[REVIEW] 'Tangled: The Series: Queen for a Day' DVD

Tangled: The Series: Queen for a Day is a special episode of the Disney Channel series Tangled: The Series, which takes place after the events of Tangled but before the Tangled Ever After short.

I’ve seen most episodes of Tangled: The Series, but it’s not something I drop everything to sit down and watch every week. (Plus, It’s recently been moved to a Saturday morning time slot, which isn’t a time that I tend to watch TV.) Nevertheless, when I do catch an episode of Tangled: The Series, I always find it enjoyable, even if not very memorable. I especially liked the first episode, “Before Ever After,” which for some reason is considered a Disney Channel Original Movie although it’s really just a longer episode of the show.

“Queen for a Day” is pretty standard in terms of plot — the King and Queen of Corona leave the kingdom to celebrate their anniversary, and Rapunzel is left to rule in their absence. The setup does feel rushed, but that’s forgivable considering the episode (movie? mini-movie? mega-sode?) is less than an hour long. There is a handful of new songs from Disney Legend Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater here, but the only memorable one is “Let Me Make You Proud,” performed by Jeremy Jordan.

Can we talk about Jeremy Jordan for a second? The dude is a powerhouse! His character, Varian, is only a supporting character in Tangled: The Series, but his role in “Queen for a Day” is arguably more interesting than even Rapunzel’s. One of my main frustrations with the show overall has been that several supporting characters who are not in the original film are introduced, but they seldom have anything to do. I feel like Cassandra, voiced by Eden Espinosa, could be a great character, but she just hasn’t proved it yet. She isn’t in “Queen for a Day” very much, and I wonder if the show would benefit from writing out her character and focusing more on Varian instead because it seems like the writers have more to work with for him, especially after what happens in this episode.

One of the biggest strengths of the show (and the film) is the relationship between Rapunzel and Eugene, and there are some great moments between them in “Queen for a Day.” I’m so glad that Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi have continued to voice these characters beyond the original film because they bring so much chemistry and humanity to Rapunzel and Eugene — you never get the sense that they’re “phoning it in” or just reading their lines in a recording booth somewhere. I don’t know how much longer Disney hopes Tangled: The Series will go, but I hope its able to keep the original cast because I don’t think it would be nearly as good as it is without them.

Overall, Tangled: The Series: Queen for a Day is an enjoyable continuation of the Tangled story. I think I actually prefer it over Before Ever After, and I would even say that it’s a step (or two) above most of Disney’s direct-to-video sequels. Even if you don’t watch the show on a regular basis, “Queen for a Day” is worth checking out if you’re a fan of Tangled and are interested in seeing more of those characters.