Galavant Season Finale: “Here All Week Unless I die”

How can one not love the two-part season finale of Galavant, when it starts with such a brilliant recap song by the Jester, “Thank you. Here all week…unless I die.”

KAREN DAVID, JOSHUA SASSE, GENEVIEVE ALLENBURY, STANLEY TOWNSEND, TIMOTHY OMUNDSON, VINNIE JONES

How can one not love the two-part season finale of Galavant, when it starts with such a brilliant recap song by the Jester, “Thank you. Here all week…unless I die.” Followed by a running argument between Gareth and Madalena (with interjections by Wormwood) and a rousing speech by Isabella.

Galavant and Richard lead their army of  “half-dead” soldiers onto the battlefield while Chef and his “bae” realize they are right in the middle of everything.  Chester Wormwood turns into an evil, and male, Mary Poppins for the “Do the D’ew, D’ew D’ew” (which may, or may not be the title but it looks right…) just in time to keep Madalena from changing her mind about using dark magic.

Chester turns the zombie army against everyone. “You make a cake, you break a few eggs,” is his response when  Madalena complains. Later, she goes to save Gareth who is taking shelter from the dead soldiers with Isabella, Galavant, and his old pal Richard.

After the first half of Galavant’s season finale ends, the second half starts with a musical flashback where Richard and Gareth are children. (Keep an eye out for a splendid in-joke.) The entire opening takes a leaf from “The Kid” with Richard playing Bruce Willis’ part.

The zombies surround Gareth and Galavant while the “one true king to rule them all” goes after Wormwood.  In the interim Madalena and “Tiny Tot” do battle and Sid arrives with reinforcements (but no one famous due to budgetary reasons) and viewers with keen hearing will notice a Wilhelm scream at the end of one comic fight.

DARREN EVANS, SOPHIE MCSHERA
Chef and “bae.”

Happily ever after is a low key affair for one couple, or two if one includes a certain former royal staff member and his “bae” while the other two lovers manage to have a happy ending that could be termed a ball of fire.

There is one last surprise guest on the series as Weird Al Yankovic shows up as a marital monk, who sings what just may be the best song of the second season, and also performs a musical marriage ceremony.

Galavant, in its finale,  manages to have some really excellent sequences: The armies all rushing together to do battle. Gareth and Madalena expressing how they really feel.  Wormwood and Richard with their confrontation and the physical followup to the “cat-fight” song by Isabella and Madalena.

It is no secret that this show took some getting used to.  However, repeated viewings and a steady appreciation for what Menken and the writers were striving for (under the guidance of show creator Dan Fogelman) turned this reviewer around. 

VINNIE JONES, JOSHUA SASSE
Gareth (Jones) and Galavant (Sasse).

The season finale, where the players break the fourth wall repeatedly, brings up that Galavant may not be renewed for another run.  If that is the case, then fans can take comfort in a cracking end to a series that entertains and is able, just like the finale itself, to make the viewer laugh and perhaps shed a little tear.

(Although that could have just been me…)

The stars of the show,Timothy OmundsonJoshua Sasse, Vinnie Jones, Karen DavidMallory Jansen and Luke Youngblood all do  brilliantly in their respective roles. (Praise is also to be lavished on the Welsh actor Darren Evans who kills it every time he is on screen.) In terms of guest starring roles, Galavant has proffered the “creme de la creme” of talent from across the pond.

The actors who all appear in cameos, guest roles and recurring ones (Robert Lindsay for example) all went above and beyond the call of Galavant and apart from thrilling at least one certain fan, made the show a lot of fun.

WEIRD AL YANKOVIC
Weird Al and his Monks…

Galavant sails off into the musical sunset tonight after another rapid round of episodes. May the network demigods approve the show for further seasons and make room for even more great guests. After all, at least one character did not get her happy ending and it would be brilliant to see where this storyline could lead.

ABC airs the season finale tonight, tune in and see how many musical homages you can spot.

 

 

Galavant: Episodes 5 & 6 – Nick Frost and Sheridan Smith (Review)

Galavant, with episodes 5 and 6 continues with a guest star roster to die for, Robert Lindsay is still playing Wormwood the wedding planner and evil schemer and Sheridan Smith comes in to play a hirsute princess who does not like weddings.

 JOSHUA SASSE, NICK FROST

Galavant, with episodes 5 and 6 continues with a guest star roster to die for, Robert Lindsay is still playing Wormwood the wedding planner and evil schemer and Sheridan Smith comes in to play a hirsute princess who does not like weddings.  Another well-known performer plays a giant, Nick Frost.  Sadly no one appears as a hobbit since they were eaten by the starving Galavant, Richard and “Bobbi.”

It has to be said that after disliking this series intently upon the first viewing, it has slowly but surely become a favorite.  The combination of great guest stars and repeated viewings has ensured that this comical ode to all things musical has overcome the initial misgivings and annoyance at the songs all sounding the same.

Of course it took the next episode, with guest star Eddie Marsan, who  plays death,  doing his song and dance which did, suddenly, sound completely different from all other songs in the second season that  won this dubious heart over.

Sidenote: completely unrelated to “Galavant,” but Eddie Marsan does appear to be in everything thing at the moment.  No complaints here though as Marsan has been a favorite performer for years, but he really seems to be everywhere.   

The omnipresent Marsan aside, he does not appear in either of these two episodes,  but the end of number 6, About Last Knight, with Galavant being skewered by the sword that Sid throws, his entrance in episode 7 is assured…

Episode 5:

Before the “death” of Galavant the trio of protagonists run into the giants  headed up by Andre (Nick Frost) and the dwarves.  Each group are the same height, at first glance all being around 5’8″ or 9″, as Frost is the former…

The whole battle between antagonists is down to a bridge built where one side is “dwarf size” and the other “giant size.” Leaving aside the ludicrous concept of each faction not recognizing that they are the same height (something that Bobbi sings brilliantly about) the whole thing is a long build up to a homage to…wait for it….West Side Story.

Galavant meets with the giants, who convinced Richard earlier that an iguana is in fact a fire breathing dragon and exchanged the creature for the jewel of Valencia, to get the gem back, or to convince them to join his fight to free Isabella.

Richard sides with the dwarves and just as things look to get fiery, Roberta fixes the bridge and stops the hostilities. Unfortunately the two warring groups then decide that they have to sort themselves and the bridge out properly.

Standout Moments:

Andre the Giant (Get it? Get it?) and his line about the dwarves complaining about the bridge:

“And those whiny little b*tches…”

The grumbling by the giants each time Galavant mentions dwarves.

The romance building between the Queen and King Gareth and Sid talking to his “Bro” Gareth warning him not to fall in love with Madalena and the end results.

SHERIDAN SMITH
Sheridan Smith

Sheridan Smith doing her version of Miley Cyrus…

The whole finger-snapping and whistling West Side Story set piece…

The show of hands bit and “shirts and skins.”

Sid learning that Gareth does not practice the “bro code.”

Episode 6:

About Last Knight goes all out with another homage, this one with Sid’s performance a’la Les Mes...where he rouses the peasants to revolt but tells them in graphic detail what will happen when they do and then finds himself all alone at the song’s finale.

The trio of heroes have yet another horse run out of steam and Richard complains about having to eat a family of Hobbits.  Magdalena tries to make Gareth’s birthday special, Galavant and his two followers run into poppa Galavant and Isabella kicks off about having to relinquish her bra to Prince Harry.

Standout Moments:

Sid (Luke Youngblood) and his Les Miserables song…

Wormwood’s firing by Isabella and as Chester (Robert Lindsay) leaves he keeps dispensing advice about the upcoming wedding while simultaneously cursing the princess.

Richard (Timothy Omundson) and his complete inability to “play” with children.

Gareth’s response to Magdalena’s surprise party (he runs through at least three party members).

The pub scene where Gareth cannot pick  fight with anyone.

The Forest of Coincidence.

Honorable Mention:

Daddy Arnold Galavant and his “I stitched them myself.”

Robert Lindsay’s “Crazy war minded monsters” line.

Roberta’s response to Galavant  when he accuses her of “caring about Richard:”

“Love him?”

The “He was There” song; specifically the lyrics;  “gave me all your underwear,  he gave me all the gear he gave to you” and of course, “he’s behind me.”

Overall Thoughts:

Despite the “shock” of Galavant (Joshua Sasse) catching Sid’s thrown sword with his chest, it is a certainty that the hero of this piece will not die.  (At least we hope not, the only thing that could be worse would be if Richard was to be extinguished before chasing that damned unicorn away.)  Still, episode 7 will feature the grim reaper so fans beware…

Galavant airs Sundays on ABC and at two episodes a whack, will not last much longer. Tune in, re-watch the older episodes, and season one while you are at  it, and enjoy this little comedic homage to all things musical.

 

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