The third and fourth episodes of ABC’s limited series Galavant aired tonight, and it was just as delightful as its premiere.
Two Balls
Oy vey!
The episode opens on our intrepid trio arriving at Sid’s hometown, where Sid reveals that he may have been exaggerating slightly in his letters home. Welcome to Sidneyland, the happiest place on earth — at least, for Sid’s parents. As far as the village is concerned, Sid is the dashing and successful knight, and Galavant his squire. A ploy that Galavant isn’t all that happy about playing along with.
Isabella, however, is. Her home of Valencia is famous for two things — its cabbages, and its theatre program. Which means that she has the perfect opportunity to put her improvisation skills to the test. Well, again. She introduces herself to Sid’s adoptive Jewish parents as his betrothed, much to Galavant’s bemusement.
Meanwhile, King Richard is taunting the remaining Valencian populace in an attempt to entertain himself. When his attempts fail, he calls on a eunuch to advise him on how they used to have fun before King Richard invaded. “We used to have balls,” he replies, sending both King Richard and Gareth into a fit of laughter — and us too. What can we say? A little dirty humor gets us!
So it’s balls all around — one for the Valencian’s, and another to celebrate Isabella and Sid’s “engagement.”
Major Dillweed
Continuing the trend of catchy tunes we’ll be humming all week, Galavant comes to the realisation that he doesn’t treat Sid quite as well as he should through a song-and-dance. The other squires liken their employers to jackasses in cans, and though Galavant eventually gets into the spirit of the song, it slowly dawns on him that they’re describing him.
Madalena and the Jester rejoin King Richard just as he commences the ball for the Valencian people, though it isn’t quite the event that he’s hoping for. After setting the final remaining crops from their land on fire in front of them, a terrible joke from the Jester, and some “dancing to the death” to the tune of the Executioners, King Richard allows them an open season to declare their true feelings about him. Though they start of being directly about his personality, the eunuch ill-advisedly states the one thing everyone has known since the premiere — that Madalena and the Jester are “doin’ it” behind King Richard’s back. Richard declares the ball over, and orders the eunuch put to death for his indiscretion.
Back in Sidneyland, things appear to be fairing much better. Galavant and Sid share a heart to heart, and Galavant admits to the real reason that he took on Sid as his squire — he was the only person who had been true to himself. He tells Sid that he’ll keep up the ruse, but that he should be proud of who he is. This spurs Sid on to finally tell his parents the truth about his not-so-glamorous career.
Continue to the next page for our recap of ‘Comedy Gold’
Comedy Gold
Heroes get the raisins
The trio are finally getting close to reaching Valencia — though Galavant insists that they take the rocky river route. Isabella is worried about thieves and bandits, while Sid is more concerned about who has been eating all the raisins in the trail mix. Priorities.
As they continue to travel towards their destination, it seems that all is not well in Team Galavant. The more time they spend together, the more their ticks and quirks are starting to edge towards annoying. Of course, whilst they’re wrapped up in their bickering a group of bandits manages to capture them.
They take the trio to their leader, in order to decide what to do with them. Swapping his Lordship at Downton for being Lord of the sea — or, at least, sea adjacent — the pirate Captain tells the tale of how their ship became hilled beached, and that they now pillage their wares from unsuspecting travellers. Alongside sustainable gardening, and selling homemade organic desserts, of course.
Over in Valencia, King Richard has opted to spare the Jester’s life — so long as he teaches him the way to Madalena’s heart through laughter. The Jester runs through some of his top tips, though King Richard doesn’t quite execute them. But, hey, at least he’s not executing the Jester. Yet.
Gorgeous and very diverse
Peter Pillager the Pirate King takes Galavant for a walk, and offers up an ultimatum. If Galavant joins his crew, he’ll spare the life of his squire and the “mouthbreather,” and if he refuses he’ll kill them all. Not much of a choice, truth be told. Galavant warns Peter not to call Isabella a mouthbreather again — it’s a medical condition! — and when he does, manages to take his sword and free himself. Much to Peter’s embarrassment.
When he arrives back at the camp, however, Galavant finds that Isabella and Sid have managed to rescue themselves. This spurs him into a rousing speech about how they could do legendary things if they continue to work together. He puts forward a counter offer to the pirates — Galavant and the others could take all of their pirate gear, and the booty, or they could help them free their ship from the hill and the pirates could sail them to Valencia. Win-win all around.
Back at the castle, King Richard insists on continuing with his comedy show for Madalena. He’s dying on the stage, right up until he pelts Gareth in the face with a pie. This elicits a genuine laugh from his entire audience, and his wife, and Richard believes he’s achieved his goal. And perhaps he has, to a certain extent. When Madalena meets with the Jester for their next rendezvous, he feels too guilty to go through with it — and Madalena has him sent to the dungeon. The scary one. With the mice.
As the others make their way by ship to Valencia’s shores, Isabella finally comes clean to Galavant about the trap that awaits him. Galavant, however, hasn’t been listening. But he’s going to get better at that, he promises. When he prompts Isabella to repeat what she said, she chooses to deflect the subject to her parents instead.