1x07 The Ringing of the Bell

[8.1/10] I really enjoyed this one. It plays on a lot of familiar tropes, and has the clearest Miyazaki vibe yet, but does a lot with those elements. I particularly liked the flip, where we’re meant to believe that gentle Lorna is a poor prisoner of the grotesque-looking Auntie Whispers, a possible eater of children who seems to be controlling her ward via a magic bell. But in reality, Lorna is the unwitting monster, and Auntie Whispers is doing everything in her power to save the children who cross her threshold. It’s a neat flip, and the design work on Auntie Whispers and Lorna’s demonic form is really good and frightening.

I also like the character work for Wirt here. The little crush he harbors for Lorna is cute, and the song they sing together is beautiful. Plus there’s some great comedy in Wirt and Greg hiding in a barrel of Greg, especially after Greg declaring that they’re there to “burgle your turts.” The show’s great a loony comic bits, and that fits the bill.

The solution here fits the bill, with Greg’s frog swallowing the magic bell, and Wirt finally using it to free Lorna. It’s a nice resolution to the mini-horror movie we get here, and I enjoy the lore that Auntie Whispers is actually Adelaide’s sister and warns the boys about her sibling as a duplicitous snake. We even get a little more lore in the form of the Woodsman conversing with The Beast, as The Woodsman warns the boys to run away and declares that you can’t trade children’s souls like tokens. There’s enough interesting hints at something deeper going on to keep the viewer intrigued.

Overall, another episode with a cool concept that leads to good laughs, good music, and good scares, with some neat connections to the overall arc along the way.