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Context Recap / GravityFallsS2E13DungeonsDungeonsAndMoreDungeons

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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clstm7dusaabbzg.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:Excelsi-whatever!]]
3%%
4As the town recovers from the gravity anomalies caused by the Universe Portal, Dipper rediscovers his favorite game, a tabletop RPG called ''[[TitleDrop Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons]]''. However, Mabel is turned off by the copious amount of mathematics involved, Soos prefers a form of LARP called Foam-and-Cardboard Legitimate Outdoor Role-Play (FCLORP), and Stan finds the idea of rolling dice outside of Vegas laughable. But when Dipper stumbles into the underground lab, he meets someone who shares his love of ''DD&MD''; the reclusive Author, Ford Pines. Nerds of two generations quickly bond over dice rolls and graphs, during which Dipper asks what Ford has been doing since returning to Earth. Instead of answering the question, Ford shows off a souvenir from across the dimensions, an Infinity-Sided Die; when rolled, '''anything''' can happen. Because of how dangerous it could be, Ford keeps it safely tucked away in a cheap case with the other dice.
5
6The next day, Stan, Mabel and Grenda prepare to watch the season finale of ''Duck-tective'', only to find that Dipper and Ford's dungeon crawl has taken over the TV room. An argument between the two Stans erupts over who deserves the room, during which Stan loses his patience and throws the dice bag across the room, causing the Infinity-Sided Die to roll out. The Die brings the mascot of ''Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons'' to life, a math-themed sorcerer called Probabilitor the Annoying! With his magic, Probabilitor captures and takes Dipper and Ford to the forest, intent on eating their brains. ("It's what I do." "It's his thing!") Stan, Mabel, and Grenda gear up and follow after him.
7
8After defeating Probabilitor's one guard, the trio find the wizard's camp. There, Probabilitor declares a battle royale of "''Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons'', real-life edition" to decide the conflict, turning Dipper, Ford, and some ogres into game characters, with Stan and Mabel playing. The two players are at a loss what to do, until Dipper and Ford tell them the game involves not just math, but risk and imagination. Stan and Mabel realize that they are in their element, and use their own skills to defeat Probabilitor at his own game. With the wizard thwarted, the family watches the finale of ''Duck-tective''.
9
10Later, Ford decides to show Dipper what he's been doing; he's dismantled the Portal. Even though Stan used it to save him, the gateway reaching full power created a rift in space-time. It's small, and Ford has it contained for now, but still dangerous. Ford swears Dipper to secrecy, not to tell anyone, not even Mabel and Stan.
11
12----
13!!Tropes in this episode:
14
15* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: The various dice whenever rolled.
16* AdventureRebuff: Stanford turns down Dipper's offer to help with the Cycloptopus, saying "On the dark, weird road I travel, I'm afraid you cannot follow!"
17* AesopAmnesia: Parodied when Dipper ponders obsessing over Wendy again while playing ''DD&MD'' with Gompers, and then averted as he loses his dice.
18* AffablyEvil: Probabilitor. Although he is a villain and wants to eat Dipper and Ford's brains, he genuinely enjoys playing ''DD&MD'' and insists the game is fun to Stan. He also plays by the rules, while choosing a game edition that's to his advantage.
19* AlienGeometries: Played for laughs with Dipper's 38-sided die (there is no regular geometric solid with 38 faces; also, what we see on screen is clearly an icosahedron, which should have only 20) and later the die Ford throws a 32 on (it's just as clearly a dodecahedron -- 12 faces). Ford's infinity-sided die, however, plays it straight, and has {{reality warp|er}}ing powers to boot.
20* AlliterationAndAdventurers: Parodied by ''Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons'', a game first seen in "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E12ATaleOfTwoStans A Tale of Two Stans]]".
21* AmbiguouslyGay: The Hot Elf looks effeminate and has a flaming accent.
22* AnthropomorphicPersonification: Upon his defeat, Probabilitor reveals his true form is numbers.
23* AnythingButThat: Stan's initial reaction to having to play ''Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons'' with Probabilitor.
24* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Ford describing the possible outcomes of the Infinity-Sided Die to Dipper.
25-->'''Ford:''' Our faces could melt into jelly. The world could turn into an egg. Or you could just roll an eight.
26* AudienceAlienatingEra: The 90s were one for ''Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons'' when it was renamed ''Diggity Dungeons & All That!'' [[invoked]]
27* BadassCreed: ''DD&MD'' has one that both Dipper and Ford know by heart.
28-->With pen, paper, shield and sword\
29Our quest shall be our sweet reward!
30* BadassInDistress: Both Great Uncle Ford and Dipper become this when Probabilitor kidnaps them to eat their brains.
31* BeardOfEvil: Duck-tective's evil twin brother is distinguished by his goatee.
32* BigNo:
33** Grenda's response to the single ogre guard's impossible tasks is one of these, accompanied by an armchair to the face.
34** Probabilitor's reaction when Stan rolls the exact number needed to defeat the Impossibeast.
35* BigWhat: Dipper utters one after Probabilitor makes clear he wants to eat Dipper and Ford's brains because they're the smartest players he has ever met.
36* BishieSparkle: The Hot Elf when he removes his hood.
37* BlackComedyBurst: After Grenda hits the ogre with a couch, Stan assures a concerned Mabel that since it's a fantasy setting, he's not actually dead... then leans down to tell Grenda there's no cops in the forest, and they have to take this incident to their graves.
38* BlatantLies: "The rules [to ''DD&MD''] are simple" says Dipper, as he pulls out a massive rulebook that's only the first volume.
39* BrainFood: Probabilitor plans to do this with Dipper and Stanford.
40* BreatherEpisode: To an extent -- though it ends with some important plot points, and does show that Dipper and Mabel's bond is starting to fracture due to both twins' insecurities.
41** And after some serious events that had happened, this episode is more lighthearted as well.
42* BrickJoke:
43** The bit involving ''DD&MD'''s AudienceAlienatingEra in the 90s winds up factoring into the climax where Probabilitor reveals the version of the game being used is "the controversial 1991-1992 edition", which includes the later-banned Impossibeast. [[invoked]]
44** When Probabilitor first comes to life, a griffin is with him, but is missing when Stan, Mabel, and Grenda confront the wizard in the forest. During the credits, the griffin abducts Toby Determined.
45* ByNoIMeanYes: Dipper tells Mabel "Yes, except no" when she asks if she gets to ride unicorns after rolling the die.
46* CallBack: Ford finally reveals that he destroyed the portal and why he was angry with Stan for restarting it: it opened up an interdimensional rift that he has [[SealedEvilInACan contained in a glass ball that resembles a snow globe with hazard tape]]. [[{{Foreshadowing}} Let's hope that the ball never breaks...]]
47* CalvinBall: Apparently how ''DD&MD'' works -- you roll the dice and make up your spells. Once Dipper and Ford explain this, Stan and Mabel are able to hold their own against Probabilitor.
48* CharacterDevelopment: In all of the characters, but most importantly Ford when it's revealed he destroyed his "life's work" -- the Portal -- to keep the world safe.
49* ChekhovsBoomerang: Stan's gambling habits, as seen in TheStinger for ''Soos and the Real Girl''. We now know why he and Goldie were kicked out of that casino after raking in winnings.
50* ChekhovsGun: It's subtle, but Stan starts chewing a stick of gum as they start the game with Probabilitor. When Stan needs to roll a 38, he manages it thanks to a wad of gum.
51* CoinWalkFlexing: While playing ''Dungeons, Dungeons & More Dungeons'' with Dipper, Grunkle Ford performs a knuckle roll with a die before he casts it, bringing attention to the fact that his hand has six fingers.
52* CommonalityConnection: Ford and Dipper start to bond over their mutual love of ''Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons''.
53* ContinuityNod:
54** The town is rebuilding from the gravity anomalies from "Not What He Seems", and the Mystery Shack is "Closed for Repairs".
55** After showing clips in multiple episodes and shorts, the season finale of ''Duck-tective'' is finally airing, and Stan and Mabel want to watch.
56** After playing ''DD&MD'' with Gompers, Dipper hits a low point and wonders if he should crush on Wendy again.
57** "Dungeons, Dungeons & More Dungeons" is published by [[Recap/GravityFallsS1E14BottomlessPit Ballway Games]].
58* CoolSword: Mabel imagines a pair of "Super Hot Flamey Swords" for Dipper and Ford.
59* CursedWithAwesome: Invoked when Ford says that him missing the 90s was one advantage of being trapped in another dimension.
60* CuttingTheKnot: When Probabilitor's guard ogre gives the group a list of {{Impossible Task}}s, Grenda simply hits the ogre with the couch.
61* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: Stan imagines a "Shield of Shielding" to protect Dipper and Ford.
62* DefrostingIceQueen: Ford as he first plays with Dipper, and then when he and Dipper are trapped in Probabilitor's game. He's actually having fun when Mabel summons bouncy boots for him and Dipper.
63* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Averted by Probabilitor, but played straight by Stan.
64* DidYouJustScamCthulhu: Stan makes his "perfect" roll thanks to a wad of chewing gum.
65* DramaticIrony: It's confirmed that Dipper doesn't know that Grunkle Ford is going to kick Stan out of the house at the end of summer when he talks about the "Author of the Journals" living in "our" basement, not knowing that the Mystery Shack now re-belongs to Ford.
66* EatingTheEyeCandy: Grenda does this with the Hot Elf.
67* EverybodyHatesMathematics: Mabel and Stan are put off by the copious amounts of numbers, statistics and graphing needed just to progress in the game, but both Ford and Dipper love it for the exact same reasons. [[MeaningfulName Probabilitor]] -- being the main villain, and thus the primary "opposing" player -- also has a natural obsession with chance, and peppers his sentences with algebraic metaphors.
68* EvilTwin: ''Duck-tective'' has one, who plans to murder his brother in the hospital.
69* FauxHorrific: Grenda freaks out over graph paper.
70* FlamingSword: "Hot Flamey Sword! '''Super''' Hot Flamey Sword!"
71* ForbiddenFruit: Dipper is told to stay away from Ford, and Dipper is not good at ignoring the supernatural.
72* FiveSecondForeshadowing: During Probabilator’s game, Stan is seen chewing gum; it’s not particularly called attention to, but it’s an unusual detail to include. This pays off moments later when Stan uses a wad of gum to rig the final dice roll.
73* FreezeFrameBonus: Under the porch, Soos has carved a message into the stone foundation:
74-->SOOS WAS HERE / [[OhCrap AW MAN I THINK I'M STUCK]]
75* GameBreaker: In-universe. Probabilitor's trump card is the Impossibeast, which Ford calls him out for as it was banned in subsequent editions because it could only be defeated with a perfect 38 die roll. The wizard retorts that he's able to get around this ruling by using the 1991-1992 edition for their game, which was deemed controversial for allowing legal summoning of it.
76* GoingCommando: Dipper discovers his character costume for Probabilitor's game has nothing underneath the tunic and becomes mortified.
77* GoKartingWithBowser: Inverted; Stan and Mabel have to play a game with Probabilitor, a villain they've never faced, to save Dipper and Ford.
78* HehHehYouSaidX: Mabel and Stan get a laugh out of the ''DD&MD'' rulebook's use of "buttress".
79* TheHeroDies: Implied in-universe with ''Duck-tective'', who says he's going to the "big pond in the sky."
80* HiddenDepths: Whilst roleplaying Deputy Durland has an insightful epiphany about the nature of human life. The others remind him of his place as a fortress.
81* HisNameReallyIsBarkeep: The Hot Elf is actually referred to as such by Probabilitor, meaning it's likely his character name or title.
82* HistoryRepeats: This is the second time Stan has accidentally put Ford in danger, rescued him, and Ford refused to thank him.
83* HypocriticalHumor:
84** Soos boasts that ''DD&MD'' is too nerdy for him, then runs off to indulge in some Foam-and-Cardboard Legitimate Outdoor Role-Playing (FCLORP for short) in his grandma's backyard.
85** Probabilitor's boast as he runs off with Dipper and Ford:
86--->'''Probabilitor:''' I'm not here to play games! Now, to the forest for the ultimate game!
87* IdiotBall:
88** Lampshaded when Ford reveals that he keeps the Infinity-Sided Die in a cheap plastic box along with his regular dice.
89** Dipper and Ford moving the game to the TV room, as opposed to the other rooms in the Mystery Shack, which starts the main conflict.
90* IgnoredEpiphany: During their game of FCLORP, Durland suddenly has an epiphany about the nature of human life, only for the others to dismiss him.
91-->'''Blubs:''' Fortresses can't speak, Durland.
92* ImprobableWeaponUser: Grenda with an armchair. It has to be seen to be believed.
93* InsignificantLittleBluePlanet: Probabilitor refers to Earth as "Dimension 46'." Yes, he actually says "forty-six apostrophe backslash."
94* JerkassRealization: Mabel seems to have one when Dipper says he hangs out with Stanford partially because he's cool, but also because he, unlike Grunkle Stan and Mabel, doesn't make fun of him. Unlike her dramatic realization in "Sock Opera", this one is very subtle and we don't see her response directly.
95-->'''Mabel:''' You're uh, spending a lot of time with old Fordsy lately, huh?\
96'''Dipper:''' You have no idea. I knew the author must be cool, but he's better than I imagined! And... he doesn't make fun of me all the time, like you and Grunkle Stan do.\
97'''Mabel:''' Give him time, haha! ''[[HumorDissonance Heyooo!]]'' ''({{beat}})'' Nah, you got me. ''(lies down)'' [[JerkassRealization He got me.]]
98* {{LARP}}: Soos engages in "Foam-and-Cardboard Legitimate Outdoor Role-Play" (or "FCLORP" for short) with Toby, Blubs and Durland in his abuelita's backyard, leaving him absent for most of the episode. Toby even yells [[CallingYourAttacks "Fireball! Fireball!"]] when casting spells, referencing a notorious Internet video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ekugPKqFw of a LARP group in Massachusetts]].
99* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: As mentioned in SelfParody below, most of the conversation around ''Duck-tective'' involves gentle ribbing of both [[TakeThatAudience the fanbase]] and [[SelfDeprecation the show itself]]; Mabel and Grenda find the sudden reveal of a twin brother a "rip-off" (Soos even saw it coming a year ago), and Stan bristles when Ford calls it a kids' show.
100-->'''Stan:''' ''(suddenly furious)'' ''Duck-tective'' has a big mystery element, and a lot of humor that goes over kids' heads!
101* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Right after Ford tells Dipper they need to stop working and play ''DD&MD'', he is attacked by the Cycloptopus from earlier, and it latches onto his face. Ford simply pulls it off without losing his grin, leaving welts on his face, and comments that's going to leave a mark.
102* MundaneUtility:
103** It's implied that Ford captured the cycloptopus merely to use its ink, since Dipper accidentally breaks a jar that contains the monster as well as a bottle of ink.
104** The Hot Elf lights a fire with his flaming arrows. Overkill? Yes. Awesome? Also yes.
105* NegatedMomentOfAwesome: When Probabilitor appears and announces his intentions to eat Dipper and Ford's brains, Ford's response is to whip out a gun. "Your math is no match for my gun, you idiot!" Unfortunately for Ford, he was wrong.
106* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Stan tossing Ford's die bag on the ground causes the Infinity-Sided Die to be rolled, which summons Probabilitor into reality (which could've been avoided if Ford hadn't been so careless with it in the first place; see IdiotBall above).
107* ObfuscatingStupidity: Stan claims that Probabilitor's smarts were no match for his "dumb luck", then reveals to the audience that he fixed the roll with chewing gum.
108* OddOrganUpTop: Mabel summons a "centaur-taur" -- a bizarre creature made up of two horse bodies joined at the neck, with the top half's legs stiffly protruding into the air. In response, Stan says he's confused and proud of Mabel at the same time.
109* PetTheDog: Despite their animosity, Ford does attempt to convince Stan to join him and Dipper's game instead of continuing their argument.
110* PintSizedPowerhouse: Grenda, who's a kid but can carry an armchair without breaking a sweat.
111* PlayingATree: Durland is relegated to playing a fortress in the FCLORP group. He's seems pretty happy about it, though.
112* PointyEars: The Hot Elf, plus Dipper and Ford in their character outfits.
113* PoorCommunicationKills: Because Ford is his normal close-mouthed self and Stan doesn't want Dipper to know about the deal between the brothers, Dipper thinks that Grunkle Ford is shutting him out of his dangerous yet interesting work. Eventually averted by the end of the episode: Stan mellows enough to let Dipper and Ford hang out, and Ford confides in Dipper about the consequences of the portal.
114* RhetoricalQuestionBlunder:
115-->'''Dipper:''' Mabel, you'll never guess what I found at the store today!\
116'''Mabel:''' Dogs! Dogs with hats!
117* RPGEpisode: This episode revolves around the titular "Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons", an AffectionateParody of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''.
118* SealedEvilInACan: Ford contains the dimensional rift left over by the portal and hides it in his lab.
119* SecretKeeper: At the end of the episode, Ford asks Dipper to keep the dimensional rift he's contained a secret, and to tell no one, not even Mabel. Dipper agrees.
120* SelfDeprecation: The season finale of ''Duck-tective'' involves the twist reveal of Ducktective's twin brother. Every member of the Pines family and Grenda boos at the TV, calling the twist clichéd and predictable.
121* SelfParody: ''Duck-tective'' apparently shares many tropes with ''Gravity Falls,'' including ParentalBonus jokes that Stan mentions, a PeripheryDemographic, and a plot twist involving Duck-tective's twin brother.
122* SeriousBusiness: If we can believe Grunkle Ford, multiple dimensions know about ''DD&MD'', one dimension came up with reality-warping dice, and at least nine thousand dimensions wound up banning those dice. Probabilitor even plays the game starring himself as the antagonist, using older editions to use characters banned from later ones.
123* ShaggyDogStory: Everyone tries to get Dipper to watch the ''Duck-tective'' finale, but Dipper is too obsessed with a game that only one other person is into. Once Dipper watches the finale, it ends up being a colossal disappointment for all of them because the ending is predictable.
124* ShoutOut:
125** The name and setting of the episode's eponymous TTRPG Dipper and Ford play is obviously an AffectionateParody of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', with a lot more emphasis on the "strategy" elements (Dipper even calls it "D and D and More D" at one point), while the change of format to a board game that comes alive references works like ''Literature/{{Jumanji}}'' and ''Literature/{{Zathura}}''.
126** The fairy Stan swats on his shoulder squeaks [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime "Hey, look, listen!"]]
127** Grunkle Ford storms into the Shack wrestling a "cycloptopus", which bears a lot of similarities to [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Lovecraftian monsters]].
128** Dipper chasing a die and falling down through the Mystery Shack is an homage to {{Literature/Alice|InWonderland}} falling down the rabbit hole.
129** The Hot Elf is a parody of [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Legolas]].
130** The end of the ''Duck-tective'' season arc involves [[Series/{{Dallas}} a cliffhanger in which the main character has been shot by an unknown assailant and lies convalescing in the hospital]].
131** Probabilitor releases an "[[{{Film/Sharknado}} Ogrenado]]" to attack Ford and Dipper.
132--->'''Probabilitor:''' [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin It is what it sounds like!]]
133** Probabilitor forces the Pines to [[Franchise/{{Saw}} play a potentially deadly game with him]].
134** The typeface of the 90s logo for ''DD&MD'' is the same as ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir''.
135** Probabilitor's ogres resemble the goblins and orcs from the Creator/RankinBass animated versions of ''WesternAnimation/TheHobbit'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheReturnOfTheKing''.
136* SiblingRivalry: Stan and Ford's argument over who gets to use the TV room.
137* SkewedPriorities: When Probabilitor takes away Ford and Dipper to eat their brains, Grenda wants to watch ''Duck-tective'', and Stan ponders whether they should wait for long enough for the brain-eating to "even out" Ford's intelligence before they rescue him.
138* SlapSlapKiss: Subverted. While Mabel and Stan teasing Dipper is mostly lighthearted and as a form of ToughLove, Dipper reveals that he is hurt by their words and actions.
139* SoProudOfYou: After Mabel creates her Centaur-taur, Stan says cheerfully "I am so confused and so proud right now!"
140* SpecialGuest: "Weird Al" Yankovic plays Probabilitor and makes a LargeHam out of the math wizard.
141* StepfordSmiler: Stan hides his worries about Grunkle Ford (both for his brother's mental stability, and about Stan's on upcoming eviction) in favor of nudging Dipper away from the Author.
142* StylisticSuck: A subtle but realistic example -- the commercial for ''Diggity Dungeons'' features a very quick cut of a blank brick wall without graffiti and no teenagers nearby, used for the pyrotechnics shot.
143* SwissCheeseSecurity: Probabilitor sends only one ogre to guard the forest.
144* TapOnTheHead: Subverted. Grenda knocks an ogre out with her couch, probably killing him; Stan says they have to take this to their graves.
145* TakeThat: Dipper refers the 90s as "dark times". Also, every single non-dramatic moment involving ''DDM&D'' (and even some of the dramatic ones) is a joke at the expense of pen and paper role-playing games and those who play them, though the ribbing comes across as mildly {{affectionate|Parody}}.
146* TalkToTheFist: The ogre guarding the forest tries to set a series of {{impossible task}}s to invoke YouShallNotPass. Grenda simply knocks him out with the armchair she's carrying.
147* TemptingFate: Grunkle Stan at the beginning says that it's nice to have one day when nothing happens. Grunkle Ford then storms in from the basement, struggling with a cycloptopus.
148* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Dipper reacts with dismay when Stan ignores his protests and agrees to play with Probabilitor.
149* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: Stan's experience with gambling and cons (because he cheats to win) and Mabel's big imagination makes them able to play ''DD&MD'' when they learn "risk and imagination" are involved.
150* TotallyRadical: The... ill-advised 90s redesign of ''Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons'', renamed ''Diggity Dungeons & All That!'' and featuring Probabilitizzle.
151-->''"Aw, flip the cap back, and roll the dice / Don't step to the wizard, 'cause the wizard don't play nice!"''
152* VillainousValor: Although Probabilitor chooses an edition of ''DD&MD'' that grants him a powerful trump card, he plays by the rules and is forced to accept his loss.
153* VisualPun: Probabilitor is a [[{{Pun}} mathemagician]].
154* WhamEpisode: Played with. While the main plot is way sillier than the plots from previous two episodes, the episode does end with a rather major reveal: Stan bringing Ford back created an interdimensional rift that could permanently damage the fabric of reality if left unchecked, just like Ford warned about in the Journals. Ford then warns Dipper to tell no one about it, not even Mabel.
155* WhamShot: Near the end of the episode, when Ford shows Dipper the dismantled portal.
156* WhatTheHellHero: Mabel glares at Grunkle Stan for saying to let Probabilitor to eat Ford's brain.
157* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Ford defies the trope by showing his gun to Probabilitor after the former announces he wants to eat Ford and Dipper's brains. The gun turns out to be a NoSell against Probabilitor's magic, and the ogre simply picks up Dipper and Ford by the scruffs of their necks.
158* YankTheDogsChain: As Dipper puts it, he's been waiting all summer to find the Author of the Journals, and now the Author, his great-uncle, is shutting him out. Subverted later on, as Dipper did get to bond with his great-uncle over a game, and the latter even fills him in on an important secret.
159----
160-->''[[TheStinger VXFQLKB-AYRTHHEJ!]]'' [[note]]Excelsi-Whatever![[/note]]

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