"Over the Garden Wall" a Modern Day American Fairy Tale

 

Years ago, while perusing the evasive pursuit of good television that so often evades me I came upon an animated television show on Cartoon Network.  At first, the style and the story were -not- my cup of tea, I couldn't understand who or what was going on.  The show called "Over the Garden Wall' featured two boys in a strange wonderland of very odd creatures and situations.  The show debuted in the fall, almost right around the time of Halloween, and I remember thinking, "why on earth would someone want to watch a show where one of the main characters wears a teapot on his head for no apparent reason, and talks to a rock, and the other dresses like a garden gnome," and clicked off the channel.

A week later a friend I knew online was gushing about the show, how I had to watch it.  I told her that I couldn't understand why someone would watch something so weird and she said to be patient and watch it through.  So I did, and to this day this animated set of shorts is one of my favorite fall pleasures and I am not alone, there are hundreds and perhaps tens of thousands who bush about this mini-series.

There was indeed a reason that the boys dressed as they did and I was an idiot not to recognize that the new show came out on Halloween for a reason.  I won't spoil that reason here, but as I watched I realized that the story was something of a modern American Fairy Tales, and a dark fairy at that, inspired by the likes of "Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle."   

The show has a fantastic ensemble cast including Elijah Wood as one of the main characters, and Christopher Lloyd as the character of "The Woodsman".  It also has one of the best soundtracks I have heard for media bridging blues, folk, classical, gospel, even good old R&B.   Almost every song had me invested into it as much as I got into the story of the show itself.

The story is a classic heroes' journey, two brothers find themselves in a strange otherworld on Halloween Night and try to find their way home with the help of a local girl transformed into a bluebird.  The genius of the show shines through in little bits, like the part where the aforementioned teapot is something the younger brother uses to try to make himself look like an elephant (with the spout becoming a trunk).  This is something I could imagine an actual kid to do, and his innocence and purity contrasts the more dour and serious older brother.  

The brothers meet some very interesting allies, creatures that seem right out of a fairy tale from talking animals to odd humans who think nothing strange of the weird situations that surround them. Much of the story seems to take place at different times of history, and it is distinctly American in set pieces that include a paddleboat, Yankee tavern, etc. There's marks of Mark Twain here too in the characters of talking and singing frogs, and it wouldn't be out of place to expect Tom Sawyer to appear at some point to take part in the story.   Indeed this almost feels like a Twain story, especially some of the darker parts.

Most episodes are self-contained, with the brothers influencing events to better the lives of the people they meet, while at the same time we see their own lives changing.   We see the older brother is troubled, and we see the younger brother trying to help him.  Its a sweet relationship, very realistic and relatable for a "kids show."  One can find many themes in this coming-of-age story: love and loss, death and life, depression and hope, bonds of family, betrayal and forgiveness and the innocence of childhood against the troubles of the world.

Everything is up in the air, and like Alice in Wonderland there is beauty in the bizarre.   Of course, such a dark fairy tale isn't such without a good villain and this show has it in the form of "The Beast."  We never see the beast, not fully, save for a huge looming figure with horns and blazing eyes.  It's insidious presence is whispered here and there, and there's even a song at one point warning the boys about him.  What we do get of the beast is mostly at the end, and his interactions with Christopher Lloyd's character.

The insidious nature of the relationship of Beast and Woodsman is something best not spoiled, but sufficed to say, the Beast has a particular interest in the lost souls like the two boys who wander into his wood.  The boys are lost in more ways than just physically, and there are strong tones about death, loss and the beauty of the fleeting moments of life scattered throughout the season.  The sweetest moments come when you see the power of the two brother's bond in the climax.  

I would recommend those who enjoy a good story, good songs to watch this series close to Halloween.   Sure the show is weird, very weird.  Sure its dark, and sometimes scary, but both these aspects are no more or less so than the classic tales I mentioned before.  Each episode is only about 10 minutes and with ten episodes, it equals out to one long movie.  You will not be disappointed.

(Picture courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.)