Galavant – Aw, Hell, the King/Bewitched, Bothered, and Belittled

Last week’s instalment of Galavant set things on their way, and this week we pick up the reins. Genius tunes and loads of humour balance some emotional moments, for both Richard and – in a surprise move – Madalena.

Galavant and Richard have returned to the king’s former kingdom, and are greeted with a surprising sight – as one of the peasants (Matt Lucas) explains, the kingdom has transitioned into democracy. Galavant hopes to form an army to help invade Hortensia and rescue Isabella, but can he convince a democratic assembly to back his plan? The occasion has thrown Richard into a fit of self-doubt – if he’s not a king, exactly what is his purpose in life? Meanwhile, in Hortensia, Isabella is struggling with her imagined break-up with Galavant, but a new figure appears to help literally change her mind – an evil wedding planner called Wormwood (Robert Lindsay), who has plans for the kingdom.

Timothy Omundson has always been one of the jewels in this show, and seeing his evolution from evil villain to kindly and gentile sidekick is hilarious. Galavant is the hero, but Richard is the heart of the show. Richard gets a fun tune (probably called something like ‘If I Were a Jolly Blacksmith’) where the king laments the fact that he doesn’t know how to do anything but be a ruler. The music is bouncy, the lyrics are genius and Omundson’s performance really sells it.

Isabella once again remains trapped in Hortensia, a bit of a frustrating move for her character, but the arrival of Wormwood gives Karen David a bit more to do – she gets to channel an entirely different side of Isabella when mind control seeps in. Robert Lindsay shines as the flamboyant evil wedding planner and, in a genius move, he gets a very enjoyable calypso number, a song and dance about the faff that goes into planning a wedding. I keep going on about how brilliant the songs are in this show, and this is another example.

These episodes are perfect Galavant again, and our quest continues

Onto the second episode. Galavant and Richard have a new companion on their quest – the king’s childhood friend, Roberta (Clare Foster). Galavant is clear there’s a hint of attraction between the two, and setting them up may help him continue on his quest on his own. Chef (Darren Evans) and Gwynne (Sophie McShera) realise that life as royal servants isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and are both concerned about the very sudden transformation in Isabella’s personality. Madalena is invited to a roast with two awful queens she’s admired since childhood (Sally Phillips and Sarah Hadland), but things don’t go quite as expected.

From the start of the show, we’ve seen that Madalena is ruthless and power-driven, and part of the fun of her character is that she’s so overt about it. She’s the last character I’d have expected to sympathise with, and it’s to Galavant’s credit that it pulls off this emotional climax. Madalena is excited to meet the queens, only to learn she is the subject of their roast, and it hurts her deeply. She gets a beautiful Alan Menken ballad, ‘What is this Feeling?’, in which she is heartbroken to learn she actually has vulnerabilities. Jansen sells this scene, and it leads to a touching yet grotesque moment with Gareth. Could there be an actual relationship brewing there?

The other two songs here were also brilliant. In a companion tune to season one’s ‘If I Could Share My Life With You’ (probably called ‘As Good as it Gets’), Chef and Gwynne power out why the ‘upper lower class’ may not be for them. Meanwhile, in a song hugely reminiscent of The Little Mermaid’s ‘Kiss the Girl’, Galavant tries to help Richard and Roberta fall in love. It’s probably the first time I’ve ever heard the term ‘herpes simplex’ used for a romantic rhyme scheme, and it works. So much here is daft, but it all works.

These episodes are perfect Galavant again, and our quest continues. Galavant says he’ll be heading to the land of giants next, and I’m already looking forward to seeing how that encounter goes.