Review: The Barbarian and the Troll “Off to See the Wizard”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Brendar and Evan journey to find the wizard known as Horus Scrum. Upon arrival, Horus Scrum hires them to defeat the evil witch who turned his daughter into an owl. Meanwhile, General Skelly’s head seeks revenge against Brendar.

Our Take:

The quest has officially begun for our heroes. The first episode set the stage for their ultimate adventure. Now we get to see how long their alliance will hold up as they take on their first challenge together. In addition to showcasing the epic theme song for the first time, the episode continues the series’s tradition of providing puppet comedy and self-awareness of the fantasy genre.

This episode featured more information on the direction the series is heading. It introduced some characters that join Brendar and Evan on the adventure: Horus Scrum and Stacey, the owl that happens to be his daughter. What a twist! Plus, Brendar required a talking ax as payment that can destroy any demon in existence. It did a respectable job at laying the groundwork on what’s to come as well as delivering some likable supporting characters.

Horus Scrum’s first appearance in the show was the best part of the episode. Not just because of his personality but also because of his brand of humor. The part with Alexa being one of Horus’s skeleton minions got me laughing. There’s just something about medieval versions of modern technology that always get me giggling with glee.

Along with the supporting characters and their solid humor, the episode also represented Brendar and Evan’s fun chemistry. Evan got a taste of what a quest feels like by getting into all sorts of mishaps. This ranged from almost getting captured by pig bats to being swallowed alive by a tree monster. As a result, he starts to learn how to take care of himself. Fortunately for Evan, Brendar has a “Barbarian’s Code” in which she should never leave anyone behind. It’s something that we’ve seen in other buddy comedies before. However, their characteristics and humor helped provide some amusement in their shenanigans, especially Evan’s musical sequences.  

There were also some brief segments involving General Skelly’s disembodied head attempting to get around without his body. He eventually wound up on the body of a scarecrow, which causes him to get hay fever. They’re not as hilarious as the Brendar and Evan segments, but it did set up his upcoming rematch against Brendar, so that’s a plus.

The wizard episode of The Barbarian and the Troll was another entertaining treat for those who are into puppet comedy. It succeeded in delivering a humorous setup to Brendar and Evan’s dangerous quest and many likable supporting characters. They completed their task of visiting the wizard. Now they’re off to slay the witch. The wickedly evil witch, of course.