S02.E05: Giants vs. Dwarves / S02.E06: About Last Knight

[willgracefan]

I so missed the Jester!

[SmithW6079]

Finally, a show without Isabella would also mean a show without Karen David's (ahem) limited acting range and (ahem ahem) especially limited singing voice. With her out of the picture, the rest of the crackerjack cast could get more screen time.

That's uncalled for. I think Karen David is fine and she fits in with the rest of the cast. I always enjoy when she's on screen.

[blackwing]

I didn't get the references to WSS and LM, though it's obvious now that it was mentioned, but I still was entertained. I also was glad the enchantment of Isabella was broken. It was getting close to being dragged out too much. This is a fun show, and there's just not many fun shows out there. TO is just going for it 100% too.

I've never seen West Side Story, but I know there is an iconic song where two rival gangs confront each other. The thing in this scene in Galavant that made it instantly recognisable as an homage to West Side Story was the crouching/walking forward and most of all, the snapping.

The song in Les Miz that was being parodied was a song about the people banding together and rising up against the authority ("Do You Hear the People Sing?"). That's what Sid was doing, but instead of instilling them with confidence he was scaring them away. As was previously mentioned, there is the iconic waving of a red flag, and Sid waved a red flag.

[CooperTV]

Richard and his dragon were the cutest!

 

The giants vs. Dwarves gag was mildly amusing, and I was glad seeing Nick Frost. The Westside Story homage was great as well. But yet again, bunch of unreasonable men are saved by a capable reasonable woman because... this show's feminism is strange and bizarre? Than the capable and reasonable woman continues to fawn over the image of her crush playing clumsily with urchins. ...Aww?

 

Galavant and his dad was suitably manipulative for a musical, so whatever.

 

Princess Jubilee was random, and her song was performed terribly. Not as terrible as Kylie Minogue's Off With the Shirt, mind, but still. I appreciate Jubilee accidentally forced the Isabella-is-mindcontrolled plot from existence, but Isabella ones again had no agency here.

 

Thanks for making Madalena into that girl that wants to please her man. That's exactly what I wanted to see!

Edited January 20, 2016 by CooperTV

[betsyboo]

 TO is just going for it 100% too.

YES! And looks like he's having a mah-velous time!

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Nobody On Galavant Needs Princess Isabella
Let's get her expendable butt out of here!

[jhlipton]

Thanks for making Madalena into that girl that wants to please her man. That's exactly what I wanted to see!

 

It was his birthday...  And he had just recently brought her earrings.

[BK1978]

All I have to say is that I believe in Tad Cooper.  People around me must have found me highly annoying because I was asking folks all day on Monday and Tuesday if they believe in Tad Cooper.

[Mabinogia]

Thanks for making Madalena into that girl that wants to please her man. That's exactly what I wanted to see!

 

 

I have no idea what is wrong with wanting to please someone you care about.  I love that she can be kind towards someone she's interested in and still want to take over a kingdom.

[miracole]

I love TO and I'm sure they'll end up really making Tad Cooper a dragon or some such tom foolery but I wasn't a fan of Tad Cooper. I think that whole plot just made Richard seem really slow.

[TheRabbi]

I don't think I've seen it mentioned yet, but possibly my favorite song lyric from this set of episodes was:

He was there, he was there.

Random backflip in the air!

Gets me every time

[paramitch]

Timothy Omundson continues to own this show for me. He has a lovely voice, he's an amazing actor, he's incredibly funny yet also unexpectedly moving and poignant. This season has really emphasized how absolutely lonely Richard was before now. I also love Roberta (and love the Tauriel comparisons since I <obviously> adore Tauriel, and I say this as a diehard Tolkien nerd -- don't care, still love her, always will).

 

Love the homages to Les Miz and West Side Story! And Sid finally got a solo!

 

I was just disappointed Sid was so unable to SING it. I thought the actor was pretty terrible on the song, which disappointed me. It really needed a serious singer (and would have strengthened the tie-in to Enjolras and Les Miz and made it funnier). I... just... gah. He was really bad.

 

West Side Story - Jets vs Sharks number
Les Miserables - Do You Hear The People Sing

Oliver/Gigi - I swear the Galvant vs Kids song started out Oliver and ended up Gigi (and it was awesome)

 

I agree! For those unfamiliar, here's a bit from the original "West Side Story" movie adaptation -- I wanted to find a better version that would also include the whistles, or alternatively, a longer lead-in to "The Jet Song," but no such luck:

 

 

Meanwhile, as others mentioned, Sid is basically doing a pastiche of Enjolas from "Les Miserables." Here's a clip from the film -- which I have conflicted feelings about (although I actually didn't mind Crowe, who simply did the best he could with a voice part that was all wrong for his light, husky tenor) -- but I did think all the students' scenes were marvelous, and Broadway vet Aaron Tveit is just so freaking amazing -- seriously, please check out his work in "Next to Normal," for instance):

 

 

I was a little disappointed that Anthony Head didn't return as Galavant's father.

 

I was too, as I would have loved hearing those dulcet tones on "I Was There."

 

But -- honestly, I also thought Greg Wise (WILLOUGHBY!) did a lovely job, and while he wasn't as strong a singer as ASH, he managed to give the quiet final refrain of "I Was There" real love and pathos. It was one of the best moments in the show for me.

 

Even though it wasn't a musical number, I loved the Field of Dreams reference, with Galavant and his father having a game of toss with the cabbage head.

 

So did I! So sweet and incredibly funny.

 

Meanwhile, from the recap:

 

Finally, a show without Isabella would also mean a show without Karen David's (ahem) limited acting range and (ahem ahem) especially limited singing voice. With her out of the picture, the rest of the crackerjack cast could get more screen time. More Chef, y'all! MORE CHEF!

 

I'm really confused by this criticism, as Karen David is easily one of the show's best real singers. She's obviously trained, has a great range, and a lovely vibrato, and I say this as a former voice major. I mean, I get criticisms of Gareth and (regrettably) Sid, or even Gwynne until the past few episodes, but not of David. 

 

You know what I would love? Instead of getting rid of the (useless, silly) princess, why not REALLY subvert expectations? I would love nothing in the world more than Isabella riding to Galavant's rescue.

 

ETA: Edited to fix pesky parenthesis! Gah.

Edited January 22, 2016 by paramitch