On the surface, it might seem unnecessary to review ABC’s musical comedy series “Galavant” in detail. It is a show promoted as a fun, silly, charming diversion, and it succeeds at being fun, silly and charming. No viewer should be approaching the show with a different expectation, and as long as that is true, no viewer will feel disappointed by what he receives when he tunes into ABC at 8PM on January 4.
But assessing “Galvant” in such simplistic terms comes at the expense of appreciating the executional perfection behind it. There were a myriad of avenues the cast and crew could have taken in creating the escapist “Galavant,” and had they not so successfully routed their course, they would have ended up with a show far less enjoyably fun, far less endearingly silly and far less appealingly charming.
What drives “Galvant” to a point of excellence — and thus makes it something to excitedly anticipate rather than something to tolerate while waiting for ABC’s fall series to return — is the precision with which the effort strikes its notes. Operating at a perfect balance point between self-awareness and immersion, “Galavant” is able to simultaneously give the viewers, the characters and the narrative the credit they deserve.
Fundamentally absurd, “Galvant” would have suffered from an overly serious approach. Treating it like high art, such as by assuring the tautness of every melody and lyric in the music or by treating every line reading like it came from an award-oriented script, would have stripped the project of its fun. What makes something like “Galavant” work is a conscious acceptance of the fact that literal artistic perfection translates into contextual imperfection.
A “serious” approach in the form of aggressive, relentless, pointed satire and sarcasm would have also stripped to the show of its central appeal. Those intrigued by a musical fantasy comedy series are watching because they enjoy the combination. They want to follow the hero’s journey. They want to sing the songs. They want to immerse themselves in the fantasy. For that to happen, the cast and crew must also be immersed.
That is certainly not meant to suggest that those watching cannot laugh at the absurdity of the premise and the absurdities inherent to the musical, fantasy and comedy genres (they absolutely will). It is not meant to suggest that “Galavant” should not join the audience in rolling its eyes at the wackier elements (it absolutely does). It is merely to stress the importance of balance.
“Galavant,” which chronicles the humiliated Galavant’s journey to defeat King Richard and recapture the heart of Madalena, his former flame and Richard’s current, jaded bride–absolutely achieves that balance.
The actors are perpetually conscious of the fourth wall but never afraid to commit wholeheartedly to the material. Despite screentime limited by the half-hour episode format, the inclusion of at least two separate plotlines in the first several episodes (with one focusing on Galavant’s journey and the other life within King Richard’s empire) and the presence of musical numbers, the actors all find ways to deepen and humanize their characters. They “get” the joke and never act with their tongues too far removed from their cheeks, but they also know that investment in their characters is the only way to make everything work.
As the titular Galavant, Joshua Sasse channels all qualifies required of a situationally compelling protagonist. He possesses the looks, charm and confidence needed to justify his legend but also humanizing vulnerability and immaturity. Believably weak enough to require motivation and assistance from travel partners Isabella and Sid but powerful enough to dispel the notion that he is a phony hero, the Galavant Sasse creates fits perfectly into the show’s delicately balanced universe.
As Isabella, the Valencian princess who initially inspires Galavant’s journey as part of a King Richard ruse but soon forges a real connection with the hero, and Sid, Galavant’s squire, Karen David and Luke Youngblood simultaneously excel from individual and collaborative perspectives. Their chemistry with each other and with Sasse is immediate and sizable, but they also operate with enough distance, presence and comedic sensibility to create unique value. They assist “Galavant” the show — not simply Galavant the man.
Burdened with playing the thoroughly unlikable Madalena, Mallory Jansen admirably finds ways to inject charm and humor without transforming the character. Midway through the episode, viewers will learn Madalena is not a lovably snarky or nasty “anti-hero” — she is permanently jaded and thus perpetually dismissive and hurtful. So invested in the role, Jansen nonetheless finds a way to make Madalena’s presence enjoyable without relying on the shortcut of making Madalena herself an enjoyable person.
A given to anyone who saw him, somehow, steal “Psych” scenes from the superb and over-the-top James Roday and Dule Hill, Timothy Omundson, the show’s King Richard, emerges as the cast’s most valuable player. Forced to walk a particularly dangerous character line insofar as Richard is a fundamentally feeble, emasculated, sympathetic human that is also a powerful king capable of horribly evil, inhuman things, Omundson never falters in his performance. As perfect in each scene as he would have appeared on a theoretical casting blueprint, he routinely makes the king’s side of the episode resonant and hilarious.
Courtesy their chemistry with him and great comedic timing of their own, Vinnie Jones (his right-hand man Gareth) and Darren Evans (his chef) also contribute to the engaging, endearing atmosphere.
The narrative progresses with a self-aware looseness yet never allows itself to completely fall off track.
Deliberately and consciously saturated by cliche and contrivance, Galvant’s journey is never presented as bigger, more sophisticated or more clever than it is. The show always recognizes the journey as a mere vehicle for delaying Galavant’s reunion with Madalena (albeit a delay that only extends to the third week of the season’s four-week run) and for fleshing out the different characters, and it always makes the most of that scenario.
When interrupting Galavant’s journey with diversions like a jousting competition with John Stamos’ Sir Jean Hamm, a stopover in Sid’s strange hometown and a run-in with a group of pirates led by Hugh Bonneville’s Peter the Pillager, “Galavant” never insults the viewer by treating the events as bigger than they are. It never teases that the roadblocks might thwart or transform Galavant’s effort — it instead uses them to drive weekly humor and character development.
On the king side, “Galavant” gives characters like Richard, Madalena, Gareth and the chef legitimate opportunities to resonate within the universe. Instead of defining the characters only in terms of Galavant and his journey, the show gives Richard and the other members of his kingdom an opportunity to connect on their own merit. As a result, the focus on Richard’s own story (which continues even after Galavant arrives during week three) feels like a valuable necessity rather than like a necessary time waster.
The songs always feature farcical, comedic lyrics and often parody other songs and songwriting styles, but they remain musically compelling, catchy and faithful to the art.
As comedic as they are lyrically, songs like the main “Galavant” theme, episode two closer “Maybe You’re Not the Worst Thing Ever” and episode four’s “Together” are also competent musical theater numbers that feel natural for and respectful to the genre (unsurprising given the involvement of Alan Menken and Glenn Slater).
“The Beast Within,” the second episode’s utterly ridiculous and completely delightful “Eye of the Tiger” parody, functions as effectively from a soundtrack perspective as the aforementioned songs do from the musical theater context. (Update: An original Sebastian Bach tune replaced this in the final broadcast version)
The actors, meanwhile, all possess enough musical talent to do the songs justice but enough restraint and rawness to humanize the numbers. None sounds bad (or wants to sound bad) but none sounds like he is vying for a record deal at the expense of the show’s humble tone.
The excellence of the “Galavant” balance extends to virtually every facet of the series. The dialogue is funny, sarcastic and self-aware but somehow never compromises the sincerity of the effort. The guest casting, which includes the introduction of characters played by Ricky Gervais and “Weird Al” Yankovic, appears of the stunt variety at face value but remains guided by restraint and appropriateness in execution. The tone is impacted by cynicism and sarcasm but never distant from morality, wonder and warmheartedness.
It is for this reason – the fact that “Galavant” achieves such a perfect balance at all junctures – that the label of “fun, silly and charming” is unfairly dismissive. “Galavant” resonates in accordance with that expectation, but it does so by the precision (and/or precise imprecision) demonstrated in every musical note, every joke, every casting decision, every character decision and every plot outcome.
“Galavant” will sell to its (likely modest) audience on concept, but it was not crafted by reliance on concept.
It excels due to the immense, expertly routed effort of those involved. Those involved believed in the project and enjoyed the opportunities and decisions that resulted from that belief. They had tons of fun because their spirited approach optimized the fun of “Galavant.”
And it is that fun, that balance of hard work and enjoyment and that combination of cleverness and wonder that produces a fun, silly, charming world into which viewers themselves will easily become immersed.
Beginning January 4 at 8PM, ABC will air back-to-back “Galavant” episodes each Sunday. A total of eight episodes will air as part of the first season.
Galavant
Creator: Dan Fogelman
Stars: Joshua Sasse, Timothy Omundson, Vinnie Jones, Mallory Jansen, Karen David, Luke Youngblood
