TV Review: Galavant (1×01) – Pilot & Joust Friends

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With how big Game of Thrones has become, there has been a huge increase in the Fantasy fan base. From literature to film, there has definitely been a huge impact. This “resurrection” also includes the brand new show, Galavant. I’m going to honest: I thought I was going to hate this show. A musical set in the medieval era? Didn’t Into the Woods just come out? But me being a sucker for anything fantasy or medieval, I had to give it a try, and I’m happy to say that it was a very pleasant surprise.

The hour-long premiere started off introducing Galavant, a hero who is in love with Madalena, a classic damsel in distress character. However, when she is kidnapped for marriage by King Richard, Galavant gallops off to save her from the evil king so they can ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Well, it turns out that Madalena prefers riches and fame over true love and turns him down, saying that they can just be friends. This makes the gallant hero fall into a year-long slump of drinking and sleeping until the beautiful Princess Isabella comes around asking for his help to save her family from King Richard.  That’s motivation enough for Galavant to get back to his old ways, but little does he know that Isabella was hired by the king to bring Galavant to the castle so he can kill him and silence his nagging wife.

On the way to King Richard’s castle, Galavant comes upon a jousting tournament, and like any medieval hero he must partake in it. He goes against a very attractive John Stamos (I mean, seriously, Uncle Jessie never looked so good) and wins only because Isabella got him drunk off of Absinthe.

Overall, I have high hopes for this show. I know a lot of people thought it wasn’t funny or that it was way over the top and it needs some tweaks, but I’m hopeful about it. When I saw that Alan Menken was helping with the music, I knew that at least the music would be good, but I never expected it to be totally clever or funny; I actually found myself chuckling a few times whenever a musical bit would commence. I was even digging the references to Monty Python and Game of Thrones. The writers have to be careful though; I can see these gimmicks getting old quickly, so hopefully they will be able to keep it fresh. But for now, Galavant is (hopefully) here to stay.

 

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