Halloween is over, autumn marches on, and as we move towards the end of the year it’s getting harder and harder to find the time to relax. Between preparing for finals, arranging Thanksgiving and Christmas plans, and the general end-of-the-year-crunch it’s hard to make any time to relax. Or do much else, for that matter.
I no longer remember the meaning of sleep.
So what if I told you that there’s a really, really short show that’s thematically tied to this time of year? I’m talking about "Over the Garden Wall."
Funny jokes for the kids and creeping existential dread for the adults.
"Over the Garden Wall" is an animated miniseries that ran on Cartoon Network about a year ago. It follows the misadventures of Wirt, Greg (his teapot-clad, younger brother), and Beatrice (a cynical bluebird) as they explore a fantastic and somewhat menacing realm called the Unknown.
So here are four reasons you should watch "Over the Garden Wall" this November.
1. The animation is gorgeous.
"Over the Garden Wall" is animated by the same team that created "Adventure Time." In other words, the guys who animated this--
Just look at how smooth that animation is!
--also animated this.
It’s so pretty that it makes my eyes burn with jealousy.
The whole show is filled with animation that is simply breathtaking to behold. I’ll let the images speak for themselves.
2. It’s frightening, funny, and intelligent all at once.
This is a family show.
In any given episode of "Over the Garden Wall," there’s a lot going on. Take, for example, the Pilot episode: “The Old Grist Mill.” On top of Greg’s comical shenanigans there’s a lot of mysterious talk about a beast of some sort and there’s some seriously messed up imagery.
But wait, it gets even better! "Over the Garden Wall" isn’t just eerie, it’s hysterical. This show has some absolutely gut-busting moments which serve to break up the drama and make the show more poignant.
For example, at one point Wirt, Beatrice, and Greg find themselves in the home of a wealthy eccentric, voiced by John Clease, who believes that he is either being haunted by a ghost or completely mad. As if that wasn’t strange enough they pose as the eccentric’s nephews for money.
I’m just going to let this scene speak for itself.
What’s really great about the show is that, in spite of this serious tonal gap, it never talks down to you. "Over the Garden Wall" deals with some really adult subject matter (including responsibility, sacrifice, and death), but it never tries to “dumb down” its arguments. I won’t go any further in depth for fear of spoiling the show, but know that by the time that the final episode’s credits roll you’ve got a story to make Soren Kierkegaard jealous.
“Hey bro, wanna talk about existentialism?”
3. It has an amazing soundtrack and fantastic voice work.
About 30% of you out there are laughing hysterically when you see this image.
Not only does "Over the Garden Wall" look nice, but it also sounds nice. The musical composition and accompanying voice acting are amazing.
The music in the show has a decidedly American Gothic feel in the best possible way. Why not take a listen for yourself?
It’s not just the music that’s fantastic, the casting list for the show is simply bonkers. "Over the Garden Wall" features the talents of Elijah Wood, Melanie Lynskey, Christopher Lloyd, and John Cleese.
4. It’s short and that’s a good thing.
Remember how I said "Over the Garden Wall" was short? Well, that’s putting it simply. Each episode of the show has a running time of eleven minutes, which means that it only takes 110 minutes to watch the entire show. It takes no effort to sit down and watch the thing, so you still have time to work on your finals or Christmas shopping or whatever it is that’s devouring your time.
Those are four reasons that you should check out "Over the Garden Wall." It’s a pretty cheap buy and it’s definitely worth your time. It’s far and away one of the best cartoons out there right now and that’s a rock-fact.
