(Just heard that Galavant is getting another season *cue excited squealing*)
Who'd pull of a coup d'etat like you
While rockin' a push up bra like you
Well here's a clue, no one but you
I've got to admit, I didn't quite see a couple of the turns coming in these two episodes of Galavant but I now see that "Completely Mad...Alena" and "Dungeons and Dragon Lady" shared a common theme. Madalena, who has mostly been sitting in the background, finally started to have a storyline of her own while our heroes arrive in Valencia, King Richard readies his trap and Chef finds a bit of romance oddly enough.
Out of the two, it would be hard for me to pick a favorite. Both episodes had a quite a bit going on but the big thing for me for these two episodes was the tunes. I actually had a hard time narrowing down which little song quote I wanted to use at the beginning of my little review here. Even though I finally settled on a quote from "No One But You", I'd have to say that my favorite song from the first episode is a solid tie between the suprisingly dark "If I Could Share My Life With You" and the acapella ditty of "Hey Hey We're the Monks". The first of my favorites gives a harsh look at the actual lives of peasants in medievel times via a catchy love song. The line about having a dozen kids and maybe one wouldn't die was one of the those moments when you laugh and then think "Good lord, what is wrong with me?!" The song sang by the Valenican monks was also catchy and received extra points from me because Weird Al Yankovic was one of the monks and you can't beat that with a stick. As for jokes this episode, I loved the random overly poetic ways some of the characters would use to describe when the hero trio was going to be at the castle only for the other person to say "So, nine o'clock then?". I also liked Richard's saying Gareth sounded like a witch when he suggested, quite scientifically I might add, a standardize time-keeping system.
For episode six, "A Day in Richard's Life" was definitely my favorite song which may not be super catchy but Timothy Osmundson is pretty awesome in it so yeah. I loved the whole stoner vibe on a good chunk of the episode including the various jokes about Xanax the wizard, an excellent example being this conversation between Richard, Gareth and Chef after the king and Chef go to see Xanax:
Richard to Gareth: "I know you aren't a hugger but if you were I'd wrap myself around you like a leather jacket of love."
Gareth to Chef: "Xanax?"
Chef to Gareth: "Sooo much Xanax."
Anyway here's a rundown of these two episodes: (As always, mind the spoilers)
As our heroes are getting close to the shores of Valencia, King Richard puts the finishing touches on his trap for Galavant. Madalena is starting to get suspicious of Richard. She asks Chef what is going on and he tell her that he just knows he was ordered to prepare a feast for that coming evening. Now even more suspicious, the queen tells Chef that if he helps her, she will help him get together with her handmaiden Gwynne whom Chef has a crush on and he agrees. Eventually Madalena finds out what the king is up to and sends off a mysterious letter.
Meanwhile, the heroic trio has made it to Valencia and Isabella is trying desperately to stop Galavant from falling into the trap. She convinces him to go to a Vanlencian monestary to get a bath. While they are with the monks, who like all Valencian monks have taken a vow of singing, Isabella asks one of the monks for advice and afterwards goes to tell Richard the deal is off. Richard threatens her parents in front of her and she is forced to carry out the rest of the plan. Our heroes use monk's robes to sneak into the castle and fall into Richard's trap. The king reveals Isabella's betrayal and orders Galavant to be excuted. However, when Richard takes off the hood of the figure on the hangman's scaffold, it's revealed that the prisoner is Chef. Galavant's hood is removed to reveal that he is at a dinner table with Madalena. (End Episode 5)
Madalena explains that she is going to take over the kingdom and she wants Galavant to be her kept-man because he is handsome. She has him taken to the dungeon with the other prisoners. After apologizing to Galavant for her part in the scheme, Isabella reminds the queen that she had a deal with Richard. Madalena refuses to acknowledge the deal and declares that she will kill Isabella for daring to try and steal Galavant aka her "leftover man-mutton." She orders Gareth to maim Isabella's face, torture the rest of the prisoners and kill them. When Gareth protests on the grounds that he only follows the king's orders, she tells him that the king is weak and that is a dog that needs a strong master. This causes Gareth to start questioning his loyalties instead of torturing the prisoners, giving Isabella and Galavant time to talk. Galavant is upset now that he knows Madalena doesn't love him and Isabella tells him he deserves someone better. This conversation culiminates with them admitting they love each other and Galavant declaring he will save the day.
While this is going on, Richard is angry that Madalena tried to trick him into killing Chef instead of Galavat. Richard wonders why people treat him like he's second best and Chef suggests a visit to Xanax the wizard. When they visit Xanax, the wizard gives the king and Chef a potion that will help him figure out why he is the way he is. The potion takes them into a trance that transports them back to the day Richard's father died. It's revealed that Richard is actually the second son and only became king after his elder brother Kingsley rejected the throne so the much younger son was given the crown, as well bodyguard named Gareth. Richard realizes he always expects to be treated like everyone's second choice and decides to go take his kingdom back from Madalena. He arrives in time to hear Gareth declare his loyalty to the Richard but when he tries to imprison Madalena, it's revealed that she had sent for his brother Kingsley who is here to take the kingdom. (End Episode 6)