shakespeare's plays, but when it comes to being an actor, he leaves something to be desired.
- Demonic Possession: Prospero did this to Shakespeare, to the point that the Librarians need to perform an exorcism.
- Exact Words: "He who wielded Excalibur before" will save all of England. Jenkins would like to imagine it's Arthur, but knows better. In fact, it's Flynn, who has also wielded Excalibur.
- Fling a Light into the Future: Flynn and Eve did to leave clues for the other Librarians to defeat Prospero.
- Also averts San Dimas Time. The clues appear BEFORE we see Flynn and Eve leave them. In fact, the entire adventure is caused by a clue Flynn hasn't left yet!
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Genius Bonus: Eve is given Excalibur by the ladies of the lake, and recreates the iconic image of a woman's arm holding Excalibur out of the water for the hero to retrieve. - Heroic Sacrifice: Prospero tries to drown Eve, so Moriarty attacks him. Prospero stabs / unmakes him, but Moriarty gives Flynn one last clue before he vanishes.
- Killed Off for Real: Moriarty.
- Large Ham: Flynn's audition in front of Shakespeare.
- Prophecy Twist: Jenkins mentions the prophecy concerning King Arthur, "He who wielded Excalibur before shall wield it again, and save all England". Flynn also mentions the prophecy to Eve as they attempt to steal Prospero's book and staff. It is talking about Flynn, not Arthur.
- Shout-Out:
- The time travel room features a blue police box, and a Delorean.
- Moriarty says "Come with me if you want to live" when he first meets Flynn and Baird in the past. Eve immediately asks if he is a robot from the future.
- Looking at Jenkins and the Librarians bustling around a table, Flynn wonders if it ought to be round. Cal, naturally, seems to approve.
- The Slow Path: How Eve and Flynn (and Excalibur) get back from 1611.
- Stable Time Loop: The only way to safely time travel. If you significantly alter the past then you change the future and wipe yourself from existence. If you leave a message for your future self then you have to make sure future-you doesn't receive it until you've already traveled back or at least won't understand it until the right time.
- Taken for Granite: A townsperson when Prospero manifests, and then Flynn, Eve, and Excalibur in order to return to their own time.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Moriarty's initial plan to stop Prospero is to kill Shakespeare before The Tempest is first performed, not caring about causing a Temporal Paradox.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Flynn and Eve, as per the laws of time travel. They find a loophole.
