Animation
Knuckles
The Sonic spinoff blends explosive adventure and road-trip-buddy-comedy into a fun romp for both kids and diehard fans.
In the forest, everything is alive.
And that’s where 11-year-old Hilda prefers to be. Among the trees, the waterfalls, the grass. But mostly among the real living things: trolls, fairies, witches, ogres.
They’re all a part of nature.
But nature isn’t always kind or careful. Which is why Hilda’s mom thought it best that she and Hilda get out of the forest and move to Trolberg, a proper city for a proper upbringing. A city where Hilda could experience a different sort of life and make some friends her own age. Human friends.
At first, Hilda wasn’t a fan; pavement could never compare to fresh-air-freedom. But over time, she learned to appreciate the mysteries and adventures that filled her new surroundings.
Most importantly, she learned to do so with her now best friends: Witchy Frida and musical, intuitive David. This trio has seen and lived their fair share of supernatural experiences.
Every day for them is filled with a new adventure. With magical creatures waiting to be discovered. And Hilda and her friends are determined to uncover any secret, to take on any challenge and to befriend any monster, no matter the missteps they may make along the way.
Welcome to the whimsical, autumnal world of Netflix’s Hilda.
This television series, inspired by Scandinavian folklore, is based on Luke Pearson’s novels of the same name. It focuses on Hilda; her friends and family; and the adventures she undertakes in her everyday life that teach her more about herself and her family history.
I was surprised when I started reviewing this series. If you’ve watched any shows aimed at kids lately, it’s slim picking thanks to modern, sexual narratives and profanity.
Neither of those exist in this TV-Y7 show. In fact, Hilda and her friends are quite lovely, kind, empathetic, brave and adventurous. And their adventures take them to the sort of fictional worlds that many kids dream of. Hats off to the producers of this show for their eye to detail and fantasy, as well as understanding the importance of conflict resolution.
I wish I could stop there, but there are still spiritual issues that must also be addressed and cannot be ignored.
This show is steeped in Norse mythology and pagan beliefs, the evidence of which you see peppered throughout each episode. It’s also built upon the desire to uncover spiritual and magical creatures, worlds and beliefs.
In the first season, viewers are introduced to all sorts of creatures, magical spells and enchantments. In the second season, Hilda’s mother and friend become possessed, and there are a few shockingly violent scenes (such as a kid getting his head cut off but later reattaching it). In the third season, Hilda’s Aunt Astrid is a witch who creates charms and practices her witchy beliefs.
So, although this series is adventurous and kindhearted, its beautiful outward presentation also makes light of serious pagan practices, such as witchcraft, necromancy and other supernatural elements.
Hilda and her mother, Johanna, along with Hilda’s friends David, Frida, Alfur and Tontu all travel to Tofoten to visit Hilda’s mysterious aunt Astrid and encounter adventures along the way. (And Hilda’s pet deer-fox, Twig, is along for the ride, too.)
Frida asks if Astrid is a witch, to which Astrid responds she is not, but she does enjoy making charms and learning about witchcraft. Astrid tells Hilda, “Always look someone in the eye when you greet them or a devil might think you’re talking to them.” Astrid sprinkles salt on her new guests, saying, “feverfew and salt of water spirit good fortune.”
Frida is a witch in training. Accordingly, she studies witchcraft, reads books on spells and occasionally uses spells.
Astrid’s neighbor is a sneaky shapeshifter who steals a creature’s egg from its nest, but Hilda and her friends return it before he can eat it.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
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