Over The Garden Wall Review: Schooltown Follies & Songs of the Dark Latern

Hey, everyone. Welcome back to my review of Over The Garden Wall. This time complete and ready to go at 11pm.
Well, what a start that was, huh? I've never been pulled into a show like this since...well, I'm like this to a lot of animated shows, but I've never been excited for one this much since this series. And I was satisfied with what I saw last night, and wanted more. Which is why I'm happy those 24 hours went by so quickly when the next two chapters came in.


Up first...

After the pseudo-nightmare that is Pottsfield, Wirt, Gregory and Beatrice continue on their trek to Adelaide's house. After Wirt's shoe is untied, Bea gets annoyed with Wirt and asks Greg if he wants to be like Wirt, (as she claims) always does what he's told, pathetic, a pushover. Wirt is angered by this.

Wandering off, Greg finds a schoolhouse. Wirt and Beatrice go inside just as class has started. When they go in, Wirt decides to give Bea payback by--well, being a pushover. The teacher, Ms. Langtree, begins class by talking about the recent troubles in her life; the school closing down, her lover Jimmy Brown leaving her unexpectedly, and a crazed gorilla on the loose. She then sings a song about Brown.

Meanwhile, outside, refusing to go in, Greg meets some new friends and play a game called "Too Old Cat" (basically finding cats that are wrinkly and barely mobile). While Doing so, his possum friend looks in the bushes and finds a GORILLA!! The gorilla chases the guys around the school until possum friend knocks it out with a swift hit to the head via a branch.

After the bell rings (thanks Greg and friends climbing it after the GORILLA! attack), the children (and Wirt and Greg) go to lunch (or Meal Time as Ms. Langtree calls it), where the eat on a dull and bland lunch of potatoes. Greg finds something great out of it in the form of a jar of Molasses, by mixing the two together, and sings "Potatoes and Molasses", a song about this delicious mixture...until a man in a big coat comes in and stops the proceedings. He complains that if he wants to keep a school for animals to learn to read and write open, they must not have fun and play music. He then takes their instruments away, and sends them to bed (takes "schoolhouse" a bit too literal, doesn't it?)

During bedtime, Greg decides to bust out and leave with Wirt tagging along and asking for a plan, which Greg doesn't have. Then, somewhat conveniently, they find Old Man Langtree behind the bushes, moping about his troubles surrounding the school he tries to keep open (he gave up his life savings, home and everything else he's owned to save it; and he plans on selling the animal kids' instruments to keep it running), his daughter (Jimmy Brown left his little girl heartbroken) and the gorilla on the loose, and wishes that things in the world would go good for once. Greg then finally has his plan: steal the instruments.

The next morning, Old Man Langtree wakes up to find the instruments stolen and wonders where they are. He then finds a beautiful sight ahead: a benefit concert (led by Greg) to raise money to save the school. Many people gave a lot of money, just enough to save the school. Old Man and Ms. Langtree are happy, so happy that she just had to mention that damned Jimmy Brown and the stupid-ass gorilla again. But not for long, as coming from behind is the stupid-ass GORILLA!! After scaring everyone (again), OML asks Wirt to do something and Wirt complies, but his untied shoes make everything...better. Because of them, he trips into and knocks over the gorilla, and his head falls off, revealing a man inside. It's Jimmy Brown, the man who left Ms. Langtree. He reveals the reason for the gorilla fiasco: he took a job in the circus as the gorilla to make enough money to buy a wedding ring for her (Aww, how sweet), but he can't get the head off and tries to get people to help him, but they run off because of its scary stature. Ms. Langtree is delighted and they reconcile. And Old Man Langtree is smiling and teary-eyed that things in the world are for the better after all. This chapter ends with Greg giving a reprise of "Potatoes and Molasses" and everyone is all smiles...and Wirt has to tie his shoe again.

Well, this half of this half hour was both happy and sad.
The sad part with the schoolhouse closing and Ms. Langtree's man leaving her...for whatever reason that was later revealed to be him getting a job to buy a ring for her. There's no way you can feel sorry for the Langtrees at this point. Fortunately, the main three happened to be around at the time. And throughout the circumstances that led up to the concert, there's no way I would keep from crying a little throughout the ep. But the antics of Greg did keep me from making a fool of myself with his antics with his friends and his song "Potatoes and Molasses". And the benefit concert really made me smile wide. If there anything Greg can't do, it's stopping to help anyone in need and failing helping anyone in need. And being his wonderful cheerful self, of course.

And with Chapter 3 ending, we jump into...

Our three heroes are in a truck hidden in hay, trying to on course. But the driver is going very fast to run away from the Beast. Because of the fast speed and rocky turn off a corner, they fall off the truck and into the rainy night, where they still up lost.

To their luck, they come across a tavern, and go inside. While Greg gets food, Wirt and Beatrice try to ask for directions to Adelaide but Bea gets repeatedly hit with a broom by a female employee, and leaves in anger, leaving Wirt with this unfortunate task.
The lady introduces herself as the Tavern Keeper (her real name is not revealed), and the other employees of the Tavern (it's unknown whether they work there or not [or that they also have real names either], so let's assume they do), Butcher, Baker, Midwife, Master and Apprentice, Tailor and Highwayman.

Wirt tries to ask for directions to some of them, but his inability to do (he stutters and says the wrong words the whole time) fails miserably, especially when he asks an old, mustachioed man for them (the man mistakes his cry for help for trouble in trying to marry a girl at a young age), so he instead gets a song on how to pop the question in stylish and extravagant fashion.

Meanwhile, Bea talks with a horse about her problem, but then wonders what person would She tries hard to find to also find directions, and hears a voice in the background, so she goes to the person to ask. Back inside, Wirt tells everyone he's isn't getting married, but no one's listening. They force him to a love song (since that's what everyone does there), and he tries to decline, but fails and sings his on-the-spot song. It's not about love, but is very personal. It reveals that Wirt and Greg are step-brothers with Greg being born after Wirt's mother remarried, they are lost and looking for a woman named Adelaide to find their way home. The employees finally understand what he was trying to say (with Master believing that he's a Pilgram) and help him out. Tavern Keeper then tells him a story (a song) about the Beast and tells Wirt to be careful.

Wirt looks for Beatrice and finds her missing. He grabs Greg (and a lantern) and they ride the horse to find her, and run into the Woodsman (who he thinks is the Beast), who has knocked out Beatrice, and warns them to stay away from the woods. Wirt fights back with some really quick thinking. He blows out his lantern and grabs the Woodsman, while Greg picks up Beatrice, and knocks off Woodsman's lantern, setting a tree on fire in the process. The three then flee from the scene, leaving Woodsman to salvage his lantern.

The real Beast then appears to tell Woodsman about his horrible plan: He must keep his lantern lit at all times, for the rest of his days, or his young daughter's life and soul will be in great danger upon the hands of Beast. He also wants Wirt and Greg, but Woodsman tells him to leave them alone.

Well, this was a darker one. But weren't the tavern employees great? Even if some didn't talk much and appear for a few seconds, they still were great. Whether together or individually:
-Tavern Keeper is deliciously wicked
-Butcher is
-Baker is enjoyably manic
-Midwife out of it (she spits out a fish upon her introduction), but that makes her great
-Master is amazingly stoic
-Tailor is wonderfully shy and woeful, and
-Highwayman is really scary
and yet these characters are absolutely great in their short appearances.

Also, I think Wirt needs to applauded here. He actually steps in and does a brave and heroic deed in saving Beatrice from the Woodsman's hands. Plus he rode a horse, despite not knowing hot to do so, and used quick thinking to stop the Woodsman from doing even worse to her. And they went away just as quick as they came. Wirt is awesome!

And my God, the Beast is scary (obviously).

Random Thoughts:
Chapter 3:
--How odd is it that Wirt has shoestrings on his shoes, despite that it looks like otherwise all the time?
--Beatrice is a mean old bossy boots. Her being a witch to Wirt just hurts. Wirt's comebacks to her were delicious. Also her little curse was really cute.
--I kinda figured the teacher is odd just from her first words. Her hair is nice, though.
--Her song, "Langtree's Lament" is very pleasant to hear. Greg's song, "Potatoes and Molasses", is this up to 12, with cuteness on severe.
--Skinny guys can be menacing in very large coats.
Chapter 4:
--Wirt just can be ignored...and that's sad.
--Beatrice got hit by a broom lady. That's refreshing.
--Somehow, I feel disappointed if the doesn't return.
--Beatrice just can't go five minutes without leaving Wirt and Greg behind. Maybe she wants maggots. (No she doesn't).
--Wirt and Greg are stepbrothers. Forget Dipper and Mabel, maybe they're like Phineas and Ferb.
--Who knew Wirt's shoes can slip off so easily? Even though they have shoestrings...as shown earlier. Logic...
--Watching the fire-burning tree confirmed my thought that everyone had shivers sent at that moment.
General:
I will say these Chapters are more funny and lighthearted than dark and scary, like the last two. But this is a good thing. I really enjoyed them and laughed out loud from, especially from Greg's continued antics. This will be a much more amazing experience as time goes on. See you tomorrow for my review of Chapters 5 & 6, Mad Love & Lullaby in Frogland.