Over the Garden Wall, Intextricably Autumnal Artistry at its Finest

Promotional poster for “Over the Garden Wall.”

Be warned!  Spoilers ahead for “Over the Garden Wall.” 

Once in a harvest moon, there comes a piece of art so profound, so delightful, and above all so thoroughly autumnal, that you can’t help but view it every single year underneath a quilted blanket, hot chocolate in hand, Halloween on the horizon. For me, that piece of art is Over the Garden Wall, the animated miniseries first premiering on Cartoon Network in 2014. Over the Garden Wall possesses many wonderful qualities: its commitment to a nearly obsolete, yet beautifully two-dimensional animation style, its heart and humor, and even its contributions to the hallmarks of horror all single out the show as a bonafide masterpiece.  

But, more so than any of these other qualities, what makes this show a true must-watch for me each and every Halloween is its delightful autumnal atmosphere, which (for someone who lives in Los Angeles) is hard to come by ‘round these parts! “Christian Girl Autumn” has nothing on Over the Garden Wall. Over the Garden Wall’s picturesque autumnal landscapes, its references to American folklore that harken back to tales like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and its inclusion of modern horror archetypes all capture an essence entirely singular to the Halloween season. 

Over the Garden Wall is not just a great show to watch around Halloween, it is the only show to watch around Halloween. 

The citizens of “Pottsfield,” one of many stops on Greg and Wirt’s journey.

Created by Patrick McHale, Over the Garden Wall follows the story of two young half-brothers Wirt and Greg (Elijah Wood and Collin Dean, respectively) as they travel the forested paths of a mysterious realm known as “The Unknown.” Not remembering how they got there, Wirt desperately tries to reign in Greg’s infantile antics and take charge as the resident “older sibling” in order to get them back home safely.

Throughout their journey, which takes place over the course of ten episodes, Wirt and Greg encounter mysterious towns, eccentric village-folk, and dangerous monsters, namely “The Beast,” a mysterious overlord who rules over The Unknown and its peculiar denizens. Borrowing from folklore and horror tropes, each episode focuses on a single location, theme, or plot device, all the while serializing the overall journey of Wirt and Greg on their desperate quest to return home and escape The Beast.

However, Wirt and Greg’s tale is far from melodramatic. Much of the show is actually highly comedic, as the bizarre population of The Unknown showcases their quirks and peculiarities to the half-brothers throughout their journey. For instance, in one episode, the siblings meet two eccentric millionaires whose respective homes are so large and grandiose, that they actually connect to one another unbeknownst to their rich owners. Hilariously, the two homeowners think the other is a ghastly specter who is haunting them, when in fact, they are accidental roommates. 

Furthermore, one of the show’s final episodes is dedicated entirely to an absurdist dream sequence, in which Greg dreams he is visiting an angelic city in the clouds riddled with off-kilter musical references to The Wizard of Oz’s Munchkinland sprinkled over a cherub-like citizenry. These are only a few of the delightfully strange comedic turns Over the Garden Wall takes over the course of its season.

Greg and Wirt traverse “The Unknown.”

And yet, Over the Garden Wall’s overarching story, for all its autumnal warmth and comedic genius, is ultimately something of a dark fairy tale, or allegorical fable meant to impart a sense of foreboding, and a meditation on inner strength and willpower amidst saturnine melancholy. It's rare to see a piece of art that so deftly encompasses both of these tones, and yet, it seems to be a recurring theme in my series of explorations defining what makes art feel dedicated to Halloween. 

If we’re looking back at the past three pieces I’ve examined in the month of October (Sweeney Todd, Black Swan, and The Shining), it seems art that balances both genuine horrors with occasionally comedic flairs all through the lens of socially relevant or otherwise compelling themes provides the best backdrop for Halloween-inspired watching. And, Over the Garden Wall is no exception, but in fact, the paramount example of this trend.

Over the Garden Wall encompasses all these criteria better than anything previously discussed. It has clear comedic chops, as the series is peppered with hilarious comedy left-turns and snappy dialogue between its eccentric characters. It explores compelling and dark themes on the strength of willpower and the fear of losing that power in the face of insurmountable apathy. And, perhaps most importantly, Over the Garden Wall provides its audience with genuine horror through its personification of the purgatorial Beast who stalks the gloomy paths of The Unknown.

It's also The Beast, the primary antagonist of the series, who best encompasses Over the Garden Wall’s examination of willpower against apathy. While just one of many possible interpretations of Wirt and Greg’s journey, an often posited explanation for Over the Garden Wall’s mysterious realm views Wirt and Greg’s exploration of The Unknown as a traversal of a sort of purgatory, with The Beast using the realm as a hunting ground for wayward souls who’ve lost the will to carry on in the midst of unbearable existential dread.

Greg and Wirt perform in a Riverboat Frog band in episode 1x06 - “Lullaby in Frogland.”

In true folklore fashion, The Beast’s hubris and lust for power ultimately become his downfall, with Wirt’s wits (don’t say that too fast) triumphing over The Beast’s brutish rule over the domain. It’s also Wirt’s strength of will that finds The Beast powerless to stop his journey towards self-actualization, and his quest for identity. 

In addition to the exploration of these themes, genuine horror blankets the atmosphere during Wirt’s many encounters with The Beast, as the creature only appears in shadow, his deep domineering voice penetrating the veils of fog that shroud The Unknown. The combination of these poignant meditations on inner strength explored through the horror genre makes Over the Garden Wall one of the most unique, and yet emotionally resonant animated series I’ve ever seen on television.

Over the Garden Wall somehow manages to flex its expert comedic chops (combined with the trappings of a traditional horror story) all mixed in with poignant themes reflecting on willpower. And then, on top of all that, it’s dripping with autumnal goodness perfect for anyone craving a small slice of fall dropped straight into their living room.

Pastoral landscapes peppered with pumpkins, black cats, and other trappings of Halloween are continuously scattered throughout each and every episode of the series. And, with all the quintessential elements of Halloween wrapped up in one perfect fall-like bow, Over the Garden Wall continues to be a staple in my Halloween watch list, and the perfect series to watch this fall.