A cartoon network animated series that follows two half-brothers, Wirt and Greg, as they become lost and journey through a strange forest known as The Unknown. They encounter help from the mysterious Woodsman and a bluebird known as Beatrice who attempts to show them the way to Adelaide, a woman who can undo the curse upon her while showing the boys a way home.
This series has a loose depiction of Dante's Inferno. The forest Wirt and Greg are lost in parallels the same forest Dante struggles in, although these brothers do not leave that realm. Instead of journeying throughout hell, they journey through the forest to find their way home. Dante's journey may be to showcase the perils of humanity, but Wirt and Greg's journey is simply to go home.
In 10 short, 12-minute episodes, this series does well to depict the circles of hell and reinvent Dante's classic journey into the unknown.
For those that haven't watched Over the Garden Wall, I highly encourage you to as there are spoilers ahead. Episodes are available on Hulu!
Characters
The two brothers, Wirt and Greg, are representations of Dante and Virgil. Wirt is more of the main character, making him Dante who needs to have this journey in order to learn more about himself and the responsibility that goes with being an older brother. Greg, the younger brother, acts as the guide Virgil and only seems to be there to help Wirt on his journey of re-discovery. And he happens to be a very cute sidekick!
Beatrice first appears as a talking bluebird, but it is later revealed that she is, in fact, a human that has been cursed by a witch. She is a representation of Dante's lost love Beatrice in The Divine Comedy. Beatrice, however, guides Dante through paradise instead of hell. This series could be a continuation of The Divine Comedy throughout its entirety.
The Woodsman appears as a benevolent side character intended to help Wirt and Greg on their journey through The Unknown. We can argue that he is another representation of Virgil, however it deems more acceptable to make him a guardian of some sort. By the end episode, it is revealed that he is the guardian of the beasts' soul (via the lantern), thereby giving him the power to eradicate the beast. In this sense, he is more like Inferno in its entirety, since he has the control to do as he pleases whether he knows it or not.
The beast, who "stalks the night," is than a representation of Satan; the primary force that governs fear within The Unknown.
Each chapter is reference to a circle within Inferno
Chapter 1 is Limbo. The town of Pottsfield Wirt and Greg encounter motions for them to stay there and die, since the townspeople are all skeletons after all. This is where they first start realizing strange occurrences, thus Limbo.
Chapter 4 is Greed. When Wirt and Greg happen upon an old man residing in his mansion, they pretend to be his nephews in hopes of getting some money for their journey onward. The old man seems sad but happy at the same time, for it is only his money that hides the sadness; "The more money I make the bigger my mansion feels the more lost I get." His obsession with 'the woman in the painting' heavily parallels fear of the unknown.
Chapter 7 is Violence. When Wirt grows tired of leading him and his brother to no avail, Greg steps up, saying he will think of a plan while they sleep. Greg and Wirt sleep and Greg dreams. We get to journey inside Greg's mind, much like the journey through The Unknown. Greg travels to Cloud City, where everyone is welcoming him and all seems fun and cheery. That is until the malevolent North Wind crashes the party and all hell breaks loose (ironic, isn't it). Greg seems to outwit the North Wind with his usual tactics, thus gaining the chance to meet the queen of Cloud City. The queen grants Greg one wish, which happens to be the want of finally getting home, but this is not plausible since Wirt would have to stay in the forest for eternity. Greg, instead, sacrifices himself for his brother to go on.
With Greg's sacrifice, Wirt doesn't become a tree much like the suicidal were condemned to live as such.
Chapter 2 is Lust. When Wirt and Greg encounter a school in the middle of the woods, it turns out to be one for animals. The teacher seems unable to teach due to her infatuation and longing for her lost love. This could be paralleled to the two lovers, Francesca and Paolo, as they are blown about in the winds of Inferno.
Chapter 5 is Anger and Sullenness. Although this episode begins on a high note with everyone journeying to Adelaide's pasture on a ferryboat, it quickly takes a turn when Wirt discovers what Beatrice had planned for their fate. Even though Beatrice has developed a soft spot for the boys and changes her mind, Greg doesn't realize this until much later. Anger takes over when he steals the scissors from Beatrice, condemning her to remain a bluebird for a bit longer.
Sullenness can be represented by the frogs lingering in the mud after the boat docks.
Chapter 8 is Fraud. In a flashback episode, we see Wirt and Greg dressing up for Halloween. Here, we find out many truths that were hidden in the previous episodes (how they got 'over the garden wall' in the first place, and who Wirt's 'lost lover' is). Sara is the girl that Wirt seems smitten with, although someone else is already making moves on her. Cowardice initiates Wirt to lie, but Greg (being good ol' sweet Greg) sees the truth as clear as ever and pushes his brother to admit his feelings. That is until the police start chasing them and they end up climbing the wall in the cemetery and tripping into a pond that is 'over the garden wall.' More like over the cemetery wall.
Chapter 3 is Gluttony. The townspeople gathered in the tavern all seem to have a specific 'job.' Everyone is very curious when Wirt and Greg happen upon them. Wirt is pitted as a lover at first since he drones on and on about getting to Adelaide's. He is, in fact, a pilgrim searching for the way home and leading his brother through the woods. Mention of The Beast frightens everyone, which is the first instance where recognition of this dark force appears among others (despite the Woodsman).
Chapter 6 is Heresy. The ringing of the bell that holds power over the evil spirit residing in Lorna instructs her to do good and not allow the evil to overcome her. Auntie Whispers uses this bell primarily as a tool for keeping Lorna at bay, not choosing instead to rid her of the spirit. It's Greg who finally frees Lorna of the evil spirit, something that Auntie Whispers was too selfish to do for fear that Lorna would leave her.
The latter of this episode shows us the Woodsman being encountered by The Beast. Here, we get the first realization that The Beast is holding power over The Woodsman by keeping his daughter entrapped within the lantern he possesses. "There is only me. There is only my way. There is only the forest and there is only surrender."
The final chapter is Treachery. We jump back to the present, where The Beast has his clutches on Greg now that he has sacrificed himself. Greg slowly becomes a tree in the cold and is presented to The Woodsman to burn in his lantern; "I've given you another wood. He will burn nicely in your lantern." Beatrice and Wirt soon find Greg, as he is about to be bargained, when Wirt discovers just why The Beast needs the lantern to stay lit; it is The Beasts' own soul that burns within. Once this revelation happens, The Woodsman gains the power of keeper of the darkness, one that he has always had but never sought to realize. The Woodsman blows the light out and all is dark.
Greg and Wirt wake up back where it all started. Was it all a dream to teach them a lesson, much like it was for Dante? Or was it a parallel universe?
Further information and reading about these theories can be found at