I guess this chapter is the best one so far. Like the other parts of the show, I thought that Greg and Wirt will be caught by some extraordinary or magical things like frogs, monsters or scary witches again. However this time it will be very different. Nice to see this kind of plot twists in the mini series like this. Just enjoy the best eleven minutes of the show!
Over the Garden Wall (TV Mini Series)
Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell (2014)
User Reviews
Review this title3 Reviews
For whom the bell tolls
TheLittleSongbird28 March 2018
Cartoon Network were responsible for some really fantastic childhood-favourite(that still hold up) shows like 'Dexter's Laboratory', 'The Powerpuff Girls' and 'Courage the Cowardly Dog', but have over the years gone downhill. Although there is the odd great show such as 'Young Justice', 'Regular Show' and 'Adventure Time' there are also abominations such as 'Johnny Test' and 'Uncle Grandpa' (which sadly are two of the shows most often aired).
And then here comes the 10-part mini-series 'Over the Garden Wall', and while it's not one of Cartoon Network's all-time greatest it is a gem of a show. One of their best in a long time and in a completely different league to what aired now. For me "Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell" is one of the best episodes of 'Over the Garden Wall', a very strong example of rivalling the very best of Cartoon Network.
There will be some reiteration here and in my future reviews of the other episodes of that for the show, because all the episodes have exactly the same qualities.
For one thing, "Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell" is really beautifully animated, with the handsome and very smoothly detailed backgrounds coming off particularly strongly and the mystery of The Unknown setting is realised brilliantly. Think 'Adventure Time' but with more detail, darkness, sweetness and colour. As well as being good-looking animation, what the animation also does so brilliantly is two things, one being that it sets the melancholic but sweet folksy atmosphere of the stories very effectively and maintains that quality consistently and the other being how well it transports one to another world completely and draws one into the world to utter transfixing effect.
It is very charmingly and hauntingly scored, having a real presence while also allowing the atmosphere to speak, which it wouldn't have done as effectively if the scoring was louder, brasher and more constant. "Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell" definitely benefitted from having a more melancholic, lilting and sometimes sparse approach to the music. The main theme is very memorable too.
The unique story is paced perfectly, feeling swift but never rushed and gentle while never dragging, and are very imaginatively and compellingly told even when episodic in nature. It is better than anything airing on the network at the moment and rivals (or comes close) its best work too. Like with the animation, the atmosphere is melancholic, quirky and folksy, these qualities coming over in a gentle and very touching way and never getting silly or confusing.
Writing is also hugely successful. It's funny, suspenseful and remarkably poignant, but it's not just that these qualities are present; it's also how they're balanced and written that made the writing strong. The humour never felt juvenile or too much, in fact especially with Greg some of the writing is adorable and at its best hilarious, the numerous emotional moments which can be primarily found in the characterisation of Wirt don't make the mistake of dragging things down. It really succeeds in allowing one to relate to Wirt and his troubles and the suspense is nail-biting but should not unsettle younger viewers too much. All this without one of them over-powering the other, this easily could have had too much humour of the wrong kind jarring with the atmosphere or been too scary, neither the case here.
Here in "Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell", the characters are very well written, looking like and having the personalities of folk fairy tale figures. The protagonists are very easy to relate to, especially Wirt and it is easy to be endeared by the resourcefulness and cute optimism of Greg. The voice acting is strong, Elijah Wood's Wirt is very deeply felt and Colin Dean's chirpy enthusiasm contrasts most endearingly. Tim Curry's effectively grotesque Auntie Whispers (one of the best supporting characters of the show) is not easy to forget.
To summarise, fantastic and one of the best episodes. 10/10 Bethany Cox
And then here comes the 10-part mini-series 'Over the Garden Wall', and while it's not one of Cartoon Network's all-time greatest it is a gem of a show. One of their best in a long time and in a completely different league to what aired now. For me "Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell" is one of the best episodes of 'Over the Garden Wall', a very strong example of rivalling the very best of Cartoon Network.
There will be some reiteration here and in my future reviews of the other episodes of that for the show, because all the episodes have exactly the same qualities.
For one thing, "Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell" is really beautifully animated, with the handsome and very smoothly detailed backgrounds coming off particularly strongly and the mystery of The Unknown setting is realised brilliantly. Think 'Adventure Time' but with more detail, darkness, sweetness and colour. As well as being good-looking animation, what the animation also does so brilliantly is two things, one being that it sets the melancholic but sweet folksy atmosphere of the stories very effectively and maintains that quality consistently and the other being how well it transports one to another world completely and draws one into the world to utter transfixing effect.
It is very charmingly and hauntingly scored, having a real presence while also allowing the atmosphere to speak, which it wouldn't have done as effectively if the scoring was louder, brasher and more constant. "Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell" definitely benefitted from having a more melancholic, lilting and sometimes sparse approach to the music. The main theme is very memorable too.
The unique story is paced perfectly, feeling swift but never rushed and gentle while never dragging, and are very imaginatively and compellingly told even when episodic in nature. It is better than anything airing on the network at the moment and rivals (or comes close) its best work too. Like with the animation, the atmosphere is melancholic, quirky and folksy, these qualities coming over in a gentle and very touching way and never getting silly or confusing.
Writing is also hugely successful. It's funny, suspenseful and remarkably poignant, but it's not just that these qualities are present; it's also how they're balanced and written that made the writing strong. The humour never felt juvenile or too much, in fact especially with Greg some of the writing is adorable and at its best hilarious, the numerous emotional moments which can be primarily found in the characterisation of Wirt don't make the mistake of dragging things down. It really succeeds in allowing one to relate to Wirt and his troubles and the suspense is nail-biting but should not unsettle younger viewers too much. All this without one of them over-powering the other, this easily could have had too much humour of the wrong kind jarring with the atmosphere or been too scary, neither the case here.
Here in "Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell", the characters are very well written, looking like and having the personalities of folk fairy tale figures. The protagonists are very easy to relate to, especially Wirt and it is easy to be endeared by the resourcefulness and cute optimism of Greg. The voice acting is strong, Elijah Wood's Wirt is very deeply felt and Colin Dean's chirpy enthusiasm contrasts most endearingly. Tim Curry's effectively grotesque Auntie Whispers (one of the best supporting characters of the show) is not easy to forget.
To summarise, fantastic and one of the best episodes. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Great
reidyq31 December 2021
I have reviewed the other episodes of this show but I have not yet mentioned that I feel like I'm missing something. I watched this with someone else, and they feel like that too. They liked this show a lot less than me, and it definitely isn't a show that either of us would watch on our own. I like this show, and I would overall give it an 8/10 but all the other reviews lead me to believe I am missing something. This episode is the best example, 8.9? I might rate it 8.1 at the most, but I don't really understand what makes this show outstanding. I have looked for many reviews, and the best I have found is that this show just isn't for some people, like I said earlier, but this is a show I actually really like, the main plot is very interesting to me and the jokes are funny, but I feel like there is something to do with the plot (of the specific episode, not the series) that I am missing. Still a great episode. 8.1/10.
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