The overarching plot of Hilda’s second season returns in “The Old Bells of Trolberg.” Written by Bryan Korm and Gabe Pulliam and directed by Andy Coyle, the episode doesn’t necessarily advance any of its storylines so much as bring us up to date with Erik Ahlberg’s mechanizations, and to plant the seeds for later events.
I like how slowly the writers have had Ahlberg’s plans take shape, how they unfold and manifest. They’re quick, sudden, and obtrusive, and no one’s really sure what he’s doing until they’re in place and affecting their lives.
1.) For Instance, the Bells
No surprise, but “The Old Bells of Trolberg” centers around the bell towers on the wall that surrounds the city. These are ancient systems, meant to ward off trolls, resounding in their sensitive ears. The bells, however, have not been rung in eons. In fact, there’s never been any real reason to ring the bells, as the Keeper of the Bells points out.
Ahlberg, though, is obsessed with being seen as having accomplished something. He continues to act for attention and glory, rather than the citizens’ well-being. His plans are small, ineffectual gestures meant to bring him the loudest, most thunderous applause that nevertheless have a profoundly malevolent impact on the city.
We see this in the automation of the bell system. Instead of having Keepers positioned, Ahlberg sets machines up in each tower, programmed to ring every hour on the hour. No matter what else is going on. Regardless of what it’s interrupting. It’s a constant alarm and signal boost he’s around, a reminder of his influence spreading throughout the city.
While it does keep trolls at bay, the constant chiming also disturbs the woffs’ migration patterns, the day-to-day operations of the Lost Clan, and the general eco-structure of the area in and around Trolberg.
The bells become less an alarm than a warning of authoritarianism. The automation prevents them from reacting or adjusting to their negative influence. The Keeper, the episode points out, can ward threats before the ringing becomes necessary, but the machine is cold and unconcerned. Its only direction is to ring, and so it does, no matter who it disturbs.
2.) Nature
It’s not for nothing that “The Old Bells of Trolberg” begins with the Sparrow Scouts on a field trip. (By the way, this is like the third episode in a row that’s used the Sparrow Scouts.) They are engaging in the ancient Trolberg tradition of counting woffs and trying to figure out their migration patterns, something that has constantly eluded modern science.
Coyle provides long sequences of the Sparrow Scouts interacting, coexisting with the natural world around them. It’s so easy, the episode tells us, especially when there’s a presence as selfish and self-centered as Erik Ahlberg working toward his own gains, to knock this balance out of harmony. One minute they’re watching the woffs fly around, the next they’re suddenly crashing to the earth around them, and the only thing the Scouts can really do is get out of the way.
And maybe that’s what Hilda is about: that precarious balance between people and nature. The show isn’t contemptful of cities and civilizations, certainly not in the way other fantasy stories tend to be. It stresses how cities have just as many adventurous elements and fascinating developments as the deepest part of the woods. But it does constantly warn about how quickly humans can decimate the world, all while acting under the guise we’re taming the wild. The worst part of that, the show says, is how we’re often unaware of what we’re doing. It begs its young audience to simply look around themselves.
3.) Operation: Hilda
Again, the animators have truly pushed themselves this season. Not that the first season didn’t feature strong animation or interesting storylines — though the best ones were adapted from the comics, while season two’s have definitely managed to stand on their own merits — but after thirteen episodes, they’ve found what works best for the series, and have dug into it. They’ve grown more adept and confident, more assured in what they’re doing.
Continued belowTake the central sequence in “The Old Bells of Trolberg.” It revolves around a break-in and sabotage mission. Unable to think of anything else to deter the automated bell rings, Hilda and her friends decide the best course of action would be to tear the whole system apart.
Coyle, Korm, and Pulliam introduce various elements in this operation, from the Lost Clan to magic spells to David huddled in a little box. They cut between these events, keep the energy high, and the stakes imposing. The ticking clock comes from Ahlberg’s speech. They also know tension will be racked up even higher if they cut to Johnanna every once in awhile, wondering where Hilda’s gone off to.
Also, there’s plenty of fun visual gags in these sequences, especially when they let the Lost Clan loose on the Trolberg Safety Patrol, with their little arrows and pigeon bombers.
4.) The Trolberg Safety Patrol
Yet, with this operation in place, I’m starting to wonder more about the Trolberg Safety Patrol. Namely, what’s their influence in the city and their source of funding. Are they the Trolberg answer to the police, enforcing old, outdated laws while making themselves seem bigger and better than anyone else? We see they have a strong presence in the city and enough resources to institute a huge mechanical operation. Or are they like a volunteer fire department? Because there are a lot of them running around. They pour from the belltower in their sharply-pressed uniforms. Is this a permanent job for them or do they only do it on the weekends?
The Keeper of the Bells is a Trolberg Safety Patrol employee. Is he under a separate jurisdiction? Are there some volunteer positions and some paid ones? Are they enlisted or can they simply join whenever the whim takes them? Why do none of them question what Ahlberg’s doing? Or are they an evil organization like the ones in the Bond movies with hordes of lackeys and obstacles the kids will have to overcome?
5.) More Questions About the Season Ahead
Despite being thoroughly embarrassed at the ceremony, Erik Ahlberg continues forward with his plans. Although the kids and the Keeper of the Bell managed to save the day this time, it won’t be long before Ahlbert re-institutes his policies with tighter security and higher fervor. Because that’s what people like him do.
During his speech, Coyle cuts to the crowd, cheering Ahlberg on, staring at him with starry-eyed admiration. It’s a populist swell, this loyalty to a blowhard who preys on a large group’s collective fears and selfishness. Will they eventually turn on him? Will they realize how self-serving and aggrandizing his ambitions are or will they follow him, right off the edge of a cliff?
The trolls are continuing to gather, how will that fuel their fears?
“The Old Bells of Trolberg” ends with a deep-sea crew ringing a sunken bell and awakening something ancient in the depths. The creature itself will no doubt be interesting, but what will it do to the city? Afterward, will people properly blame Ahlberg’s misguided actions, or move more fully into themselves?
