‘The Librarians’s John Kim Talks Sunday’s Time Loop-y Episode

It’s déjà vu all over again… and again… and again for TNT’s The Librarians this Sunday when the team’s mission gets them caught in a time loop. Luckily, at least one of them will know what’s happening—and that’s none other than Ezekiel Jones (John Kim).

“Ezekiel is the only one that’s actually aware they’re in a time loop,” says Kim, of what his character will have to face in the upcoming episode. “Not only does he have to deal with the issue at hand, he has to constantly convince the team that they are, in fact, in a time loop because they have no recollection at all.” The whole situation will thrust Ezekiel into a new role, one that he hasn’t had much of a chance to play. “You’re going to see him really take the reins as far as leadership qualities go,” says Kim. “Though whether or not he actually possesses them, you’re going to see this weekend.”

Ahead of the master thief-turned-Librarian stealing the spotlight, we caught up with Kim to talk Ezekiel’s growth, his past and what’s else is coming up on Sunday’s episode.

We haven’t really seen Ezekiel take responsibility before. How was that for you to play?
The thing about Ezekiel is that he’s probably the antonym of responsibility. It’s a lot of fun to play him, in a sense, coming out of his shell and taking the lead. A lot of what he does, his defense mechanisms, finally come out and really share the weight [of what] he’s really under. You’re going to see some [of his] true emotions, and some of [his] sarcastic wall break down.

Stone and Baird are usually the ones in charge. How is it for them to see Ezekiel take on that role?
It’s like trying to take orders from your little brother. There’s a sense of pride and egos clashing when it comes to that. Ezekiel has never shown any interest in taking the lead whatsoever. This will be the first time the responsibility has fallen upon him, and he has no other choice but to step up to the plate. Baird and Stone, as the more senior members of the group, are not as quite open to it, initially. You’re going to get to see Ezekiel approach them in many different ways until he finally figures out the one best way, which is honesty.

That’s a big change for him.
Absolutely. He’s not exactly an honest person. Actually, he’s too honest depending on how you look at it, n the sense of, he’s brutally honest with the truth. However I wouldn’t call him an honest man as far as his morals go. He’s both sides of the same sword. Last season, he did take the reins in some capacity, but it wasn’t in the sense that he was ordering people around. This is finally a chance for him to show exactly what he’s got and exactly why it is he was chosen to become a Librarian.

How would you describe his relationship with the team this season? Does he relate to them more?
He’s come around. I don’t think he’s ever been familiar with a team aspect before, [so] to be in that environment is a totally new concept to him. He has a particular fondness for different characters, and different tendencies [around them]. He has this sweet, caring love for Cassandr; at the same time, he loves to get under Stone’s skin. Something about that really satisfies him. As his guardian, Ezekiel doesn’t make it easy for Baird a lot of the time, [but] deep down under all that, he does have a genuine adoration for [her]. And obviously him and Jenkins are a typical Dennis the Menace situation, [like] Mr. Wilson and Dennis.

What about Flynn?
I don’t know if Ezekiel necessarily likes Flynn. In no part of the series, or the Librarian hand guide, does it ever mention that they ever get along. You see little moments where Ezekiel has challenged Flynn and, in essence, find himself very competitive, at least behind the scenes.

RELATED: 6 Things to Know About The Librarians‘ Second Season

Ezekiel’s grown somewhat since the first season, and he’s even stealing less. What do you think has changed?
Ezekiel’s number one motivation is to be challenged. When he’s questioned by Stone as to why he didn’t use all these magical artifacts to go on and essentially aid all of his heists, he mentions that he doesn’t do easy; he does the impossible. Within this whole Librarian business, he’s actually found himself being challenged for the first time. He’s been stealing for so long that eventually it got to a certain point where stealing from museums and art installations became quite easy for him. Now he’s presented with a whole new landscape where his skills don’t necessarily apply in the same way, and he’ll have to adapt them to the world of magic. Instead of stealing from a museum, he’s now stealing from a pyramid. That, in itself, represents a new level of excitement for him. That’s one of the main reasons as to why he stuck around. He does mention at one point, “When I’m bored, I’m gone.” So I don’t think Ezekiel’s been close to bored just yet since joining the Librarians.

Will we be learning anything about his past this episode or later this season? So much of it is still a mystery.
I don’t think we’ll cover it extensively as I would like to this season. [Show creator] John Rogers and I have had discussions regarding his past. I have a sense and an idea of where he’s coming from and his backstory and all that. We’redefinitely going to cover it in the same capacity as some of the other characters. That’s completely intentional because Ezekiel is quite mysterious. He’s been that way his whole life. If and when we decide to show his history, it will actually be his choice because, up until now, the reason he’s been so hidden is completely intentional on his behalf.

Ezekiel’s always so confident. Is there anything that could possibly shake that? Is he scared of anything?
It’s something I’ve thought about excessively. Whether or not you choose to take it as confidence or insecurity has been an interesting discussion for a lot of fans. I have my own theories as far as the root of his bravado or cocky arrogance, if you will. [But] I don’t actually know. [There have been] certain moments up until now where you’ve seen Ezekiel actually care. That was one thing that he was not displaying at all in early on. For him to show any kind of concern for others is even a huge step forward for him. He did come across so selfish to begin with. Now that he’s come such a long way in his relationships and in working with others in a team environment, the next step would be—and you’re going to see in this episode—to see why he is the way he is. There’s a reason why he’s that confident.

What do you think is on Ezekiel’s “must steal” list?
[In the episode with] the devil, he actually mentions that Ezekiel’s desire is to be a swashbuckler and travel the world. I think, to his core, Ezekiel is very much a modern-day pirate, minus all the killing. Due to that reference, I’m going to say his must steal list is probably headlined by Blackbeard’s treasure. Because at his core, he really is a pirate.

The Librarians airs Sundays at 8/7c on TNT.