Over the Garden Wall Climbs Into Our Hearts
When in a forest filled with animals and magic, nobody knows exactly if Patrick McHale’s new mini-sries for Cartoon Network, Over the Garden Wall is in Colonial times or is an American folk tale that was never written down in a book. Elijah Wood voices one of the two main characters, a worrisome older brother by the name of Wirt. Like many older siblings, Wirt must keep a watchful eye over his younger brother Greg (Collin Dean), a chipper young boy who is more interested in naming his newly acquired pet frog (musician Jack Jones) than finding his way out of the dark and mysterious forest known as the Unknown. Though Jones has done little so far to shine, Wood and Dean right away create a dynamic that seems natural and realistic, as fictional brothers go.
Dropped into the Unknown just like the main characters, the pilot episode (better known as Chapter One) leaves the viewer in the dark just like Wirt and Greg. The episode has a cameo by Christopher Lloyd as an elderly woodsman and Melanie Lynskey as a talking bluebird, who are both more trouble than they are help. The atmosphere of Over the Garden Wall brings you back to childhood fears of the night but also back to the fairytales that you would hear before you lay your head to rest; the show is mystical, magical enough just to be true, and something to make you inspired. McHale’s Over the Garden Wall presses all the interesting buttons and in no time at all has become a cartoon to be reckoned with.
Dropped into the Unknown just like the main characters, the pilot episode (better known as Chapter One) leaves the viewer in the dark just like Wirt and Greg. The episode has a cameo by Christopher Lloyd as an elderly woodsman and Melanie Lynskey as a talking bluebird, who are both more trouble than they are help. The atmosphere of Over the Garden Wall brings you back to childhood fears of the night but also back to the fairytales that you would hear before you lay your head to rest; the show is mystical, magical enough just to be true, and something to make you inspired. McHale’s Over the Garden Wall presses all the interesting buttons and in no time at all has become a cartoon to be reckoned with.
In 2014, Patrick McHale released an animation short entitled Tome of the Unknown, later on, this movie short became what we know as Over the Garden Wall.
OtGW is about two brothers that clearly just want to get home, except they don’t exactly know where home is or when home is. (I totally get a The Village vibe from this series, like we can’t tell exactly if the characters are in modern times and dress like they’re in the past or if it vice versa. Probably as the show goes on we will find out… hopefully.)
The pilot starts off with a singing frog playing on a piano introducing the title screen. After a little narration, the screen shows Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean), two brothers who just want to get home. After being found by a most likely deranged woodsman (Christopher Lloyd), the brothers begin to panic and realize how necessary it is to get home. After fighting off a possessed dog that had a turtle in its stomach, the two begin their journey home by traveling towards a city lit in the darkness a little ways off.
Friend watching the pilot with me: “Wow, looks like Frodo finally left the shire.” HA. HAH HAH. Actors doing something other than a series they’re known for, who would have thought?
The episode ends in a cliff hang, which I hate, is it so hard to wrap it up? BUT I GUESS THAT’S THE TECHNIQUE TO GET US TO WATCH MORE. Hopefully we get to hear Jack Jones’ sultry frog voice. Actually, I want to hear everybody’s singing voice at some point, because I just love when characters sing in an episode.
OtGW is about two brothers that clearly just want to get home, except they don’t exactly know where home is or when home is. (I totally get a The Village vibe from this series, like we can’t tell exactly if the characters are in modern times and dress like they’re in the past or if it vice versa. Probably as the show goes on we will find out… hopefully.)
The pilot starts off with a singing frog playing on a piano introducing the title screen. After a little narration, the screen shows Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean), two brothers who just want to get home. After being found by a most likely deranged woodsman (Christopher Lloyd), the brothers begin to panic and realize how necessary it is to get home. After fighting off a possessed dog that had a turtle in its stomach, the two begin their journey home by traveling towards a city lit in the darkness a little ways off.
Friend watching the pilot with me: “Wow, looks like Frodo finally left the shire.” HA. HAH HAH. Actors doing something other than a series they’re known for, who would have thought?
The episode ends in a cliff hang, which I hate, is it so hard to wrap it up? BUT I GUESS THAT’S THE TECHNIQUE TO GET US TO WATCH MORE. Hopefully we get to hear Jack Jones’ sultry frog voice. Actually, I want to hear everybody’s singing voice at some point, because I just love when characters sing in an episode.