'Toon Reviews 2: Over the Garden Wall Episode 9

Into the Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One thing to really appreciate about this penultimate episode of the series is that it gives us some background of who Wirt and Greg really are.  Before, you might have thought that they were brothers from turn-of-the-century Europe, when in reality, they’re actually two kids from the modern world dealing with realistic problems, and the reason they’re dressed the way they are is because it was Halloween.  In Wirt’s case, it’s trying to impress a girl he likes named Sara, but is too nervous to do so since that requires showing her a tape that includes his poetry and clarinet playing, none of which seem ideal for impressing love interests especially when he’s convinced that another boy, Jason Funderburker, is into Sara too.  The episode also shows how Wirt and Greg ended up in their situation because of this all relating to their character flaws with Wirt’s aforementioned nervousness as well as Greg’s innocence making him come off as a little too pushy in getting Wirt to talk to Sara, leading to them climbing over a garden wall in a cemetery and falling on the other side.  Moments like this really help you see that they’ve come a long way thanks to their journey through The Unknown, and they have an emotional layer to them when just before they end up underwater, which is apparently where their journey began, Wirt blames Greg for the mess.  This emotional moment though, serves as a catalyst for Wirt to set off to rescue Greg from his fate, vowing to be a better brother, just after he awakes from his reminisce in a scene that displays Beatrice’s family life.  While the story of this episode isn’t especially creative, it does offer a lot of much welcome background on both Wirt and Greg, answers questions about how they ended up in The Unknown, and has enough emotional moments to make you want them to succeed.  This is a very fitting episode to have just before the big finish. 9.5/10

Ranking

1)      Babes in the Wood

2)      Songs of the Dark Lantern

3)      Hard Times at the Huskin’ Bee

4)      The Old Grist Mill

5)      Lullaby in Frogland

6)      Into the Unknown

7)      The Ringing of the Bell

8)      Mad Love

9)      Schooltown Follies

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the last episode of this show, "The Unknown."