Hilda Season 3 (2023) Review

 Hilda Season 3 (2023) 8/10

Hello and welcome to another review. Today, we’ll be taking another look at the most underrated series ever created. Hilda season 3 aired on December 7, 2023, with all 8 episodes dropping at once. As opposed to the previous seasons, season 3 has less episodes, but the finale is a 70 minute mini-movie that ties up “everything”. I have said it before and I’ll say it again: Hilda is so fucking underrated. It boggles my mind that a show that is this good has zero publicity. The show (and books) have a niche fanbase, but this series is deserving of so much more. Season 3 is a solid continuation of the series, but I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed by the fact that this is supposedly the final season. I pray to God that this isn’t the end as there is so much more that this series can do with the characters and its unique world. Let’s begin.

Apparently it’s been a year since the whole “Hilda turning into a troll” situation has been resolved (I feel like it’s been a couple of years seeing as she, Frida, and David all got growth spurts). The season will begin with Hilda, her mother Johanna, and her friends all taking a trip to the town of Tofoten to see their Auntie Astrid. Johanna holds some hidden feelings towards Astrid for some past mistakes, making her a bit uncomfortable around her. As Hilda and her friends try to enjoy their holiday, Hilda will grow obsessed with the idea of fairies and whether they exist or not. The rest of the season will deal with the fairies and Hilda’s family, in particular Hilda’s estranged father and Johanna’s parents. Along the way, more adventures await our blue-haired heroine.

Comparing this to the previous seasons, I’d say this is on par with season 1, with season 2 still being my favorite. The show will weave certain plot points early on and bring them back in such a way that the story will blossom naturally. Whenever any story does this, I have to give props because apparently this is way harder to do than it sounds lol. I love the character growth for all the characters. Hilda learning about her heritage, Johanna coming to terms with some past trauma, and even the introduction of Hilda’s father Anders was very well done. Another character that I enjoyed a lot was Astrid. I love how there was always something cryptic about her, but you can tell she was never malicious. And of course we can’t forget Frida and David. David’s development specifically has been a joy to witness. In season 1, he was such a scaredy cat, but now he’s willing to jump into whatever adventure Hilda dragged herself into. Both Frida and David are the best of friends anyone could have. Hilda is very lucky to have two ride or die friends who always have her back. And the side character Mr Pooka was a riot. I love this shape shifting munchkin and how he’s always asking to borrow the most random stuff.

As for the episodes, I do feel like some of these could’ve been done better. In the grander scheme of things, I can see why the writers did the episodes this way, but individually, I think some of these episodes could’ve been scrapped all together. Like the episode where Hilda and Wood Man go through that tree and end up in an alternate universe. Like it’s a cool concept, but I feel like the show could’ve used this tree in a completely different way. Or the episode where Frida is trying to solve an issue with the Nisse. This just felt like a waste of time and this could’ve been a much better Frida episode altogether. Looking back on this episode specifically, why did the radio sound better in Nowhere Space. This led me to believe that Nowhere Space had an important connection to Fairy Country, but this was never brought up again. ALSO, we can’t forget about our potential fourth Freaky Friend: Louise. Introduced in episode 4, Louise is the quiet girl in the Sparrow Scouts. Once she was introduced and officially joined Hilda’s group, I was expecting her to be a mainstay character. Sadly, she only popped up again at the end of episode 8 at the parade. Kinda sucks that the show introduced a character like this and never did anything with her beyond that one episode. However, despite everything negative I have said, I have to keep in mind that this show is made for young children who aren’t going to catch the smaller nuances like this. Nonetheless, these issues are still present, but never hinders the overall quality and enjoyment of the show.

The last thing for this section I want to talk about is the last episode. This “episode” (or movie) reveals everything regarding the fairies and Hilda’s heritage. This was very well done and I love how the show approached these topics of abandonment, loss, and letting go. I won’t say too much, but that eldritch being in that cave reminded me of Koh the Face Stealer from Avatar. Idfk why as they have nothing in common (design wise), but they both have that same vibe. Solid conclusion to the season’s story arc.

As for production value, the season is roughly the same as the previous seasons (and movie), which I am perfectly fine with. It is pretty cool to see Hilda, David, and Frida grow up a bit. Caught me off guard at first, but yeah cool nonetheless. Honestly I was expecting them to stay 10 years old lol. Art direction is just as solid as before. The new environments and creatures look great. I especially love the frog-spider in episode 6. That thing was hella fucking creepy and badass at the same time. That episode in general was fantastic and is probably my favorite episode of the season. The overall art direction and animation is fantastic.

The music is another highlight for the series. The show’s score really immerses you into the moment, but it doesn't feel overbearing. There’s a sense of power and discovery in the score that I feel doesn’t get enough recognition. And each episode will end on a different lyrical song. These are decent, but I’ll probably never listen to them on my own lol. 

The voice work here is pretty solid. Quick shout out to Bella Ramsey (Hilda), Ameerah Falzon-Ojo (Frida), Oliver Nelson (David), Daisy Haggard (Johanna), Rasmus Hardiker (Alfur), Miriam Margoyles (Astrid), John Simm (Anders), Jian Andany (Louise), Raj Ghatak (Eugene), and Shirley Henderson (The Fairy Entity). Also whoever voiced Hilda’s grandparents need to be commended as well.

Overall, Hilda season 3 is a solid CONTINUATION to the series. If the show is actually finished, then I am severely disappointed. I love this show and I’m really hoping it’ll get a season 4 (with the same quality as the previous seasons). Please go watch Hilda and bless yourself with some wholesome goodness. Until my next review, stay frosty and watch out for waterfalls.

Thanks for reading.

This is Zorgak, signing off.