The Wanders

"The Wanders"
Sylvia looking at the other Wanders in the horizon
Season:	2
Production code:	345W-204 204a (with "The Axe")
Broadcast number:	45
Story by:	Craig McCracken, Francisco Angones Amy Higgins Craig Lewis Scott Peterson Charlie Thomas (uncredited) Dave Thomas
Written by:	Scott Peterson Craig McCracken
Storyboards by:	Mark Ackland
Directed by:	Dave Thomas
Disney Channel US Premiere:	TBA
Disney XD US Premiere:	August 31, 2015
International Debut:	TBA
Paired with:	"The Axe"

“	So if he's him and he is him and you're him and that means that they are also him but if I don't get them and you and him back in him then he won't be him anymore?!	”
— Sylvia on the Wander clones

When Wander disobeys Sylvia as usual, he discovers mysterious crystals which cause his personality to split up into multiple duplicates of himself. This causes him to slowly fade from existence and it's up to Sylvia to round up the Wanders before her friend disappears forever.

Episode Summary

The episode starts with Wander and Sylvia chasing a baby squirrel to get it back to it's mother and siblings in a tree. Then the squirrel runs towards a mysterious crystal cave. Despite Sylvia's protests, Wander goes up to the cave anyway and is in awe of the crystals as each one shows his reflection, until he steps on to a platform and his personality splits into multiple Wanders.

Sylvia finally approaches the cave and notices Wander running away, until suddenly a stampede of Wander trample over her and begin to cover the planet. Sylvia, confused and worried, runs into the cave and sees a transparent, wide-eyed illusion of Wander. She then witnesses a Sleepy Wander fall into the illusion and appear in a crystal. The Intelligent Wander tells her that the indigenous crystals have broken his personality into fragments, and if not restored in time the original Wander will disappear forever.

Sylvia desperately tries to catch all 420 Wanders but with no success. After some encouragement from the Encouraging Wander and Cheerleader Wander, she decides to catch them using their traits as bait. So she catches all the Wanders and throws them back into the cave into the original Wander, but is confused as he is not restored and realizes she forgot someone. She turns around to face the Disobedient Wander who is taunting her. Sylvia refuses at first, thinking that Wander is better off without that part of him. But, she realizes that all of his personalities make up the real Wander, plus he will disappear if she doesn't do it. So she devises a trick to lure the Disobedient Wander into the cave and finally catches him. 

Sylvia reluctantly puts him back into Wander, and he is seemingly restored and declares they need to stop Lord Hater and that he is perfect now. Sylvia, suspicious of this new behavior, remembers that the real Wander wants to befriend Lord Hater and realizes that one more Wander is missing. Wander tells her he's better off without it, but Sylvia tells Wander that every part of him is important and puts him back on the platform and looks for the last Wander. She turns a corner in the cave and finds a Young Wander, terrified and crouched in a corner. The Zen Wander tells her, "The helper seeks to help because he knows what it is to be helpless." Sylvia kindly helps Young Wander, causing him to smile. Sylvia puts him back into original Wander and all the Wanders in the crystals disappear and Wander, now officially restored, smiles and sheds a single tear. He tearfully thanks Sylvia, for that was his most important part.

Later, Wander and Sylvia push a big boulder into the entrance of the cave so as to ensure nobody else goes through the same experience again. Wander and Sylvia then leave the planet, off to their next adventure.

Transcript

For a full transcript of The Wanders, click here.

Songs

• "Wander Over Yonder End Title Theme" (instrumental)
• "Banjo Wander's song"

End Credits

TBA

Gallery

The image gallery for The Wanders may be viewed here.

Memorable Quotes

Tail-hugging Wander: I love you, I love you, I love you! Encouraging Wander: Don't be down in the dumps, it's always sunny somewhere, Sylvie ol' girl. Cheerleading Wander: Sylvia, Sylvia, she's our man! If she can't do it, no one can!

Zen Wander: The Helper seeks to help, because he knows what it is to be helpless.

Wander: (after being fully restored; shedding a single tear) Thanks, Syl. That was the most important part.

Background Information

• This is the first Season 2 episode where Lord Hater and Peepers do not appear, although Lord Hater is mentioned for a brief moment.
• This marks the first time Wander is seen with bare feet.
• When Helpless Wander is revealed, the classical orchestral version of “Wander Over Yonder End Title Theme” plays in the background. The actual instrumental version of said song later plays when Wander and Sylvia block the cave.

International Premieres

• February 11, 2016 (Disney XD Turkey)

Continuity

• The scene where Wander hopes to stop Lord Hater (without his helper persona) was hinted at early on in "The Helper", where he tries to stop Hater at the restaurant.

Errors

• Just before Sylvia goes after Troublemaker Wander, the Wander in the crystal to the lower left of Zen Wander is Treehugger Wander, but when Sylvia sees the Helper, he is a normal Wander.
• The Wanders in the crystals change their spots several times throughout the episode.
• After Sylvia returns Disobeying Wander, we see Wander jump up in the air, but the crystals are blank. Then when he lands on Sylvia, the crystals have the Wanders in them.
• OCD Wander says there are exactly 420 parts of Wander's personality counting him. After Sylvia returns five of the duplicates he says there are 415 left (Referance To UK Air Time), but earlier, the Sleepy, Genius and Overly-Dramatic Wanders were returned, so there actually should be 412 left.
• The asset for the Mime Wander appears to have been reused from "The Void" and still contains the glow from inside the titular void.
• When the ball of Wanders is rolling towards the cave and bringing others in, the Wander plucking hairs off his head is seen again despite already being returned to the cave.

Allusions

• Smurfs - When Wander walks through the cave, his reflections are left in the crystals, and as we know, they came to life. This is a reference to a Smurfs comic and an episode from the TV series; namely, "A Maze of Mirrors," which is an adaptation of the comic.
• Peabody's Improbable History - Wander's nerdy counterpart is modeled after Mr. Peabody from this segment from Rocky and His Friends.
• Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends - The wicked smile Troublemaker Wander makes when Sylvia first discovers him is a direct reference to Bendy's wicked smile on the show.
• Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! - Nerdy Wander somewhat looks and speaks like Walden, one of the show's main characters.

Production Information

• The main idea for this episode came from Dave Thomas’ son, Charlie Thomas, when he was six years old. Because he was so young however, he couldn’t be mentioned in the credits, but his name is seen carved into a tree at the end of the episode.

Cast

• Jack McBrayer as Wander, Wander duplicates
• April Winchell as Sylvia

Previous: "The Boy Wander"

Episodes

Next: "The Axe"

References

v - e - dWander Over Yonder

Season 1 "The Greatest" | "The Egg" | "The Picnic" | "The Fugitives" | "The Pet" | "The Good Deed" | "The Prisoner" | "The Bad Guy" | "The Troll" | "The Box" | "The Hat" | "The Little Guy" | "The Ball" | "The Bounty" | "The Hero" | "The Nice Guy" | "The Time Bomb" | "The Birthday Boy" | "The Tourist" | "The Day" | "The Night" | "The Lonely Planet" | "The Brainstorm" | "The Toddler" | "The Fancy Party" | "The Epic Quest of Unfathomable Difficulty!!!" | "The Void" | "The Party Animal" | "The Gift 2: The Giftening" | "The Date" | "The Buddies" | "The Liar" | "The Stray" | "The Big Job" | "The Helper" | "The Funk" | "The Enemies" | "The Rider" | "The Gift" Shorts "The First Take" | "The Smile" | "The Killjoy" | "The Theme Song" | "The Bathroom Break" | "The Planetary Conqueror" | "The Sharpshooter" | "The Glitch" | "The Caller" | "The Whatever" | "The Big Finish" Season 2 "The Greater Hater" | "The Big Day" | "The Breakfast" | "The Fremergency Fronfract" | "The Boy Wander" | "The Wanders" | "The Axe" | "The Loose Screw" | "The It" | "The Cool Guy" | "The Catastrophe" | "The Rager" | "The Good Bad Guy" | "The Battle Royale" | "The Matchmaker" | "The New Toy" | "The Black Cube" | "The Eye on the Skull Ship" | "The Secret Planet" | "The Bad Hatter" | "The Hole...Lotta Nuthin'" | "The Show Stopper" | "The Cartoon" | "The Bot" | "The Family Reunion" | "The Rival" | "My Fair Hatey" | "The Legend" | "The Bad Neighbors" | "The Party Poopers" | "The Waste of Time" | "The Hot Shot" | "The Night Out" | "The Search for Captain Tim" | "The Heebie Jeebies" | "The Sick Day" | "The Sky Guy" | "The Robomechabotatron" | "The Flower" | "The End of the Galaxy" Miscellaneous "The Pilot" | "2012 San Diego Comic-Con trailer" | "2015 San Diego Comic-Con trailer" | "The Hiatus"