In the third episode of the second season of Galavant, Isabella is tricked; Richard must accept that his life will no longer be the same; Gareth deals with guilt. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Galavant.
Trigger Warning: For discussion of consent
This was a LOT, y’all.
Wormwood
Again, this show is engaging with fantasy tropes constantly, and all of us have probably seen or read something that had an evil sorcerer in it. They are a common, archetypical character within fantasy worlds, and so I was a little surprised that Wormwood is played as straight as he is within this narrative. I suspect there’s some big twist coming in the future. Wormwood is a familiar sight; he’s slimy, self-serving, and he’s got a dastardly plan to use something to secretly take over the kingdom of Hortensia. There was a fun twist right at the start, though, since Isabella refused to take part in any of the planning for her wedding, nearly undoing his entire plan to control her. WHAT IF HE HAD NEVER GOTTEN A CHANCE TO EVEN GET NEAR HER, LET ALONE PUT THAT HEADPIECE ON HER. True comedy??? Who knows! Hire me to write your shows!
Regardless, Isabella starts this episode wallowing, and she ends it at a very strange place. Obviously, her being controlled is a terrible thing, but it’s also indicative of how this season has—so far—mostly focused on things happening to her rather than her making decisions on her own. I do feel bad for Isabella; after the heartbreak in the last episode, I had hoped we’d get a more hopeful direction. But now, Wormwood can control her, and he’s turned her into something akin to a terrifying Stepford wife, and it’s so CREEPY. My guess, though, is that the Jester is going to be the one to help free her from Wormwood’s spell.
Guilt
This was an important step for Gareth, but I’m curious what it’s going to lead to. Gareth has an antagonistic relationship with Madalena for the most part, but he’s never irritated enough to actually do anything about her. He still seems to enjoy being the king. But that enjoyment is tempered by his submerged guilt, the feeling he has that he did something TERRIBLE when he sent Richard away. And for someone like Gareth, this is akin to demonic possession. He can’t conceive of the notion of guilt at all, so it manifests as a recurring dream involving backstabbing and betrayal. As far as dream logic goes, it’s not like Gareth has particularly subtle or tangled dreams. No, his are as straight forward as you can get. (Seriously, I like that Sid suggest they get to the bottom of Gareth’s dreams, and then a few seconds later, he’s there with virtually no work at all. Because HIS DREAMS ARE SO OBVIOUS.)
So, Gareth misses him. Maybe even feels the tiniest bit bad about what he did? But what comes next? Does he do anything with that guilt, or does he just keep moving forward as king?
Democracy
Oh, holy shit, this subplot was a BLAST. The “Democracy†song itself is so layered with jokes and social commentary that it would take a few listens to actually nail down everything that was said. But “Aw, Hell, the King†isn’t about politics so much as it’s about identity. Richard came from royalty, and at a young age, he became a part of it. What else has he known but power? Ruling? Being a king? And now that he’s home and his citizens dismantled the castle to build themselves a village, he’s got no part in it all. He has no power, no say over anyone, and he’s nothing but an ordinary citizen.
Except he can’t even be that anymore, either! Ordinary citizens have trades or skills that are useful. What skills does Richard have? What else does he know how to do? Do I feel bad for him? Not… really? I mostly enjoy laughing at him, and he brings such a chaotic, ignorant energy to the show, especially when he is paired with Galavant. That’s why I am so excited that he gives up trying to be a king by the end of the episode. Him traveling with Galavant is going to be RIDICULOUS, and I look forward to all of the shenanigans he will bring. Well, him and Roberta??? How the hell is that going to work? We know nothing about her, except that she volunteered to “fight†for Galavant and she still calls Richard her “king.†Whatever happens, I gotta say that I found it hilarious that Galavant made his big speech and no one but one random woman agreed to come along with him. Now that is pure comedy.
The video for “Aw, Hell, the King†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– My YA contemporary debut, ANGER IS A GIFT, is now out in the world! If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter! DO IT.
