January 3rd, 2016, 8PM, ABC
It’s the miracle that nobody expected to happen – and they say it right in the opening number. Back for a second season, the story finally continues for Galavant and his friends!
Still at full sail with the pirates, Gal and Richard are eventually run aground due to Richard’s poor navigation skills, and they soon find themselves wandering through an enchanted forest that’s vaguely adjacent to Richard’s kingdom. Taken prisoner by a wicked queen – who happens to own a well-stocked and yet lushly covered gay bar in the center of the place – Galavant and Richard are forced to tend her bar – Gal most shirtlessly - and then must use their wits to escape her clutches with the help of Richard’s cousin.
Meanwhile, Isabella plots her own escape from her cousin’s clutches. When her parents ignore her pleas and the Jester declares his loyalty to her cousin (who is incredibly easily entertained by his fart jokes), she eventually convinces Vincenzo the Chef to help her get free by securing a key to her pink room – and Madalena and Gareth jockey for position in their newfound unified kingdom and find themselves trying to settle a dispute among the citizenry, specifically deciding the fate of a wayward chicken claimed by two peasants and Gareth’s belief that he should be recognized as Valencia’s true ruler.
In “World’s Best Kiss”, Richard’s complaints force the twosome to take a stop at a local fair (a “pre Renaissance festival”, to quote Richard), where Richard finds himself pursued by a virgin-loving unicorn and deals with Gareth’s power play and Galavant solves his longing for Isabella by hunting up a fortune teller, whose crystal ball also works as a primitive cell phone. The fortune teller’s pessimism about long-distance relationships leave Gal leery, and after several false starts, the twosome finally find one another, and . Isabella tries to escape during the changing of the guard but runs into deeper difficulty when Gal asks to speak to her while the amulet is in Gwynne’s posession. Meanwhile, Madalena and Gareth use Sid as a mediator when they fight over Gareth’s taste in art, which leads to a deeper debate and finally a resolution for who truly rules the roost.
Welcome back to the world, Galavant! Right from the first opening number it feels like the show hasn’t missed a single step during its yearlong hiatus. The series mercilessly skewers the lack of recognition it’s gotten, Sid’s underuse, its terrible timeslot and the fact that ABC’s overuse of its themesong during the airing of the show’s pilot caused widespread audience annoyance. It doesn’t quite reach that level of lyrical brilliance again but sets the stage for the sweet-natured and yet ridiculous and knowing humor yet to come, which peaks during a hilarious moment of lampshading when Isabella presents Vincenzo with the Valencian amulet, a beloved possession that we’ve never seen before that also works as a primeval wifi connection. For those of us who’ve been waiting and waiting for the show’s return, these first episode delivers glorious, hilarious musical heights that continue to enchant.
Every actor is on point skillwise but Vinnie Jones continues to surprise and delight as a comic force. Relationships continue to form and deepen, from the Madalena and Gareth rivalry to Richard and Galavant’s friendship. Isabella and Galavant’s romance continues to be tinged with the realistic flavor of bittersweet reality; their love isn’t perfect but they want it desperately, which makes it. I must deduct a few points, however, for the idiot plot miscommunication stuff that’s required by the plot.
Even then, absolutely every word is worthwhile and a glory to behold. Enjoy the five week ride while it lasts, world. Watch it, folks, enjoy it!
The Roundup
- 2.01’s title refers to TV By The Number’s Cancelation Bear, the site’s mascot, which tracks television ratings and is renowned for its cancellation prediction index. Galavant was long predicted by the bear to be cancelled last season before it was rescued by a renewal.
- Someone’s seen Robin Hood: Men In Tights in the writer’s room, I see.
- The jester wants to break into drama now! Because everyone secretly wants to direct.
- ”One daughter! Then we leave the rest to the White Walkers!” “Men!” The show continues to jokingly suggest that Valencia is within spitting distance of Westeros of Game of Thrones fame.
- ”What is it with men and their EMOTIONS?”
- ”My Destiny is here…Richard, Destiny, Destiny, Richard…”
- ”Can you get cancer from walking? Because I really feel like my feet are getting cancer…”
- ”You never gave me the F$$% amulet!” I love you, Vincenzo.
- The show’s running gag involving Richard’s virginity continues apace – I wonder if they’re going to solve that this season. Hmmm.
- ”What’s the matter, big G?”
- Gareth apparently goes commando –and prefers beer over sex.
- Richard apparently draws the sword from a stump in the center of town that declares him the true king. Now that might get dicey along the line….
- Next Week: Richard experiences a crisis of faith in his managerial abilities when he hears that his kingdom thrives without his rule and discovers a personal connection to newcomer Roberta and Galavant tries to recruit fighters to liberate Isabella and free Valencia from Madalena’s rule. Meanwhile Madalena’s invited to a party that doesn’t go as planned in “Aw Hell, the King” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Belittled”.
Heart-tugging, hilarious, self-knowing and even a little ribald, Galavant is back and it’s taking no prisoners.
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AMAZING
