Josh Gates Is Crossing over Into ‘The Librarians: The Next Chapter’ — Here’s What to Know

Crossovers between reality television hosts and scripted fantasy series don’t happen every day, but ‘The Librarians: The Next Chapter’ has never been shy about blending genres and casting choices that keep fans guessing. The TNT series has spent its second season leaning into unexpected guest appearances, and this week’s episode delivers one of its most surprising yet.

Josh Gates has built a career as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable producer-hosts over the past 15 to 20 years, starting out as a story producer and co-executive producer on reality shows like ‘Destination Truth’ and ‘Stranded.’ He later hosted his own talk show during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic before finding his current niche fronting ‘Expedition Unknown,’ along with its spinoffs ‘Expedition Files’ and ‘Expedition X.’

That real-world exploring background is now crossing over into scripted television. Gates will officially guest star as himself in this week’s episode of ‘The Librarians: The Next Chapter,’ titled “And What Dreams May Come,” airing Sunday night on TNT.

He won’t be the only notable face joining the cast for this installment. Dominic Monaghan, best known for playing Merry in the original ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, also guest stars in the same episode as Merlin, adding another layer of star power to an already eventful hour.

According to TNT’s official episode description, a distress call from Monaghan’s Merlin sends the Librarians to a town where the entire population has mysteriously fallen asleep, setting up the kind of myth-meets-mystery premise the series has built its identity around. Where exactly Gates fits into that scenario remains part of the episode’s surprise heading into Sunday’s broadcast.

Gates’ involvement fits into a broader pattern for the show’s sophomore season, which has stacked its guest list with recognizable names across film, television, and genre entertainment. Fellow newcomers this season include Screen Actors Guild Award nominees Jeremy Swift and Monaghan, along with Stefan Kapičić, Oliver Dench, Ty Tennant, Flula Borg, and Alan Emrys.

The season has also brought back familiar faces from the original ‘Librarians’ franchise. Lindy Booth returns as Cassandra Cillian, a role she played across all four seasons of the original series that ran from 2014 to 2018, while Christian Kane continues reprising his role as Jacob Stone after appearing in the spinoff’s first season.

‘The Librarians: The Next Chapter’ centers on Vikram Chamberlain, played by Callum McGowan, a Librarian who time-traveled from 1847 and now finds himself navigating the present day alongside a newly expanded team. That ensemble also includes Jessica Green, Olivia Morris, and Bluey Robinson, who’ve spent the season confronting both external threats and their own personal struggles as they settle into their roles.

Noah Wyle, who originated the Librarian franchise on the big screen and previously produced the spinoff’s first season, is not credited as part of this season’s production. The show remains under the guidance of showrunner Dean Devlin, who executive produces alongside Marc Roskin, Rachel Olschan-Wilson, and Gary Rosen.

With Gates and Monaghan both making their debut appearances in the same episode, “And What Dreams May Come” looks positioned to be one of the season’s more memorable installments. Whether Gates’ real-world expertise as an explorer translates into anything relevant to the Librarians’ latest mission remains to be seen once the episode airs.

For fans who’ve followed Gates through years of reality television exploration, watching him step into a scripted fantasy world marks a fun departure from his usual on-screen persona. It’s also a reminder of just how far ‘The Librarians: The Next Chapter’ has been willing to stretch its guest casting net this season.

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