'Toon Reviews 2: Over the Garden Wall Episode 6

Lullaby in Frogland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we enter the second half of the mini-series, we get an episode that’s high on drama.  To think that it starts out so light-hearted about the prospect of the journey being almost over.  Wirt seems to be enjoying himself more than ever, and Beatrice’s friendship with him and his brother seems to have grown so strong that she doesn’t seem to want them to leave.  How strong their bonds have grown are strengthened through a series of antics they get up to on a ferry of frogs they’re taking to Adelaide’s.  However, this is where the story takes a major emotional turn where we learn of Adelaide’s true intentions.  Instead of a kind woman willing to help those in need, she turns out to be a sick old lady in need of servants she obtains by holding anyone brought to her home hostage, and Beatrice was meant to lead someone to her home in exchange for the cure to the curse brought onto her and her family.  You can imagine that the boys, especially Wirt, feel much betrayed by this revelation.  Wirt’s hurt look when Adelaide holds him and Greg hostage really sells the betrayal.  If that’s not enough, even when Beatrice saves them, Wirt just takes Greg and leaves the poor bluebird behind now feeling more down than ever after having his spirits raised earlier in the episode.  The fact that it’s just so easy to feel sorry for these characters means that this series truly is coming off as a strong one. 9.5/10

Ranking

1)      Songs of the Dark Lantern

2)      Hard Times at the Huskin’ Bee

3)      The Old Grist Mill

4)      Lullaby in Frogland

5)      Mad Love

6)      Schooltown Follies

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode of this series, "The Ringing of the Bell."

 

'Toon Reviews 2: Over the Garden Wall Episode 5

Mad Love

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This episode deals with how our heroes get the money they need to complete their journey home.  The inhabitant of The Unknown they come across this time is the ever eccentric millionaire named Endicott.  With Wirt and Greg posing as his nephews to get the 2 cents they need for a ferry to Adelaide’s, we’re treated to the entertaining qualities of Endicott.  He’s highly energetic about his daily life and as rich as he is, he can’t help but feel lonely which makes him kind of crazy in the head.  It’s all commentated on humorously by Fred, the horse from the last episode, as Endicott goes on to explain that he’s in love with a woman he thinks is a ghost.  By the end though, it’s Greg’s innocence that gets Endicott to confront the ghost and ultimately realize that the ghost is actually real, and through another clever twist, she runs a company adjacent to his.  This whole story is fine and good, as well as clever in parts, but I find what Wirt and Beatrice get up to a lot more investing.  Up until now, they’ve both been reluctant allies for the adventure.  This is where they really start warming up to each other and in turn learn more about their past.  Beatrice’s past is really interesting through showing that Beatrice used to be a human who got turned into a bluebird along with her entire family because she threw a stone at one.  Ever since then, she vowed never to return to her family until she made up for her mistake.  Now, Beatrice was entertaining for her snarky attitude before, but this past makes her a lot more endearing.  Wirt claims that his problematic past stems from having a crush on a girl, but knowing this show, you just know there’s more to this then he lets on.  The story here has its quirks, but a little thing called character development for Wirt and Beatrice makes this episode quite endearing. 9/10

Ranking

1)      Songs of the Dark Lantern

2)      Hard Times at the Huskin’ Bee

3)      The Old Grist Mill

4)      Mad Love

5)      Schooltown Follies

Be sure to stay tuned for my review of the next episode of this series, "Lullaby in Frogland."

'Toon Reviews 2: Over the Garden Wall Episode 4

Songs of the Dark Lantern

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a more plot-oriented episode, we learn a lot more about elements of The Unknown as well as the Beast, and the way to this information is highly entertaining.  Our heroes end up in a tavern where the patrons frequently break into song when they hear what people who come across them are up to.  This is exactly what Wirt discovers as he explains to the patrons of his search for the woman who can help him and Greg find their way home, Adelaide.  The comedy comes from the patrons misinterpreting what Wirt says and make up songs about random things, mainly how Wirt is trying to win this Adelaide woman over as his bride.  Then, like any great work of fiction, the light and fun moments (which by the way also include humorous moments of Beatrice talking to a horse) are balanced out with dark and threatening moments.  Wirt mentions the Beast, and through song, the patrons explain more deep information about him.  The reason to beware the Beast is that he’ll turn you into a tree to make oil to light his lantern.  Since the Woodsman, the first inhabitant of The Unknown we came across, had a lantern, this is where we start to question if he’s a character our heroes should be trusting.  There’s a great moment of bravery for Wirt when he sets off to track the Woodsman down and nearly destroys his lantern.  However, as soon as he leaves, we begin to see even more depth to the Woodsman as he talks to the Beast about how the flame in the lantern is the only thing keeping his daughter’s spirit alive and that the Woodsman doesn’t want any harm to come to the brothers.  This scene really pulls you into the show’s world and gets you to want to learn more about this character as well as all the others.  Plus in addition to all the fun moments in the tavern, and how those moments are well balanced with the dark stuff towards the end, this episode is easily a strong point of this mini-series. 10/10

Ranking

1)      Songs of the Dark Lantern

2)      Hard Times at the Huskin’ Bee

3)      The Old Grist Mill

4)      Schooltown Follies

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode of the series, "Mad Love."

'Toon Reviews 2: Over the Garden Wall Episode 3

Schooltown Follies

 

 

 

 

This part of the series features our heroes coming across a school where all the students are animals wearing clothes, meaning that they are real animals who  behave like real animals and can’t talk , yet they just happen to go to a school taught by a human teacher.  That’s just about as creative as the premise gets.  What goes on there involving the school needing money to stay open, the teacher constantly lamenting about her lost love in front of her students, and a wild gorilla on the loose are fine and good, but simply not as engaging as what we got in the last two episodes.  However, what makes this episode worth sitting through is how Wirt, Greg, and Beatrice observe the situation.  Wirt and Beatrice spend much of the episode having an amusing banter about how Wirt is such a pushover who’s always afraid of breaking the rules, signaling some potential character development for Wirt as well as a growth in his friendship with Beatrice.  Greg, on the other hand is easily the standout character of the three.  His happy, childlike demeanor manages to liven up the dull situation he and the others come across.  This is especially apparent when he strikes up a catchy musical number during the students’ mealtime before the teacher’s father, who’s the owner of the school, arrives and calls everyone out for their tomfoolery.  In the end, Greg manages to do his part in making the world a better place by stealing back the students’ instruments from the father and successfully raises enough money to save the school by having the students put on a benefit concert.  While the main story of this part may not be very interesting and not offer much bearing on the main story (though the gorilla part of the story does have a cool twist to it), what our heroes get up to at least helps make this part enjoyable.  8/10

Ranking

1)      Hard Times at the Huskin’ Bee

2)      The Old Grist Mill

3)      Schooltown Follies

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode of the series, "Songs of the Dark Lantern."

 

'Toon Reviews 2: Over the Garden Wall Episode 2

Hard Times at the Huskin’ Bee

 

 

 

 

 

This episode is our introduction to the really creative aspects of this show.  You see, during Wirt and Greg’s search to find home, they come across a town called Pottsfield.  There, all the inhabitants are live pumpkins who worship their lifestyle in the town so much, that they never want to leave.  As the episode goes on, the premise of the pumpkins’ lifestyle gets even more creative as we learn more about what the pumpkins consider appropriate punishments for certain crimes and how they are sentient through everything that Wirt and Greg get up to.  Also through Greg’s childlike innocence and Wirt constantly assuming the worst of outcomes no matter what happens, the experience is given a unique and charming perspective.  Adding to the perspective is a talking bluebird named Beatrice who joins Wirt and Greg on their search for home.  While we saw a bit of her in the last episode, this is where we really get to know her.  She’s easily freaked out by what the brothers come across and is easily irritated by their quirks.  However, she’s also very loyal to them because they saved her from a bush and sticks by their side no matter what they say, Wirt especially.  Not to mention, she offers some progression to the story by telling Wirt and Greg where they need to go to find their way home.  These are the makings of a great addition to the cast.  Thanks to this episode, we’re given all the proof we need that Wirt and Greg’s journey home will be something worth investing in every step of the way with its creative sights to see and main characters to follow. 10/10

Ranking

1)      Hard Times at the Huskin’ Bee

2)      The Old Grist Mill

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode, "Schooltown Follies."