The following is a list of all ten episodes of
Over the Garden Wall, as well as a brief synopsis of each.
Chapter 1: The Old Grist Mill: Wirt and Greg, lost in the Unknown, encounter the mysterious Woodsman. He offers them shelter in his mill and warns them against the dangers of the Beast, who stalks the land and steals children such as themselves.
"Wirt: Greg! I, I think we're lost! We, w-we should've left a trail or something.
Greg: I can leave a trail of candy from my pants!"
Trivia: The design of the dog that terrorizes the brothers in this episode was inspired by an old illustration from Hans Christian Anderson's story
The Tinderbox.
Chapter 2: Hard Times at the Huskin' Bee: Wirt and Greg, now accompanied by the bluebird Beatrice, come across the town of Pottsfield, which is populated entirely by what they think are people dressed in pumpkin costumes. They run into trouble, and are judged by their leader, Enoch.
"Enoch: So by the order of the Pottsfield Chamber of Commerce, I find you guilty of trespassing, destruction of property, disturbing the peace ... and murder."
Trivia: In a proposed version of the intro shown in episode one, Enoch could be seen in human form coming to Pottsfield. The idea was that he would be a drifter who would come to Pottsfield in order to take over the town and create a death cult.
Chapter 3: Schooltown Follies: Wirt, tired of being called a pushover by Beatrice, decides to act as one fully. This leads him to become a pupil at Ms. Langtree's school for animals while Greg plays hooky.
"Ms. Langtree: 'A' is for the apple that he gave to me, but I found a worm inside ..."
Trivia: Character designer Nick Cutter was the one to insist on including a scene towards the end of the episode where Mr. Langtree wipes a tear and it clings to his finger. It was meant to refer to a trend in old kids' cartoons that had traumatized him as a child!
Chapter 4: Songs of the Dark Lantern: Wirt, Greg, and Beatrice enter a tavern at night looking to ask for directions, but in order to get them, they first have to deal with the patronage's eccentricities.
"Wirt: My name is Wirt and his name is Greg / We're related 'cuz my mom remarried and then gave birth to him with my stepdad ... We're not from around here / Can you all give me some directions today? / So we can be on our / Wa-a-a-a-y?"
Trivia: The Edelwood tree seen in this episode is supposed to represent the final resting place of the people inside the Dark Tavern. Originally, it was supposed to mark the grave of Civil War soldiers who had fallen asleep under it.
Chapter 5: Mad Love: Wirt, Greg, and Beatrice, in the pursuit of change to ride a ferry, must help the wealthy but slightly loony Quincy Endicott solve the mystery of a beautiful yet terrifying ghost that has been haunting his massive estate.
"Endicott: Yes, tea! That's my trade! 'Quincy Endicott's Health Tea'.
Greg: Your tea sounds good.
Endicott: Ugh! Never touch the stuff myself."
Trivia: Because the Unknown is informed by Wirt's interests, Endicott, too, is a character from Wirt's real life. In episode nine, you can see a tombstone bearing Endicott's name!
Chapter 6: Lullaby in Frogland: Now aboard the ferry, Wirt, Greg, and Beatrice have a chance to relax. However, once they disembark and secretly trail Beatrice to Adelaide's house, Wirt and Greg discover that Beatrice hasn't been entirely truthful with them.
"Wirt: What's wrong with George Washington being naked?"
Trivia: Amalis Levari, a writer on the show, was the one who provided the idea for the bird-scissors Adelaide holds over Beatrice's head. They're inspired by a real pair of scissors Levari's mother showed her, and they pay homage to how her mother was the one to teach her textile arts.
Chapter 7: The Ringing of the Bell: Stung by Beatrice's betrayal, Wirt and Greg seek shelter in what they assume to be an abandoned cottage. Things get complicated when they meet its residents: Lorna, and her Auntie Whispers.
"The Woodsman: Stop! Listen! The Beast knows your presence, ready to claim you as part of his dark forest, but only if you give up! Keep hearty in both body and spirit and you shall be safe from him. Fall ill or lose hope and your life shall pass into his crooked hands. Children, please heed my warning! Boys, beware the Beast!"
Trivia: The mystery of the black turtles was one the show writers never intended to solve, but it was clearly hinted that they represented some form of evil to the Unknown. Auntie Whispers serves as a sort of sin eater to counter Adelaide, but the devouring of the turtles has clearly had an effect on her.
Chapter 8: Babes in the Wood: Exhausted, Wirt has a one-sided argument with Greg before the pair fall asleep beneath a tree. While sleeping, Greg has a strange dream at the end of which he finds out Wirt cannot leave the Unknown, as the Beast has claimed him.
"Wirt: I don't know much of anything anymore.
Greg: Oh. Did you know that dinosaurs had big ears but everyone forgot 'cuz dinosaur ears don't have bones?"
Trivia: In the background of Greg's dream, you can see a little gnome of an old man, dressed vaguely like Wirt and holding a lantern. It has been heavily implied this man is Wirt from an alternate timeline, trapped in the Unknown forevermore.
Chapter 9: Into the Unknown: It's Halloween, and Wirt has finished recording a cassette for Sara, his crush. Greg decides to help Wirt deliver it to her when Wirt backs out, but this has unintended consequences for the pair.
"Greg: Thank you, Old Lady Daniels!
Mrs. Daniels: Goodbye, Gregory. And please don't call me 'old lady'.
Greg: Yes, sir, young man!"
Trivia: Patrick McHale wanted all of the kids in the background to look like they were wearing homemade costumes because he likes the authenticity this lends. He dislikes storebought costumes because they look artificial and nothing like the character being represented.
Chapter 10: The Unknown: Wirt and Beatrice hunt down Greg in the middle of a snowstorm, and are horrified to find the Beast seems to have taken him. The pair must make one last stand against their otherworldly pursuer, lest they lose Greg forever.
"Beatrice's Mother: Now, eat your dirt!
[The whole family laughs genially.]"
Trivia: McHale wanted this episode to feel like an opera because of how prominent the Beast is in it. The backgrounds and lighting are all meant to emulate the feeling of a stage, and the team toyed with the idea of having the sounds of an orchestra warming up playing in the background.