Hilda finds herself at odds with an invisible but quarrelsome community of tiny people, and must make an unlikely ally in order to avoid having to move to Trolberg.
Tropes:
- Adaptation Amalgamation: The episode combines the plots of "Hilda and the Troll" with the first half of "Hilda and the Midnight Giant".
- Adapted Out:
- The episode leaves out a scene from "Hilda and the Troll" where Hilda spends a night outside in her tent.
- An elf named Tomas is left out of the scene between Hilda and the Elf Mayor. His role is given to Alfur instead.
- Downplayed with the Woodman; he is present, but in a smaller role than in the graphic novels. In "Hilda and the Troll", he is there when the Troll comes to Hilda's house, and he figures out why the Troll is upset.
- Accidental Kidnapping: The elf mayor's beloved cat wanders into Hilda's hair, letting her negotiate for the location of the Prime Minister.
- Bait-and-Switch: For a moment, it seems that the troll is about to eat Hilda, only for it to turn out that it is returning Hilda's sketchbook.
- Cave Behind the Falls: The Prime Minister's house is inside one of these.
- Cold Open: Hilda encounters a troll and removes the bell she put around its nose. Doubles as an establishing character moment for Hilda.
- Commercial Break Cliff Hanger: Averted, since the show airs on a streaming service, but having the credits for the episode can easily count as a breather before Hilda goes up the final step in the chain of command.
- Cliffhanger: Also a bittersweet ending. Hilda fails to reason with the Prime Minister and the possibility of her leaving the Wilderness is high. But Alfur decides to take her to the Elf King to set things right for Hilda, even if it violates protocols.
- Early-Bird Cameo: The episode opens with several:
- The first few opening shots are framed around a bird that looks almost exactly like the Great Raven, flying from Trolberg to Hilda's house in the wilderness.
- The bird passes by Victoria Van Gale's weather station on its way out of town.
- Hilda briefly gets picked up by a friendly water spirit when hopping over some rocks in the river.
- Possibly unintentional, but Hilda struggles against a tiny blizzard which seems to be caused by a resting weather spirit.
- Epic Fail: Hilda fails twice to reason with the mayor and the prime minister respectively, but immediately after Hilda is given one last chance...the episode ends and the credits roll.
- Ending Theme: This is the only episode so far to use the full version of the show's ending theme. Starting with episode 2 up until episode 12, as well as Season 2, the ending theme is shortened from 30 seconds to 26 seconds.
- Hell Is That Noise: Hilda thinks that she has escaped from the troll once she gets back home. Then she hears the bell ringing and turns around to see that it followed her home.
- Herald: Alfur becomes this, starting Hilda on her Call to Adventure.
- Intangibility: The only reason Hilda and her mom haven't caused any damage to the Elf town just outside their house yet, is that the eleves and their houses are both intangible and invisible to those who haven't filled out the proper paper work.
- Mayor Pain: The mayor of the elf village has only eyes for his cat, and is rude and unhelpful to Hilda. Only when she accidently takes his cat hostage is he willing to cooperate.
- Meaningful Background Event: When Hilda returns the mayor's cat, she looks a lot thinner than before, but it isn't until the next episode that it's revealed that she gave birth in Hilda's hair.
- Moving The Goal Posts: Whenever Hilda thinks she's found the person who can call off her and her mother's eviction, it seems that they just lack the authority to do so, forcing her to go to the next person up the chain of command. It is also hilarious, when Hilda fails to reason with the Prime Minister and is forced to go up one last step in the chain of command...only for the episode to end.
- Multi-Part Episode: Connected with "The Midnight Giant". This is the first episode of the "Welcome to Trolberg" trilogy.
- Mysterious Note: The little people leave one in the form of an eviction notice on Hilda's front doorstep.
- Nothing Personal: When Hilda comes to negotiate with him, the Prime Minister claims he has nothing against her personally, and only promised to get rid of her and her mother since he knew it would get him elected.
- Pet the Dog: Hilda removing the bell from the troll's nose when she realizes that's what was making it crazy.
- Pregnant Hostage: The mayor's cat is pregnant while in Hilda's hair, and actually gives birth inside it!
- Right-Hand Cat: The mayor has one.
- Rule of Three: Happens straight throughout the episode. Hilda tries to reason with Alfur. FAIL. Hilda tries to reason with the elf mayor. FAIL. Hilda tries to reason with the Prime Minister. FAIL and cue end credits.
- Saving the Orphanage: Hilda sets out to convince the elves to stop harassing her and her mother, so they won't have to leave the house her great-grandfather built.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Hilda's reaction when the troll rock comes alive.Hilda: Time to go.
- Strongly Worded Letter: This is Hilda's first attempt at telling off the elves.
- Trespassing to Talk: A non-threatening example. Alfur has to enter Hilda's room in the night uninvited so that she can see the elves and understand why they want her to move.
- The Villain Knows Where You Live: Both the letters that the elves send to Hilda and her mother, and how they trash her house in the middle of the night.
