Steven and Amethyst then walk over to Peridot, who is complaining that she needs a "leverage optimizer" to open the microwave. Steven and Amethyst bring scrap metal to Pearl, but she says that she specifically needs tungsten and leaves to find some herself. ![]() This leads Garnet to leash her to the fence to work on the microwave, reiterating that Peridot having free reign of the place makes her uncomfortable. Peridot asks Garnet to unfuse, as her being a fusion is making her uncomfortable. Garnet arrives and tells everyone to get to work. Pearl calls Peridot to look at the layout for the drill, Peridot then asks why she should be working for a Pearl, replaying one of her logs in which she states that Pearl has an intellect that she should be able to treat as an equal, though begrudgingly. The episode begins with Peridot recording log entry #7 11 2 at The Barn, where the Crystal Gems are working on the drill. ![]() It's tremendous, semi-subversive stuff for kids, and a joy for adults.Amethyst and Steven get in on some Gem gossip. And did I mention the songs are a lot of fun and contribute to the atmosphere? It's like taking in old ragtime songs (some of the time) and giving them an animated, pop-up book feel. It's creepy and weird and adorable and heartfelt, and it carries both the awe and innocence of being a little kid and the disillusionment of being a teenager like Wert. It takes from some folk tales and fairy tales, but it has an identity all its own. ![]() It's one of the most charming acting voices for an animated character in as long as I can remember, and accentuated by the gigantic pupils - made to make him look cute as a button - and head-gear (he's an elephant, after all!) There's a real sense of play and, equally, danger (the final episode with the Beast, Auntie Curry), and I found myself laughing a lot, but I also found I took this story a little more seriously than I would an Adventure Time or something else with Patrick McHale's name on it. That's where so much humor comes in - also watch and listen how he sings ever so cheerfully at times - since in many scenes Wert is trying to get by on a fib or a lie or a trick, or doesn't have that sense of boundless optimism. This is a little kid who has zero filter he'll say the truth of something no matter what, even if it's a moment (especially if it is) when the smart thing would be to lie or shut up. The creators of 'Garden Wall' suffuse many scenes with some nightmarish moments, but it's all with a light, absurd touch, and a lot of this is helped immensely by Collin Dean's performance and the writing for the character of Gregory. Even Tim Curry gets a good character as 'Auntie Whispers', who is 'protecting' her niece, a possessed girl. As one can imagine, or hope for, a lot of wild and crazy things happen to these young people, such as the pumpkin farmers (what are they digging for in the farm?), the frogs on the boat (and suddenly there may be some singing from Gregory's frog, who's name always changes), and John Cleese as both the possibly deranged landowner of a spooky mansion and an old woman. Their main adversary appears to be 'The Beast', who is being stalked by the Woodsman (Christopher Lloyd in a wonderful part - you can't always tell if he's good or bad or both). The story follows Wirt and Gregory (Elijah Wood and the young Collin Dean, who has been on Adventure Time a couple of times), brothers who seem to be lost in the woods and are trying to find their way home. Over the Garden Wall is like taking Adventure Time, transferring the other-worldly into early 20th century Americana, folk tales, even some Alice in Wonderland (the structure for me is very Wonderland, especially with a young character getting lost and on a series of episodes), and adding some songs as well that are reflective of the period. ![]() This is also really great for adults, the ones at least who can tap a little into their childhood sense of awe, because of the humor and irreverence. It's got anthropomorphic creations (birds and horses and other things that talk, pumpkin-headed farmers, frogs in a band on a river-bank, magical and funny and weird dreams, or a dream, from a child), and yet it has a sophistication to the writing that kids appreciate one might think that they will only take in the lowest-common denominator - put on whatever, it's fine, it's for kids - but this is smart stuff. As I was watching Over the Garden Wall with some friends, I found myself commenting, more than once, how charming this would be/is for kids.
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