"You'll know hell's freezing if we get decent ratings."
Note: This is our review of the first of the two Galavant episodes that aired on its Season 2 premiere night. Click here for our review of the second episode.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Galavant is back. The renewal of the medieval musical comedy came as a surprise -- not because of its content but because it didn't get amazing ratings. Luckily for us, ABC recognized the series is special. The magic formula is back in Season 2 but with some differences. Season 1 featured pairs such as Richard and Gareth and Galavant and Sid, but they've smartly switched it up for this season to highlight some other dynamics. There's Gareth and Madalena, Richard and Galavant, and Isabella and the people at Harry's castle -- she had some particularly funny moments with Jester, who I'm happy to see get more screen time.
Performances were strong across the board with Timothy Omundson and Vinnie Jones continuing to shine the brightest. Jones is masterful with comedic timing, and Omundson was born to play King -- well, formerly King -- Richard. Despite what he put Galavant through last season, the friendship they've begrudgingly developed is believable and sweet. You can tell Gal gets annoyed with Richard (and you can't blame him), but they have some real moments.
After the Season 1 finale, I was annoyed about Isabella being locked away by a kid. The plot twist still isn't my favorite because previous to that, Galavant flipped several fairy tale tropes on their head. However, I was pleased to see they addressed a couple of things immediately: Isabella has been trying to escape and she pointedly said she's a feminist and doesn't need Galavant to save her. So there. Related: Madalena's "What is with men and their emotions?" line was rather fantastic.
Timothy Omundson and Joshua Sasse in Galavant
It was nice to see other familiar faces from Season 1 return. As mentioned, Jester seems to have a bigger role. Chef and Gwynn are back as well. And there are the cameos. Kylie Minogue popped in for a showy number at the Enchanted Forest that was entertaining enough -- she's obviously quite talented -- but a diversion I'm not sure was necessary. Season 1 established cameos as part of the show, and though they're often amusing and possibly bring in additional viewers, the primary cast is so delightful to watch that the focus can stay on them.
The strongest laughs landed with the songs (we've reached the Game of Thrones reference quota, even if I laughed at each one). The "It's a New Season" ditty was hilarious. They poked at the earworm quality of "Galavant," at reality television, event series, award season, and more. The lyrics acknowledged the small miracle of Galavant being back and went super meta with its commentary. It's not a surprise to see Alan Menken and Glenn Slater continue to be awesome, but this song already shows they're reaching into new corners for Season 2. It was hilarious and clever in the way that makes you jealous you aren't them. The ditty was the highlight of the premiere.
The way "It's a New Season" played out was also a neat parallel to the Season 1 premiere. Galavant is again on a journey with a friend to find his captive love. Isabella threw open the windows like Madalena did. It's similar but altered enough so it doesn't feel like an exact copy.
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