Hilda has survived the massive storm that rocked Trolberg. However, she had been launched into the stratosphere and now finds herself back in the woods. Part of her is comfortable at being in familiar surroundings. The other part of her just wants to get back home to her mom. Warning: spoilers.
1. Hello, Old Friends
One of the most enduring characters in the earlier episodes of Hilda undoubtedly had to be the Wood Man. The twiggish sprite who would randomly pop into their cabin, deposit firewood, and then deposit himself in the middle of their room. He was sassy and sarcastic, seemingly conniving even if we never actually see him do anything. For all the snark and trouble, the Wood Man was a character it was great to see appear. Therefore, it’s with some measure of relief and excitement to see him pop up in “The House in the Woods” again. Hilda, lost, trying to find her way back to Trolberg, encounters him playing a forest poker with a group of elves and a giant. He becomes her companion throughout the rest of the episode, though I’m sure he’ll be the first to tell you that Hilda was really his sidekick the entire time.
Do we learn anything new about the Wood Man throughout “The House in the Woods?”
Some, I think. He likes the guitar. It is very easy for him to conjure material possessions. He’s a bad gambler. He has the best line of the night. When Hilda asks him if this crown he’s picked up belongs to him, he just says, deadpan, “I would prefer not to lie to you.”
Does he remain a cryptic, opaque figure?
Yes.
Are we endured to him any less?
Absolutely not.
2. Creatures of the Week
First things first, these elves seem to be everywhere. For whatever reason, I got the impression that their community was relegated to the area immediately surrounding Hilda’s old cabin, but no. They even have a mail system to deliver messages to Trolberg, though that makes me wonder what is Alfur doing in Trolberg? He’s supposed to be sending dispatches for the elves but I think that might all come down to how the Hilda elves love paperwork and dispatches. I also think the animators just throw in elves anywhere they need them, like magic with J. K. Rowling or the Force in Star Wars.
We do meet a runt giant, though. I don’t have my comic on hand so I don’t remember his name. He’s a dude going through a continual existential crisis. He feels inferior because he’s not as tall as some of the other giants, whom he calls “proper giants” despite himself. Everything comes back to him accusing people of not taking him seriously, immediately concluding that it’s because they don’t see him as a true force to be reckoned with. This, even though trees still shake whenever he stomps around and the only thing that can really stop him is the Thunderbird when it turns to its full form. He’s kind of funny, definitely treated as a joke. Maybe to help kids understand how silly self-pity appears.
The main focus on “The House in the Woods,” however, is this house in the woods. Hilda and the Wood Man stumble on it late at night, after fleeing the existential giant and getting all turned around. The Wood Man has been berating Hilda for “going city,” and she’s quick to remind him he’s lost as well. “But I’m not lost,” the Wood Man reasons. “I’m not trying to get anywhere in particular.” They decide to stay at this house, which grants them anything they wish, from the Wood Man’s favorite tea to random records to the exact type of porridge Hilda likes. They quickly find, however, it’s not as great as it seems. The house has a House of Leaves think going on. It won’t let them out. It turns its stairwell into a never-ending maze. All rooms lead back to the main area. They’re trapped in its embrace.
“We’re stuck here,” says the Wood Man. “Might as well take advantage of it.”
Continued below
3. Back to the Woods
Hilda clearly loves being back in the Great Forest again. She jumps through a network of enormous tree roots, dazzles in the colors, openness, and quiet of the woods. I think we’re meant to feel comfortable and at home with her, though I’m not sure if the episode fully communicates that. She desperately wants to be part of this world again. With all those weird creatures and enormous landscapes. Yet, Hilda feels a certain emptiness about it. Almost a disappointment at how life in the Great Forest continued on without her. The animators show her feeling awkward and out-of-place. She denies her love of the city to the Wood Man all throughout “The House in the Woods,” but the episode also asks its young audience if she really believes it.
4. Home is Where I Belong with You
Because it’s true, Hilda’s home has changed. Even before she has her epiphany at the end of the episode, Hilda says, “I have not gone city. Trolberg is just where I live now.” It’s only after everything has fallen apart, that she and her crew are stretching the magic of the house to its absolute extremes and she yells, “I just want a way to get back home!” does she get spit out into their Trolberg flat. She realizes home isn’t a place but the people she loves and cares about. (Side note: I think it’s also telling that one of the things she asks the house for is a replacement copy of Frida’s book.) It’s the Wood Man who sums it up best for her:
“Trolberg is your home now. And someday your home may be somewhere else. But that doesn’t mean you leave your other homes behind.”
It’s a big moment for Hilda, an acceptance of her new life in the city, a realization that she has made friends, has changed, has evolved over these 11 episodes. I found it a poignant ending to an overall entertaining episode.
5. Black Hound Sightings
None this time around. At least none that I saw. That might be more because Hilda wasn’t around any radio or TV signals and Hilda’s Mum was more preoccupied with her missing daughter.
There’s only two episodes left in this season. I have the feeling it’s also going to be a two-parter of a finale.
