Galavant was a wildly rambunctious surprise on our television screens early last year and it seemed set to be a short-lived one at that, receiving dismal ratings over its eight episode (four week) run. Miraculously though, the series survived, and boy, did it want you to know it in its premiere episode 'A New Season aka Suck It Cancellation Bear'. I mean, just read that title. There are very few series that are able, let alone willing, to be as daring to name an episode like that, but the joy of Galavant is that its existent as a series itself - a fantastical musical comedy - has little precedence which I guess lets the writers feel like they can do whatever they want, which makes for a great ride as viewers.
So after its possibly too self-aware opening song, 'A New Season', the first episode found Galavant and Richard shipwrecked while on the search for his kingdom and tangled up in 'The Enchanted Forest', which hilariously, was actually a gay bar. Writing about episodes sometimes it's easier to see points where writers use detours to fill up time, but like Sid said in the opening song, common sense dictates that we know where this season is headed so there's no reason why we can't have fun along the way. So having Kylie Minogue being the owner of said gay bar was absolutely the best regardless. Elsewhere Isabella was still trapped in Hortensia, waiting to be wed to her cousin and trying to escape, while back in Valencia both Gareth and Sid had difficulty without having properly defied roles within the kingdom.
The worst thing about Galavant is that with now three separate plot-threads, and musical numbers thrown in, there's very little room for significant plot/ character progression to occur. Thankfully, this is where ABC's decision to air two episodes back-to-back works quite well (where previously it just seemed like an attempt to get it off the air faster). The second episode 'World's Best Kiss' was nicely able to build on the energy of the first and create some needed plot/ character progression while still technically being an episode by itself, which is why I think it was probably better than the premiere. Thanks to a fortune teller Galavant is able to get in touch with Isabella by 'calling' the amulet she was bestowed with as a child. Unfortunately the connection is bad, and while this is potentially sloppy writing I suspect Isabella thinking Galavant is not in love with her is just another stalling tactic so that she has a legitimate reason not to escape Hortensia. Richard also receives news of Gareth's betrayal which provided a nice character moment for the pair, while Gareth and Queen Madalena also finally bonded over how annoying they find Sid.
And if the writer's didn't have enough to fit into an episode, they managed to put in a nice cliffhanger too - upon reaching his Kingdom Richard and Galavant discover that his castle is gone. Where could it be? Deviously self-aware, often hilarious, and contagiously catchy are why you should give into the miracle that no one thought we'd get, and watch Galavant.
Best Musical Number: 'Off With His Shirt' could easily be a Kylie Minogue chart topper.
Best Quote: 'Die in a fart brown cow' - a distorted Galavant as heard by Isabella.
Rating: 3.5/5
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