Feats N' Faults: Over The Garden Wall
Let's Burgle Some Turts
Welcome back to Feats N’ Faults, where we use our Tiered Point System to rank and record our favorite characters based on their achievements and deeds. For a more in depth look on how points are awarded, please check the About page. Below is our Tier System for quick reference.
We are continuing our fall extravaganza with a little yearly tradition of mine. Every year, when the leaves begin to change, and fall is finally upon us, I watch this delightful little gem. Over The Garden Wall is the most fall thing I can think of. It is full of such delight, humor, and an ever-looming dread. So, how could we go through our first fall together without covering it? Today, we are analyzing Wirt, Gregory, Beatrice, The Woodsman, Jason Funderberker, and The Beast! For those of you playing at home, go ahead and list how you think they scored from least to greatest, and let me know in the comments how you did!
Let's Get Started!
6th Place, Jason Funderberker: 2 FN’F Score (2014) 10 ep.
This frog had many names throughout the series but finally landed with Jason at the end. Jason is Gregory’s beloved frog. He does not contribute much to the story except for getting Greg in trouble and being so delightfully cute. His biggest feat is when he gets his record deal by surprising us with his soothing voice. When it comes to FN’F Score, I was not sure how any of these characters would make out. It is a short miniseries after all. Keep that in mind as we check out these scores because some are lower than the series we have covered.
5th Place, Beatrice: 3 FN’F Score (2014) 10 ep.
Beatrice is just a bluebird who wants to save her family. Even though she might go about it in a misguided way, she really does have a good heart. Scoring five feats is not very much in a broad sense, but it's not bad for this series. She is a guide with a wonderful redemption arc, which adds a bit of intrigue and world-building to the series. A vital part of the team, but there is only so much a talking bluebird can do.
4th Place, Woodsman: 4 FN’F Score (2014) 10 ep.
Christopher Lloyd does an amazing job bringing this deeply scarred man to life. He is tasked with the burden of keeping The Beast's lantern lit. He must chop down lost souls to feed the lantern. It’s an endless task that he feels he must do until he stumbles across two boys in the woods. He tries to warn them of The Beast, but it is mostly in vain. In the end, he is able to overcome his foe, but at the cost of many souls and many years. Luckily, he gets the happy ending he deserves. Plus, he did not score a single fault! This let him hold onto his points but it still was not enough to make it into our top 3.
3rd Place, Gregory: 9 FN’F Score (2014) 10 ep.
Gregory was a force to be reckoned with in the beginning! Halfway through the series, he was poised to be in our number-one spot. Then his points just started to run dry, and his couple of faults cost him his ranking.
Greg is the purest character you will ever see. The source of most of the comedy, he really can make anyone smile. Cute, naive, and sweet. I have watched this series at least a dozen times, and he still gets me chuckling. The entire series is worth it to get to see this kid in action. If you haven’t seen Over the Garden Wall yet, then do yourself a favor and put it on right now. It’s great for a nice fall evening.
2nd Place, The Beast: 9 FN’F Score (2014) 10 ep.
The Beast is the main antagonist of the series and takes our second-place position. The source of all the evil in this world, The Beast, roams the woods looking for lost souls. Taunting and tempting them until they give up all hope. When that moment comes, he turns you into an edelwood tree, the fuel for his lantern. Without this lantern, he would cease to exist. He is a properly creepy villain to have in a children’s show. I think that is what makes him so compelling. It is the unknown that scares you. Seeing his silhouette in the background or his bright eyes peering around a tree sends a shiver down your spine. Never underestimate him, but in the end, his hubris got the best of him. He might have been able to trick the Woodsman, but he could not fool our number one position.
1st Place, Wirt: 12 FN’F Score (2014) 10 ep.
Wirt is the eldest brother. He is pretty quiet and a bit of a pushover. Never wanting to risk anything or stray too far from the path. If you had told me at the beginning of the series that he would score the highest, I would have said you were nuts. Even halfway through the series, he barely had any points! Yet, in the end, when it mattered, he stood up and protected his little brother. I really like Wirt’s arc. He learns to not only be himself but also how to interact with the world. You can’t just always go with the flow. You need to learn to think for yourself and take risks. Go for broke and really fight for what you want! He scored a 12 FN’F Score, which is not great overall. It's a pretty low-scoring series, but he did beat a couple of noteworthy characters. With this score, he did better than characters like Admiral Ackbar and The Abomination. So that is something to celebrate.
Review:
Over the Garden Wall: 10/10
Over the Garden Wall is an absolute joy. It just encompasses what Fall and Halloween are for me: cozy, funny, and scary. It is a master class in balancing all these tones, blending them together with beautiful visuals and a soundtrack that just does not quit. I cannot think of a single negative thing about the series. The plot has you hooked from the very beginning. It has a way of making you fall in love with the two boys while also causing you to feel just as lost as them. Stuck in a new world that is just as fantastical as it is scary. You just want to explore and figure out the nuances and quirks that this place lives by. All along, you are piecing together what makes these characters tick, why they are lost in this place, and figuring out something new on every rewatch. A hidden gem that does not get the love it deserves.
Recommendation: Climb over that wall and get to watching!
It really is worth it. If you have not seen it before, I would love to hear what you think about it. So go watch it and come back and let me know what you think! I do not think you will be disappointed. It is required viewing for me every year. I hope it becomes one of your new favorites too.
Thanks for tuning into another Feats N’ Faults! I hope you are having a fantastic fall season—I know I am! I have plenty more fall-themed feeds coming your way, so do not forget to subscribe so you can stay up to date! I will see you next Thursday as we start to get a little spookier! I hope you have a marvelous week.
Until Next Time!
Justice for Gregory, who has never done anything wrong in his life, ever