Unpacking Over the Garden Wall

[@teddytheterriblegamer4098]

I don't quite understand the Vincent Adultman comparison? They are 2 kids and a frog hiding in a trenchcoat, Vincent is a successful businessman?

[@CodeeXD]

Yeah I didn't really get that comparison but everything else was great.

[@_end3rguy_]

he literally goes to the stock market only grown ups are allowed to do that

[@Geebees93]

He even works at the business factory.

[@aduckofsomesort]

He did a business.

[@diminie_chimket]

You may not know because you never heard of him.

[@AdamDGoff]

I normally wouldn’t say anything, but the reason the cemetery wall is the “garden wall” is because of Pottsfield in episode 2. The “Harvest” the townsfolk do is digging up skeletons from the graves. The cemetery IS the garden.

[@aidenk.364]

The sign on the front of the cemetery says it’s called the garden

[@seventysue8090]

​@@aidenk.364exactly idk what first dude is on about.

[@cylyte2436]

@@seventysue8090naw, let him cook that was good

[@seventysue8090]

@@cylyte2436 you're probably right.

[@coolchameleon21]

omg how did i not realize this

[@BraylonSchroeder]

My favorite details are definitely how Adelaide's theme is played only with strings given her whole deal, and how her theme turns into Come Wayward Souls when she starts talking about how she does what the beast commands. Not to mention when she is melting the theme sounds like all of the strings are snapping. The music fully makes this show

[@commenteroftruth9790]

agreed, the soundtrack tells a story on its own

[@clown-cult96]

I watched Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio recently and I knew before the credits even rolled that Patrick McHale was involved. His influence is so subtle yet unmistakable.

[@camillebelcon8811]

It was a pleasant surprise to see his name in the credits!

[@worrywirt]

Yes! Pinocchio immediately reminded me of Greg. It was a great surprise to see Pat involved, what an amazing collaboration between creative forces! Pan’s Labyrinth and OTGW are my favourite pieces of media ever

[@evilforestspirit]

​@@camillebelcon88110:48

[@evilforestspirit]

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[@evilforestspirit]

​@@camillebelcon88112:27

[@Not-important-123]

I remember watching the final episode, one of the few shows that made me cry as a kid.

[@Meromorphic]

One of the few shows that made me cry as an adult. Lol

[@FairyPhantasia]

@Meromorphic lol right? Were kids still watch TV at this point? Jk can't remember But we watch this every fall

[@KurttheKing]

Yeah, the final episode was pretty intense

[@KurttheKing]

@@FairyPhantasia We also watch it every fall

[@davidking8744]

To hopefully answer the question "why was this made for children" its because children LIKE horror, especially qhwn its presented to them in a way they can not only understand but enjoy, and a lot of kods really prefer it. Children can understand and grasp hard and even scary subjects really well as long as its presented in a way meant for them! As a bookseller i have seen so many kids into dark and even horror novels, the thing is it was made for kids, at their reading level with stuff that is scary but not too scary for them, and this show is also there, its made for kids because children CAN understand and enjoy this, it acares you because its supposed to, and for a show with the type of message ita supposed to send, i think having fear is important, having your audience be genuinely scared of auntie whispers only makes the message hit harder! Kids can and do enjoy horror and thriller content, its the delivery of content thats more important (: (this is an opinion based off the onservations ove made working at a bookstore for 3+ years im not professional)

[@ferweenie]

I think for me personally, as a kid i enjoyed horror media a lot because, as many kids do feel especially those like me who are autistic, the othering and alien feeling nature of most scary works appeals way more to a real deep love for them. A lot of kids turn to horror media not because they are edgy or a warning sign whatever, but because most other types of media especially those aimed at children never dare to explore feelings which some kids will usually end up feeling. Being able to relate to the othering feeling of horror media as a kid really helped me to understand my emotions better and feel more confident in what made me different from my peers, in the way that it validated actually having those negative emotions that went farther than the usual playground argument usually in shows. I think that horror media that doesnt limit itself based on what people think children but rather just changes the material to have more value in the horror in a way which doesnt just draw on shock value for scares, but an actual atnosphere and feelings that those kids may be grappling with are fantastic outlets. Most other media isnt willing to see kids as people who can have complex, (albeit, usually not really life-changing or monumental to adults) and really dark thoughts that having media that tells those kids they arent alone in the othering strangeness of life and that life can be genuinely scary sometimes lets kids engage with those themes not even solely for the entertainment of being scared but of a really fantastic way of not letting kids bottle up their emotions just because they never see anything close to how they feel depicted in media. It may come across as edgy, but having an outlet to explore those emotions as a kid really helps, at least it helped me, feel more confident and willing to deal with negative situations with more of a personal understanding of those emotions and that its okay to express them through creative outlets. I think people overreact, especially in cartoons, when they see something disturbing or shocking because their ideas of children are people who only feel horror when exposed to things that elicit that. But i know from experience that watching "spooky horror game fnaf kids die!!" didnt ruin my little child mind. I just was given the opportunity as a very emotionally stunted and othered child to see dark elements actually shown to me in a way that didnt tear me from my innocence but gave me the tools to understand the things i was feeling better and connect with friends in my school that felt the same way. You cant hide negativity and horror from children because life is a scary thing, but you can let them know through things like these that those are aspects of life that are okay to experience even at a young age. Silly that people could consider fear an adult topic as if kids never have bad events happen to them and that telling them to just cheer up with just make them bottle it up more because theyre people and not just innocent fun machines :/

[@sashabell2390]

That’s why we like Courage the Cowardly Dog

[@iesika7387]

Terry Pratchett famously said (to paraphrase) kids shouldn't be "protected" from stories with monsters in them - they already know there are monsters in the world. What kids actually need are stories that show monsters can be survived or beaten. OTGW has a pretty powerful lesson behind its scariest moments - that being paralyzed by fear or despair is dangerous and it's better to take action and take responsibility instead of curling up and trying not to think about it.

[@CaulkMongler]

As a kid I was actually rather drawn to the dark and “macabre” things, it was strange and interesting more than scary.

[@edienandy]

Loved horror as a child. I remember being fascinated with witches around 2nd grade and finding a copy of “The Witchcraft of Salem Village” by Shirley Jackson in my school library. It was a nonfiction account of the Salem witch trials but it scared the shit out of me and I loved it. I remember I had to hide it under my bed at night lol

[@whitneybaxter3299]

I’ve heard of the phenomenon of “nostalgia for something we’ve never experienced” and the best example would be over the garden wall. Ive never experienced late 1800s in new england but yet when I watch this show or hear the music its transportative in that way for me.

[@whofan1212]

Just because it's a piece of trivia I love, there's a worth for that! The Welsh word hiraeth means nostalgia for a time or place that never quite existed

[@MajorJack92]

new england but a lot of georgia/carolina as well. one of the songs in the soundtrack is "send me a peach from georgia". i think savannah ga has the strongest otgw vibes of the places i've been to

[@prons_gaming5083]

Same. Also, I watched it when it came out, so i feel double nostalgia for this series

[@wavylavender]

I think the "unknown is purgatory" theory actually fits really well with this. when you're a dramatic teen coming to terms with the adult world, growing up might kind of feel like a death sentence

[@colleagueloyal7269]

im pretty sure it is based off Dante's inferno.

[@ShaggySummers]

So... we're going to pretend it's normal, that the frog in the end was still around and had the glowing bell in his belly? We're going to pretend, that everything went well in the end and he got to bring that from limbo? We're going to believe in... the loveliest lies of all? Great video full of appreciation for a great piece of art.

[@siduxjxhdgzhdjxhxuuxxyhgg1079]

hell yeah we will

[@prons_gaming5083]

Well the frog himself did exist before they fell in the water, but you're right about the bell

[@javiervergara5695]

actually, the frog coul've just eaten a firefly and that's why it's belly glows

[@SyxT312]

​@@javiervergara5695why would that be the case; We've never seen the frog's stomach glow aside from the bell. I know that we only get to see the real world for the second to last episode and the end of the last, but why would fireflies be able to illuminate through the frog's stomach. Also, why would any other object illuminate only upon shaken in such a fashion.

[@banano-bread9864]

@@SyxT312 so true

[@st4r64]

Every year since it came out, I've made it a tradition to watch this show around my birthday, which happens to fall in October.

[@cdogthehedgehog6923]

That means you were conceived around valentines day. Have fun with that fact.

[@Phoca_Vitulina]

@@cdogthehedgehog6923 Not once in my life have I ever thought about that connection, and now it's blowing my mind at 3am :O

[@wyattpendleton7573]

I was 11 years old when over the garden wall came out. I lived in east Tennessee where the leaves get so vibrant and orange during the fall. I remember watching this show in November where everything outside was either red and orange or starting to become brown. The mornings were always misty and foggy with a colder essence in the air. When I was watching it at the time it reminded me so much of where I was. I loved the show and couldn't wait to see the next episode. After the series finished I remember being even more focused on how beautiful the fall was. My friends and I would always go play in the woods behind our houses and it reminded me so much of the show. Years go by of me loving the fall season and being so happy when it was fall, looking for all the colors and beauty's it carries. One day I remembered the show that all started my love for fall but I couldn't remember the name, after a little research I had found it. I watched the show again and had all these feelings of nostalgia from being a kid playing in those woods and putting on hoodies and pants. We would always play football in the field next to where the woods started and then go venture off exploring. I just wanted to say thank you for again bringing this to my feed to watch and listen to. I still listen to the soundtrack, but only in the fall as it hits home in a very deep sense. Thank you for this video. Alot of people surprisingly don't know of the show so it's hard to talk to anyone about it and the nostalgia of it. The occasional person that does know about the show always seems to share the same nostalgia and it's good to hear about your story.

[@wyattpendleton7573]

Oh and also for some reason the show never scared the living shit out of me but it did definitely leave a creepy imprint in my mind. Fall in general has a spookiness to it so it fit in very well.

[@ciscornBIG]

I'll let this comment slide.

[@badumtiss5288]

@@ciscornBIGLmao What

[@larsg.2492]

25:45 I always thought that it was a very charming adaptation of Dante's Divine Comedy, down to the red hat and encapsulating it perfectly in ten episodes, mirroring limbo and the nine circles of hell.

[@bubliverman8007]

But limbo and hell are different. Hell being punishment and limbo being a way to earn your way to heaven after completing your sentence for whatever you did/didnt do in life. Limbo Is more mental games and stuff from what I remember compared to hell where it's just burn and cause pain and raaahhh but I still see ur point and think it I'd definitely purgatorium and them going through the trials to show they deserve some better treatment in the end of it all really interesting theory if you ask Me considering their kids, and going through a place many really imagine grown adults endure. I think the only thing that like could take away from this Is YOU are not held accountable for ur sins in the eyes of God until ur 13 so lil man being younger than 13 cause there's no way he's that age is a lil bump

[@andrewcabrera505]

I think we gloss over Ms. Langtree’s Lament as just catchy, but it’s also super clever. The letters are seamlessly factored into the lyrics, and not just in a boring acrostic way, they’re factored in in all manners of different ways. It’s all some really clever wordplay and the game of it all makes it a really fun song to listen to again and again

[@ReikuHidori]

Why, Double U not Y! Always gets to me. She's awful at teaching and is just so obsessed with the illusion of being a teacher. It's clever funny and somehow sad at the same time.

[@andrewcabrera505]

@@ReikuHidori I got the opposite vibe. Takes a damn smart person to put that whole thing together W not Y also gets me too

[@demetriam2408]

It reminds me of that Matilda the Musical song

[@Zarastro54]

⁠@@ReikuHidoriI’d say her teaching is hampered by her heartbreak, but she _is_ a good teacher. That kind of wordplay takes a fair bit of cleverness and could allow kids to think about and explore language.

[@littlemustacheemoticon]

I can’t help but notice that Over The Garden Wall starts exactly like the Divine Comedy: being lost in the woods, which mirrors a moment of uncertainty and depression in one’s life. Also, it’s called “garden wall” and not something like “graveyard wall” because the graveyard opens with a sign that reads “eternal garden” :D

[@SaiScribbles]

My first impression on hearing the final song end on "the loveliest lies of all" made me think it was a purgatory, or a death dream they had. But listening to the song a few more times made me realize that "the loveliest lies of all" are stories.

[@HorseFlyKing]

I'm sure someone else has said this, but the graveyard in ep9 is called "Eternal Garden." So hopping over the wall is them going "over the garden wall." Great work; this was a thoughtful presentation.

[@шешең]

unpopular opinion: over the garden wall is the best thing cartoon network ever created

[@MrTophatter]

thats an unpopular opinion?

[@Hardhead456]

Our opinion

[@concept8192]

It's so good that I forgot it was made by CN

[@Mori_Nyx]

If the unknown is a sort of space between life and death, as I've always interpreted it, a thought I don't hear very often is the interpretation that the woodsman is reunited with his daughter in the end because he is finally allowed to pass on to the other side, and rest in peace with his daughter, at least thats what I thought the first time I watched it

[@Lockz1111]

One of the other things to note is that with the frog band Beatrice was trying to get them kicked off the ferry so they couldn't go to Adelaide's. Also I truly think that the Limbo theory is the most all encompassing OTGW theory given how they got there and the ephemeral nature of the show. It feels like the boys are getting brief glimpses of potential futures/afterlife's and the transition from fall into winter feels like it's signaling how long they have left to make a choice.

[@dogloversstudios]

In the ending montage of the show we see Lorna is reading the Tome of the Unknown. It’s probably not important to the show, but its a fun callback.

[@purplehaze2358]

I sort of assumed Greg's dream was just the beast fucking with his mind to manipulate him into sacrificing himself.

[@mr.dr.prof.patrick7284]

i can’t even explain the vibes this show gives off… something about it so familiar… like i’ve passed through some of these places throughout my life… i can’t put it into words… i feel nostalgic for pottsfield, the whole aesthetic of that place just hits different… like i truly can’t even use words to describe how this show made me feel… it was beautiful

[@estelle5798]

Over the Garden Wall made me feel something when I first watched it that I didn't expect. I watched it because I'm a fan of the voice cast and Adventure Time, but I became a fan of OTGW itself when I was struck with such an intense mix of nostalgia and melancholy. I didn't understand how something new could feel so familiar and tug at my heart in a way that truly and deeply made me feel at home yet far from it. I genuinely love Over the Garden Wall from the bottom of my heart.

[@UnkleSanik]

I know I'm only 1 minute into the video but I'm already having an existential crisis looking at how much of my childhood is a repressed memory 💀

[@CallmeOzymandias]

Thank god it's not just me

[@thisgoddamusernamestoodamnlong]

I've actually almost gotten into fights because people ask me to recall my childhood

[@kmaldo16]

I thought the angel helping Greg was the beast in disguise tricking Greg

[@Meromorphic]

Interesting thought. Definitely a possibility

[@Calipsopawzz]

same here, because "she" made greg lose hope about going home so he would sacrifice himself

[@Steve19906]

Greg was never meant to lose hope. The beast was trying to kill him with illness i the cold. He kept trying to crush Greg’s hope but couldn’t. That’s what the sun in the cup was.

[@CG-cw7rg]

Morel Orel and OTGW are 2 of my favorite shows! I am so happy that you have not only chosen to unpack these shows but you have managed to make such beautiful and in depth video essays on them! I was following along the entire time you truly have a gift of making the best breakdowns. Keep up the excellent work! (You should consider Regular Show 😊)

[@Meromorphic]

Glad you like them!

[@bluetea8181]

These are also my favourite shows!! Im so glad i found my people :')

[@nusequel2166]

FINALLY IVE WANTED A RETROSPECTIVE ON THIS SHOW FOR SO LONG

[@s-mochi4983]

I think the theory of the unknown being purgatory is a good one. In the flashback, you see a tombstone with Quincy Endicott's name on it, a character we see in the unknown. Not to mention Wirt and Greg falling into a river before appearing in the unknown, and presumably dying or at least coming close. This is even more backed up by Greg's frog still having the bell in his stomach in the end. Long story short, I think the unknown is a place for those not ready to move on, be it some regret or otherwise weighing on them in the afterlife. Amazing show, I rewatch it every year with my friends and boyfriend.

[@gopgoomy1834]

I’m not sure if I’m weird for thinking that Patrick McHale should make an adaptation of the Oz books after watching the show for the first time.

[@Meromorphic]

Nah not weird. But good news: He *is* adapting Redwall!

[@iesika7387]

I would love that so much. I feel like he'd actually do a really great job with and not shy way from all the weird, scary and trippy stuff from the books that never made it into the most famous adaptation without going full return to oz dark (I love that movie but subjecting Dorothy to electroshock is a liiitle much)

[@masculine.mushroom8028]

This show has been my favorite for years now. I always love to see how different people interpret it’s ambiguity, and I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts. Also thanks for touching on the music because it has my favorite soundtrack of all time and it makes my day to hear that someone else appreciates it sm.

[@filenotfound_2416]

11:38 “The late, great Tim Curry” bruh you made me think he was dead. Had to rush to Google and make sure he was still alive.

[@Meromorphic]

Aw fuck. So. Yeah. Idk why but I initially thought he had died and didn't check when writing the script because I was sooo sure. 🤦 My wife caught the mistake and I fixed it in the later part (episode 7), but forgot to do it for the earlier line. My bad. 😅

[@filenotfound_2416]

@@Meromorphic 😂 all good haha. Just made my heart skip a little bit. Awesome video btw, I also have a deep connection to this show so it was nice seeing a long-form analysis of it. I agree with some of the other commenters, I hope the algorithm blesses the video.

[@mistygraves6033]

haha I also heard that and had a mini panic attack and scramble to Google search 😅

[@BariDiddle]

I absolutely cannot get enough of your video essays. you're incredibly succinct with a flow that leaves no room for misunderstanding. i mean first your moral oral videos and now this? i can't wait to see what else your brilliant mind wants to pick apart!

[@Meromorphic]

Thank you so much! I really try to put a lot into these. So it's really nice to read comments like yours.

[@callmesoul8458]

Crossing my fingers that the algorithm treats this one well

[@Meromorphic]

Me too buddy, me too. 😁🤞

[@TheSlasherJunkie]

I love that this analysis is only a couple of minutes shy of the series itself when watched in a single setting

[@jaimeerindy4573]

Love this show so much! As I get older, one of my favorite tropes in media is the "Kid wanders into bizarre magical world that is both dangerous and beautiful" -- Alice in Wonderland, Coraline, OTGW. These are all things I watched as a kid, but now understand as an adult to be a metaphor for self discovery and change. It's the place that is so without logic that you cannot conform, only your truest self can emerge from it. It's the place you confront your fears, your desires, and ultimately discover who you are. All that can also, of course, be found in adolescence, which is why these stories work so well for me. OTGW is such a beautiful production, with the visuals and aesthetics creating this place that is both bizarre and scary (Unknown) and nostalgic (Familiar). And of course it's set is Autumn, the season of somehow both change and nostalgia. It's truly such a brilliant show.

[@MetalChipps]

I saw this show late, compared to seemingly everybody else here. All these people in the comments reminiscing on their childhoods, with this show bringing back so many blissful memories... I'm still somewhat in that childhood. You get differing perspectives depending on where you are in that terrible transition. If you're already looking back on it, you can appreciate the growth of the characters towards where you are now. If you weren't quite understanding of your position, blissfully ignorant, you might just would have been scared by this show. I first watched this less than a year ago, in between the two. I was in the middle of the big adaptation that Wirt had to go through. I binged the show because of how extremely appreciative I was of... well, everything about it. The music, the art, the voice acting... but most importantly, the characters. As a child already with a deep realization of where exactly I was (and still am) in the great alteration of nearly everything about me, I could see where Wirt was. Not from a perspective of what lay ahead for him, but from where he was coming from. And yet I understood what was to come for both of us. Watching him grow was extremely bittersweet, laying out that realization of self-infliction that I had yet to accept myself, whilst understanding that it would come to be necessary one day. I still can't accept what he had to. I felt a connection with him that was slowly unraveled as he grew, leaving me in the mess of uncertainty and self loathing that he managed to rid himself of. None of it has to last forever... but you can make it last. The doubt, the self hatred, the depression... it all is still there, waiting solely for you to rid yourself of it, if you'll just realize the single thread that holds you from being relieved of it. I can't see the thread. Not yet. Maybe I'll find it one day.

[@seanentzel9616]

I like how you described in the beginning, that you can't comprehend the feelings over the garden wall evokes. It's how I felt too watching

[@SuperShyguy11]

Over the garden wall makes me cry every time i watch it. Its just so perfect. I love this show so much

[@robertwilliams4748]

Not sure if this was tackled yet, but Chris Isaak didn't play John Crops in Tome of the Unknown. He's portrayed by C.W. Stoneking. Isaak plays Enoch in the second episode of the series.

[@Meromorphic]

Yep. You're absolutely right. I missed that. Assumed because of the quote that it was him.

[@wsmith3145]

Thank you for bringing this up! I noticed his iconic voice immediately when watching Tome of the Unknown on the DVD. Both Gon Boogaloo and Jungle Blues by CW Stoneking are absolute masterpieces in my opinion I hope more people get the chance to listen to his wonderful music

[@MattPORTLAND]

I watched this show for the first time when I was 25 and my sister was 11. I wish I could go back in time and watch it with her for the first time again.

[@brianalgarin7184]

Over the garden wall always brings me back to memories of waking up on a brisk autumn morning taking a warm bath/shower to be driven to school feeling anxious for the day or like having a first day of a new school year starting in winter

[@RowanArmstrong1119]

ok, so the beast actually has a more complicated appearance. i went to the scene where he is revealed and slowed it so i could pause and get a look. the beast is made of lost souls, and he kinda looks like soul sand from minecraft. check it out yourself!

[@lessoriginal]

I have always thought of the Unknown as a limnal space. It's that blurry indefinite between childhood and adulthood, dreaming and waking, life and death. It is simultaneously real and imagined. Over the Garden Wall is such a beautiful piece of artwork.

[@tangerine._2306]

For me, Over the Garden wall reminds me of when I’d visit my Abuela’s farm house and read these warm colored books with a golden spine in a dimly lit bedroom. Some of these books being Frog and Toad.

[@TenCentFilms]

This is really great. I saw the advertisement for it as a kid but never got to watch it because I didn't have cable. Now that I have streaming services, I watched it for the first time last year and fell in love with it.

[@BarretRush18]

Something that episode 9 revealed to me was what time period this show takes place in. I found this really fascinating. I thought at first that the series took place during pilgrim/ 1800s type time period. It was really cool to find out that it takes place in modern day.

[@justjulia1720]

I must've been about 10 when I first saw a couple episodes of this show. I barely saw it, nobody around me spoke about it, and yet it stuck in my mind like almost no other show had. Years later, I could still remember Greg, Wirt and Beatrice, including their names and seeing Greg become a tree. You're right, this show scared me shitless, and I'm so glad it did.

[@OGTwistedDobermanXCVI]

The OTGW opening theme never fails to make me teary and weepy. Oh how I'd love to just go back to being a kid again instead of being a morbidly depressed anxiety ridden adult who doesn't have the slightest clue even HOW to "adult" in the first place but is expected by the rest of the world to already know how........

[@Red-in-Green]

My interpretation of the Unknown is that it’s a kind of Dreamland. A literally real place existing outside of the boys’ minds, but not in the physical world. Instead it lies on the boundary between life and death. I also don’t disagree with the idea of it being highly metaphorical (most stories in that half-death space are). For me the story is a warning about becoming trapped. The Woodsman can’t let go of his daughter, Beatrice can’t let go of the guilt she felt for hurting her family, Endicott can’t let go of his possessions. Other people, like those in Schooltown Follies or the Dark Lantern, seem to be more trapped within roles or stories. Greg is offered a way out at the end, to go to an optimistic world as a reward for never getting bogged down, but rejects it to go back for his brother, because Wirt IS trapped. He can’t let go of his fear and anxiety. It’s only by standing up to the Beast, pushing against an insurmountable force even though he is likely to lose, that he proves he has the will to keep moving. The will to live. At least that’s the vibe I get.

[@Lyserg_]

If the show was a dream, the frog's belly wouldn't have Auntie Whispers' bell at the end

[@Meromorphic]

NINJA EDIT: So a couple of things. We're just going to pretend that the "conclusion" text being backwards was an aesthetic choice and not something I fucked up when flipping the video. 😅. ̶A̶l̶s̶o̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶s̶a̶i̶d̶ ̶"̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶g̶r̶e̶a̶t̶ ̶T̶i̶m̶ ̶C̶u̶r̶r̶y̶"̶.̶ ̶H̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶"̶l̶a̶t̶e̶"̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶.̶ ̶V̶e̶r̶y̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶a̶l̶i̶v̶e̶.̶ ̶ Hey guys, I wanted to mention two things. 1. Huge thanks to my Patron, Broccoli for getting me into this show. This video wouldn't exist if it weren't for him. 2. if you see something odd with the show clips, it's because I had to flip them horizontally trying to get around the automated YT content ID. Didn't really work though 🥴 as I still had to appeal for a copyright claim. So, sorry about that. 😔

[@epicfilms4life507]

Love your videos!

[@tylerp.5004]

Thank you for the clarification about Tim Curry! I did a triple take to make sure I heard the correctly, I was honestly about to assume that your journalistic and writing talent was so refined that you had learned about some unfortunate passing before even the tabloids could report them. But, regardless of the hiccups, fantastic job sir! Your work is great, it feels almost poetic with how naturally your script flows and how each sentence seems to link to its neighbors seamlessly.

[@thecoastergnome8603]

hey man, im in the middle of watching the video but I did notice one thing, its small and really does not matter but Jhon Crops was not voiced by Chris Isaac. he was actually voiced by C. W. Stoneking an Australian Blues singer. Great Video so far!

[@starrlesscreative]

Dude I bout had a heart attack myself panicking and looking on google to make sure Tim Curry was still alive

[@Meromorphic]

@@starrlesscreative I realllly wish there were a way to edit a yt vid after posting. 😔 My bad guys EDIT: Soo. I was able to trim out "the late great" part. Hopefully it works but it will take a bit to take effect. smh

[@Mirakelpung]

I think televisions series and movies with dark undertones while still being kid friendly is a good thing for children to watch. I believe that even if kids get frightened by things sometimes, they will learn from those things, and appreciate the knowledge they gained and the experience they had when they grow older. There were many shows that scared me as a kid, today I look back at many of those shows as fond memories of something new I didn't understand and now I get to explore them again from an adults perspective exploring all the nuances I did not pick up as a child.

[@Endless_Calamity]

I always go back to this one quote from Tale Foundry whenever the question 'why is this made for kids' pops up Kids are not stupid, they just lack context. Kids don't need everything around them to be sterile and 'child friendly', nor do they want it. What kids want is something they enjoy, whether or not it is up to the standards of 'child friendly' content in the modern day

[@rtruj4]

I love this so it always gives me chills it's just that good.

[@DavidLee-ki9ty]

I love your video about this gemstone of a series. Thank you.

[@אלוןשיינפלד]

finally a video where you actually analyze the show instead of just recapping it

[@augustusegg7324]

A small correction; John Crops is not played by Chris Isaak, he is played by C.W. Stoneking, who performs a couple of songs for Over the Garden Wall too. Over the Garden Wall actually introduced me to Stoneking and I'll always be grateful for that.

[@skeletonsinscarves3965]

I think even before the show started, Wirt was in a state of anxiety and early depression. Sometimes, this happens when major changes happen in your life as a kid. You have trust issues and have a hard time believing if anyone is genuine towards you. Whatever happened to his parents triggered this and Greg being in the picture probably doesn't help, the way he talks to Greg is almost like he was a new brother because with the other kids he thinks greg is talking about him. This dynamic between the brothers isn't something you see often, especially in cartoons, they're not just brothers they're half brothers. One constantly blames the other because in his mind the youngest is the root of everything wrong in his life. This is special to the story because the younger brother does everything to make life better and knows he doesn't want to abandon his brother. Perhaps the angel thought it best to switch their drives when she granted Greg's wish

[@mothsolotl]

6:22 Early Disney was like this too, and that, too, can contribute to the overall nostalgic, "Classic Americana" feel of the show.

[@20000dino]

6:21 I'd say it's much more reminiscent of golden age Disney films and shorts like 1942's Bambi and 1937's The Old Mill. The Japanese were far from the first to organically implement simplified character design against detailed backgrounds - and while anime became emblematic for their iconic forest and countryside environments popularized around the 1970s, Over the Garden Wall's environments invoke much more of the classical Disney fairytale feeling (which fit the shows' various 1930s and 40s US animation influences - down to the art style itself).

[@ladywoodelf]

Agreed. Any of the backgrounds could easily be from Bambi or the Fox&the Hound.

[@Rhomega]

Over the Garden Wall is amazing. i watch it every year. I also just love autumn.

[@jackson65659]

The detailed backgrounds with simplistic characters is not just characteristic if Japanese animation, but can be commonly seen in American animation. Like Bambi, or to a lesser degree, Ichabod and Mr. Toad, which looks to be an inspiration to Over the Garden Wall.

[@DaDunge]

1:03:15 Not purgatory, limbo, a place where things and people who are lost go. You could aslo call it farie, it's a classic element of farie folklroe than you cna only reach it being being lost.

[@Rosesis22]

I love this series, it's a core memory for me and my younger brother. I remember when it first came out, me and my brother binged it in one night, aunty whispers, laurna's evil spirit, etc. Freaked us out. It was about 3 or 4 in the morning when we saw the beast in the light, and it terrified us, we ended up sleeping in my room together out of fear, however, it was such a good and nostalgic show for some reason the next day we got up and watched it all again, ever since we have a tradition to watch it every autumn.

[@Meromorphic]

That's so cool! I've heard many people now share a similar story. Each saying they have a tradition to watch it every autumn. I love this ❤️

[@houdino4518]

I remember watching this show during winter break in the 1st grade and being scared yet intrigued by this

[@Meromorphic]

I can definitely understand why

[@horizon92lee]

Classic series , great atmosphere and characters

[@goshdarnwizard]

my earliest memory was falling down the wooden staircase of my childhood home

[@linksbro1]

The series genuinely makes 0 sense and has so much less impact if their journey was just a dream. The grave of Quincy Endicott being in the real world and the frog's belly glowing as Greg shakes him around in the real world, showing that the bell he swallowed in episode 7 is still in his stomach are very clear indicators that it wasn't a dream, but a real place their souls were taken to in the instant they were about to die, and their souls returning actually effected their physical forms.

[@TibbleDibbs]

I love how this video dissecting over the garden wall is about as long as over the garden wall 💛

[@themasquerader101]

The symbol underneath each episode/chapter title, the open ended infinity sign, is representative of breaking a cycle. Though it may just look like a random shape, it symbolizes the entire show.

[@MG-op5rl]

I really enjoyed this video. I agree that the story is a kind of quest for Wirt, a coming of age. I have one thing to add - although my initial interpretation was the same as yours, I think you could also see this as a story all about Greg. It’s his struggle, his journey through purgatory. He has to overcome his incredibly optimistic denial and admit that he has done something bad - he stole the rock. In this sense, the ending where the rock is returned, truly puts things right. Thank you very much for making your commentary video!❤

[@sonyamiller5504]

58:13 The Graveyard is actually called Eternal Gardens. This is another example if this show simple and effective ways of subverting you expectations. Whether it’s the gorilla being a man in a gorilla suit or the whole show actually being set In The 80’s. The show puts on a master class of how to twist everything you subconsciously assume into something cooler than you could have ever expected.

[@ev9998]

I'm crying while watching this, nostalgia is a very strong emotion for me.

[@ev9998]

At the end of the video I'm still crying

[@okkk2684]

Felt

[@Shadeflower15]

I watched this show with my mom when it first came out and it has such a good nostalgia point for me because at that time of my life it was one of the only positive experiences I could look forward to each week

[@HannahKossen]

Friendly reminder that the frog named kitty still has the bell in its belly after they get out of the lake and return home.

[@Aisenhelm]

I little info on episode 2 with Potsfield, and that one off dialog with Enoch the village refers to a Potter's Field witch was a mass burial of poor people or unknown people that died, which is why Enoch told Wort that, as everyone will die some day.

[@hyrulianhero116]

15 seconds in and I got tears in my eyes, what is this😂

[@craftymuffin3066]

Ever since my early childhood, every summer, me, my mom and dad, plus my little sister when she came along, my aunt and uncle and their son when he came along, my grandparents and my mom’s childhood friend, her husband and their two kids, who I have always considered cousins, went camping together. My solid memories start around the age of ten, so the first one of those trips that I really remember was Gilbert Lake state park. All of our adjoining campsites backed up to some woods that we liked to play in. Me and my family friend “cousin” walked through the woods and talked about “older kid” stuff that the younger ones weren’t let in on. We pretended to be dragons or princesses or whatever, but the standout memory from those woods was when I was alone. I was just standing there in the woods, I don’t even remember why, and I saw what I am now certain was some camper’s dog, but to my child brain, it was a wolf. I ran terrified back to camp, where all of the adults assured me that it was not a wolf. I have so many distinct memories of that trip, and strangely enough a lot of them were about my “cousin”’s dad. He was a hunter. He brought and had us try venison from a deer he had shot. He tried and failed to get around the park’s rules against setting off fireworks. He was a smoker and I Did Not like that. It’s strange to look back on now, because by that time next year, he and my cousin’s mom were not married anymore. Though it was not my own parents, it was my first close experience that that was thing that could happen. Therefore, ironically enough, the first of the annual trips that I actually remember was also the last one that was “normal”. On the next year’s trip, my cousin’s father wasn’t there, and the older kid discussion actually was more mature because my cousin’s life was changing and so was mine. It’s not something I shared with her at the time, but I was just in the very beginnings of my queer awakening. I vividly remember lying to her that I had a crush on a boy. Now I can be completely truthful about who I am to her and we confide in each other about the most sensitive parts of our lives. We don’t camp together anymore. Life got too complicated for us to even camp with my actual aunt uncle and cousin. I still love to camp, I just got back from a trip, but even if all of us got together to go camping at Gilbert Lake together again, it wouldn’t be the same, because I’m not a child anymore. Those trips were my unknown. I’m far from out of the woods, but now I know what they are. I still feel lost sometimes, but now I’m lost in the Known. I know the wolf is a dog, but I’m still staring it down.

[@Meromorphic]

God damn. This was beautiful to read. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@TheNastyPhysBeastOG]

i thought beatrice convincing wirt to play was because wirt said if he played they would get kicked out of the faerie and beatrice didn't want to get close to adelaid's house.

[@FroggutztuggorF]

I will always remember OTGW, I got to it last year (2022) because my family and me were binging 2000s-2010s CN (and also Nick because Invader Zim) shows, and god I loved it

[@Human-lg8hb]

Nope not today, i’ll watch this another time. Recently i’ve been having a lot of existential crisis, because in my mind I still feel like a 12 year old but it’s the moment that I look into the mirror is when I realize that i’m 20 and everything is changing around me. I just can’t live with everything, the world is moving too fast, and I seem to be chasing time as a year passes in a flash for me.

[@reformedorthodoxmunmanquara]

Glad to see another analysis of Over The Garden Wall. It’s actually my favorite show

[@WillyFreshy]

So happy to see another great video from you!

[@Meromorphic]

Thanks so much!

[@apartmentdfilms]

We watch this every autumn, and the soundtrack has become an essential part of the season

[@birdcrime]

I'm in my 30s and my annual OTGW re-watch gave me Highway Man nightmares. That guy freaks me out.

[@michellejesica]

"transport yourself to your earliest best childhood memory" system error: file cannont be found

[@discrot8568]

I bet you've gotten a TON of comments about this, but just in case you haven't: The reason Adalade melts when she's hit by the night air is because it used to be a common belief that night air is the reason people got sick. Why does she melt though? I'm guessing you're right in that part being a reference to Wizard of Oz.

[@Shadeflower15]

I need to fully rewatch this series now, it’s so good

[@winkupinkuu722]

I always love to see people analysing this show and giving their opinions, this video was perfect, I'm glad it appeared in my recommendations, will definitely be checking your channel for other videos!

[@Meromorphic]

Welcome aboard!

[@jeffgoode9865]

I think the reason this is for kids is the same reason we fondly remember Ren and Stimpy, SpongeBob, Flapjack and Courage the Cowardly Dog. Kids need weird, gross and scary things in their lives to help them adapt to and navigate the adult world, which can seem equally bizarre and scary.

[@prageruwu69]

i love otgw, it makes me so nostalgic. i loved watching analysis videos of it on youtube way back in the day. the art and music direction the show went in affected both my art and my taste in art. i don't know what came first: my obsession with old time periods (and their aesthetic), or this show, but that obsession was certainly at least amplified by this show. it reminds me so much of how interesting i find older time periods to be.

[@toonturtle_]

Very well done. Loved this show from the first moment it was on cartoon network, and never stopped talking about. Doing my best to get as many people on the train as i can

[@Meromorphic]

Thanks! Also funny choice of words, as my current project is on Infinity Train

[@toonturtle_]

Lol awesome, can't wait to see it 💯

[@navii7923]

I remember watching ads when the series was announced and being on time to watch each episode when it first aired. I loved the series and how the smallest hints of horror had kept me thrilled to see what would come next. Now with the review, I want to believe that the boys isekaied into the unknown and were able to return, because they were not supposed to die even though there were some hints about it. Wirt shows a wonderful character art, where his personality is still the same but with having a brighter view of the world and a some positivity thanks to Greg. Greg is just the most adorable cinnamon roll.

[@mintyfreshest]

Re-watching this show reminded me of my Tom and Jerry Night Before Christmas VHS tape which has MGM christmas cartoons from the 40s. thinking about how I had grown up watching the same cartoons that kids had been watching for 50 years before I was born made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[@wallacewallace7485]

this video is INCREDIBLE oh my god!!! Called it up for something to listen to while working but i fully gave up because this video deserved my whole attention.

[@JaCob_101_]

I have a bunch of theories cos i love this show (and it's music) so much - one of my main ones is that the woodsman is lost in the unknown too (and imo the unknown is a sort of purgatory esc place where people have to overcome their burdens or whatever). The beast says the woodsman has been grinding up lost souls for years, yet his daughter hasnt visibly aged. The woodsman never goes back to his house where hed obviously find her either. (Theres a lot more to it this is just a simplified version). My theory is that his daughter dissapeared in the forest near their house. In his desperation the woodsman went looking for her, and in some way or another ended up in the unknown. Overcoming the beast, similarly to Wirt and Greg, is what allows him to finally go home. One of my other less serious theories is that the frog wirt and greg went into the unknown with isnt the same one they left with. My joke theory is that the frog did accept the record deal in ep 6 and when wirt and greg escape adelaide they are just approached by some random frog lmfao. Obviously not as thought out and serious as the woodsman theory or my others and doesnt add anything to the story but whatever lol Oh and yeah, with the woodsman theory - the unknown seems to transcend time. If the unknown is a real... dimension or whatever... then maybe all sorts of people from different time periods end up there.

[@FernIsGay1121]

49:37 ty for making note of the audio being fricked, thought it was my tv lol

[@andie_jaro]

I think the background style design is more reminiscent of old Disney animated films, specifically those that the artist Eyvind Earle worked on (like Sleeping Beauty). If I recall correctly, he painted the backgrounds using gouache on a long piece of paper, so that when they shot the film they could roll the backgrounds like a conveyor belt. Characters and special effects (like sparkles) would be painted on clear sheets and placed on top of the background. I know there's a video of the process on the net. Just a little fun fact! I absolutely love OTGW! It's one of my favorite animated series. It feels like a fever dream whenever I think of it haha

[@jenhaze]

What a series and what a breakdown! Thank you for letting me reminisce about this fabulous show ❤ great job

[@spasgettiz]

OH FUCK YES HOUR LONG OVER THE GARDEN WALL VIDEO ESSAY