Midwinter Ancestor (TV episode)

Midwinter Ancestor is the thirteenth and final episode in the first series of the 2019 television series Moominvalley.

Synopsis
Moomintroll faces his toughest challenge yet when he wakes up too early from hibernation. To survive the perils of winter, he must find his primal side.

Plot
Moomintroll, Moominmamma and Moominpappa are preparing to hibernate for the winter. Moomintroll looks at a snow globe and laments that they will miss the snow, however his mother reminds him that he won't miss the cold, or the wind. Moominpappa tells them that their ancestors knew what they were doing, and that they would crawl into a "nice, warm stovepipe" and sleep throughout the whole "shivery season". Moomintroll asks his father if their ancestors used to cover their chandeliers, too. Moominpappa looks in his encyclopaedia, and is about to read out the entry on ancestors when Moominmamma reminds him that they need to hibernate soon. Moomintroll comments that living in stoves sounds like a good way to "burn yourself to a crisp", and he's surprised they still exist. Moominpappa tells him that they were noble creatures, but Moomintroll mutters to himself that they missed all the snow. Moominmamma presents them with a bowl of pine-needles, which Moominpappa calls "traditional" and "nutritious" pre-hibernation food, just like their ancestors used to eat. Moomintroll says he would prefer pancakes, and Moominmamma says she will make some when they wake up, and that it is something for Moomintroll to dream about during the long, dark, winter months. Moomintroll says that is great, without much enthusiasm. It is midwinter, and Moominhouse is dark and dormant. Moomintroll sleeps soundly, until a beam of moonlight shines onto his face and he wakes himself up. He says to himself that it doesn't feel like spring, and he finds his parents still sleeping in hibernation, and they don't wake up even when he shouts their names. Moomintroll looks at their seasonal clock and realises that it is midwinter, and he goes back to bed to try and return to his hibernation. However, no matter how much he tries, he can't sleep. Moomintroll cries out, asking: "what's wrong with me?" His stomach rumbles, and he realises he is hungry.

The kitchen is empty, with the only remaining food being the bowl of pine needles, which Moomintroll ignores. He wipes away at the window, however everything still seems cloudy and white outside. Moomintroll opens the front door to find a wall of snow, which he tries to eat, saying that it is "better than pine needles", but not very filling. Moomintroll crawls out through the snow to discover that Moominvalley is covered in a layer of snow, which also covers most of Moominhouse. Moomintroll calls out into the valley and hears his voice echo.

A Hemulen is skiing on a nearby mountain and stops when he hears the echo of Moomintroll's voice, followed by a rumbling sound. He is then covered in snow from an avalanche.

Moomintroll says to himself that everyone is asleep, apart from him. He then notices footprints in the snow that lead past Moominhouse, over the bridge on the river, and into the forest beyond. Moomintroll follows the footprints and slips in the snow, causing him to fall into the Moomins' postbox. Moomintroll wonders if the footprints could belong to Snufkin, and he is excited to find that there is a letter from Snufkin in the postbox.

During the previous autumn, we see Snufkin sat on a log near Moominhouse and writing a letter to Moomintroll. He tells Moomintroll to "sleep well" and that he will have him there again on the "first warm spring day". He says to Moomintroll not to start building the dam without him, and ends his letter with a "cheerio". Snufkin looks over to see the Moomins and Mrs Fillyjonk outside Moominhouse, which was the same day that they got a maid. Snufkin posts the letter in the postbox and sets off on his journey south.

Back in the present, Moomintroll finishes reading Snufkin's letter and realises that if Snufkin left in the autumn, that the footprints in the snow belong to someone else. He continues to follow them all the way to the beach, looking nervous for a moment before continuing. He notices that there is someone living in the Moomins' bathing house, which is "odd", and music plays from within the house. Moomintroll opens the door and exclaims "It's you!" when he finds Too-Ticky playing a music box inside the bath house. Too-Ticky asks Moomintroll if her song woke him up, and he says no, and asks why she is in their bathing house. Too-Ticky explains that the bathing house belongs to the Moomins during the summer, but in the winter "it belongs to Too-Ticky". She notices that Moomintroll's paws are cold and says that she knows "just the thing". She whistles and a pair of socks travels towards them, seemingly of their own accord, which unsettles Moomintroll. Moomintroll asks if it is Ninny carrying them, however Too-Ticky says that Ninny is staying with her sister, and explains that the socks are being carried by invisible shrews. Moomintroll holds out his paws and the shrews place the socks on them to keep them warm. He asks Too-Ticky how she knows that they are shrews if they're invisible, and she replies that "all things are so very uncertain" which is exactly what makes her feel so reassured.

Moomintroll joins Too-Ticky and the shrews for dinner, which is a warm stew that the shrews prepare. Too-Ticky tells Moomintroll that there are a lot of things that have "no place in the summer" - everything that is a little shy or a little rum. She says that some kinds of "odd-night animals", folk that "don't fit in with others", and creatures that nobody believes in keep out of the way throughout the year and then, when the nights are long, they appear. A rattling noise comes from behind a cupboard doorand Moomintroll asks what is in there, to which Too-Ticky replies: "something that nobody else believes in". Too-Ticky travels outside to get some wood and tells Moomintroll to keep doors closed. Moomintroll attempts to keep himself occupied with books and music, however he is distracted by the door. When he places a hand on the door knob there is a flash of a camera, and he finds that the invisible shrews have taken a photo of him about to open the door. Moomintroll looks at the photo of himself and says to himself "are you a mouse, or a Moomin?" He takes a photo of himself posing proudly atop a bucket and looks at the picture, saying to himself "that settles that".

When Moomintroll opens the cupboard door he finds one of the Moomins' inflatable beach toys deflating. When he moves the toy aside, something brown and furry jumps out from underneath it and escapes from the cupboard. The creature climbs up to one of the rafters in the roof, and when Too-Ticky arrives with wood it escapes out of the open front door, to Too-Ticky's shock. Moomintroll says that it is okay, as it's only an "old rat", and Too-Ticky tells him that that is a "fine thing" to call one of his own ancestors. Moomintroll watches the small, brown creatures scamper around outside and says to himself that it can't be any relation of his. Too-Ticky tells him that it is how he would have looked a thousand years ago, and that the Lady of the Cold will be out soon - a beautiful winter spirit, but with a song that will freeze you as "stiff as a biscuit" if you listen to it. Moomintroll asks her why he would be listening to her song, and Too-Ticky says it would be because he is going to go out and retrieve his ancestor. She tells him not to look so worried, and that she will keep his soup warm.

Moomintroll attempts to persuade his ancestor to come back into the bathing house, saying that he could teach it to eat with a spoon "like a normal troll". The Ancestor merely snorts in response and runs away, climbing through the trees. Moomintroll follows the creature back to Moominhouse, where it is sniffing at the hole that Moomintroll dug to get out through the snow. Moomintroll tells his ancestor that there is nothing for him in there, however the creature climbs down to the front door. Inside Moominhouse, Moomintroll finds it empty and calls out to the Ancestor. Unknown to Moomintroll, the Ancestor lowers itself down by it's tail and hangs behind Moomintroll, and we see that it is brown and furry, with a large nose like a Moomin, however much smaller with a tail, and looks quite like a monkey. The Ancestor pokes Moomintroll on the back before disappearing, much to his confusion and fear. He turns around and becomes face to face with the Ancestor, who jumps away and climbs upstairs to Moominmamma and Moominpappa's bedroom, where it bounces atop them under Moominpappa's hat. Moomintroll tries to catch the Ancestor, however it disappears and runs downstairs, where it continues to climb around and evade Moomintroll.

The Ancestor throws books out of the bookcase and one hits Moomintroll in the tummy - Moominpappa's encyclopaedia, which is open to a page which a picture of a Moomin ancestor and a stovepipe. Moomintroll realises that the creature in his house is indeed an ancestor of his, and looks up to see the Ancestor inspecting the stovepipe in Moominhouse. Moomintroll turns the page to find a picture of a Moomin ancestor eating pine needles.

Moomintroll offers to show the Ancestor around, explaining to it one of the paintings on the wall, which it turns upside down. He also shows the Ancestor Moominpappa's armchair, and the Ancestor rips up the cushion. Moomintroll continues his tour, guiding his ancestor towards a plate of "tasty" pine needles. The Ancestor begins to to eat the pine needles and Moomintroll ends his tour by telling the Ancestor to look at the item above him, which is a "family heirloom", and the Ancestor looks up to find a sheet falling onto it, which it becomes trapped beneath. Moomintroll ties the Ancestor up in the sheet and complains that when he has "finally" done something "really clever" and there is nobody around to see it.

Moomintroll takes his ancestor back to Too-Ticky, wondering to himself whether to call it his great-great-great grandpa, but decides to stick to "just Ancestor". As they near the beach house, the Ancestor rips a hole in the sheet and escapes, again, and Moomintroll calls after it, saying that it will freeze. He notices the strong wind and the snow becoming heavier and decides that he can't leave the Ancestor "out here" and that he can find it "on his own". He calls out "little brother" and goes to find the Ancestor, struggling when the wind becomes stronger and his visibility is low. Moomintroll finds himself stood on a sheet of ice, which cracks beneath him and he falls, luckily grabbing hold of what seems to be a branch, but is revealed to be the antler of a reindeer. The reindeer runs away and the sound of wraith-like singing fills the air, which Moomintroll walks towards, realising that it is the sound of the Lady of the Cold. Moomintroll stands frozen in shock as the large, snow-white face of the Lady of the Cold appears and wraps him up in a blanket of snow. Just as the Lady of the Cold approaches Moomintroll, the Ancestor jumps out and she disappears, and the Ancestor carries Moomintroll away through the snow as he passes out.

Moomintroll wakes up in a bed of leaves and finds himself in a wooden den, with the Ancestor lighting a fire nearby. The Ancestor blows on the fire and Moomintroll joins in, igniting the flame. He comments that his ancestor isn't "so primitive" after all, and the Ancestor comes to sit next to Moomintroll, nuzzling against him. Moomintroll says that they can't stay there all winter, and a voice outside says: "my thoughts exactly". Moomintroll and the Ancestor leave the den to find Too-Ticky, who tells Moomintroll that his soup has gone cold, but she can heat up a new batch when they get back. Moomintroll watches the Ancestor follow Too-Ticky back to the bath house and stops them, saying that he has a "better idea".

Outside Moominhouse, Moomintroll waves goodbye to Too-Ticky and tells her that he will see her in the spring. He invites the Ancestor into his house and follows it. Moomintrolls opens the stovepipe and tells his ancestor that it is "a home" for it, just like the ones it used to live in, to say thanks to the Ancestor for saving him. The Ancestor places a paw on it's own nose, and then Moomintroll's, before climbing into the stovepipe. Moomintroll says that he hopes that means it is happy, and places a sign over the stovepipe to show that no fires are to be lit within it. Moomintroll takes one last look out at the snow-covered valley before returning to bed. He replaces the family picture next to his bed with the one he took at the bath house, looking proud.

Trivia

 * Midwinter Ancestor is the only episode of the series which does not feature the character Little My.