Once Upon A Time and Galavant

As I said, I really tried to not watch "Galavant", but they promoted it really heavily during "Once Upon A Time", and it looked kind of charming. It ended up being really charming.

There were some jokes that didn't stick in the first two episodes, but that was only noticeable at first; they found their footing really quickly. It looks like a ton of fun to do, and I suspect that's paying off with the cast. It's definitely fun to watch.

Some of the nice surprises from the show have been Joshua Sasse in general, Vinnie Jones' comic timing, and the perfect casting of Young Gareth. One of the less pleasant surprises was that I thought the limited run was a one time thing, so without knowing that the show was angling for a second season I was expecting a nice wrap-up instead of a cliff-hanger. I mean, I don't mind if it comes back; I just thought there would be a mega-happy ending with a splashy musical number.

The part that really got me was King Richard's character arc. It wasn't a complete surprise because I expected Timothy Omundson to be delightful, but it was more than that. The character started out as obnoxious - and evil in a thoughtless kind of way. That worked, but then Richard kept showing more vulnerability, endearingly, while Madalena kept showing more psychosis. The chemistry between Richard, Gareth, and Sid was important to that, but it was the song that really put it over the top.

Richard had been a part of musical numbers before that, but they were more comical, and ensemble style. When he sang "Goodnight My Friend", it was like he'd never sung before. Suddenly Omundson had the voice of an angel, and the song had a magic that spread through the castle and kingdom.

I suppose a helpful part of his arc is that Richard seems to be enjoying himself a lot more while not being actively evil, and now he will be paired with Galavant himself, which should be interesting.

It occurs to me that this is where "Galavant" made such a good pairing with "Once Upon A Time". Yes, it's sillier and more musical, but both shows allow villains to become something else, and it is the relationships that make it work.

Regina has been pretty evil, and her reasons for going that direction weren't really good. Her path toward the light started because she loved Henry, but that hasn't been all. Henry loved her back of course, and that meant that he would ask for the others who love him to understand her. It meant that they would reach out to her, especially Mary Margaret at first, but then Emma. In the process they are finding friendship, and when there are opportunities for Regina go dark again, she keeps refusing.

Regina has a lot of blood on her hands, as does Richard, but we find ourselves liking them, and sympathizing with them. It's good to see that we can change. It's a good reminder how much relationships matter. That gives reasons to be hopeful for what happens next.

And talented casts don't hurt.

Next week I'll take on "Grimm.