WesternAnimation Soos and the Real Girl, or writing about something you don't understand and still making a good episode.
I'll start by saying that, in spite of any complaints I have, that I like this episode. It may even be my favorite of the show. Giffany is a good blend of being adorable and a disturbing example of psychological abuse. Soos' trouble with dating and socializing were relatable, and I say that as someone who's general ambivalent to his character. The episode's climax works well and is dramatically satisfying.
My complaint is that the episode's portrayal of dating sims is pretty far off the mark. There's a single character instead of multiple routes. The character interacts directly with the player instead of having a player character. When presented with dialogue options, picking on other than the "correct" option results in the player being chastised and told to pick again, even though a big part of the fun of any game with dialogue options is picking the weird or outlandish choices. Not to mention that it would mean the game would have no actual interactivity. The game has an "undo" button, even though the matter with the dialogue options should eliminate the need for it. Even the erroneous english doesn't seem right, since it's improper spelling and capitalization when grammatical errors would be more common (and amusing)
And this is to the episode's detriment, since it takes a condemnatory view of dating sims, showing as something losers play in lieu of having actual romantic relationships. Due to the aforementioned issues, it comes off as just repeating stereotypes without really understanding what they're talking about. It's more or less the equivalent of an episode about how playing FPS games will make you into a violent psycho while showing the game as nothing but pulling a virtual trigger on enemies who were already restrained.
But, to reiterate, I think that the episode's story is good overall, and that this is just one aspect that's weak.
WesternAnimation So Okay, It's Average
Gravity Falls is a product of the new cartoon renaissance of the early 10's and has the typical Darker and Edgier aspects hidden under child-friendly content with deeper focus on emotional conflict. What differentiates Gravity Falls is its focus on inspiring paranoia to set a tone and use the supernatural elements as a tool to emphasize character conflicts.
Pros:
- Story style harking back to the X-Files.
- Does not sacrifice depth for "family friendly."
- Character driven narrative, each with depths and clear rationale.
- Clever use of Generation Xerox to make points about the cause and effect aspect of identity and family dynamics.
- Main siblings aren’t fighting each other 99% of the time.
- Quality animation and attention to detail.
- (Usually) a sense of realism uncommon in supernatural settings.
- (Usually) a good sense of humor.
Cons:
- Many aesops emphasized or taught via shame, humiliation, or guilt-slinging, at times leading to Anvilicious undertones.
- Unbalanced character focus, causing some important characters to have obvious development issues.
- Occasionally muddy depictions of right and wrong, sometimes slipping into Double Standards or Informed Wrongness.
- Default Daddy Issues to Add Character Depth: the Series.
- Occasionally juvenile bordering on mean-spirited Take Thats.
- Self-sabotaging "growth." It's not uncommon for characters to get regulated to repetitive plots or side plots fueled by Aesop Amnesia, some more than others. This devalues their previous growth and makes further growth less credible.
- Very noticeably rushed writing for Season 2B, often resorting to utilizing Contrived Coincidences and previously-thought-to-be-resolved conflicts to substitute for conflicts and plots that would require longer build up.
- Its attitude towards the future is as if it is a sentence to endure, not an eventual destination, which can come off as very hopeless.
Overall this is a good show for mystery fans, but despite its depth, it definitely has some flawed character writing and may be hard to watch for those with emotional issues due to its frequent use of guilt slinging tactics to teach its lessons and its rather bleak outlook on growing up.
WesternAnimation Carpet Diem
I personally think this is the weakest Gravity Falls episode so far. I still enjoy it, which is more than I can say for a lot of other "worst episodes of a cartoon" that I saw. But it has a ton of problems. The body switching cliche I hate. It's been done to death by other kids shows, like American Dragon: Jake Long, The Fairly OddParents!, and Wizards of Waverly Place. I honestly got tired of it. If it put some good twists on it, I wouldn't mind so much, but with the exception of the subplot, not a lot of interesting stuff is done with it. And the scene when it shown a bunch of people switching bodies because of the carpet made me groan. It got old really fast with the "I'm in a different body now" essentially being the only joke for the segment.
Also, the conflict between Dipper and Mabel doesn't make much sense until the end. They agree that they shouldn't be in the same room with eachother. But when they find a room, they compete over it. Why compete? One person moves into the room, problem solved. It''s not like the new room was portrayed as being better than their current one. But by the end of the episode where it revealed that neither one wanted the other to move out, I guess they were just competing out of spite? Still doesn't make much sense though.
There are things I like about this episode though. Grunkle Stan is at his worst here (in a good way), and nearly every scene with him made me laugh, from exploiting Mabel and Dipper's conflict for his own selfish gain, to giving a talk about puberty to Mabel, who was in Dippers body.
- Stan: And now you know where babies come from.Mabel: Goodbye childhood.
I also liked it when Soos and Waddles switched bodies. Waddles in Soos's body freaking out Wendy and Stan was pretty hilarious for me, and Old Man McGucket trying to eat Soos in his pig body was also hilarious, especially when he replied to Soos saying he's a human in a pig's body is "that's what they all say". And he was so adamant about eating Soos, he'd do it even when Soos was human agin.
I guess what made this episode dissapointing for me is that there really wasn't much creative or exciting stuff in it for me. And that's part of the reason why this show is so great. With a rather weak conflict and plot, the only saving point for this episode was the humor in it. Don't get me wrong, this episode was really funny as I said before. But this episode would be much better if the plot was better. Maybe if the carpet was living, and planning on taking over Dipper or Mabel's body. That's a pretty good conflict. I do think this episode focuses on Dipper and Mabel's relationship the greatest out of all other episodes though, but it's hampered by how it does it by forcing a conflict that doesn't make sense. But with those the only saving points, I give this episode a B minus.
WesternAnimation The X-Files for kids!
...except its plot actually ends up going somewhere!
I love this show. It has its problems (*cough*Mabel's kind of a Sue*cough*) but it's entertaining and the mystery is deep and the rest of the cast are well-rounded characters that seem one-dimensional at a glance. You have the smart kid, the outgoing girl, the con man, the lazy worker, and the hard-working handyman.
- Major unmarked spoilers below:**
The smart boy and outgoing girl are twins, and both wish they could be more like the other in the aspects they are lacking (amicability and intelligence respectively). The con man has been trying to save his brother for the past 30 years. The lazy worker is constantly stressed out by her insanely survivalist father and the handyman's father abandoned him as a child.
And best of all, there's foreshadowing and hidden codes in every episode. In fact, you can actually see a certain character episodes before their debut in a time-travel episode, cleaning up the mess from what occurs in that episode before that episode even makes its way to your eyes.
WesternAnimation Not as good as it is made out to be.
Honestly, after hearing about all of the hype for this series, and finally watching it after the series ended, I just don't see why the show is being praised to such a large extent. While the series does have some good moments, and a few good characters like Stan, Wendy, and Dipper, other characters, especially Mabel, have often made the show feel exasperating. For the most part, I wasn't a huge fan of the soundtrack. I didn't really care for the ciphers and whatnot as I don't think they added that much to the show. The Myth Arc was okay at best, but there wasn't enough of Bill. Bill could have become a more interesting character, but he didn't do much for me. One of the main points of contention for me is in the show's themes. Often the show, whether it tries to or not, has a type of theme for each episode, but often times, the Aesop would be broken or lost or ignored, making the Aesop pointless in the first place. "Roadside Attraction" is one of the best examples of this. Overall, I have to give this series a 6.5/10 at best.
WesternAnimation Gravity Falls Thus Far
This is a good show. Period. Anyone who tells you different is either a die-hard Phineas And Ferb fan or someone who really needs to get over their Disney hate. On a channel filled with nothing but shitty live-action shit, there's finally another good animated show to watch. Not only does it beat it's channel's competition, but it stands high along with other channel's great shows like Adventure Time and Regular Show, and may grow to be even better yet.
I was skeptical of this show at first, for two reasons. One, DISNEY CHANNEL... and two, it's popular with people on Tumblr, which in my opinion has become the American equivalent of 4chan. But after getting chewed out by my friends several dozen times, I decided to check it the fuck out. And lo and behold, I have discovered possibly my favorite animated show on TV. I watched the 17 available episodes... I have had a spoonful of greatness and damn, I'm hungry for more.
I won't waste time describing shit. This show has great music, great atmosphere and artwork, decent animation, an entertaining, well-rounded cast of characters (the twins, especially) and an intriguing Myth Arc building up. The comedy has yet to miss with me, it's all been consistently good, but unlike a lot of Western Cartoons, this show has some sense of character as well. Our leads, Dipper and Mabel are interesting, entertaining and a believable pair of 12-year old twins thrown into weird situations.
Dipper is what happens when you toss Dib (Invader Zim) and Naota (FLCL) in a blender and elevate him to Nice Guy status. His futile attempts to appear more mature than he is are well done, even if I've seen it before and know how this kind of thing normally ends. I could do without his Precocious Crush, because again... we all know what these things end, but it does throw a certain degree of realism into the mix. His energetic sister is a constant stream of amusement, being just so silly and fun. I usually don't like overtly girly girls but she does it with some class and a degree of self-awareness that is admirable. She feels like a twelve year old girl and that's some accomplishment. They don't bicker as often as you'd think, and when they do, it's over things most kids would fight about. A refreshing take on the sibling team concept.
I'm almost out of words, so I'll just say, GO WATCH THIS SHOW.
WesternAnimation Gravity Falls Series Review
Gravity Falls tells the story of Dipper and Mabel Pines and their adventures within the town Gravity Falls, they soon learn that the town has secrets and mysteries that are beyond the twins minds and they set off on their adventures to solve the mysteries of the town.
The main mystery of Gravity Falls is a mysterious author and the appearance of strange creatures in the town however by the final four episodes Gravity Falls became a coming of age story due to the twins becoming thirteen by the end of summer.
Personally I loved the series but for the sake of this review I am going to see it without the fandom goggles. The mystery of Gravity Falls isn't mentioned as much as you'd think because episodes about the mystery only show once or twice every two or three episodes but in season two the mystery was over by the eleventh episode and the series became a coming of age story (while fighting the most famous villain in the series).
Coming of age stories aren't rare for the Disney company as it is the main theme of a majority of Disney films but Gravity Falls depicts the theme as both realistically and anxiously because in the final few episodes Mabel becomes terrified of growing up until Dipper reassures her that he will stand by her all the way. The creator of Gravity Falls Alex Hirsch has a great understanding of children because when he was confronted by the shippers, he stood his ground and said how twelve year olds shouldn't go into relationships and that they should focus on having fun and enjoying themselves.
Gravity Falls has a running joke of making fun of teenagers which can become repetitive and the finale can be a let down for a few fans because it abandons and replaces a mystery that is foreshadowed since the first episode. The finale also appears more of a sequel or reboot build than a finale because of the villains reverse message and the note in the final scene before the credits. The twins attempts at romance were too stereotypical for Dipper and too repetitive for Mabel but to Alex Hirsch's credit he does end these two sub-plots in season two but the Wendy and Dipper sub-plot was still mentioned now and again.
Despite these flaws, Gravity Falls is one of my favourite cartoons (if that wasn't obvious) and I would recommend watching it if you're into mysteries, imaginative creatures and dark moments ( just check the nightmare fuel page for this part and you'll see what I mean).
WesternAnimation Weirdmageddon Part 3 Review
The final episode of series was both heart-warming and gut wrenching for the fans. The episode is about Dipper and Mabel joining forces with friends, family and former rivals to defeat Bill.
I'll start with the negatives, There were some points in the episode where they leave things unanswered such as Blendin's fate in Weirdmageddon Part 1, Dippers first name, ignored character developments and many others.
The positives are that this might have been one of the best episodes in the Gravity Falls episodes in the series and they ended the show in the best possible way. It ended on a high note in order to avoid Simpsons Syndrome (where a show goes on for so long, it loses its charm), the episode had good action and creative imagination with its scenes.
When watching the episode, you have to keep in mind that the fans gave the finale too many expectations. They wanted to know Dippers name, a shipping moment in the episode with their one true pairing and all sorts but we tend to forget. they are twelve/thirteen years old, neither twin is ready for a relationship and they needed to mature first in order to keep in theme with the Gravity Falls symbolism of childhood.
The Dipper and Pacifica (Dipcifica) shippers were particularly crushed due to their expectation of a shipping moment due to the ship tease in Mansion Mystery or Hirsch's ambiguous comments about their bond even to a point of the shippers (falsely) believing that Pacifica's signature in the final moment being a clue towards a mutual crush between the two but it's still left unanswered. If you still believe Dipcifica is gonna be a thing, Alex Hirsch said "you'll have to ask Dipper" when responding to a Dipcifica shipper on twitter, journal 3 is out this summer and since Dipper wrote in a few pages, you might get an answer to Dipcifica's fate (I want to believe its canon because of this and a final twitter photo from the artists depicting Pacifica with the main characters in a group photo but it's now pointless to believe in it, all other ships were shot down in episodes and Dipcifica will be no different to the rest, this isn't a reverse psychology attempt to tempt fate, this is fact).
A fault with the episode is that it didn't really fulfil their own expectations such as the Bill Cipher wheel which was built up from the beginning but it crashed and burned in the end. Pacifica returned to her aggressive personality but she returned to the development in the end of the episode. Robbie contributed absolutely nothing to the series and he was just essentially on the wheel because he was a prominent character in season two for one episode and an antagonist in season one.
My question now is what next?, We will find another show but it's hard to let go of Gravity Falls as well as stop dedicating our lives to it, Gravity Falls has been an amazing journey and I highly recommend watching it.
WesternAnimation Dipper and Mabel VS The Future: Mother of...
I can describe this episode in two words:
HOLY SH*T!
This episode is the setup for the story climax, and boy, it's done with brilliance.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
The plot of this episode is divided in two plots: Dipper and Mabel. As the 13th birthday of the twins is getting close, Mabel starts planning the party. Meanwhile, Dipper is accompanying Ford on a mission to seal the rift, as it's starting to crack apart.
Things get WILD from this point onwards. Dipper REALLY Took a Level in Badass in this episode by saving Ford from the alien security systems(yes, now there are aliens in the Gravity Falls canon) and was set as a potential apprentice for him too...which means separating from Mabel. She, on the other hand, is confronted with growing up. Reality Ensues as everything she thought of the end of the summer are ideals crumbling apart(her friends can't be there for her birthday, the proposal of Highschool is not dreamy) and she's not happy to hear the news of Dipper going away from her. Cue emotional breakdown.
This is done so well, as both parties remain comprehensible on their choices.
-Dipper is conflicted about his decision but has a lifetime opportunity ahead of him in Ford's proposal. Ford, while partially cynic, has a point. Not only is his stance on family comprehensible due his backstory, but it's true is not fair to hold the dreams of someone back, and Dipper must be allowed to pursue them.
-Mabel is still growing up. It's fine for her to feel confused and have her closest confident going away when she needs him most is quite the critical blow.
The best part, however, is the ending. Bill pulled one hell of a Batman Gambit, taking the rift from an emotionally needed Mabel through the hands of Blendin(brilliant choice of possessed BTW). He finally breaks it and starts the Weirdmaggedon (hey, Ford's naming choice)
SPOILERS END.
So what works in this episode? EVERYTHING. Likely the darkest episode in GF so far, and one of the best written too. The characterization was on spot. They were all at their best and even when characters did wrong, it was executed in a way in tone with their personalities and comprehensible so they aren't unlikable. The wait on the...frankly unstellar last three episodes paid off, as this is just thrill incarnated, excelling in creating anticipation for the finale.
WesternAnimation The Last Mabelcorn
I would not be surprised if we find out later that this was originally two episode concepts that were merged together at some point. Even though the two plots are connected in their objectives go off in very different directions; to the point where you could easily forget that the two plots were even related. It's not really a big deal, but it does produce a rather strange contrast between the two stories, and you wonder why there wasn't more work done to make the two stories fit together better.
Of the two stories I think Dipper and Fords' is the stronger of the two. While it certainly isn't without humor it is much on the mystery of Bill and of Grunkle Ford himself. There is a great atmosphere of uncertainty that prevails everything that happens, and it continues to build up until what is probably one of the most intense scenes since NWHS. I really did feel very scared for Dipper and Ford and was even rather relieved when it turned out not to be the worst case scenario.
That being said, a lot of what we learn about Bill and Ford is really not all that surprising, especially if you've been keeping up with all the clues and hints, but that's a small problem in what was otherwise a solid plot.
Mabel, Grenda, Candy, and Wendy's quest for Unicorn hair in contrast was much more about Shrek-esque Fairy tale parody. I'll be honest, I didn't particularly care for a lot of the gags in this story, but I didn't find any of them truly terrible and I'm sure that plenty of other people would find them funny.
Another thing that happenings in the Girls' story is that Mabel becomes rather distraught at the Unicorn not considering her pure of heart, despite the endorsement of her friends and family, only for it all to have been a scam by the Unicorn and she learns that "morality is relative", or something.
This bit falls pretty flat since even though the Unicorn was scamming her, she also wasn't wrong in her assessment of Mabel. It makes the revelation of the Unicorn being a jerk seem less like a genuine twist and more like an Asspull to keep Mabel from having to actually confront her past actions and current flaws.
Despite all of that, I'd say that this was decent enough episode and one that should definitely be watched if only for the backstory and build up.
WesternAnimation Roadside Attraction
Warning: Spoilers ahead
Frankly, Gravity Falls has started to show a slight decrease in the writing of the latest episodes. It's still good(and it's comprehensible too, as said episodes are light on continuity before things get truly crazy) but they just have been put together with less care and detail as past ones. And Roadside Attraction, being particularly continuity free, follows that trend.
The episode revolves around Dipper trying to overcome his crush on Wendy. Seeing this while they're on a road trip to sabotage other touristic attractions around Oregon, Stan decides to help Dipper by teaching him how to flirt. It obviously backfires as Stan's advices make him get more on his hands that he can handle(and without knowing how to do so), as Dipper ends getting the attention of many girls that happen to cross their paths...Candy included(and whom he did not originally intend to charm). Along the way, Dipper learns confidence but also to not toy with girls' hearts when everything falls apart and they race to save Grunkle Stan's life.
This has a good and a bad side. Good moral, but questionable execution. While it's true Dipper DID flirt with various girls, he got as far as just getting their contact info. The misunderstanding and how it was handled clumsily tried to portray a nice message about not to play with people's feelings, but it also demonized the actions of Dipper when even himself understood to not take them too far.
The monster of the week on the other hand is pretty neat. Not the most original, but to have a giant spider usually works for creepy imagery, and it doesn't disappoint here(we basically have a Jorogumo. That's awesome)
Probably the most interesting(YMMV on wether is good or bad) thing about this, however, is how shipping hostile the episode in question is. It kept beating on whats already a dead horse with Dipper and Wendy, abruptly sunk any chances with Dipper and Candy, and some even noticed it gave a blow to ships regarding Grunkle Stan. That's quite a feat for one single episode, and it really seems Alex wants to put the romance subplots to rest to focus on the mystery.
Overall, not a bad episode but not outstanding either. It was just...standard I guess(shipping massacre aside).Fortunately, it seems Dipper and Mabel VS the Future will get things going again.
WesternAnimation Dungeons, Dungeons & More Dungeons
I suppose, statistically, even the greats have a dud or two along the way, but this one really just felt like a first draft at best. To begin with, the pacing was dreadful. The main villain didn't show up until halfway through and once there, he didn't leave much of an impression. It's an unfortunate truth that the idea of a D&D-themed episode has so many possible directions, it would be impossible to actually cram the full potential into a twenty-minute episode, but I still feel like they could've done far better than they did.
The B-plot about Dipper and Stanford starting to bond over their shared interest was reasonably solid, if a little fast, but there was nothing particularly memorable or entertaining in or around it. The climax was essentially a watered-down, less entertaining rehash of the "use your imagination to defeat the monsters" climax from the "journey to the center of Stan's mind" plot from a previous episode.
If these were its only problems, the episode would be nothing more than forgettable. Unfortunately, the credits chose to end on the most generic "roleplayers are losers" joke imaginable, leaving the whole thing feeling just plain *mean*. With very little to even things out, the whole experience was just unpleasant.
If you're a new viewer and this was your first look at the series, I recommend giving it another chance. This episode is NOT indicative of the show's quality.
WesternAnimation Gravity Falls Series Review
Gravity Falls is a series that started in 2012 and it focuses on the Pines twins named Dipper and Mabel and their adventures and experiences in living in a strange town called Gravity Falls for the summer.
The subtle theme around Gravity Falls is about the journey of the self and maturity. Both of the Pines twins are twelve years old and their birthday is the final day of summer meaning that by the end of their summer they both would be teenagers and lose their childhood innocence.
The journey of the self and maturity is woven into the episodes such as the journey of maturity during Dippers pursuit of science and logic while Mabel matures mentally from her personality and experiences. However its not just Dipper and Mabel who are the targets of these themes such as the repairman Soos, The grandparent Stan, the teenage troublemaker Wendy, the goth Robbie, the child psychic Gideon and finally the popular girl Pacifica.
These characters mature in some way during an episode that is focused on the individual character as they find their purpose in their later life such as dippers choice to find the author, Mabel accepting that she can't always focus on her own goals, Wendy accepting that she can't mock everyone, Robbie and Soos accepting that they can't always be focused on the past or focus their lives on one person while Pacifica learns that wealth can't always bring happiness and the value of others.
Dipper and Mabel's summer home seems to reflect on the theme of maturity by having their house contain false creatures despite being in a town that features genuine strange creatures. It reflects sheltering a child from reality by imagination while having reality just as strange as the imagination.
Gravity Falls has always been about the journey of the self and maturity by having these characters accept their faults and change. The series has these characters give up on their immaturity and grow into better adults or people and finding their purpose in life during their journey of the self.
Its a great series and should be watched from the beginning in order to fully delve in the madness and mystery of Gravity Falls.
WesternAnimation Not Just A Cartoon
I will say it only once: I am in love with this program. I was pulled in immediately by the very first episode, especially the outstanding hint at mystery at the end. What at first seemed to be a silly cartoon has proven something far more complex and interesting.
More to the point, there is little I can say that hasn't already been said. The ever in motion, series spanning Myth Arc (see trope) is gripping and exciting, and the many mysteries surrounding the series, such as the meaning of Not What He Seems and the Author of the Journals, have kept me searching for anything I could call a clue and anticipating the next episode to try and piece together what's going on. When the truth is finally revealed, it was well worth the wait. To the other elements, the atmosphere and tone are perfectly set from the very start of each episode and the music played and although some plots I can pass, almost all episodes are fun to watch, as they are . The humor is witty and clever, all while never putting the drama and suspense to a stop, things Gravity Falls has a lot of, and the action is intense.
The characters are unique in every way, and I am in love with each of them; the two main characters are wonderful and I am always invested in them, and the main antagonist is perfectly menacing beyond all reason. The characters feel real, although goofy at times they are always serious when they need to be and their emotions and relationships are touching at worst; at best, they are relatable, revealing, and either heart warming or tear jerking; the characterization is even better. As the series has recently gotten darker, via plot development, I actually fear for some characters lives in edgier sequences.
To the details of the series, continuity is incredible even with minor details, and tropes like Chekhov's Gun are well used. Foreshadowing is even better, considering the nature of a mystery, enough is revealed to deserve a double-take but just enough as to keep us guessing. And believe me, it WILL turn up again later.
All I can say is that one needs to see the series themselves to understand it as a whole. This has easily become one of my favorite things on television, and I highly suggest it, especially to fans of Steven Universe and Adventure Time. If you like one of those you will undoubtedly like Gravity Falls.
WesternAnimation Not What He Seems Review
Imagine getting in a car with your friend and going to the middle of nowhere with the promise of buried treasure but your friend punches you in the face then goes to the car and pulls out a cricket/baseball bat then beats you with it, while your near unconcious your friend gets in the car then drives over your legs breaking them.
When asked why he/she did this all they reply with is nothing then they give you a map to the nearest hospital which is a 3 month journey then drives away in the car blasting One of a Kind by Breaking Point with you begging them to come back and take you to the hospital but your forced to drag yourself to the hospital.
You will be wondering why I put that down in the review but this is a somewhat identical to what Gravity falls has done to the fans because Not What He Seems is the episode that answered the question that started Dipper and Mabel's adventure "who is the author?"
It starts with Dipper, Mabel and Stan playing with fireworks and water balloons until they interrupted by the government agents who arrest Stan and from then on there's questions of identity and loyalty.
This episode is mind blowing and will make you understand my description of the episode because this left more devastating questions than mind blowing answers and the more tragic part is that those questions have been left unanswered until July 13th (which is enough time to recover from the ending but still).
Not What He Seems is the episode that should be seen but never as an introduction to Gravity Falls (you should start at the very first episode then keep going to this episode it should only take you 12-13 hours so clear your schedule).
When you have watched this episode your at a point of no return because if this is your first episode you should have someone recreate my introduction with you as the target because this what happened to the fans (metaphorically).
I deeply recommend you watch this episode because it answers major questions while leaving bigger questions but like I said if you really want to get into it watch all gravity falls episodes from the beginning you will not regret it.
WesternAnimation Northwest Mansion Mystery Review
This is an episode of Gravity Falls that I always wanted to see yet I didn't expect it.
Where to start well the episode starts out with Pacifica's family getting ready for a party but they are soon interrupted by the ghosts presence causing Pacifica to hire Dipper to get rid of the ghost to which he reluctantly agrees on the condition of Mabel and her friends being invited to the party but when Dipper starts hunting the ghost things go to hell in a teapot when the taxidermy animals start bleeding from the mouth and chanting "ancient sins" then the ghost appears from the fireplace as a burning skeleton to which the journals advice is "pray for mercy".
Northwest Mansion Mystery is one of my favourite episodes so far just for how many risks Alex Hirsch took in creating this episode and it takes me back to how dark disney originally was. for example in Something Wicked This Way Comes it showed a thirteen year old child being decapitated or in Fantasia where they show a disturbing version of the devil who was called Chernabog.
In this episode I saw alot of character development for Pacifica and how she was psychologically abused by her family but what I liked about the delivery of this revelation was that there wasn't begging nor screaming nor crying, it was just her reaction to the bell that explained everything.
It's also been hinted that Pacifica is the Llama on the cipher wheel since there was a Llama painting in one of the rooms but I am not so sure if its symbolism but given the other theories about who represents the Llama then I believe its Pacifica.
I have to talk about this since its in the episode but there is alot of Ship Teasing with Dipper and Pacifica (or as the fans call them "Dipifica") in this episode and if you watch the episode you will see why but in my opinion I don't think they are going to be in a relationship this fast because the two did hate each other in the beginning and I don't think they'd change their relationship that fast to romantic but I find it hard to not agree with the followers of Dipifica.
To conclude the review I insist that you should watch this episode because there is a great story, a great villain and romance?. Overall this is one of the best episodes of season 2 and a must watch.
WesternAnimation As good as anything from the days of The Disney Afternoon.
Yeah, I got some problems with so much of Disney's television output these days, but I won't get into that here. It just makes it all the better when they really make something splendid! Though the D's Phineas and Ferb was long the gold standard for contemporary western animation series, Gravity Falls does it one better, and is showing no signs of slowing down yet! Bringing back memories of darker "kids'" fare of yore, Gravity Falls is that rare show that in no way condescends or panders to its intended demographic. Its delightfully twisted "backwoods town with a dark (though technically, innumerably many) secret(s)" setting is guaranteed to haunt the nightmares of young and old alike... when we aren't too busy laughing our asses off at the lovable character-derived humor, that is.
Because, you see, beyond the trappings of all the spooky weirdness, Gravity Falls is a show about family and friendship, about growing up and growing wiser (...you'll get there someday, Mabel). There's a great sense of continuity as the seasons chug along (lacking any official statement, I'll just attribute this to inspiration from Arthur because that'd just be ridiculously awesome); characters recall past mistakes and at least try to learn from them, if not always to great success. Everyone has their strengths and flaws, and "happy endings" don't always make everyone happy. The depiction of lovable everykid-but-not-quite Dipper's hopeless infatuation with an older girl is some sad fucking true-to-life shit, man.
You can tell the writers aren't cooking up these situations from outta nowhere, even if they're using a recipe book that more often and not includes unusual ingredients such as cryptids, secret societies, and perhaps the creepiest villain seen in "kids' entertainment" for decades now. And most of all, whenever my neural pathways randomly trigger some reminiscence of Gravity Falls, the first thing to pop into my mind is the palpable mystery of it all. Regardless of age demographic, there have been precious few recent shows with quite its Twin Peaks-ish aesthetic of feverish mystique.
This is the kind of timeless show that transcends age; more than anything, it hearkens back to the classic animation series of the '90s.
WesternAnimation Pretty good but could do better
Don't get me wrong, this is one of the more daring disney cartoons to come out when they stopped making the derivative "X characters go to school" cartoons due to the Getting Crap Past The Radar and a genuine creepy story arc similar to the Disney Afternoon era. The main problem I have with the show is the voice work.
The main three, Dipper, Mabel and Gruncle Stan i find are slightly miscasted or misused. Dipper sounds unconvincing as a kid, I wish they had someone like Zack Shada (Finn) from Adventure Time to do his voice. The jokes about his age in "The Inconviencing" would ring more truthfully. Kristen Schall's Mabel doesn't sound as energetic as in Bobs Burgers and I love her work, its so energetic and manic I can tell how funny an episode will be based on her voice. This is more nitpicky but I think Brian Doyle Murphy from The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack would have made a better Stan, the one they got sounds like an imitation of him. It feels like he would be better if it was a professional VA.
The others are pretty well casted and the humor is great but hit and miss a few times for me. One of the funniest things I've seen was Mabel practice kissing the leaf blower. I've the first two and the convinence store episode and were good. I loved the old man in the second episode's monlouge of how he built robots to avoid emotional problems (funny buy sad if you think about it) but I wish there was more focus on the mystery of the book and the Stan's connection with the vending machine secret lair. Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated did a good job keeping focus with the mystery of the old Mystery Inc and Mr.E himself.
Overall really great with a smidgen of lost focus and technical issues.
WesternAnimation First Impresions
While I heard quite a bit about Gravity Falls, I thought it was worth watching for the night. Lots of people like it, so, I thought, why not?
Anyways, the episode I watched was "Into The Bunker". After watching the episode, anyone can tell me this was a bad one to start out with, considering it ends with... well. Watch it for yourself.
One thing I thought was notable about it was it confidence about going into mature subjects. The concept of death, while not explicitly stated, was prevalent through the entire episode. I was honestly shocked at the commercials for the Cartoon. It paints it as a cute friendly slice of life story, similar to Phineas and Ferb. What I got instead was a 24 minute long tale about a, to be honest, terrifying creature.
The Sub-Plot is not obnoxious, something few Disney shows seem to work well nowadays. The sections where they expand the plot and sub-plot are so connected, I was honestly surprised when the Wendy that Dipper confessed to was actually the fake one. I was so used to cartoons taking time out of the main plot to talk about the sub-plot, I did not see it coming.
However, the most important thing about the series, is that I feel with the characters. When I watched the Suite Life on Deck, I did not care about the characters, and thus the plot. In this series, however, despite me watching less than one episode, I actually felt scared when they saw the Shapeshifter, and it tore at my heart when Wendy declined Dipper.
All in all, it is a great series, and I hope future cartoons take cue from this.
WesternAnimation Great show
Gravity Falls along with Phineas and Ferb are the only shows I watch a lot on Disney Channel. Their other shows are either okay or terrible. Anywys, Gravity Falls is a creative mystery tv series and is the edgiest Disney show I have ever seen. They got away with blood splattered over the Bill Cipher page in "Dreamscapers" and Dipper getting a bloody nose in "Gideon Rises". With each new episode, there is a mystery to solve. It's a great series and a show for all ages. It's relatable for kids, teens, adults, and paranormal species too. It's got a nice dark twist and is one of Disney's best works.
WesternAnimation "Dreamscapers"/"Rise of Gideon"
Yes, it's a rather tired plot. The villain gets the deed, wants to build theme park, turns out it's a ulterior motive to find MacGuffin.
However, in the capable hands of this writing team, the two parter "Dreamscapers" and "Rise of Gideon" is some of the best stuff Disney Channel has put out in years. With the closure of Summer 2013, we're all a tad teary-eyed. I say goodbye to friends going off to college. I myself prepare with diligence for the coming year. Yet there will still be that niggling thought in the back of the mind that says this goodbye might be longer than usual.
With "Dreamscapers", we are FINALLY treated to Bill Cipher, who poses the final challenge in a long and evolving saga of the supernatural. To say this is Dipper's arc completion is an understatement. He has fought clones, demons, bulls, and heartbreak only to have a no bars held match against the master of the book. Their match is only possible from Dipper realizing the challenges of life are there to aid him. The similarities between a younger Stan and present day Dipper is touching, and adds some much needed closure.
"Rise of Gideon" was a tad predictable, but to see the genuine heartbreak was a good touch. It leads you believe that is the last time we'll see these characters. To think they had just become a family. The pacing did in fact trick me into believing this was the end. They laid it on thick, making it truly a scenario in which the entire town lived their lives unabated, with only our heroes left to suffer. All good Disney shows must end with the hero triumphant, though, and it did just that in a bit of a rushed Deus Ex Machina. Sure, it would have been cooler to see Lil' Gideon escape at the last moment. However, the last scene could not have been done better. It sets up the nature of a possible Season 2 so very well. It symbolizes hope, the unknown, discovery. Then again, isn't that what Gravity Falls is all about?
WesternAnimation Completely Shocked Me With Awesomeness
I admit, I was a bit skeptical at first upon hearing that Alex Hirsch was the main creator of this. I was never a fan of Fish Hooks nor Flapjack, two series he also worked on, and found the humor of his shows "odd" to say the least. So when I tried Gravity Falls out of curiosity... God, it blew my mind. The characters are likable and realistic, each of them the kind of people you could probably see in real life (Yes, even Mable), which automatically makes the show more bearable to watch than a bunch of overly-flanderized, semi-offensive "high school" clique characters. Dipper is sensible, mature, and intelligent yet also socially awkward, considerably weak, and having a precocious crush that can be almost painful to watch him advance on, which makes it much funnier. Mable is so eccentric and optimistic, it's practically impossible not like her, and yet often overreacts and has moments of boy-craziness, making her more realistic. They don't have that typical "bickering siblings" shtick many shows use, but aren't cheesy "buddy-buddy" type siblings, having the occasional small argument but still caring about each other in great lengths. The animation is surprisingly impressive considering the simple, cutesy looks of other Disney cartoons, and gives it a very woodsy feel, and the character designs and movements are always clean, crisp and smoothe, with the fight scenes being drawn out quite well. Alex Hirsch's writing is amazing, with enough jokes to have you hurting your ribs but also with dramatic and tear-jerking scenes that just get you in the heart so you want to keep on watching. But the best part about the series? Well, that's a bit hard to explain. There's just something about those tiny hints, the sadistically evil characters, all those clues and crypts and hidden messages that just pulls you in, and makes you keep theorizing and thinking of new possibilities. I found myself re-watching many an episode because of this. The whole creepy vibe underlying the series captivates you, and you want—no, need—to no more. The mystery theme behind GF, the intelligence behind it... that's what makes it truly great.
WesternAnimation Absolutely delightful.
Gravity Falls is one of those shows that just makes me happy simply by watching it. It's heartfelt, clever, cute, funny, sometimes a little creepy (freezer monster and summerween, for instance), so it's pretty much like many cartoons I watched as a kid, and a show that kids and adults alike can thoroughly enjoy. Not to mention a breath of fresh air after many sub-par shows being put out by Disney Channel, with the exception of Phineas and Ferb.
I won't repeat what many others have said about this show, so bottom line, it's one of the best animated shows of the decade, and you should check it out.
WesternAnimation Very likeable show
I started watching Gravity Falls with my sister only because I had nothing better to watch, and I ended up becoming a really big fan of the show. I really love it!
One thing I like about the show is how the Brother Sister Team of Dipper and Mabel is both realistic and lovable. Me and my younger sister relate to those two a lot. My sister is always on the run doing crazy and ridiculous things, and I'm always trying to be calm and smart. That made me care for both characters on a personal level. Not only that, every main character in the show has something that we both love: Soos's loyalty even though he's kind of dumb, Stan's sarcasm and Wendy's love for breaking rules. It's a pretty colorful cast.
I also like the hilarious spin the writers put on the supernatural aspect of the show. Even though my sister was afraid of the monsters before she actually watched an episode, after watching the series she was laughing at practically every joke even if the monster was on-screen. I liked the Fight Fighters episode because of the Street Fighter parody and the Summerween episode because it had maybe the freakiest monster of the show so far, who also had the strangest origin. The theme song, besides being catchy as hell, is full of secrets and I was listening to it closely to hear the voices at the end every single time. And, wouldn't you know it, my eight-year-old sister prefers this show to My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic! I was surprised.
Gravity Falls is showing a lot of promise, and it's only on it's first season. I will be waiting for more episodes.
WesternAnimation Worth watching
This show reminds me of my childhood, both the entertainment I loved and the stuff I did.
The main characters are twins Dipper and Mabel. Dipper is smart, but a little uptight, and wants be be seen as older than he is. Mabel, on the otherhand, is energetic, eccentric and maybe a little crazy. Their relationship, however, is what makes them shine. They are neither rivals nor exactly alike. They argue sometimes, but they ultimately love one another. You believe that they're real kids and real siblings.
We also have their hilarious grand uncle that they're staying with for the summer. They call him Gruncle Stan. He's a con artist who runs The Mystery Shack. Working there is cool girl Wendy who Dipper crushes on, and their man-child mentor Sues.
But all is not well in the town of Gravity Falls. There is mystery afoot. Yes, the town is overrun with strange goings-on, and Dipper and Mabel are in the midst of it.
The show runs on both humor and mystery. It should appeal to children with some of its content, but I'm 23 and I love the hell out of every episode. I'm often genuinely invested in what's going on, and the humor always gets a laugh out of me. Whether it's obscure references, getting stuff under teh radar, or visual jokes, it's always funny.
WesternAnimation Wait...This Is A Disney Channel Show?!
I remember when DC had some shows worth watching- American Dragon, Kim Possible, etc. Then it started focusing on sitcoms, and lost my interest.
Then came Gravity Falls.
I was almost certain that this was supposed to be a Cartoon Network show. It was much edgier and scarier than standard Disney fare- it was like nothing else the network had played! I have become infatuated with this show and hope that it continues to delight people looking for good animated shows.
WesternAnimation Wow. This is amazing.
Let's face it, Disney's shows are taking a downhill curve. All but one of their current sitcoms are about music (Shake It Up, Austin & Ally, and A.N.T. Farm, the one that isn't is Good Luck Charlie, which is actually fairly entertaining.) At time of writing, they're so desperate as to show Suite Life of Zack and Cody reruns for three hours every day. Phineas and Ferb, the previous best cartoon, has stopped making new episodes, only specials now.But all that is turning around. Gravity Falls has had a total of four episodes so far, and it is still one of the most consistently funny (and also slightly disturbing. Freezer monster and possessed Mabel anyone?) shows I've ever seen. Bravo Disney, you FINALLY picked up the right series.
ONWARD,AOSHIMA!
WesternAnimation Check it out.
When my Cousin first showed me this series, I enjoyed it, it was mysterious and funny, and it had a story arc. The animation is crisp, the opening is good, the callbacks and Checkovs Guns (The shabam! gnome appearance in the book, was very clever, as was the time traveler in the background) are fun to watch, as is the mystery arc.
- I like Mabel, she is especially adorable, but I also like her take on the Cloudcuckoo Lander: She's silly, but not oblivious (Like in the Lil Gideon Debut, I especially like that little bit of Reality Ensues). For too long, I've seen the Cloudcuckoo Lander archetype being so rage-inducing oblivious bordering on Too Dumb To Live. Mabel is very laid back and optimistic, but not that stupid, I think that it makes her more realistic take on the archetype.
- What I don't like is the Dipper Wendy plot, I've seen it too often, Pre-teen boy has a onesided crush on an older girl, and it's treated as cute, until the older one lets them down gently. Don't get me wrong though, The Inconveniencing had some of the series creepiest visuals (The brain eye thingy reminded me of some of a Courage The Cowardly Dog villain), and is one of my favorite episodes.
- The Brother Sister relationship is also very good. Like the Cloudcuckoo Lander trope, I think the series does a better take on it. The twins get on each others nerves, but do love each other. Most sibling antics are played for comic sociopathy, and it's hard to see that they like each other as siblings. Dipper and Mabel have some silly moments together, that makes one just go Awww.
- I never focused on the codes, but they are a nice bonus.
- The Shows humor rarely dips into too childish territory, and the series remains firmly in the "for all ages" or family fun slot.
- Check this show out, Alex Hirsch is doing a great job (I didn't like Flapjack, but I love this). I highly recommend it.
WesternAnimation Tourist Trapped Review
Tourist Trapped was the pilot episode for Gravity Falls, a show I am becoming more and more in love with.
Tourist Trapped introduces Dipper as a ready to believe, mature, and observant hero. Mabel is his sister, and she's perky and sees the best in absolutely everything. Their great uncle, or Grunkle Stan, is a money-obsessed man who likes to trick people with his Mystery Shack, where he lives and works. Soos is a friend to the kids, ready to help and very resourceful, and Wendy just had a small moment that happened to be absolutely hilarious.
Then Dipper finds a book in the woods. A book called 3 (actually, it's volume 3 of a bigger book), that reveals that Gravity Falls, the town the show takes place in, is more than it seems. Paranormal stuff, you know. Hilarity and adventure ensues.
The animation is nice and has an amazing art style that captures the feel perfectly. The characters have amazing voice actors and the jokes are sure to make anyone laugh. Some jokes are for older viewers but there's only one I can think of in this episode, which has to do with the description of zombies.
In Tourist Trapped, Mabel finds a boyfriend named Norman. And Dipper thinks he's a zombie. The standard "get proof" thing ensues and Dipper is seemingly proven right about halfway into the episode, which is when he drives a golf cart to Mabel's rescue. A shocking and somewhat funny reveal happens however - Norman's not a zombie. He's a bunch of gnomes in a hoodie, who want Mabel to marry all 1000 of them so she can be their queen. Yikes.
After a chase back to the Mystery Shack, Grunkle Stan conveniently and humorously is showing people the most distracting object ever. Granted, it even distracted me from what I was supposed to be paying attention to while I was watching the show, but whatever. After a risky plan is carried out and the many, MANY gnomes defeated, Grunkle Stan lets the two pick one item each from the gift shop. Dipper picks a hat which I assume he will wear many times in the series, but Mabel humorously chooses a grappling hook. End.
The episode was funny and a great introduction to Gravity Falls. The animation was close to spotless and the premise was corny yet carried out in a way that made it interesting. I'd recommend the episode and the show to anyone who wants a paranormal show with a lot of wit and heart. For the kids, too.
WesternAnimation Finally Something Else to Watch on Disney Channel
Seriously, the only thing I ever watch on Disney Channel is Phineas And Ferb, which doesn't belong with the rest of that stuff in the first place.
Now! Gravity Falls is changing that! This show is awesome! It's surely to become a classic in no time, and I'm hoping it will send Disney shows in another direction. I could just be dreaming out loud, but Gravity Falls is like nothing I've seen on Disney Channel. Not Kim Possible, not Phineas And Ferb, nothing. But if there were more shows like this on Disney, I'd find myself watching it way more often.
WesternAnimation The Love God Review
I know this episode was created in 2014 but I have been wanting to review it for a while.
The Love God is about Mabel becoming a matchmaker for Robbie after finding him in a cemetery expressing his despair of Wendy dumping him. Mabel offers to help him by finding a potential girlfriend but when her plan fails, she resorts to using love potion after stealing it from The Love God which causes negative social consequences that she has to repair.
This isn't exactly the worst episode in the series nor is it the best episode in the series. It could of been better if the villain was more competant with his role and they could of used better humour in the first half of the episode.
For the creature of the month we have Love God who is a cherub and is a musician who is part of a concert in the town but is robbed by Mabel who takes two of his potions to use on Robbie and Tambry. In retaliation Love God tries to take the potions back by using various other potions.
I know that this may be an unpopular opinion but I actually like The Love God character because he gave the rarely spoken moral that the lives of others Shouldn't be manipulated, I like his powers and he has a few funny lines or moments in the episode.
Another reason for why I like the character is that he is the first genuine anti villain who has justified reasons for going against the twins. Unlike Blendin who was just a vengeful victim of the twins but Love God could of been better if he had Love manipulation as a power rather than using a love potion to do his job as well as being more competant.
The plot of the episode is like a modern day version of A Midsummer Nights Dream but with an alternate ending. The episode itself could of been better by having a better reason for conflict because the conflict was caused by the friends feeling jealous and betrayed.
It would of been better if the conflict reason was that Tambry already had a boyfriend or girlfriend (if she's bisexual) so they have to convince the boyfriend or girlfriend to leave Tambry while also trying to escape from Love God. Another idea is that the potion could have dangerous side effects due to Mabel misusing the power instead of the groups jealousy and envy towards the pair.
Overall this Isn't the best or worst episode, its just an ok episode. You wouldn't lose sleep over it if you missed it.