I survived Gen Con and avoided the con crud, so now it's back to our regularly scheduled programming . . . Spoilers ahead!
I loved the first season of Galavant and think it is one of the best and most subtly subversive shows of 2015. Wait . . . wait . . . there is no way you can call Galavant subtle (This is what I hear you saying. Well, at least the eight other people that have watched it. High fives and a round of my favorite rock band song: Irish Blood, English Heart for us all.).
Just go with me on this. Galavant's main cast is remarkable. They are a healthy mix of races and gender, and at the same time, the show doesn't make a big deal about it. That is the subtly subversive part; there is not stereotypical background for any of the characters. They are written as people--fallible, funny, and each with their own purpose. The characters are just written as characters. That was so refreshing it hit me like I was standing in front of the Juggernaut, while he was charging at Chuck.
Beside my love of the character development, I will admit that my natural inclination was to like Galavant. I'm a musical-loving fiend. For my 40th birthday, my wife got us tickets to Something Rotten on Broadway and my favorite musical is a toss up between Company and Man of La Mancha. So, the show basically had to not suck and I would have watched it.
When I finally saw that this show was getting a second season, I was elated! Long story, shortish . . . you should rush out and watch the first season in preparation for the second season. For all of my Pathfinder, D&D and fantasy gamers, it is just like watching a party assemble and stumble through a slew of misadventures until they hit the campaign.
Be warned we have reached spoil territory. Turn back now if you haven't seen it. (Go watch it and come back. Then tell me what you thought of it, ok?)
The show was full of small gems, that are somewhat familiar but invigorating at the same time. One the bits that comes to mind instantly, is the training montage Isabella has given Galavant which highlights the lengths he must go to get back in shape after his long drunken stupor in order to prepare for the joust tournament. He trains so hard that he can barely move the day of the tournament and Isabella most use her cunning to win the day.
Watching the three heroes travel around this fictional land reminds me of my time in IZ (Iraq, for those civvies out there). When deployed with the Army, you grow closer to the people in your squad, you become friends, and they are constantly with you. And even though your friends ride you harder than you'd ever experienced before, when push comes to shove, you're a team with a common mission. However, deployment did not involve musical numbers to keep the plot moving.
Season 2 should premiere in early 2016. Set your DVRs!