Galavant - Season 2: Episodes 6-10 Reviews

And so as we get to the second half of Galavant's fun and inspired second season, things certainly take some rather interesting twists and turns.

Episode 6: About Last Knight

We've had some rumblings about Galavant having a less than desirable father and in this very episode, we actually met him and he's played by Greg Wise. Arnold spends most of the episode acknowledging that he wasn't the best of parental figures (though clearly he's liked by others) to his son and they kind of patch things up while Isabella banishes the wedding planner. Of course the big moment of the episode is Sid's reunion with Galavant and the way things end in this particular episode. Music highlights include Today We Rise and He Was There.

Episode 7: Love And Death

Thanks to Sid, Galavant did spend most of this episode hovering between life and death and seeing so many familiar (and not so familiar) faces during his brief moments in limbo. On the plus side, Richard, Roberta and Sid did take him to a healer (Reece Shearsmith putting in a fun but within his comfort zone kind of performance) and the issue of Richard's virginity served as a valuable plot point while both him and Roberta got closer. Then there was the wedding planner getting cosy with Gareth and Madalena. Music highlights Time Is Of The Essence and Goodbye.

Episode 8: Do The D'DEW

It's war time, bitches! Yup, now we've got thanks to that wedding planner's meddling, both Madalena and Isabella are out to war with each other and they finally got their animosity out in a beautifully and hilariously daft musical sequence while Madalena delved further into the dark side, Gareth showed some hesitance, Galavant raised an army of the undead and Richard and Roberta's budding relationship hit a brief snag. Oh and there's something involving a sword and the one true king to unite them all. Music highlights, well, obviously that's I Really Don't Like You but there's also Finally and A Dark Season to boot.

Episode 9: Battle Of The Three Armies

With this episode, it was less of a bloodbath and more a hilarity fest as Isabella and Madalena set their armies on each other while Galavant and Richard with their zombies then stepped in the middle of things. Of course, things really took a fun turn when it turned out that the wedding planner could control the dead and Madalena embraced her evil side even more than usual. There's also a rather sweet reunion with Galavant and Isabella but no more sweeter than Richard and Gareth though. Music highlights include A Good Day To Die and Do The D'Dew. The latter one being ridiculously catchier than others we've had this season.

Episode 10: The One True King (To Unite Them All)

And it's the finale. Will Galavant and company return for a third season? It's hard to say but for a last episode, this felt like a really good place to end things. Richard overcame his cowardice, defeated the wedding planner, turned out to be right about Tad Cooper and saved Roberta from Spinster Island. Galavant also married Isabella, the latter's parents got their kingdom back and Gareth and Sid teamed up to save Madalena from her evil self. If the show doesn't come back for a third season, then it ended on a creative high but truthfully, I really want one more hit of this infectiously daft series. Music highlights include Will My Day Ever Come, A Real Life Happily Ever After and Season 2 Finale.

That was fun. If this show comes back for a third season, I'll certainly be watching.

Galavant - Season 2: Episodes 1-5 Reviews

It's the little show that could and did by coming back with a second season on ABC in spite of some bad ratings. Fortunately, the fun is also back with the show too.

Episode 1: A New Season AKA Suck It Cancellation Bear

It's a new season and what a better way to acknowledge that fact by highlighting the show narrowly avoiding cancellation in an opening song. Everything has changed though. Madalena is ruling Valencia with Gareth not quite king yet and Sid being stuck in the middle, Isabella is about to marry a boy king, the chef, Jester and Gwynne have new employment and then there's the joy of seeing both Galavant and King Richard becoming the best of frenemies as they hide out in a gay bar run by Kylie Minogue (I'm not kidding here) called the Enchanted Forest. Music highlights include Off With His Shirt and of course A New Season.

Episode 2: World's Best Kiss

This one focused on several funny things - King Richard being followed by a unicorn, Galavant and Isabella having the world's worst miscommunication as their perfect kiss was heavily discussed by every other character while Madalena and Gareth managed to find some common ground with a little help from Sidney. Look out for an amusing cameo by Simon Callow and this show's method of Face Time as well. Music highlights include World's Best Kiss and of course, Let's Agree To Disagree.

Episode 3: Aw, Hell The King

This episode starts with Matt Lucas being put to better use (and with a cheerful song) here than he was in the recent Doctor Who Christmas special and then you've got Gareth feeling guilty over his betrayal of Richard and Isabella at the mercy of a mischievous wedding planner played by Robert Lindsay. Keeping with Richard, he was in for a shock this week when he learned what happened to his former kingdom while the episode debuts a potential love interest (and third member of the gang) in Roberta (Clare Foster). Music highlights include Build A New Tomorrow and If I Were A Jolly Blacksmith.

Episode 4: Bewitched, Bothered And Belittled

It's another fairly big Madalena episode as we see her getting roasted by two vile sisters who also tormented her as a child but on the plus side, the experience does bring her and Gareth closer and gets her a little in touch with her own feelings while Gwynne and Chef adjust to their new status and Isabella is a little too happy about the wedding she previously didn't want any part of. There was also the amusing subplot of Galavant trying and failing to set up both Richard and Roberta. Music highlights include Serenade (Maybe You Won't Die Alone) and What Am I Feeling?

Episode 5: Giants Vs. Dwarves

First of all, the main quarrel between Galavant and Richard and them joining different teams who really didn't differ in size was hilarious, especially with Roberta as peacemaker in the mix. A good performance from Nick Frost as a giant in this episode but he's outdone by Sheridan Smith who popped up as bisexual ladette princess Jubilee, who gave us a song and managed to release the wedding planner's hold on Isabella purely by accident. Of course, the downside in this episode had Gareth breaking the bro code and getting Sidney into some deep trouble with Madalena but bless, he's in love though. Music highlights in this one included My Dragon Pal And Me, Dwarves Vs. Giants and of course, Different Kind Of Princess.

I'll do the final five episodes of the second season by next week.

Galavant - Season 1: Episodes 5-8 Reviews

And now onto the second half of Galavant's first season, which continued to the fun and mayhem as enemies finally met, true love was declared and power dynamics shifted.

Episode 5: Completely Mad .... Alena

Has there ever been a female character in fairytale so delightfully self absorbed and mean? Er, yeah, loads actually but Madalena certainly takes the biscuit and having a moment where she revels of her own self importance produced one of the funniest musical numbers of the series (No One Like You). There was also the slightly less funny, Hey, Hey We're The Monks but the main point of this episode was Galavant and King Richard finally facing off, Isabella's 'betrayal' being revealed and Madalena trying and failing to make Galavant into her plaything. There was also nice romantic subplot between the chef and Madalena's maid (Daisy from Downton Abbey) which was more fun than expected.

Episode 6: Dungeons And Dragon Lady

An episode that saw everyone acknowledging the attraction between Galavant and Isabella while Madalena seemed somewhat pissed off that her former lover has turned on her. There was an exploration into King Richard's past thanks to a wizard played by Ricky Gervais and an acid trip. Is it wrong that I've felt sorry for Richard all this time? Anyways in the past we met his horrible older brother and in the present, said horrible older brother now played by Rutgar Hauer has showed up to take Richard's kingdom and wife in one fell swoop. As you do. Music highlights in the episode included A Day In Richard's Life.

Episode 7: My Cousin Izzy

So, one of the things I wasn't expecting was that Isabella was engaged to her cousin who turned out to be a child. That's one for the brain bleach I think. On the other hand, the rivalry between Richard and his brother continued to gather pace as both Gareth and Galavant were challenged to joust for respective brothers. There was also an amusing subplot where the chef and Gwyneth plotted to poison everyone in the kingdom, only instead for them to feed the kingdom everything they were allergic as an alternative. Music highlights in this episode included Galavant's various attempts of singing Moments In The Sun and being stopped at every chance too.

Episode 8: It's All In The Executions

And it's the season finale but aside from the knowledge of a second season, I did like that the show inserted their own hope of getting one as well. Now this episode was absolutely hysterical. Galavant and King Richard work so much better as allies than friends and watching the two of them getting drunk, dissing Madalena (sorry, but it's funny) and plotting to kill Richard's brother (and failing spectacularly) were some of the highlights of this episode. Other highlights included Gareth helping virtually everyone except Sid escape, Madalena essentially becoming the main ruler of the kingdom and the musical numbers of Secret Mission and Goodnight My Friend. This show might not have ratings to sing about but it's unbridled fun, so no wonder ABC wanted seconds.

I'll review the first five episodes of Season 2 of Galavant sometime next week.

Galavant - Season 1: Episodes 1-4 Reviews

I had meant to catch up with this show a bit earlier but with the surprising renewal of a second season, which premiered a few days on ABC, here's a brief rundown on my thoughts for the first four episodes of Season 1 of Galavant.

Episode 1: Pilot

And so begins the noble story of a knight named Galavant (Joshua Sasse) who loved and lost the beautiful Madalena (Mallory Jansen) to King Richard (Timothy Omundson) and has been on something of a drinking spiral ever, much to his squire Sid (Luke Youngblood) chagrin. Enter, Princess Isabella Maria Lucia Elizabetta of Valencia (Karen David) who needs Galavant's help in getting her parents and her kingdom back from King Richard, which Galavant is only motivated to do as the episode draws to it's conclusion and he's given a tiny bit of hope of getting Madalena back. The song highlights from this episode are Galavant and She'll Be Mine.

Episode 2: Joust Friends

With Isabella secretly working for King Richard (which she nearly gave away), things take a detour into a hilariously awful jousting tournament between Galavant and the aptly named Jean Hamm (John Stamos). As the two bicker, resort to 'Yo Mamma' jokes and eventually spar, there's also some sympathy given to King Richard. Yes, he's a horrible brute but oddly enough, Madalena when she isn't shagging the court jester (Ben Presley) is also just royal bitch to her husband as well, not mention Gareth (Vinnie Jones) dishing out marital advice is brilliant. It's a fun second affair with the song highlights being Stand Up and Maybe You're Not The Worst Thing Ever.

Episode 3: Two Balls

An episode giving Sid some much focus as Galavant and Isabella head to the former's home town, meet his parents and realise that Sid has a reputation they were previously unaware about. It's another fun piece with Galavant himself having to pose as a squire and getting a crash course into how knights are really viewed while a public party at the castle saw King Richard learning from an eunuch that Madalena has been copping off with the Jester behind his back. Music highlights in this one include Jackass In A Can and Dance Until You Die.

Episode 4: Comedy Gold

Still desperate to win back Madalena properly, Richard spent most of this episode enlisting the Jester's help into becoming quite the comic, which only worked when pies were added into the equation. The Jester got some decent screen time in this one before suffering Madalena's wrath and being sent to the dungeons. Elsewhere Galavant, Isabella and Sid bickered, got captured by pirates (lead by Hugh Bonneville) and then saved them. Isabella also had a moment of conscience and nearly confessed her true intentions to Galavant. The music highlights of this one were Togetherness and Comedy Gold.

I'll cover episodes 5-8 of Galavant's first season next week.

First Look: Galavant

We've had Glee (which will be over in 2015), we've had Smash (which bombed after two seasons) and we still just about have Nashville (which my sister loves and I enjoy it too). Now thanks to ABC (again), we can add another musical themed series to the roster ....

Galavant - created by Dan Fogelman, Alan Menken, and Glenn Slaterand starring Joshua Sasse focuses on the titular character being once known for his dragon slaying and general acts of heroism until the love of his life Madalena was kidnapped by King Richard (Timothy Omundson) and our hero became somewhat slack in his duties until the arrival of Princess Isabella of Valencia who needs Galavant to get his act together so she can get her kingdom back from King Richard.

Having watched the trailer for this upcoming series, don't expect this show to take itself seriously. It's rather unashamedly cheesy to the hilt with Richard being more camp than sinister and Galavant himself is something of a douche as well. However, it actually does look like a lot of fun and while it could really go either way, it's one of the few other series aside from Agent Carter that seems genuinely worth getting into from ABC and even Vinnie Jones as Richard's henchman doesn't seem so off-putting either.

Season 1 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HebCU8X34JE

Galavant will air on ABC later in the 2014-2015 TV season.