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1[[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls Back to Main]] | [[GravityFalls/TropesAToE Tropes A – E]] | [[GravityFalls/TropesFToO Tropes F – O]] | '''Tropes P - Z '''
2----
3!!This show contains examples of the following tropes:
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5[[foldercontrol]]
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7[[folder:P]]
8* PapaWolf: While not their dad, Stan is the twins' great uncle and he does ''not'' take it well when his great niece and nephew are threatened, considering that they're the closest family he has.
9-->'''Stan:''' [[HypocriticalHeartwarming The only wrinkly monster who harasses my family is]] ''me!''\
10'''Stan:''' You're a [=REAL=] wiseguy, but you made one fatal mistake. You messed with my family!
11%%** [[spoiler:Ford becomes this fairly soon after his return, despite not having known Dipper and Mabel very long.]]
12* ParanormalInvestigation: Dipper and Mabel are always investigating reports of paranormal activity around town.
13* ParentalBonus: '''Loads'''. So much so that it's considered one of the most ParentalBonus-ridden shows Disney has aired in a long, long time. This gets lampshaded in "Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons", where Ford mocks Stan for loving a [[ShowWithinAShow kids' show]]:
14-->'''Stan:''' I'll have you know that ''Ducktective'' has a ''big'' mystery element! And a lot of humor goes over kids' heads!
15* ParentalSubstitute: In "Blendin's Game", Dipper and Mabel learn that Stan became one of these for Soos after [[spoiler:his dad skipped town on him.]]
16* PassingTheTorch: In the GrandFinale, [[spoiler:Stan makes Soos the new Mr. Mystery as he leaves to travel the world with Ford and reconnect.]]
17* ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish: Considering the magnitude of what lies behind that door, the code to unlock the [[spoiler:Mystery Shack's underground lab]] is incredibly weak. You simply have to enter [[spoiler:A, 1, B, C, 3]] on the [[spoiler:vending machine]]. This password includes every character on the keypad except for "2", and the characters can apparently be entered in any order. You know you have a problem when a couple of 12-year-olds can look at the code on a piece of paper and immediately figure out it corresponds to a [[spoiler:vending machine]].
18** Potential justified in that [[spoiler: Stan was likely the one who put the vending machine door in place. Ford would have had no reason to have a vending machine in his ''private'' house.]]
19* PetTheDog:
20** Grunkle Stan gets a moment like this after feeling guilty for insulting Dipper and Mabel and lets each of them take anything they want from the Mystery Shack gift shop. In true Grunkle Stan fashion, he tells them to do it before he changes his mind.
21** He also saves Waddles because he wants Mabel to talk to him again.
22** In "Dreamscaperers" when we find out why he's so tough on Dipper.
23* PetHeir:
24** In "Soos and the Real Girl," Mabel mentions that she's leaving everything to Waddles, which isn't surprising for an [[FriendToAllLivingThings animal lover]] like her.
25** In "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel", when Gideon is demonstrating his alleged psychic abilities, he tells an elderly woman that she wishes her son would call her more often. She responds that she's leaving everything to her cat.
26* PhonyPsychic: Gideon claims to be a psychic, but in reality [[spoiler:He’s a fraud who uses hidden cameras in his pins to spy on the entire town. He was getting away with it until the feedback affected Stan’s hearing aid.]]
27** "A Tale Of Two Stans" reveals that Stan [[spoiler:and Ford]]’s mother was a pathological liar masquerading as a phone psychic, which is why Stan didn’t trust Gideon.
28* PhoneaholicTeenager: Tambry is perpetually glued to her phone. If she's not texting, it's only because she paused to snap a humiliating photo so that she can text it to everyone in town.
29* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Dipper wears a blue and white hat and a blue vest; Mabel [[UnlimitedWardrobe isn't as consistent]] frequently wears pink/purple/red clothes.
30** In "Irrational Treasure", when Dipper and Mabel "break in" the Gravity Falls Museum of History, the woman working at the front door gives them free day passes as well as two balloons; she hands a pink one to Mabel and a blue one to Dipper.
31** Dipper and Mabel's beds are sometimes [[https://giphy.com/gifs/gravity-falls-O2sUWenI4F9M4 shown with a blue blanket and a pink blanket, respectively]].
32* PinkIsLove: The Love God is a cherub who can use potions to make people fall in love. When the Love God uses a pink potion on a snake and a badger as a demonstration for Mabel, she says, "They're gonna make a snadger!"
33* PintSizedKid: Every kid in the series, major and minor.
34* ProportionalArticleImportance: In the episode "The Legend of the Gobblewonker", Dipper tries to point out an ad for a monster photo contest, but Mabel zeroes in on the ad on the previous page for human-sized hamster balls.
35-->'''Mabel:''' (''gasp'') ''I'm'' human-sized!
36* PlatonicValentine: We see a flashback to when Dipper and Mabel were little kids. Mabel got loads of Valentine's Day cards and was celebrating until she realized Dipper didn't get a single one. Dipper [[RunningAwayToCry locked himself in a closet to hide how upset he was]], until he saw a card being slid under the door: a collage Mabel made of all the cards she got, with the glittery text, "For My Favorite Brother."
37* PlotTriggeringBook: Dipper finds a journal which pushes him to explore the mysteries of the town and follow his sister when her boyfriend bears a strong similarity to the vampires described in it. [[spoiler:In a grander sense, this journal, plus the other two, held the information needed to build the trans-dimensional portal.]]
38* PluckyGirl: Despite the many setbacks and heartbreaks she's suffered, Mabel rarely allows her chipper attitude to be bruised. She may stumble from time to time, but she always bounces back sillier than ever.
39* PointlessBandaid: Old Man [=McGucket=] has one on his beard. Lampshaded in "Society of the Blind Eye".
40--> '''[=McGucket=]:''' Why does my beard have a bandage? Does that even make sense? Why has no one pointed that out?
41** We find out it has a reason to be there, even if it is currently pointless: It was originally applied to his chin after a car crash he suffered 30 years earlier. [[spoiler:The SanitySlippage he was undergoing at the time caused him to forget it was there]], meaning his beard grew out from under it. A FreezeFrameBonus in "Sock Opera" hinted at the revelation: [[spoiler:the laptop, which later turns out to be [=McGucket=]'s, has its own band-aid.]]
42** His cast is also [[spoiler: from the same accident]] meaning that it's this trope as well, only turned up to eleven.
43* PokemonSpeak: Shmebulock the gnome can only say "Shmebulock." Lost Legends reveals that it's a curse.
44* PolarOppositeTwins: Smart and conventional Dipper and energetic optimist Mabel. [[http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6gb9txiKW1r9r3hw.gif This image]] of Dipper sitting in his bed writing in the journal while Mabel is jumping in hers best shows their dynamic.
45** This also applies to [[spoiler:their great uncles]], possibly even more so. Unlike Mabel and Dipper, who complement each other and still have enough common ground to consistently enjoy each other's presence, [[spoiler:Stanley's and Stanford's]] very different skill sets, priorities and interests drove them apart to the point that they can barely tolerate living under the same roof. Their significantly less [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer supportive environment]] might also have had something to do with it.
46* PoliceAreUseless: Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland rarely even pretend to do their jobs. Although easily fooled by deception, they can also be evaded by a sharp verbal jab.
47--> '''Sheriff Blubs:''' (''on the Pines family setting off fireworks'') Do you have a permit for those?
48--> '''Stan:''' Do you have a permit for being totally lame?
49--> '''Sheriff Blubs:''' (''chuckle'') Well, I can't argue with that. Carry on!
50* PoliceBrutality: In "Boyz Crazy," the news report of the band manager being arrested ends just as Blubs and Durland are lifting their billy clubs, implying that they are about to start beating him. Note that he is handcuffed and restrained against his car at the moment.
51* PoliceCodeForEverything: An officer about to fit a cantaloupe in his mouth is a "23-16", and a citizen delving into the true story of the town's origin is a "Code Sepia".
52* ThePollyanna: Mabel often verges on this, but the first true example is during the episode "Not What He Seems". Throughout the entire episode, she simply ''will not'' accept the possibility that [[spoiler:Stan is hiding villainous intent from them]], despite the evidence continuing to pile up more and more as the story goes on. [[spoiler:She very nearly breaks during the climax, but in the end, it's her optimism and faith that manages to get back the Author.]]
53* PoorCommunicationKills: A lot of the drama in the show is caused by this.
54** The entire climax of "Not What He Seems" could have been avoided if [[spoiler:Stan]] simply explained what [[spoiler:the portal]] is supposed to do.
55** The entire back half of the series could have been avoided if Dipper and Mabel just talked to each other more about their feelings. [[spoiler: If Dipper had voiced his concerns about Mabel and Stan's picking on him really starting to bother him, they could have talked it out instead of letting it drive the twins apart badly enough Dipper was considering staying with Ford while Mabel went home. While if Mabel had stopped to listen and talk out this decision with Dipper, he may have changed his mind and it would have avoided Bill manipulating her into causing Weirdmageddon.]]
56** If [[spoiler: Stan admitted he broke Ford's machine, Ford could have repaired it before the science fair, but because he didn't, Ford thought that Stan had sabotaged him out of spite, which resulted in Stan being kicked out and starting the brothers' resentment for each other that lasts for almost their entire adult lives.]]
57** Because Stan didn't tell the kids as to what would happen to him at the end of the summer, they do not understand the severity of the former's [[spoiler:strained relationship with his brother, causing them to mistakenly believe that they'll make up in given time and led to Dipper spending more time with Ford, causing Mabel's mental anguish that ultimately led to Bill manipulating her into causing Weirdmageddon]].
58* PortManteau: "The Stanchurian Candidate" reveals that Stan's criminal record includes a crime called "burglebezzlement." The title of the episode is also a portmanteau, of "Stan" and "Manchurian."
59* PossessionLevitation: In "The Inconveniencing", Mabel floats off the ground when the convenience store ghosts possess her. PlayedForLaughs when, after Dipper confesses he isn't a teenager (teens are the ghosts' BerserkButton), the ghosts of the sweet-looking elderly couple appear, holding Mabel up by her hair before dropping her into a pile of snacks.
60* PottyFailure: In "Land Before Swine", a young boy on Stan's tour shat/pissed himself because Stan wouldn't make a toilet break.
61* ThePowerOfFamily: One of the major themes of the series is the bonds between the Pines family, and no matter what happens, they will always care for one another, and be right by their side.
62* ThePowerOfLove: Subverted in "The Love God". The titular character has magic powders that make people fall into all sorts of love, including one that has the opposite effect. At no point is the idea of "true love" ever mentioned.
63* PreMortemOneLiner: In "Soos and the Real Girl", Soos launches one [[spoiler: just as he's about to throw the CD which keeps Giffany alive into a burning oven.]]
64-->'''Soos''': Game over, [[spoiler: Giffany!]]
65* PrecociousCrush: Downplayed by Dipper's crush on Wendy. She's not an adult but she is three years older than him which, at 12 and 15, respectively, is a significant age gap.
66* PrefersTheIllusion: The finale shows the only reason Mabel hasn't [[spoiler:freed herself from Bill's [[LotusEaterMachine bubble prison]]]] by the time Dipper, Wendy, and Soos break in to rescue her is because she's aware of the nature of the bubble and has decided she'd rather stay. Leaving the bubble would result in facing the next year (and the future in general) without Dipper, she believed he intended to stay in Gravity Falls when she returned home from school. The bubble lets her live in a world filled with glitter and rainbows, populated with talking stuffed animals and a cooler, more supportive version of Dipper (a.k.a. Dippy-Fresh). [[spoiler:It takes a lot of convincing on Dipper's part to get her to leave the bubble, which she eventually does.]]
67* PreInsanityReveal:
68** [[spoiler: Old Man [=McGucket=]]] was an inventor who worked with the writer of the Journals, until he [[spoiler: invented a memory ray to erase his memories of whatever it was that he was involved in. Repeated use of the memory ray eventually made him crazy and with no memories at all.]]
69** The Society themselves have also been [[spoiler: using the mind wiping device]], but are mainly experiencing holes in their memories, rather than the wholesale devolution of their minds, though [[spoiler:Lazy Susan]] seems to be showing some SanitySlippage.
70* PressHat: Toby Determined wears a variant of the popular reporter hat, which says HAT instead of PRESS.
71* ThePromise: [[spoiler:Because of the rift between them, Ford made his brother Stan promise to give him back his home and leave at the end of the summer. In the end, Ford asks Stan to give him another chance after they forgive each other and themselves for what has happened between them, effectively revoking the deal. Stan does end up losing the Shack anyways, but because he gave it up willingly]].
72* ProperlyParanoid:
73** Double subverted in "The Legend of the Gobblewonker". Old Man [=McGucket=] frantically tries to raise awareness of the titular Gobblewonker, but nobody will take him seriously. [[spoiler: Dipper and Mabel run afoul of the Gobblewonker but, in the process of escaping, discover that the whole thing is a robot operated by [=McGucket=] himself in a bid for attention. In the end, however, we see that an actual Gobblewonker does exist after all.]]
74** In "Headhunters", Old Man [=McGucket=] inquires to know if the Mystery Shack's wax figures are alive and whether he can survive their uprising. [[spoiler: The figures are not only alive, but murderous.]]
75** The Author of the Journals degenerated into a paranoid mess by the end of them, with tidbits like "Don't trust anyone," and "He's always watching," sprinkled throughout. [[spoiler: In "A Tale of Two Stans", he greets Stan at his door with a crossbow to his face, then shines a flashlight in his eyes to verify his identity.]] By the end of the first season, the audience has a clear understanding of exactly what it was that the Author was so afraid of, and it is very real.
76* ProstheticLimbReveal: Dipper asks the public pool's boss if he can be hired as the assistant lifeguard. The boss says that he likes him, but emphasizes that it's not an easy job, ChewingTheScenery with his claim that it's "anarchy out there". When Dipper looks at the pool and sees nothing unusual going on, he skeptically reassures the boss that he can handle this. The boss then responds by showing his artificial hand, claiming that he lost the real one to a pool filter.
77* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: "The Time Traveler's Pig" treats Mabel and Dipper as justified for screwing around with the time stream for their own benefit, though this is [[AuthorsSavingThrow corrected nineteen episodes later]].
78* PsychicBlockDefense: The Author had a metal plate installed in his head to prevent any [[spoiler: more]] possession by Bill Cipher. He also has a safer alternative which 'bioelectrically encrypts' one's thoughts so they cannot be read, and was installing one for Dipper before the process was interrupted.
79* PsychicPowers: In "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel", Li'l Gideon has an amulet that grants its bearer telekinesis. [[spoiler: The amulet is destroyed by the end of the episode, preventing its powers from appearing again.]]
80* PumpkinPerson: The Summerween Trickster, who wears a mask with a Jack-O'-Melon-type face.
81* PunBasedTitle:
82** From Season 1, there's "Headhunters", "The Hand That Rocks The Mabel", "Double Dipper", "Irrational Treasure", "Little Dipper", "Carpet Diem", and "The Land Before Swine".
83** From Season 2, there's "Sock Opera" (played with "Rock Opera" and "Soap Opera"), "Soos and The Real Girl" (ShoutOut to ''Film/LarsAndTheRealGirl''), "Scary-oke" (Homophones of "scary" and "karaoke" together) and "The Golf War" (Play on ''UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar'').
84** Mabel's story "Trooth Ache".
85** Averted and {{lampshaded}} with Soos' story: "Soos' Really Great Pinball Story: Is That A Good Title? Do They Have to Be Like Puns or Whatever?"
86* PunchCatch: [[spoiler: Dipper catches Gideon's fist during their fight in "Gideon Rises". He then twists his hand around and punches Gideon with his own fist.]]
87* PunnyName:
88** Gravity Falls itself, named after its [[spoiler:true]] founder rode over a cliff.
89** The Gravity Falls gossip reporter is named "Toby Determined".
90** The waitress's name is "Lazy Susan". On the surface, she's called this because she has a lazy eye and is named "Susan", but it can also refer to a table surface that spins.
91** Pacifica Northwest.[[note]]As the daughter of the town's [[spoiler: supposed]] founding family, it's only natural that she be named after the Pacific Northwest, the region of the U.S. that the state inhabits.[[/note]]
92** [[Franchise/StreetFighter Rumble [=McSkirmish=].]]
93** Any and all of the Manotaurs, except for Beardy.
94** Mermando is, of course, a merman.
95** Bill Cipher, a play on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beale_ciphers Beale Ciphers]].
96*** It doubles as a pun on "dollar bill", which he's on the back of.
97** The Gleeful family, particularly Gideon and Bud, are as upbeat and chipper as their name would indicate. [[VillainWithGoodPublicity In public, at least.]]
98** Exploited for laughs by Candy in "Summerween". Her costume for the titular holiday is a piece of candy.
99---> '''Mabel:''' (''counting candy in a wheelbarrow'') 34. 35.
100---> '''Candy:''' (''climbs into the wheelbarrow'') 36. You see? Because--
101---> '''Mabel:''' Yeah, I get it.
102** Tad Strange. Doubles as an IronicName as he's the only one in town who [[OnlySaneMan isn't a tad strange.]]
103** Might double as a [[StealthPun stealth pun]] with how many people seem to miss it, but both of the Pines twins. Dipper pines for Wendy and Mabel pining for every boy her age was an early character trait.
104* PushPolling: In [[Recap/GravityFallsS1E1TouristTrapped "Tourist Trapped"]], Mabel secretly gives a boy a quiz in an attempt to gain a boyfriend, with all three choices being positive responses.
105-->'''Boy:''' Um, "Do you like me? Yes. Definitely. Absolutely!!!"\
106'''Mabel:''' I rigged it.
107[[/folder]]
108
109[[folder:Q]]
110* QuietingTheUnquietDead: The episode [[Recap/GravityFallsS2E10NorthwestMansionMystery "Northwest Mansion Mystery"]] has the ghost of a lumberjack who helped build the Northwest Mansion, having placed a curse on the family because they broke their promise to let the townsfolk into the party to celebrate the construction. After Pacifica upholds the deal for her family (despite her parents? protests), the ghost is able to finally move on and the curse is lifted.
111* QuirkyTown: Even with the paranormal phenomena that surround it, Gravity Falls is one kooky place.
112** Deconstructed in "Society Of The Blind Eye": The reason why the town is quirky is that the people [[spoiler:are suffering long-term brain damage due to the Memory Gun constantly wiping their brains.]] But they’re still full of quirks even after the end of the episode.
113* TheQuisling:
114** Preston Northwest attempts to be this to [[spoiler:Bill Cipher. Bill isn't amused and instead decides to [[BodyHorror rearrange the features of his face]]]].
115** Gideon is a straighter example. [[spoiler:He works for Bill hunting down the Pines twins, although following his HeelFaceTurn, he's forced to dance for Bill in a cage.]]
116[[/folder]]
117
118[[folder:R]]
119* RagingStiffie: In "The Last Mabelcorn", we aren't shown anything, but one of Dipper's thoughts, when hooked up to Stanford's mindreader machine, is, if you look close enough, "MAYBE IF I CROSS MY LEGS NO ONE WILL NOTICE", which implies that Dipper has experienced this, to his apparent dismay.
120* RashPromise: Dipper and Mabel try to crack the passcode to the Author's laptop. However, Mabel gets busy working on a puppet show and Dipper is left to figure it out alone. Eventually, sleep-deprived and frustrated by his constant failures, he is visited by Bill Cipher, who offers him the password if Dipper promises to give him something. Initially, Dipper refuses but eventually accepts when Bill claims to want a puppet and appeals to the boy's anger with Mabel. Unfortunately, Bill uses ExactWords to possess Dipper as his 'puppet'.
121* RealAfterAll: [[spoiler: At the end of "Legend of the Gobblewonker," Dipper's camera falls overboard and we get a shot of the real Gobblewonker.]]
122** In "Dipper’s Guide To The Unexplained", Dipper and Mabel try to find a cryptid called "The Hide-Behind". Unfortunately, their efforts fail, and Dipper gives up, leaving his camera in the woods…[[spoiler:Only to reveal the creature ''right behind him.'']]
123* TheRealSpoofbusters: The brown jumpsuit-clad ''Ghost Harassers'', a parody of ''Series/GhostHunters'', appear as a still image in a brief TV ad on the town's public television channel. Dipper is a fan of them.
124* RealityWarper: Downplayed in "Dreamscaperers". Inside the mindscape, anything you can imagine becomes real. [[spoiler: Dipper, Mabel, and Soos use this newfound information to defeat Bill.]]
125** Less downplayed in [[spoiler: Weirdmageddon, where Bill gains a physical form and the ability to bend much of reality to his whims.]]
126* RecurringExtra: Tyler the Cute Biker, whose appearances are limited to showing up when events are happening to drop his CharacterCatchphrase, "Get 'em! Get 'em!" Tyler becomes an AscendedExtra when he runs against Stan and Bud for mayor in "The Stanchurian Candidate" [[spoiler: and wins.]]
127** There’s also Free Pizza Guy, several tourists, a guy dressed in American Flag clothing, and a pair of kids who resemble Dipper and Mabel who are named “Smipper and Smabel”, according to WordOfGod.
128** Manly Dan and his sons, a.k.a; Wendy’s father and brothers.
129* RedheadInGreen: Wendy inherited her family's red hair, which she offsets with a green, flannel button-up.
130* RedHerring:
131** In "Headhunters", Dipper and Mabel attempt to solve the murder of a wax statue. [[spoiler: The murder weapon was an axe, leading them straight to Manly Dan. The identification of the weapon as left-handed puts them on a hunt for left-handed people until they finally arrive at the door of Toby Determined, the only person who could have committed the crime.]] Both turn out fruitless.
132** There were ''so'' many hints dropped that [[spoiler:Old Man [=McGucket=]]] is the author of the journals that a good number of fans accepted it as canon. [[spoiler:He's not, he just worked with him.]]
133** "Northwest Mansion Mystery" heavily implied [[spoiler: Bill Cipher was behind an impending calamity. At the end of the countdown, he's nowhere to be seen.]]
134** In "Not What He Seems", Dipper and Mabel find some newspaper clippings that announce the death of Stan Pines while a picture of the man we've come to know as Stan Pines is identified as an unnamed grifter who is still at large, leading the twins to think that the man they thought was their Great Uncle is actually an impostor. [[spoiler:[[RightForTheWrongReasons Granted, they're ''technically'' right, but not for the reasons they think]]. The man they've known all summer as Stanford Pines is actually Stan''ley'' Pines, Stanford's twin brother, who's been impersonating him since the former's disappearance 30 years ago. The bit about Stan's death was just him FakingTheDead for [[NoodleIncident unspecified reasons]]]].
135** The mysterious tattoo on Stan's back. The symbol is referenced a few times (most notably by Bill Cipher) and hints were dropped in places of a secret society in Gravity Falls, implying that Stan is a member (reinforced by the secret room behind the vending machine). [[spoiler: There is indeed a secret society, but it has nothing to do with Stan or the tattoo. In fact, the tattoo isn't even a tattoo at all; it's a burn mark caused by Ford's portal device and the symbol is mostly inconsequential.]]
136** The [[spoiler:Cipher Wheel itself]]! After featuring extremely prominently throughout every part of the series and possibly being the subject of more WildMassGuessing than any other subject in its history bar the identity of The Author, the [[spoiler: Cipher Wheel turns out to be the key to defeating Bill according to an ancient prophecy... Except that, in the final episode, after bringing all the correct characters together and solving its mystery it actually ''fails'' in the last moment! The characters must find a different way of defeating Bill...]] That said, [[ProphecyTwist depending on one's interpretation of the prophecy, it is possible to claim that it did work, after all, even if not in the way anyone expected.]]
137* RedLiveLobster: The lobsters in "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel" and "Tooth" are red.
138* RedRightHand: [[spoiler:When possessed by Bill Cipher, Dipper's body manifests yellow sclera and slitted pupils. It's later implied that possession in general can be identified via the eyes--when Stan comes to the shack to reconcile with a paranoid, nervous Ford, the first thing Ford does is grab him and shine a penlight into his eyes to make certain he's not possessed.]]
139* RescueRomance: Downplayed, but Pacifica noticeably stops being disrespectful to Dipper after he saves her from a vengeful ghost in "Northwest Mansion Mystery" and her behavior since then became ShipTease.
140* ResemblanceReveal: At the end of "Not What He Seems", we finally see the long-lost Author of the Journals in person... and as he removes his protective eye mask and face wrappings, we see he looks just like [[spoiler:Grunkle Stan, confirming Stan's claim that the Author is his brother.]]
141* {{Retcon}}:
142** During the airing of season one, Alex Hirsch revealed on his blog that Soos came to work at the Mystery Shack by answering a want ad in the local paper. However, "Blendin's Game" showed that he was essentially drafted by Stan after returning a screwdriver with the Mystery Shack label on it (left outside his house by the time-traveling Dipper and Mabel). Since time travel is involved this may be justified by being an in-universe retcon too.
143** In "Society of the Blind Eye," the recording of [[spoiler:the younger [=McGucket=]]] said that he had been helping a "visiting researcher" (implying that he was native to the town). However, "A Tale of Two Stans" shows that [[spoiler:[=McGucket=]]] originally resided in California. ''Literature/GravityFallsJournal3'' also revealed that he grew up in rural Tennessee.
144** In both "The Legend Of The Gobblewonker" and "Fight Fighters", Stan mentions "the guys in the lodge" and "the boys", implying that he’s in a group. But by the end of Season One, it’s clear that he doesn’t really have any friends outside the Shack.
145* TheReveal:
146** "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel" is another serial adventure plot that doesn't seem to have any greater significance than the previous three episodes [[spoiler: until the end, when Gideon is revealed to have Journal #2.]]
147** At the end of "Gideon Rises", we learn the truth of what Stan's been doing in his secret basement room, first seen in "Tourist Trapped". [[spoiler: A secret laboratory housing a massive device and Journal #1, which has been in Stan's possession the entire time.]]
148** In "Not What He Seems", we finally find out who the author of the journals is; it's [[spoiler: Stan's brother.]]
149* RewatchBonus:
150** The episodes have subtle hints of future plots and cameos of characters before they become important. One example: [[spoiler: time traveler Blendin Blandin can be seen in the background in early episodes.]]
151** Knowing that [[spoiler: [[ObfuscatingStupidity Grunkle Stan has known that Gravity Falls has supernatural oddities]]]] makes more sense when you go back and watch the episodes where [[spoiler: he denies it]].
152** The reveal of the Author's identity causes a ''ton'' of it. One specifically pointed out by Alex Hirsch himself is that [[spoiler:Stan's initial reaction to the sculpture of himself in "Headhunters" is because, for a moment, it seems like his brother has somehow returned.]]
153*** Rewatching The Time Traveller's Pig, it's apparent that [[spoiler: Ford opens the door to the Mystery Shack when they go back in time, not Stan. Note the sideburns and gold pips on his eyeglasses, as well as the sci-fi blinking antenna outside the Shack.]]
154*** After reading the real-life journal 3, some episode plots were mentioned and it changes the viewers' perspective towards the characters' behavior when they rewatched the mentioned episodes.
155* RichBitch: Pacifica Northwest. She is the richest kid and always expects everything to go her way. When things don't, she (and her family) use their money to fix it. She's also arrogant, bossy, and mean to anybody who doesn't immediately bow to her whims. [[spoiler: As of "Northwest Mansion Mystery" she [[HeelRealization starts improving.]]]]
156* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Mabel's beloved pet pig, Waddles.
157* RiddleForTheAges: We never find out why Gravity Falls is located in a weirdness bubble, which both attracts anomalies and [[spoiler:stops them from leaving the area]]. In [[Recap/GravityFallsS2E17DipperAndMabelVsTheFuture "Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future"]], [[spoiler:Ford]] speculates that the [[spoiler:crashed UFO]] he found underneath Gravity Falls may either have caused the bubble, or it may have simply been drawn to it, but no explanation is ever confirmed.
158* RightForTheWrongReasons:
159** Dipper thinks that Mabel's new boyfriend isn't normal and he's a zombie. He was right that Norman isn't normal, but [[spoiler:he's actually a bunch of gnomes.]]
160** Dipper and Mabel's theory that [[spoiler:the Stan they know isn't really Stan]] is ''technically'' correct, their conclusion was just ''way'' off the mark. [[spoiler:They thought that the man they've known all summer as Great Uncle Stanford Pines was really a dangerous grifter who murdered him. In actuality, "Stanford Pines" is really Stanley Pines, Stanford/The Author's twin brother, who's been impersonating him ever since Stanford's disappearance 30 years ago]].
161* RingAroundTheCollar: Mabel always wears a colorful turtleneck sweater, whose oversized collar obscures most of her neck. Dipper's vest has its collar turned up, which serves a similar effect, even though more of his neck is visible.
162* RivalsTeamUp: [[spoiler:Mabel and Pacifica team up against the Lilliputtians in "The Golf War".]]
163** If you count Dipper as also being Pacifica's rival, then you get [[spoiler: them fighting the ghost in "Northwest Mansion Mystery."]]
164* RoomFullOfCrazy: Downplayed when [[spoiler:[=McGucket=]'s memories are finally exposed. The room he's seen standing for most of them gradually gets more and more demolished as his SanitySlippage progresses, with the words "HELP ME" eventually showing up in (hopefully) red paint. It's the only one shown, but it's very big and we don't get to see very much of the room, implying this trope.]]
165* RubiksCubeInternationalGeniusSymbol: The "What-The-Heck-A-Hedron" is essentially a very hi-tech Rubik's Cube, [[FreezeFrameBonus from the makers of "Stresseract" and "Annoyangle"]]. [[spoiler:It eventually gets solved by a hyperintelligent Waddles.]]
166* RuleOfSymbolism: The CentralTheme of the show is growing up and childhood. At times, Dipper and Mabel's summer stay at Gravity Falls is used as a metaphor for their childhoods, with them feeling conflicted about leaving it when it inevitably comes to a close. Also, towards the end of the show, it's revealed that Dipper and Mabel's birthday is August 31st. August 31st is their last day of summer break, and the day they'll leave Gravity Falls. They're also turning thirteen this year, which will make them "technically teenagers." This summer is literally the last moments of the twins' childhood, and when they leave Gravity Falls they'll be onto a new chapter of their life.
167* RunningGag: There are a couple of potential running gags, like Grunkle Stan being unable to find his pants and Manly Dan beating something up while the Cute Biker cheers him on.
168** We have:
169*** Dipper dropping ice that he gets for Wendy.
170*** Dipper's hat catching fire.
171*** Woodpeckers.
172*** The Dipper and Mabel look-alike kids.
173*** Effigies of Grunkle Stan getting destroyed, usually through burning.
174*** A human or humanoid scampering away on all fours. Some examples include the gnomes in "Tourist Trapped", and Old Man [=McGucket=] in a later episode.
175*** People chanting something excitedly.
176*** Someone describing what they're doing in a sing-song voice.
177-->'''Soos:''' Doo doo doo, walking to my car~ (2x05)
178-->'''Stan:''' Putting a rainbow wig... On a big white gorilla~ (2x09)
179-->'''Wendy:''' Headin' into work. Doo-doo-doo-doo-doooo. (2x11)
180[[/folder]]
181
182[[folder:S]]
183* SarcasmBlind: Mabel and Soos have both displayed shades of this trope.
184* SassyBlackWoman: Not a literal case of this trope, but after Grunkle Stan drinks the voice-altering potion he ends up sounding like one.
185* SatelliteCharacter: The cute biker started off as one to Manly Dan.
186* SatelliteFamilyMember:
187** Dipper and Mabel's parents has only one role: send them to Gravity Falls. They are only mentioned rarely.
188** [[spoiler:Stan and Ford's parents and baby brother only show how horrible their life was and what started their feud.]]
189* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: Dipper and Mabel, respectively.
190* SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud: Mabel does this on a fairly regular basis, as do other characters.
191** "Tourist Trapped":
192--->'''Dipper and Mabel, during their "awkward sibling hug"''': Pat, pat.
193** "Dipper vs. Manliness":
194--->'''Stan:''' Tap, tap.\
195''(later)'' '''Lazy Susan:''' Wink!
196* ScoobyDooHoax:
197** Played straight [[spoiler:in "Legend of the Gobblewonker", with the Gobblewonker]]. Even this straight example is subverted in the final moments of the episode suggesting that there really is a creature, but it just hasn't been seen (yet?). Otherwise averted in most other episodes, with the monster or ghost proving to be very, very real.
198** Inverted in "Headhunters". [[spoiler: After Dipper and Mabel spend half the episode searching for a human culprit responsible for the decapitation of Wax Stan, they discover that it was actually done by a cursed set of wax statues. Even worse, they attacked the Wax Stan by mistake, and were actually intent on murdering the real Stan.]]
199* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Subverted by Stan. After a season and a half of exposure to Stan's abrasive personality, "[[OriginsEpisode A Tale of Two Stans]]" reveals that it has nothing to do with his age; Stan was always like this.
200* ScrewTheMoneyThisIsPersonal: In the last episode, Bill Cipher threatens to kill Dipper and Mabel unless Ford lets him enter his mind. [[spoiler: Ford agrees, but he actually is Stan, who changed clothes with his twin brother, so Ford would shoot him with the Memory Erasing Gun, [[HeroicSacrifice destroying Stan's mind along with Bill]]. The demon panics when he discovers that he is trapped and offers Stan's inner self riches and anything else he would want. Stan, however, is furious because Bill threatened his family and disintegrates him with a punch.]]
201* SecretCircleOfSecrets: [[spoiler:The Blind Eye Society.]] They have the ability to [[spoiler:erase people's memories]], and they're the main reason [[spoiler:everybody in town is so [[{{Muggles}} ignorant to all the unusual happenings going on]]]].
202* SecretRoom: The Mystery shack has a fair number of them. These include the wax figure storage room (door wallpapered over), the room with the FreakyFridayFlip rug ([[spoiler:later revealed to be Ford’s room.]]) (door hidden behind a non-revolving bookcase), and the many rooms in the basement (path hidden behind a vending machine).
203* SelectiveEnforcement: Blubs and Durland will ignore a man snatching an old lady's purse right in front of them, but are quick to respond to reports of excessive giggling.
204* SelfDeprecation: In "Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons", the [[ShowWithinAShow Ducktective]] season finale is on. It reveals that [[spoiler:Ducktective has a twin brother]]. This parallels an event that happened in the show two episodes ago. All the characters exclaimed exasperatedly at the TV, complaining about how unoriginal it is, and how some of them had already called that fact.
205* SelfServingMemory: In "The Land Before Swine", when Stan tells Mabel how [[spoiler: the pterodactyl managed to steal Waddles]], the details were somewhat off.
206** In "A Tale Of Two Stans", [[spoiler:Ford hides the fact that he was working with Bill, making it seem as though he came up the Universe Portal idea on his own.]]
207* SenseFreak: Bill becomes one in "Sock Opera", with a focus on pain because he finds it "hilarious!".
208* SerialEscalation: It started off as a relatively innocent cartoon about twins exploring an apparently sleepy city while staying at the tourist trap of their mysterious Grunkle Stan. Cue [[DarkerandEdgier Season 2]], which opened with the [[MonsteroftheWeek monsters]] being ''zombies'', and then continues to evolve [[spoiler: [[DemonicPossession possessed brothers]], [[{{Yandere}} a videogame girl wanting to keep Soos forever]], a missing family member who's been traveling 30 years through different dimensions, [[DarkAndTroubledPast dark pasts]], the GenkiGirl [[HeroicBSOD losing hope]] and locking up in a LotusEaterMachine, and finally ''the end of the world'']]. [[{{Understatement}} That escalated quickly]].
209* SeriesGoal:
210** Dipper's is to find the missing author of the three journals who can unlock the secrets of Gravity Falls and its weird anomalies.
211** Mabel's is to have, in her own words, an "epic summer romance" with a cute guy.
212* SequelHook: Despite Hirsch himself saying that ''Gravity Falls'' is over, several things happen in the finale- and throughout the series- to suggest future adventures:
213** Blendin vanishes in part one of Weirdmageddon, and [[http://36.media.tumblr.com/6b9928b4e53b64b902fe3f1bc5db6752/tumblr_inline_ntvommAaku1rmdynw_500.png his appearance]] at the end of Gideon Rises is never explained.
214** [[spoiler: Stan and Ford]] plan to go to the Arctic to investigate an anomaly there. (Possibly the present!Time Baby.)
215** As [[spoiler: Bill is dying]], he shouts out a phrase in backward speech: [[spoiler: A-X-O-L-O-T-L, MY TIME HAS COME TO BURN, I INVOKE THE ANCIENT POWER THAT I MAY RETURN.]] Interestingly enough, while this is a clear reference to Alex Hirsch frequently responding with a picture of an Axolotl when asked spoiler questions, [[spoiler:Xolotl is the name of the [[Myth/AztecMythology Aztec god of death... and]] ''[[Myth/AztecMythology twins.]]'']]
216** At the very, ''very'' end, [[spoiler: There's a few frames of an actual statue of Bill, presumably hidden somewhere in the woods of Oregon, and the cipher for that episode is encouraging people to find it...]]
217** [[spoiler:SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER!]]
218* SeriousBusiness: Mr. Poolcheck puts a lot of angry violent determination into making pool time safe. He, and a bar of angry men, also don't take kindly to prank calls.
219--> '''Mr. Poolcheck:''' I lost my hand to a pool filter. The pool may seem friendly, but she can turn on you in an instant. Which is why you must respect her rules! Do you think you have what it takes, boy? Do you?!
220--> '''Dipper:''' Sure, I guess.
221--> '''Mr. Poolcheck:''' Welcome to the deep end, son.
222* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: After spending most of "The Time Traveler's Pig" attempting to MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight, Dipper succeeds only to discover that he set too much wrong, costing Mabel her new pig Waddles in the process. After seeing how distraught his changes to the timeline had made Mabel, Dipper resigns himself to put the timeline back the way it was originally, sacrificing the goal he'd set out to achieve in the process.
223* SetWrongWhatWasOnceMadeRight: [[spoiler:The resolution to example above ("The Time Traveler's Pig") counts as this.]]
224* ShaggyDogStory:
225** A double-sided one in "Boss Mabel". The Mystery Shack racks up enough money to fill the jar, only to lose most of it to pay for the damages made by the Gremloblin, leaving Mabel with ''one dollar.'' Stan, on the other hand, wins a huge amount of cash, only to lose it all because he couldn't say the answer to the bonus word (please).
226** "The Stanchurian Candidate": Stan wins a huge amount of votes, only to be disqualified when the officials discover his criminal record.
227* SheetOfGlass: Parodied in "Legend of the Gobblewonker," when they fly through a pane of glass held between two boats on a lake.
228* TheSheriff: Sheriff Blubs.
229* ShesAManInJapan: In the Brazilian Portuguese dub, Stan and Ford's brother Shermie is referred to as female. It's even on the [[https://gravityfalls.fandom.com/pt/wiki/Shermy_Pines wiki]].
230* ShipSinking:
231** Wendy breaking up with Robbie in "Boyz Crazy" is one. [[spoiler: It sunk even more after "The Love God", in which Robbie became an OfficialCouple with Tambry.]]
232** Those who were fond of Mabel/Mermando [[spoiler: felt their hearts sink when "Society of The Blind Eye" revealed that Mermando is forced into an arranged marriage with a manatee princess for political purposes. Mermando himself is clearly unhappy about this based on the photo sent.]]
233* ShipTease:
234** "The Last Mabelcorn" implies that Dipper still thinks a lot of Wendy, whether this was recent (post-Wendy's rejection) or far back (pre-Wendy's rejection), which started giving some shippers hope. Despite Dipper himself realizing that it is hopeless at times, the show has several episodes where the tease appears to reciprocate:
235*** A couple of other notable episodes include "The Inconveniencing" with their first session of really hanging out and "The Deep End," where Dipper and Wendy continually chill and have fun together as lifeguards at the pool.
236*** Then there is "Into the Bunker." This episode begins [[spoiler:with teasing but ends with sinking]]. The tease happens in the beginning with Dipper and Wendy watching a movie at her house, and there is a bit of it when [[spoiler:they get trapped in the closet and bump into each other. After that, however, the ship sinks after Wendy kindly rejects Dipper, and her praise is also seen as a tease in and of itself]].
237*** There is a little more teasing after that, [[spoiler:reviving the ship, though,]] when Dipper and Wendy hug in "Weirdmageddon Part 1."
238*** [[spoiler:"Weirdmageddon Part 3" is ultimately the biggest revival of the ship with Dipper and Wendy switching hats as they part ways until next summer]].
239** A ''lot'' between Dipper and Pacifica in "Northwest Mansion Mystery", especially the part when she [[spoiler: hugged Dipper out of joy when they sealed the ghost within the mirror. Their reaction afterward sells it.]] This is not helped at all by Alex Hirsch's [[TrollingCreator deliberately vague but provocative answers]] to questions regarding the nature of their relationship.
240*** On the "See you next Summer" letter to Dipper, she signs her name with a pink hearted-shaped dot on the "i".
241*** The Ship gets briefly teased again in ''Videogame/GravityFallsLegendOfTheGnomeGemulets''.
242*** Finally, [[spoiler: Journal 3's entry that Dipper wrote about the events of "Northwest Mansion Mystery" has him mention she looks "okay" in an evening dress and that she smells like champagne and flowers, the latter information [[BelligerentSexualTension crossed out]]. The last sentence, also crossed out, is him wondering if there was some vibe going on between them]].
243** Candy hanging onto Dipper after the Trickster's threat in "Summerween" was enough to send some shippers into fits of [[{{Squee}} squeeing]]. There were already Candy/Dipper shippers before, but this was the first real interaction that was remotely shippy they could latch onto. With the subtle peek that Mabel would have tried this with them in "The Love God", it might just get larger. [[spoiler: In "Roadside Attraction", she canonically gets a temporary crush on Dipper, of which Mabel and Grenda are way too eager of helping them get alone time together. However, due to Dipper feeling [[LikeBrotherAndSister uncomfortable about her crush]], and her losing interest by the end of the episode, this doubles as ShipSinking.]]
244** Soos takes off his shirt rather often, and in "Stan's Tattoo", he tries to get Stan to do the same. [[FanDisservice Stan is disgusted]].
245* ShoulderCannon: The [[spoiler: Mystery Shack HumongousMecha]] is equipped with a {{BFG}} on its shoulder.
246* ShoutOut: Has [[ShoutOut/GravityFalls its own page]].
247* ShovelStrike: Soos gives a shovel to Dipper in the first episode when Dipper races off to save Mabel from [[spoiler:the gnomes]]. [[CrazyPrepared He also gives him a baseball bat in case he sees a pinata]].
248* ShowWithinAShow: Many, including ''Duck-Tective'', ''Tiger Fist'', ''Why You Ackin' So Cray-Cray?'', ''Ghost Harassers'', ''Baby Fights'', ''Cash Wheel'', and ''World's Most Terrifying Skydiving''.
249** There’s also several movies such as: ''The Duchess Approves'', ''Nearly Almost Dead But Not Quite!'', ''Dream Boy High'', and ''Believe In Yourself''.
250* ShownTheirWork:
251** The SceneryPorn of the opening scene, as well as many of the show's backgrounds, is very accurate to the actual Oregonian landscape.
252** Similarly, almost every real-life animal seen living wild in Gravity Falls is actually native to Oregon, including the somewhat obscure purple finch. See MisplacedWildlife for exceptions.
253** Gompers has rectangular pupils, just like goats in real life.
254** In "Northwest Mansion Mystery", the mudslide [[spoiler: that killed the lumberjack]] was the result of the deforestation that ensued from [[spoiler: him building [[DeathByIrony Northwest Manor]]]]. Deforestation can cause mudslides because the lack of trees destabilizes the soil, so whenever it rains in a treeless era, the ground becomes saturated and slides.
255** For all the stereotypical paleontological inaccuracies present in "Land Before Swine", the episode did get quadrupedal pterosaurs right and portrayed ''Ceratosaurus'' with three laterally-flat horns.
256** The beavers from "Legend of the Gobblewonker" have yellowish teeth like real beavers.
257** In "Little Dipper", Dipper feels insecure because Mabel is revealed to be growing faster than he is, despite them being the same age. This makes sense: as anybody with a similarly-aged sibling of the opposite sex can attest, there is an awkward phase growing up caused by the fact that girls hit puberty earlier than boys.
258** Fans often say Dipper and Mabel have a 'heart', or more 'heart' than the other pair of twins, [[spoiler:Stanley and Stanford]]. Turns out that opposite-gender twins are a lot more accepting and open-minded than same-gender twins.
259* ShrinkRay: Dipper makes one out of magic crystals and a flashlight.
260* SiblingSenioritySquabble: [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7lhj2iSkz1r9betso1_1280.jpg According to Alex Hirsh]], Mabel often remarks that "you'll get it when you're older" due to being older than Dipper by five minutes. It often drives him nuts, since "Dipper vs. Manliness" proves that he wants to grow up and become a man because he hates being a wimpy 12-year-old.
261** In one episode Mabel tries this, and Dipper angrily responds that they're twins. "Girls mature faster," she says smugly, which is especially ironic [[CloudCuckooLander in]] their [[CloudCuckoolandersMinder case]].
262** Further WordOfGod (albeit of the off-the-cuff variety: "you just witnessed canon being born") has it that [[spoiler:Ford is older than Stan by fifteen minutes and that this accounts for his superiority complex with regard to their relationship.]].
263* SignsOfDisrepair: The Mystery Shack's sign regularly loses the second "S" to spell out "Mystery hack", including in the opening theme. Rather fitting considering Grunkle Stan's personality.
264* SilenceIsGolden: Each episode plays a short clip over the credits to wrap things up or get in another quick gag before it's over. The episode "Not What He Seems" just shows [[spoiler: two young boys quietly sitting on a swing set, with but the quiet beach breeze for company]]. Especially effective because of [[WhamEpisode what immediately preceded it.]]
265* SitcomArchNemesis:
266** Dipper and Mabel both have one. Dipper and Robbie strike up an enmity almost immediately after the meeting which only intensifies once a LoveTriangle forms around their mutual desire for Wendy's affections. Mabel forms an enemy out of Pacifica Northwest, the AlphaBitch of Gravity Falls. Due to Mabel's kindhearted optimism, and Dipper's over-protective nature, Pacifica also serves as his rival in several episodes.
267** Subverted by Li'l Gideon Gleeful, introduced as Stan's rival con artist. Gideon runs the Tent of Telepathy with about as much legitimacy as the Mystery Shack. He quickly made enemies of Stan out of wacky shenanigans like stealing his parking space. [[spoiler: But lurking beneath the façade of minor rival was a truly malevolent individual, willing to manipulate and murder to achieve his goals and destroy the Pines family.]]
268* SkeletonKey: The President's Key can open any lock in America.
269* TheSlacker: Despite being employed at the Mystery Shack, Wendy Corduroy never misses an opportunity to just hang out in the shack and not do any real work.
270--> '''Stan:''' You two are going to wash the bathrooms, right?
271--> '''Soos:''' Yes, sir!
272--> '''Wendy:''' Absolutely not!
273* SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror: Interestingly enough, the show shows shades of the comedy-dominant variety. While the show mostly treats itself like a straight-up comedy, the premise of each episode frequently deals with the supernatural, with some containing scenes so creepy [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids that you have to check periodically that you're watching a Disney show.]]
274* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: While a bit DarkerAndEdgier than your usual Disney animation show, the show is still heavily on the idealism end of the scale.
275* SlobsVsSnobs: Mabel (slob) was initially an enemy to Pacifica Northwest (snob). However, they made up and became friends between "The Golf War" and "Northwest Mansion Mystery".
276** Extra points for Stanley (slob) and Stanford "Ford" Pines (snob).
277* SlumberParty: Mabel has one with Candy and Grenda in "Carpet Diem".
278* SmartCopDumbCop: Downplayed. Sheriff Blubs is incompetent and lazy, but he's usually the one that enforces the law, even if he ignores the bigger problems with the town in the process. His partner, Deputy Durland, makes him look even smarter by comparison, as he spends most of his time shouting nonsense and playing around, is [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny easily distracted by shiny objects]], and apparently NeverLearnedToRead.
279* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: Lampshaded by Dipper in "Little Gift Shop of Horrors" where he puts on a pair of glasses and says, "Professor glasses. They make me look like a genius!"
280** Played straight with Ford. Both he and Stan wear glasses in the present; but in flashbacks, only Ford has glasses.
281* SmittenTeenageGirl: Mabel, with every [[GirlOfTheWeek Guy of the Week]] that comes along.
282* SmokeOut: Grunkle Stan employs smoke bombs in his showmanship with the Mystery Shack, to further entertain and con the masses into giving him money. Using them is also his preferred escape method after he's done something shady.
283** In "Summerween", Stan uses a smoke bomb to rob a store after the clerk asks security to escort them out.
284** Subverted in "The Stanchurian Candidate", where Stan attempts to flee a store with a smoke bomb just like he did in "Summerween" after confessing his plans to shoplift in front of the clerk. The smoke bomb is long past its expiration date, however, and Stan is effortlessly tackled by security.
285* SociallyAwkwardHero:
286** Dipper is terrible in social situations, especially in comparison to [[TheSocialExpert his sister]].
287** Downplayed by Soos in "Soos and the Real Girl". He's usually pretty good at interacting in social environments, but when pressure is put on him to find a date, Soos panics and humiliates himself several times by overthinking it. As soon as he's in the comfort zone of having what passes for a girlfriend, Soos is right back to be charming and likable and gets a date effortlessly.
288* SocietyOnEdgeEpisode: The Season 1 finale has Gideon take over the Mystery Shack, and the GrandFinale revolves around Bill Cipher unleashing [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Weirdmageddon]].
289* SolidCartoonFacialStubble: Grunkle Stan has practically half his face covered in a solid-colored grey color to indicate stubble. [[spoiler:Zigzagged, however, as his own twin brother, Ford, has a grey gradient on his face to indicate a more clean-shaven face, though later it's shown that he prefers [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} burning all his facial hair off over shaving]]]]. A flashback shows them both with grey gradients when they were younger, but one also has short lines to indicate thicker stubble since he's been driven paranoid and hasn't been taking care of his appearance.
290* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: Twice in "Into the Bunker".
291** [[spoiler: When Dipper and Wendy run into Soos and Mabel, Dipper initially worries that they might be the shapeshifter. Their goofy antics convince him they aren't.]]
292** [[spoiler: When Wendy is wrestling against a shapeshifter disguised as her in the climax of "Into the Bunker," Dipper asks for a sign. The shapeshifter winks, while Wendy mimes zipping her lip and throwing away the key, a special sign she and Dipper have had since "The Inconveniencing."]]
293*** [[spoiler: During "Weirdmageddon 2: Escape from Reality," Wendy suggests to Dipper their age difference could be solved using Mabel's abilities in Mabeland, allowing the two of them to be in a relationship. He's almost persuaded, up to the moment she winks at him, and he immediately pings on the fact she's an imposter.]]
294* SomethingThatBeginsWithBoring: Mabel tries to start a game of "I Spy" in a dark and empty bottomless pit.
295* SourOutsideSadInside:
296** Though she hides it well, [[spoiler: Pacifica's revealed to be very insecure due to her AbusiveParents, as well as conflicted about [[CardCarryingVillain her family's history]].]]
297** Beneath his {{Jerkass}} persona, [[spoiler:Robbie is actually very insecure and lonely]]. After he's hit rock-bottom, [[AllLovingHero Mabel]] picks up on this and makes it a personal goal to try and cheer him up, [[spoiler:which succeeds, leading him to [[TookALevelInKindness Take A Level In Kindness]]]].
298---> '''Mabel:''' Listen, Robbie, I always used to see you as a creepy jerk. Like the human version of rat poison.
299---> '''Robbie:''' ...uh...go on?
300---> '''Mabel:''' But when I saw you at the cemetery today, I realized Robbie's not a bad guy. He's just a heartbroken soul who needs love. And gloves with fingers!
301** Grunkle Stan has shades of this. "A Tale of Two Stans" shows he was always coarse and bitter, he became even more so when he was ostracized from his family.
302* SouthernFriedGenius: Both Li'l Gideon Gleeful and Old Man [=McGucket=].
303* SpaghettiKiss: Apparently Old Man [=McGucket=] had one with a raccoon over a piece of meat they were fighting over.
304* SpecialEditionTitle: The "Weirdmageddon" episodes use a different version of the opening with an altered instrumental track and new visuals that replace several characters with [[spoiler:Bill]] in different costumes and show [[spoiler:the nightmare he's turned Gravity Falls into]].
305** Gravity Falls — [[PaintingTheMedium Created by]] [[spoiler: [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou Bill Cipher]]]]
306* SpiritualSuccessor: It could possibly be considered one to ''Series/SoWeird'', an early Disney Channel show from the 90's famous for its supernatural mystery storyline, dark themes, nerdy paranormal investigator-type protagonist, heavy MythArc, and focus on family dynamics.
307* SpitTake:
308** Parodied in "Headhunters". Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland take turns spitting hot coffee into each other's faces several times, right after TemptingFate about Dipper solving an unsolvable mystery.
309---> '''Blubs:''' I'm so confident you're going to say no that I'm going to take a long, slow sip from my cup of coffee.
310** In "Fight Fighters", Stan spits up his cola after Mabel sneaks up behind him while he relaxes in his armchair.
311** Double subverted in "Boyz Crazy". Stan takes a big drink of Pitt Cola before listening to what was supposed to be a subliminal message to invoke the SpitTake, but it's defied when no such message plays. However, a short scene later, Dipper finds the message, prompting Stan to spit up his cola in Dipper's face.
312---> '''Stan:''' Now ''there's'' your SpitTake!
313* SpoilerOpening: Paying attention to the part with the photos in the opening shows [[spoiler:Gideon, the gnomes, Blendin Blandin, and the Summerween Trickster. Following this is a split-second image of Bill Cipher.]]
314* SpoofAesop:
315** In "Summerween", Stan learns the true spirit of the holiday; where the whole family comes together and celebrates what matters... "Pure evil!" Cue [[EverybodyLaughsEnding everyone in the shack laughing evilly.]]
316** In "Love God", Stan learns that being loved is overrated and being feared is priceless.
317** In "Irrational Treasure", Mabel decides not to spring the knowledge that Pacifica's ancestor is a fraud on her, being content with herself. Dipper, on the other hand, gladly does so and declares that revenge is awesome.
318* StableTimeLoop: Happens in both of the [[TimeTravelEpisode Time Travel Episodes]].
319** "The Time Traveler's Pig": Blendin Blandin is sent from the future to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong by cleaning up the temporal mess that was apparently started by the twins. He ends up running into them by accident, and after a series of events, the twins end up stealing his time machine. Their misuse of said time machine is what causes the mess that Blendin was supposed to clean up.
320** "Blendin's Game": At the beginning of the episode, Soos teaches the twins a trick on how to get free snacks out of a snack machine. After going back in time, [[spoiler: Mabel ends up teaching the same trick to a 12-year-old Soos.]]
321** Also in play in both episodes regarding Stan's red screwdriver. Blendin stole it during "The Time Traveler's Pig" in order to fix his time machine, and kept it until "Blendin's Game," where he accidentally drops it in Soos' yard, which prompts him to go to the Mystery Shack and get hired by Stan in the first place.
322* StageWhisper: Because he CanNotSpitItOut that he has a secret crush on Wendy, Dipper just tends to mutter about it to himself instead, while still at a distance that she could likely hear. [[spoiler:Subverted, as Wendy eventually tells him she knew all along, partly because of how obvious he was about it]].
323* StalkerWithACrush:
324** In "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel", Lil' Gideon courts Mabel. It starts out innocently enough but gets increasingly manipulative until Dipper tries to break it off for her. [[spoiler: Gideon responds with attempted murder.]] Downplayed afterward; although Gideon's infatuation with Mabel never quite goes away, it takes a backseat to his other nefarious deeds, only coming back up from time to time as opportunity strikes.
325** In "Soos and the Real Girl", Soos meets Giffany, the love interest for the video game Romance Academy 7. Her clinginess and possessiveness become evident right off the bat. Soos is okay with it at first, but [[spoiler: when he tries to break it off with her to pursue a relationship with an actual woman, Giffany snaps. She interrupts his date and attempts to force him to be with her forever.]]
326---> '''Giffany:''' What's important is that you won't have to talk to real girls ever again. You and me can be together '''''FOREVER'''''.
327---> '''Soos:''' Wow, that's awesome! Sort of a red flag, but mostly awesome!
328* StalkingIsFunnyIfItIsFemaleAfterMale: Averted with [[spoiler:Giffany]]. There are points in the episode where her [[spoiler:relentlessly stalking Soos]] is played for comedy, but it's not because she's a girl and he's a guy; it's because [[spoiler:[[KissMeImVirtual she's a computer program and he's a human]]]]. The stalking is otherwise depicted as very serious and disturbing. Soos himself notes the situation is one big red flag, but he's so happy for the attention that he goes along with it anyway.
329* StatusQuoIsGod:
330** In "Boss Mabel", Mabel makes a deal with Stan to be the Mystery Shack boss for 3 days and if she makes more money in that time, she becomes the boss for the summer. [[spoiler:When Stan returns with no money, she declines after realizing how hard it is to be the boss.]]
331** Downplayed in "Carpet Diem", Dipper and Mabel fight for the newly discovered room to get away from each other. [[spoiler:Dipper convinces Stan to let him have the room, but both Mabel and Dipper miss rooming together, so they give the new room to Soos to replace his horrible break room. However, later shorts show that Soos keeps the new room. Although Dipper and Mabel's situation reverted to status quo, the room itself isn't forgotten.]]
332** Double subverted in the last two episodes of season 1. In "Dreamscaperers", [[spoiler:Gideon successfully gets the deed to the Shack and the Pines are forced to live at Soos' grandma's house. However in "Gideon Rises", Dipper defeats Gideon and everybody can go back to the shack]].
333*** Also subverted in that episode when [[spoiler: Gideon's scam is revealed to the townsfolk and he his sent to jail.]]
334** Parodied in "Gideon Rises". For most of the first season, the "S" in "Shack" on top of the Mystery Shack had been detached. [[spoiler: While rebuilding the Mystery Shack, the "S" in "Shack" falls off once again.]]
335** ...and then pretty solidly averted in "Not What He Seems." [[spoiler: Once the Author emerges from the portal, he's there to stay. In doing so, he reveals one of the biggest mysteries in the series, and from then on just about every episode in the series has something heavily plot-relevant.]]
336* StealthPun:
337** Parodied in Tourist Trapped by Jeff, one of the gnomes attempting to marry Mabel.
338---> '''Jeff:''' Will you join us in holy matrignomey...matri-matriMONY, BLAH, can't talk today...
339** In "Headhunters", the wax figures are cursed to come to life whenever the moon is waxing.
340** In "Boyz Crazy", Sev'ral Timez's producer actually ''produces'' them as clones.
341** In "Sock Opera", Dipper spends a good amount of time at Mabel's sock puppet RockOpera as essentially a ghost. In other words, he's a literal [[Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera Phantom of the Opera]].
342** In "Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons," Probabilitor is a literal math wizard.
343* SteamrolledSmartGuy: Dipper likes to heavily research his surroundings before taking action, while Mabel often runs headlong into danger without a second thought.
344* StockNessMonster: Double Subverted in "The Legend of the Gobblewonker" by the Gobblewonker, a colossal sea monster found in the Gravity Falls lake that strongly resembles good old Nessie. [[spoiler: Given that the creature is a robot, it can look like whatever it wants to. That is, it could if there wasn't really a Gobblewonker, briefly shown at the end of the episode.]]
345* StockPunishment: Grunkle Stan gets subjected to it in "Irrational Treasure."
346* StrangelySpecificHoroscope: In "Carpet Diem" while Old Man [=McGucket=] is chasing [[FreakyFridayFlip Soos in Waddle's body.]]
347-->'''Deputy Durland:''' A bearded witch chasing a talking pig!
348-->'''Sheriff Blubs:''' My horoscope came true.
349* StrangeMindsThinkAlike: It appears that [[spoiler:Ford]] and Bill separately had the idea of calling the [[EldritchLocation nonsensical hellscape]] Bill plans to turn the world into "Weirdmageddon".
350* StumbledIntoThePlot: Dipper Pines finds a mysterious journal buried in the woods when sent out to hang signs on trees. The journal, as a GreatBigBookOfEverything, tells Dipper that the town he's in - the titular Gravity Falls - contains a variety of supernatural phenomena, piquing Dipper's interest and leading him to start exploring the hidden secrets the town has to offer.
351* StumblingInTheNewForm: In "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E4SockOpera Sock Opera]]," Bill [[DemonicPossession possesses Dipper's body]], and spends a few seconds stumbling around getting used to having a physical form again. Unfortunately for Dipper, Bill ''delights'' in harming his host's body, finding pain "hilarious," leading to Dipper's body going through several injuries via Bill's carelessness and active malice.
352* StylisticSuck: The "Fixin' it with Soos" shorts. Soos claims to have edited them himself, and they're rife with badly animated clip art, lousy green screen effects, and the watermark of the free trial software he uses to make them. The "Gravity Falls Public Access TV" shorts also get it on it, showing a Mystery Shack TV ad with lousy editing and green screen footage.
353* SubliminalAdvertising: Parodied in "Boyz Crazy". Stan admits to using subtle, hidden messages in the gift shop music.
354--> '''Loudspeaker:''' '''''BUY MORE KEYCHAINS!!!'''''
355* SubliminalSeduction:
356** At the very end of the theme song when the logo pops up, a backward whisper can be heard, which, depending on the episode, is the answer to how to decode the cryptogram in the end credits. The only exceptions are "Not What He Seems", where the whisper says "Stan is not what he seems," and the GrandFinale Weirdmageddon arc, where Bill whispers "I'm watching you nerds" in the first part, an angrier "I'M WATCHING YOU" in the second, and the third has the more appropriate "Goodbye Gravity Falls."
357** In "The Inconveniencing", the speech of one of the Flavor Pups in Mabel's Smile Dip hallucination sounds like the phrase "must distrust Grunkle" when played backward.
358** In "Boyz Crazy", Robbie ends a fight with Wendy by pulling out a CD he claims to have written for her, which contains a hypnotic message to place her under his control. It's [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane never quite clear]] if the message really worked, as Wendy believes she gave him a second chance because he wrote a song for her, and breaks up with him because he lied about it.
359** Gideon's message to summon Bill in "Dreamscaperers" has him repeat the phrase "[[ShapedLikeItself Backwards message!]]" in reverse. Similarly, when he chants the incantation to possess Bud in "The Stanchurian Candidate", he is repeating "Spooky evil spells!" in reverse.
360** The most significant message is in the GrandFinale when Bill is being destroyed. Just before he is wiped out, Bill cries out in reverse: [[spoiler:"A-X-O-L-O-T-L, my time has come to burn! I invoke the ancient power that I may return!"]]
361* SuccessAsRevenge: In "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E8IrrationalTreasure Irrational Treasure]]", Mabel decides not to spill the dirt on Pacifica's family cover-up as revenge for Pacifica calling her silly, because she has learned that "being silly is awesome" and no longer cares what Pacifica thinks. Immediately defied by her brother, who [[SpoofAesop "hasn't learned anything" and spills the dirt for her]].
362* SuckECheeses: Hoo-Ha Owl's Pizzamatronic Jamboree, complete with an animatronic rock and roll badger. Stan calls the place a nightmare but is instantly seduced by the amount of money it can pull in.
363* SuddenDownerEnding: "Dreamscaperers" ends with [[spoiler: Bill Cipher defeated, the deed to the Mystery Shack defended, and Dipper finally understanding Stan's treatment of him and bonding. Everyone lives happily ever after for about three seconds, whereupon Gideon blows open Stan's safe with dynamite, steals the deed, and begins demolishing the building, which continues in "Gideon Rises".]]
364* SunglassesAtNight: Sheriff Blubs wears sunglasses while on a nighttime raid in "Headhunters".
365* SuperficialSuggestionBox: The Mystery Shack has comment cards for tourists to fill out after their visit, but Grunkle Stan gleefully tosses them all into a bottomless pit without reading them. And when Mabel complains about Grunkle Stan's behavior as the boss, he redirects her to the "complaint department", which is just a garbage can.
366* SuperiorTwinTeamwork: Played straight, deconstructed, and reconstructed with Dipper and Mabel.
367** On the one hand, while the two are separately capable individuals, with Dipper being TheSmartGuy and Mabel being an EccentricArtist ActionGirl, together, they balance out each other. Mabel's outgoing impulsiveness encourages Dipper to get out of his head and have fun, while Dipper's forward-thinking helps Mabel focus her energies and face the future. Wendy comments on this, while Grunkle Stan thinks they get along freakishly well. [[spoiler: This is especially highlighted when Ford returns, as this pair of twins had a falling out as teenagers and are much more prone to arguing and dysfunction than Dipper and Mabel are.]]
368** However, this gets deconstructed and reconstructed in Season 2, as Mabel's shortsightedness and Dipper's hyperfocus on the mysteries of Gravity Falls cause issues between them. In addition, [[spoiler: Ford]] points out to Dipper that relying too much on his twin can be stifling to his and Mabel's individual endeavors and achievements. [[spoiler: Mabel's reliance on Dipper indeed causes her to break down when she finds out Dipper is thinking about staying in Gravity Falls, causing her to make a deal that inadvertently brings about Weirdmaggedon. But, once they work out their issues and work together again, they inspire the Stans to reconcile and help reverse it once again. They end the series with a healthier dynamic than they started with.]]
369---> '''Wendy:''' This summer, I've seen some amazing things, but nothing as amazing as you and your sister.
370* SupernaturalHotspotTown: Gravity Falls itself is home to many strange creatures, including gnomes, sea monsters, shapeshifters, ghosts, and unicorns. [[spoiler:This is explained in the finale due to the town's Natural Law of Weirdness Magnetism, which not only draws strange creatures to the town, but also keeps them there.]]
371* SurpriseMultipleBirth: The reason [[spoiler:Stanley and Stanford]] got their names is because their father was not expecting twins and was not very creative, so he just named them both [[spoiler:Stan]].
372* SurvivalMantra: Mrs. Gleeful has one to deal with the trauma of her terrible son. "Just keep vacuumin', ''just keep vacuumin'...''"
373* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial:
374** From "Double Dipper":
375---> '''Dipper''': Oh, tough break. I wonder who those guys are who aren't me because I'm right here.
376** From "Fight Fighters":
377--->'''Grunkle Stan''': There's a great uncles day?\
378'''Mabel''': Of course it's not a day I made up!
379** From "The Deep End":
380--->'''Mabel''': There's certainly not a ''mermaid'' in there if that's what you're implying. Who said anything about a mermaid?
381** From "The Land Before Swine":
382--->'''Grunkle Stan''': I'm not acting suspicious! You're acting suspicious! ''What's a pig?!''
383** From "A Tale of Two Stans":
384--->'''Steve Pinington[[note]]One of Grunkle Stan's aliases[[/note]]:''' The [[{{Pun}} Rip Off]] won't give you rashes. I repeat, it ''won't'' give you rashes.\
385'''Grunkle Stan:''' It gave you rashes.
386[[/folder]]
387
388[[folder:T]]
389* {{Tagline}}: "Just west of weird." Sometimes expanded to "Just west of weird, slightly east of eerie, and always north of normal."
390* TakeThat:
391** Grenda and Candy want to read "Wolfman Bare Chest", an obvious {{Expy}} of ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'', on their sleepover. Dipper ([[FreakyFridayFlip in Mabel's body]]), is disgusted.
392** The entirety of "Boyz Crazy" is a TakeThat towards the manufactured, artificial nature of 90's boy bands.
393** One of the chants in "Dreamscaperers" is "Inceptus Nolanus Overratus," which roughly translates to "''Film/{{Inception}}'' [by] Nolan [is] Overrated."
394** In "Soos and the New Girl", there's a store in the mall clearly modeled after Hot Topic called "Edgy on Purpose".
395** The "Clay Day" short from "Little Gift Shop of Horrors" makes a jab at CGI animation for killing off StopMotion animation, but also at people who claim that CGI is inferior to StopMotion because it "has no heart".
396** At the start of "Northwest Mansion Mystery", Dipper is watching a show called [[Series/GhostHunters Ghost Harassers]] on the [[NetworkDecay Used To Be]] About [[Creator/TheHistoryChannel History Channel]]. Other programs include Crawdads in Tiaras and Florida: The Show.
397** [[spoiler: Ford]] designed a prototype mind-control tie for "UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan's masters" so that [[PuppetKing he could serve as a talking head]].
398* TakingAdvantageOfGenerosity: Wendy takes advantage of Mabel's BenevolentBoss attitude in "Boss Mabel."
399* TalentVsTraining: In “The Golf War”, Mabel is shown to have a natural talent for miniature golf. Her rival Pacifica also plays the game, but thanks to years of training by a [[BlandNameProduct Sportlympic]] miniature golf champion, is even better than Mabel. She finds that the only way she can stay competitive is by enlisting the help of the tiny creatures who control the course.
400* TankTopTomboy: Wendy sports this look in "The Last Mabelcorn", "Into the Bunker" (when [[spoiler: she fights the Shape-Shifter]]), and [[spoiler: during Weirdmageddon]].
401* TapOnTheHead: Discussed in "Fight Fighters." Stan's advice to Dipper regarding a bully is to hit him on the top of the head, calling it "nature's snooze button."
402* TaxidermyTerror: [[spoiler: The Lumberjack's Ghost in Northwest Mansion Mystery animates all the taxidermy in the house, making them bleed from the mouth, chant about "ancient sins", and attack the guests at the party.]]
403* TheOnlyOneITrust:
404** Defied by Dipper. In "Tourist Trapped", he finds Journal #3 which warns him to trust nobody in Gravity Falls. He proceeds to share information about his investigation with his twin sister Mabel, the shack's HandyMan Soos, and store clerk Wendy and makes several attempts to bring his Grunkle Stan in on it as well. In "Scary-oke", he takes it a step further by attempting to share his investigation with the FBI.
405** In "A Tale of Two Stans", with his back against the wall and nobody else to turn to, Ford reached out to [[spoiler: his twin brother Stan for help.]]
406** In "Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons", [[spoiler: Dipper is the only one Grunkle Ford tells about the dimensional rift. Ford takes the warnings inside the Journal more seriously than Dipper. This makes sense, of course, because he wrote them.]]
407* TheTalk: Stan decides to give one to Dipper in the episode "Carpet Diem". Unfortunately, it's Mabel in Dipper's body. [[FreezeFrameBonus Blink and you'll miss it]], but the title of the book Stan uses is ''Why Am I So Sweaty: Your Body Explained in Horrifyingly Uncomfortable Detail''.
408-->'''Mabel:''' Goodbye childhood...
409* TheEndOrIsIt: In the final episode, the Pines family's story comes to a pretty definitive end as [[spoiler: Dipper and Mabel head back home, Stan and Ford leave to travel the world together, and Soos becomes the new owner of the Mystery Shack]]. However, we do get some hints that [[spoiler: Bill may not be [[NotQuiteDead as gone as it seemed]]: he chants an incantation vowing to return during his death scene, and the episode ends with '''live action footage''' of his petrified physical form alone in the woods]].
410* ThereWasADoor: When Mabel drives away with Mermando in "The Deep End", she breaks an entirely new hole in the chain-link fence instead of going back out through the one right in front of her. This could be attributed to RuleOfCool or RuleOfFunny, though.
411* ThirteenthBirthdayMilestone: The episode "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E17DipperAndMabelVsTheFuture Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future]]" has the Mystery Twins prepare for the arrival of their 13th birthday -- which not only marks the end of their childhood, but is also on the same day as their last day in Gravity Falls, and is seen as something Dipper anticipates but Mabel fears.
412* TeamPet: Waddles the pig joins the cast in "The Time Traveler's Pig" when Mabel wins him at a carnival.
413** Gompers the Goat also qualifies.
414* TearsOfJoy: The Summerween Trickster cries tears of candy corn [[spoiler:[[ItMakesSenseInContext when Soos eats him]].]]
415* TheTeaser: Each episode begins with a cold open.
416* TechnologicallyBlindElders: Stan's not up-to-date with modern technology.
417** In "Boyz Crazy", Dipper and Stan think that Robbie is brainwashing Wendy with his music, so they take his CD and try to listen to it slowed down. Stan mistakes it for a vinyl record and puts it into a record player. It doesn't work, and Stan is confused.
418---> '''Stan:''' We're doing something wrong here, but I can't put my finger on it.
419** In the episode "Little Dipper", Gideon [[spoiler:kidnaps Dipper and Mabel]], and he calls Stan for ransom. Stan doesn't believe him.
420--->'''Gideon:''' You don't believe me? I will text you a photo!
421--->'''Stan:''' "Text me a photo"? Now you're not even speaking English. (''hangs up'')
422** [[spoiler: Ford also has very little concept of modern technology, but he at least has the excuse of not being in this dimension since the '80s.]] He asks the FBI agents for all their floppy disks and 8-tracks and looks briefly confused when they hand him a USB thumb drive.
423* TeensAreMonsters: Averted with Wendy and her friend group. They're snarky, subject each other to a lot of good-natured ribbing, dare each other to do stupid things, play pranks, love mischief, etc.--but it's all in good fun, and they never intend to seriously harm anyone. The most serious kind of trouble any of them ever get up to is graffitiing here and there, and maybe some drinking, as a party at Tambry's house is advertised with a flyer reading, "No photos better end up online!".
424** The episode "The Inconveniencing" can be seen as a TakeThat to this trope. The Dusk 2 Dawn convenience store was abandoned after the store's owners were given heart attacks by vile and wretched teenagers and their horrible rap music. [[spoiler: The music was incredibly tame, however, which puts more attention on the overreaction of the elders than on the wickedness of teens. Additionally, the "offenses" that Tambry, Thompson, Lee, and Nate get taken hostage for by the ghosts of the owners are texting, playing video games, being sarcastic, and yelling]].
425---> > Homework's whack and so are rules! Tucking in your shirt's for fools!
426* TellHimImNotSpeakingToHim: Mabel gives Stan the silent treatment in "The Land Before Swine".
427* TemptingFate: In "The Time Traveler's Pig", Soos comments that the only thing that could possibly cause the rigged dunk tank to dunk Stan is a "futuristic laser arm-cannon."
428* TestosteronePoisoning:
429** The manotaurs are testosterone ''waterboarding''.
430--->'''Testostoroar:''' I have three Y chromosomes, six Adam's Apples, pecs on my abs, and fists for nipples!
431** Wendy's dad's name is "Manly" Dan for a reason. He roars every line of dialogue, his hobbies include punching random objects, and he's so large and muscular that he can't even walk around in his own house without breaking things.
432** Mr. Poolcheck from "The Deep End" also counts. He's basically Manly Dan as a lifeguard.
433* ThatWasTheLastEntry: One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Author is the fact that his journal entries rather abruptly stopped and no one seems to have had any idea what happened to him after that. [[spoiler:It's later revealed he was sucked into the portal and trapped in other dimensions.]]
434* ThemeMusicPowerUp: [[spoiler: After three episode intros with a warped theme song due to Weirdmageddon, the original theme makes a triumphant return in the show's finale during the battle between Bill's minions and the Mystery Shack robot ([[AutobotsRockOut and with an electrical guitar thrown in, no less]]). ]]
435* ThisIsMyChair: Stan and Gideon battle over a poolside chair in "The Deep End".
436* ThoseTwoGuys: Lee and Nate are two members of Wendy's circle of friends. They're fairly standard teenagers with a strong bond but rarely interact with the plot for more than a few lines.
437* TimeTravelEpisode:
438** "The Time Traveler's Pig" featured Dipper and Mabel using time travel to MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight and keep Wendy from dating Robbie.
439** Its sequel, "Blendin's Game", brought back Blendin Blandin and featured the Time Patrol pursuing Dipper and Mabel to compete against him in a gladiatorial challenge.
440* TimeTravelRomance: Subverted in "Blendin's Game". Upon traveling ten years into the past, Dipper ends up running into a five-year-old Wendy. [[PrecociousCrush She thinks he's cute]], which gives him [[{{Irony}} a taste of his own medicine]].
441--> '''Dipper:''' You're super young, so this is weird.
442--> '''Mabel:''' Heheh, now you know how she feels, creep.
443--> '''Dipper:''' (''chuckles'') Yeah, I... huh. Wow. Woooow.
444* TitleDrop: Since the show's name is the name of the town this all goes down in, this is a given, but the most impressive use of this is probably in [[spoiler: young![=McGucket=]'s bizarre prophecy to Ford after seeing Bill Cipher's true plans in the portal:]]
445--> ''[[spoiler:"When '''Gravity Falls''' and Earth becomes sky, fear the beast with just one eye."]]''
446* ToiletHumor:
447** Rarely, though when it does come up, it's usually with [[GirlyGirl Mabel]], of all people.
448*** In "Society of the Blind Eye," she scribbles "BUTTS" on [[spoiler: Blind Ivan]]'s phrenology-map skull tattoo.
449*** In "Fight Fighters", she gets Rumble [=McSkirmish=] to shout, "POOP! POOP AND BUTTS!".
450*** She's also very amused (as is Stan) by the DD&MD rule book's use of the word "buttress" in "Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons".
451** Near the end of the episode "Fight Fighters", the symbol that appears on Rumble's back is the Chinese character for "fart".
452* TomboyAndGirlyGirl:
453** Between Wendy and Mabel, the former is the {{Tomboy}} to the latter's GirlyGirl. Wendy's into things like tree climbing, pranking, indie rock bands, and zombie flicks, while Mabel likes knitting, bejeweling, boy bands, and teen romance movies. Though the two of them have some notable things in common—they both [[GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals adore stuffed animals]], [[OutdoorsyGal enjoy the outdoors]], and [[BloodKnight love to brawl]]. [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak Hanging out with Mabel tends to bring out Wendy's girlier side]].
454** Conversely, Mabel is the {{Tomboy}} to Pacifica's GirlyGirl. Mabel is an unapologetic goofball with no qualms about eating an old taco from behind a car seat, whereas Pacifica is a vain AlphaBitch (later LovableAlphaBitch) who's repulsed by the idea of eating in a car, period. While Mabel does love makeovers and bejeweling her face, she isn't nearly as interested in looks as Pacifica is. She's also a rough-and-tumble GirlyBruiser who looks forward to an adventure, while Pacifica (despite being a capable ActionGirl when necessary) seems to view adventuring and fighting purely as a means to an end.
455** There's also Wendy and her friend, Tambry, with the former as the Tomboy to the latter's Girly Girl. While not immediately obvious, Wendy wears flannel shirts and [[OneOfTheBoys tends to be as rowdy and mischievous as the guys]], whereas Tambry wears a skirt, dyes her hair, and [[PhoneaholicTeenager spends almost all of her time texting]].
456* TomeOfEldritchLore: The Journals can easily be seen as this. While most of it is fairly innocuous cataloguing of the various supernaturals in the town, it also contains a spell to [[ZombieApocalypse raise a horde of zombies]], forms the schematic of [[DoomsdayDevice the Universe Portal]], and perhaps most dangerous of all, the instructions to summon [[EldritchAbomination Bill Cipher.]]
457* TongueTrauma: In "Carpet Diem", an owl apparently tried to eat Dipper's tongue while he was sleeping outside.
458* TooBrokenToBreak: The Society of the Blind Eye tries to use their memory-wiping machine on crazy Old Man [=McGucket=], but it has no effect on him because "you can't break what's already broken!" [[spoiler:It's later revealed that using the machine multiple times to forget the things he's witnessed while working for the Author is what drove him insane in the first place.]]
459* TookALevelInBadass: Invoked in "Dipper vs. Manliness". Dipper undergoes training from the Manotaurs intended to make him a real man, including weathering the Pain Hole and leaping from cliffs. His final task is to hunt down and slay the Multibear, a ferocious creature made of assorted parts of multiple bears. [[spoiler: Dipper defeats it quite handily, but refuses to kill it after bonding over their mutual love of Icelandic pop sensation BABBA. Having stood up for his principles, he returns to his life, and it's unclear if he actually kept the skills the Manotaurs taught him in later episodes.]]
460* TooKinkyToTorture: Bill Cipher is a non-corporeal being, so he can't experience physical sensations. That is, [[spoiler:until he tricks Dipper into letting him [[DemonicPossession possess his body]].]] He describes the pain as "hilarious" and goes out of his way to abuse his new body as much as possible.
461-->'''Bill''': ''*slamming [[spoiler: Dipper's]] arm in a drawer repeatedly*'' Boy, these arms are durable.
462* TooMuchInformation: In the "Trooth Ache" section of "Bottomless Pit", Stan ends up wearing a set of false teeth that make him incapable of lying, and, apparently, discretion.
463--> '''Dipper''': Stan, what do you do in secret everyday during your lunch break?
464--> '''Stan''': Usually, I spend the hour aggressively scratching myself in places I shouldn't mention. Now I'm going to avoid making eye contact by pretending to read this newspaper and go to the bathroom without washing my hands. ''(Leaves)''
465--> '''Dipper and Mabel''': Eeeeeeewww!
466
467--> '''Stan''': ''(Yelling up to Dipper and Mabel, who are in their room:)'' Kids, I think I have a growth forming on my back. Just wanted to be honest with you guys.
468* TorsoWithAView:
469** Happens to Dipper in "Dreamscaperers," though [[JustifiedTrope justified]] because he, Mabel, and Soos were [[ItMakesSenseInContext inside Grunkle Stan's head trying to stop a mind-invading demon from stealing the combination to Stan's safe.]]
470** Also happens to [[spoiler: Tyrone]] in "Double Dipper" after he [[spoiler: drinks some soda, which begins to dissolve him from the inside-out]]. Again [[JustifiedTrope justified]], because it's fairly obvious that [[spoiler: the clones don't have normal human anatomy internally, since they die when they're touched by water, and since Paper Jam Dipper was somehow able to live while looking like a slinky]].
471** Happens in "Weirdmageddon" when Ford's ray gun missed Bill and fires a hole in his hat instead. What makes it this trope is that the hole is filled with surprisingly realistic-looking bone, muscle, and sinew, making it clear that while it looks like a hat, it's actually part of Bill Cipher's body.
472* TotallyRadical:
473** Due to being a parody of 90's boy bands, the members of Sev'ral Timez use period slang constantly.
474** Mabel's fantasy boys, Xyler and Kraz from Dream Boy High, appear to have stepped out of the '80s and into her dreams. They certainly talk like it.
475%%** A game called Dungeons, Dungeons, and Dungeons attempted to go TotallyRadical at one point. Dipper was horrified.
476* ToughLove: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]. Filbrick Pines, Stan's father, was an [[AbusiveDad emotionally abusive]] {{Jerkass}}. Stan seems to have read his actions as tough love even if it most definitely wasn't, and decided that following dad's example was the best way to toughen up Dipper. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome It made their relationship crash so badly Dipper became convinced Stan hated him and wanted him gone]]. Even with knowing Stan does care, there are still signs Dipper's keeping a lot of bad feelings about this bottled up.
477* TownGirls:
478** In Mabel's friend group, we have Mabel, Candy, and Grenda. GenkiGirl Mabel is the Femme, [[BrawnHilda Brawn Hilda-ish]] Grenda is the Butch, and AsianAndNerdy Candy is the Neither.
479** We also have Mabel, Wendy, and Pacifica. In this dynamic, the athletic, axe-wielding, [[TheLadette Ladette-ish]] Wendy is the Butch. Pacifica, who exemplifies VanityIsFeminine, is the Femme. Hardy and adventurous GirlyBruiser Mabel is the Neither.
480* TownWithADarkSecret: Downplayed. Only a handful of townsfolk are in on the secret due to the efforts of the Blind Eye Society to keep it under wraps.
481* TrademarkFavoriteFood: The recurring extra in the "Free Pizza" shirt really likes... pizza.
482** Tad Strange, [[OnlySaneMan the only normal person in Gravity Falls,]] loves bread.
483* TragicDream: [[spoiler: Gideon's VillainousCrush on Mabel turns out to be this, as he commits a HeelFaceTurn ''and'' a HeroicSacrifice for her.]]
484* TrainingMontage: Both Dipper and Grunkle Stan go through one in "Dipper vs. Manliness".
485* {{Transflormation}}: All the party guests in "Northwest Mansion Mystery" get turned into tree statues.
486* TrashyTouristTrap:
487** The Mystery Shack is the primary location of the series, acting as a ''[[Franchise/RipleysBelieveItOrNot Ripley's]]''-style museum of "oddities", which are all just fake displays and an overpriced gift shop. Ironically, one of the ways Grunkle Stan showcases himself [[EveryoneHasStandards to have standards]] is by swindling people with makeshift monsters only and absolutely refusing to touch (let alone display) the real monsters of Gravity Falls, because Stan knows [[ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow that they are way too dangerous]]. Dipper discovers this the hard way in "Boss Mabel", when he exploits the fact Stan left for a while to capture a monster for display and the thing puts two tourists in the hospital. [[spoiler:It was originally Stanford "Ford" Pines' house/laboratory for his research in the geniunely weird things that happen in town. After he winds up lost in the Multiverse through his portal under the building, his brother Stanley took on his identity and has been working decades to bring his brother back, turning it into the Mystery Shack in order to keep the lights on.]]
488** The Tent of Telepathy is a tourist attraction owned by recurring antagonist Gideon Gleeful where he gives his faith-healing PhonyPsychic performances.
489** The episode "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E16RoadsideAttraction Roadside Attraction]]" involves Stanley bringing the twins and Mabel's friends on a roadtrip through Redwood Highway to get back at his competitors in their petty feud. Such competitors include a Corn Maze, Granny Sweetkin's Yarnball, House Shoe, Log Land, The Big Thing, The Giant Pan, Upside-Down Town and Mystery Mountain.
490* TrickedIntoSigning: In "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E11LittleDipper Little Dipper]]", Lil' Gideon tries to trick Stan into signing away the deed to the Mystery Shack by hiding it in [[GiantNoveltyCheck a giant novelty sweepstakes check]]. Stan was onto him and signed it "Go suck a lemon, little man."
491* TrophyChild: Pacifica Northwest was neglected and abused by her parents, who favored their own social lives and status over her, and scolded her for the most minor mistake. In addition, she was taught to see herself as above everyone else, while still being conditioned to obey and be inferior to them.
492* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Gideon's hobbies include [[spoiler: attempted murder]] and [[spoiler: demon summoning]].
493* TrueCompanions: The crew of the Mystery Shack grows into this more or less, thanks to Dipper and Mabel. The twins' arrival helps the group grow closer, even when things are complicated by [[spoiler: the return of Stanley's brother, Ford a.k.a. the Author.]] Nonetheless, they, along with various others, [[spoiler: work together to stop Weirdmageddon and defeat Bill Cipher, with Grunkle Stan performing a HeroicSacrifice.]]
494** Best shown in the intro, with the last shot before the title being a happy picture of Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, Soos, and Grunkle Stan.
495* TruncatedThemeTune: Starting with "Northwest Mansion Mystery", a shorter cut of the intro is used.
496* TwentyMinutesIntoThePast: The show is set in the summer of 2012, exactly when the series debuted. Later seasons become this trope though it seems to be intentional, given the supposed 2012 apocalypse.
497* TwinSwitch: [[spoiler: Aside from Stanley faking his death and pretending to be his lost brother Stanford for 30 years, we also have the instance in the series finale of Stanley and Stanford switching their clothes and pretending to be each other in order to trick Bill Cypher into making a deal with the wrong man.]]
498* TwoGirlsToATeam:
499** The Mystery Shack is made up of three guys and two girls.
500** Not counting the twins, Wendy's gang of friends is made up of four guys and two girls.
501** During "Dungeons, Dungeons, and more Dungeons" Candy is unusually absent so that the team ends up still just being two girls (Mabel and Grenda) and one or three boys (Grunkle Stan at first, then Dipper and Grunkle Ford once they catch up with them)
502* TwoLinesNoWaiting: Most, but not all episodes, feature two plots. Usually, the A plot is the twins encountering weirdness and dealing with it, while the B plot follows Grunkle Stan on one of his capers. Other times, the A plot will be about one twin, and the B plot about another, oftentimes with Stan in tow.
503[[/folder]]
504
505[[folder:U]]
506* UnabashedBMovieFan:
507** At the end of "Summerween", the gang watches a horror movie marathon, which includes a film called ''The Fear Guy From Terror Town Street'' that apparently consists of alternating shots of a screaming woman and a growling, obviously-fake alien.
508** "Into the Bunker" opens with Dipper and Wendy enjoying a cheesy, clearly low-budget zombie movie called ''Nearly Almost Dead But Not Quite!''. It's a fitting choice of the film given Dipper's nerdy, eccentric interests and Wendy's affinity for indie things. TheStinger of the episode features a selection of bad movies showing on ''Gravity Falls Bargain Movie Showcase'', such as ''Attack of the Exclamation Points!!!!!'', ''Ghost Turtle'', ''Planet People from Planet Planet'' and ''Help! My Mummy's A Werewolf'' (and its sequel ''Help! My Mummy's a Werewolf 2: This Again'').
509* UnexplainedRecovery: Agent Powers and Agent Trigger survive the zombies that dragged them into the woods in "Scary-Oke". Subverted in "Not What He Seems", when Powers explains he used Trigger as a human shield.
510* TheUnHug: Invoked at the end of "Tourist Trapped". Dipper and Mabel agree to an awkward sibling hug.[[note]]Pat. Pat.[[/note]]
511** It gets a sweet CallBack in the penultimate episode "Weirdmageddon 2: Escape From Reality", where Dipper and Mabel reconcile with a "sincere sibling hug". They still do the awkward back-patting.
512* UnlimitedWardrobe: Justified by Mabel, who wears a different sweater in every episode, sometimes even multiple sweaters in the same episode, because she's constantly knitting them. You will see her periodically working on new sweaters throughout the series.
513* UnPerson: In "Irrational Treasure", Dipper and Mabel discover [[spoiler: Quentin Trembly, the 8 1/2th President of the United States and the true founder of Gravity Falls, whose existence is a national secret.]]
514* TheUnreveal:
515** In "Dreamscaperers", Soos finds a memory in which Stan enters the secret passage behind the snack machine, but closes the door before he can reveal what’s behind it, proclaiming it "boring."
516** In one of the "Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained" shorts, Dipper and Soos find an all-knowing mailbox entity. After testing it with a few questions, they are just about to ask "Who wrote the journals?" Sadly, Mabel comes in and puts in a video of her shoving gummy worms up her nose, and the mailbox, offended, vanishes explosively.
517** In the end, it's never really revealed why Gravity Falls is such a geographical WeirdnessMagnet, despite it being a greater scope DrivingQuestion. A few ideas are brought up, but none are really confirmed or unconfirmed.
518** We never get to find out what the Zodiac does in the GrandFinale, thanks to Stan and Ford's bickering ruining the chance.
519* UnscientificScience: In "Carpet Diem", Dipper explains how [[spoiler:Experiment 78 switches minds]]:
520--> '''Dipper''': ''(reads the label)'' "[[spoiler:Electron Carpet]]. Atoms can switch electrons. The [[spoiler:carpet]] must create a charge so strong that ''[[spoiler:it can switch MINDS]]''!
521* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: Gruncle Stan and [[spoiler: Gruncle Ford's]] unspoken final plan to [[spoiler: trick Bill Cypher with a TwinSwitch goes off with a hitch, right after they were discussing how Bill wouldn't be interested in going into Stan's mind.]].
522[[/folder]]
523
524[[folder:V]]
525* VacuumMouth: The skull from the ''Tumbleweed Terror'' pinball game.
526* VagueAge:
527** Gideon Gleeful. His white hair suggests he's OlderThanHeLooks, but he's extremely short and has a baby face. It's revealed in "Blendin's Game" that he is ten years old, as when Dipper and Mabel travel back in time ten years, an advertisement is seen for Bud Gleeful's "Just Had a Baby" sale.
528** Soos was this until the episode "Blendin's Game", where it's finally confirmed that he is 22.
529** Wendy was also this until "Double Dipper", where Dipper mentions that she's 15. Her tall build, YoungerThanSheLooks appearance (nothing about her design sans her YouthfulFreckles suggests she's a teenager), and the fact that her friend group consists of people old enough to drive unsupervised and have tattoos make her exact age hard to pin down.
530* VaguenessIsComing:
531** Bill Cipher gives one of these to Soos and the twins near the end of "Dreamscaperers", telling them that "a day will come in the future when [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore everything [they] care about will change]]".
532** They get the same treatment three episodes later, this time by [[spoiler:Experiment 210.]]
533* VampiresAreSexGods: Mabel certainly thinks so.
534-->'''Mabel''': ''(To Dipper)'' I'm obsessed? Look at you! You look like a vampire! And not the hot kind!
535
536
537-->'''Norman''': Uh, Mabel, now that we’ve gotten to know each other, there’s...''(exhales)''...there’s something I should tell you.
538-->'''Mabel''': Oh, Norman, you can tell me anything! ''(Thinking:)'' Please be a vampire, please be a vampire!
539
540-->'''Mermando''': Mabel, I have never met anyone like you.
541-->'''Mabel''': Same here. Except for a zombie, a gnome, and a couple of cute vampires.
542-->'''Dipper''': I don't remember the vampires.
543-->'''Mabel''': [[NoodleIncident I don't tell you everything]].
544* VanityLicensePlate: If you look closely, the plate on Grunkle Stan's car says "STNLY MBL". [[spoiler:This is a hint that Grunkle Stan has replaced his brother since everybody thinks he's Stanford.]]
545* VengefulVendingMachine: Happens briefly in "Blendin's Game". Soos teaches them how to get around the problem, leading to a Stable Time Loop when Mabel goes back in time to teach him the same trick.
546* VerbalBackspace: This happens multiple times in ''The Legend of the Gobblewonker'' when Dipper needs to reassess the number of backup cameras he has when they get smashed.
547* VignetteEpisode:
548** "Bottomless Pit"; the gang tells stories to pass the time while they're trapped in the titular pit.
549** "Little Gift Shop of Horrors"; Stan tries to convince a stranger who arrives at the Mystery Shack after hours to buy stuff by telling tales about them.
550* VileVulture: In "The Love God", Robbie is lying in an open grave and mopes loudly about how much he misses Wendy. A vulture shows up, and Robbie tells it to just go ahead and eat him already. Once it does, however, he quickly backtracks.
551--> '''Robbie''': AAAH! I was just being dramatic! Quit it! [[OwMyBodyPart Ow, my face!]] VULTURE!!
552* VillainWithGoodPublicity:
553** Everyone considers Gideon to be a cute and lovable child. [[spoiler: That is, until the Season 1 finale when Stan exposes the truth about Gideon, and ends Gideon up in prison.]]
554** The Northwest family is the wealthiest and most famous family in town, beloved by all. [[spoiler: They've made their fortune being liars, cheats, and frauds for several generations. Preston and Priscilla have also [[AbusiveParents trained their daughter to respond with fear and complete obedience to the sound of a bell, like one of ''Pavlov's dogs!'']]]]
555* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: [[BigBad Bill Cipher]]]] rapidly loses his cool in the finale with a sequence of OhCrap moments - [[spoiler: first when he's been [[OutGambitted tricked into Stan's mind, rather than Ford's,]] second when he realizes [[TakingYouWithMe Stan's letting his mind be erased with Bill trapped inside,]] and finally, realizing there is absolutely ''no way out.'']]
556-->'''[[spoiler: "STANLEY!!"]]'''
557* VillainousCrush: Gideon has one toward Mabel. Bill Cipher ([[spoiler:while inside of Dipper's body]]) also hits on Wendy at one point, though whether he's attracted to her or just trying to razz Dipper isn't certain.
558* VisualPun:
559** Candy dresses like a piece of candy in "Summerween". It's even lampshaded by her at one point when she jumps into a wheelbarrow full of pieces of candy while Mabel is counting them and states, "36. [[DontExplainTheJoke You see? Because-]]," prompting Mabel to tell her that she gets the joke.
560** At the end of Headhunters [[spoiler: the wax statue of Larry King is reduced to a stereotype of news anchor--a talking head]].
561* VocalEvolution: It took Alex Hirsch a few episodes to settle into his Grunkle Stan and Soos voices. They sound a little off and unusually high-pitched in the beginning.
562* VoicesAreMental: In both cases, this is just for audience convenience. None of the characters seem to notice.
563** In "Carpet Diem", the voices switch along with the characters as they move from body to body.
564** Bill Cipher's voice will come out of whoever he is possessing.
565* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Experiment 210, an EldritchAbomination that the gang encounters while seeking out the Author.
566* VomitChainReaction: Before the party in "Double Dipper", Dipper and Mabel pretend to puke at each other using a silly string with Wendy joining in later.
567* VomitDiscretionShot:
568** Kinda ZigZagged in "Boss Mabel", where a boy was shown puking from carsickness, but he, just like his family, was shown with as a wallet on his legs (because Stan sees any tourist visiting his tourist trap as such).
569** In "Carpet Diem", Mabel, in Dipper's body, pukes into a toilet.
570* VomitIndiscretionShot: But don't worry. Gnomes puke rainbows.
571[[/folder]]
572
573[[folder:W]]
574* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler: Ford Pines, AKA the Author of the Journals]]
575* WeakerInTheRealWorld: [[spoiler:Averted ''big time'']] during Weirdmageddon. [[spoiler:With his WhenDimensionsCollide plan brought to fruition, Bill graduates from affecting the world through the mindscape to a genuine RealityWarper. Thankfully, he was still unable to leave the mystical boundaries of Gravity Falls]].
576* WebcomicTime: While the show aired from 2012-2016, the show itself takes place during the summer of 2012.
577* WeirdnessCensor:
578** Invoked by the Blind Eye Society. [[spoiler: "Society of the Blind Eye" reveals that the [[AncientConspiracy titular Society]] has been acting as one, erasing the memories of people who have seen anything supernatural.]]
579** In "Not What He Seems", the citizens still try to rationalize the weirdness after a gravity anomaly hits the town.
580--->'''Tyler:''' Is it just me or did the entire world just hiccup?\
581'''Lazy Susan:''' I'm sure it's just a baby-sized earthquake.\
582'''Tyler:''' Aww, baby-sized!
583* WeirdnessMagnet: It's true that Dipper often goes off looking for the supernatural, but more often than not, the supernatural finds him first.
584** And invoked directly by [[spoiler:Ford]] in Weirdmageddon. [[spoiler:Namely, the town itself is ''so weird'' that Bill and the Henchmaniancs can't escape wreaking weirdness on the rest of the world. The Weirdness Magnetism of the town functions similarly to gravity, making the name Gravity Falls meaningful on another level. Bill and his Henchmaniacs are too weird to escape its "event horizon"]].
585* WeWillMeetAgain: Used three times so far: the leader of the gnomes, Gideon and Blendin Blandin all swears revenge after being defeated.
586* WhamEpisode:
587** "Gideon Rises": The kids finally tell Grunkle Stan about the journal and other weird mysteries that surround the town, which he appears to shrug off as them having overactive imaginations. However, the episode's final moments reveal that [[spoiler:Stan knew about the journals and the mysteries of the town the entire time, having had Book #1 in his possession for several years. And with Books #2 and #3, he uses them to activate a strange device underneath the shack.]]
588-->'''Grunkle Stan:'''[[GottaCatchEmAll "After all these years...finally, I have them all."]]
589** "Society of the Blind Eye" reveals the truth about the town's WeirdnessCensor: part of the reason the citizens of Gravity Falls seem so oblivious to the supernatural weirdness in the town is that a secret society has been kidnapping people and erasing their memories. The history of [[spoiler:Old Man [=McGucket=]]] is also revealed: he was not only a close associate of the Author of the Journals, who was trying to use his research to help humanity but a founding member of the Blind Eye. [[spoiler:The character's senility was caused by abusing the memory-erasing gun he invented, in order to forget the tragic happenings that occurred while working with the Author.]]
590** "Not What He Seems": [[spoiler: Stan's been stealing radioactive waste to power his world-ending machine before he gets arrested by the FBI. The twins discover that their grunkle has led multiple lives, even faking his death at one point. It all leads up to a confrontation as gravity fluctuates when the portal rips open, revealing that Stan's actions were all working towards bringing back the author of the journals, Stan's brother.]]
591** "The Last Mabelcorn": Ford is revealed to have [[spoiler:worked closely with Bill Cipher in order to build the portal, and Bill is planning to link the waking world with the nightmare dimension, which would ultimately cause the end of humankind.]] Furthermore, now that he is unable to make direct contact with the Pines family, Bill plans to control one of the town's residents to continue his plans.
592** "Dipper and Mabel Vs. The Future": Dipper is offered Ford's apprenticeship, and the episode [[spoiler:ends with an unaware and emotionally compromised Mabel giving the rift to a possessed Blendin Blandin after being promised that it would stop time forever. Bill, as Blendin, proceeds to shatter the rift, thus achieving his ultimate plan to merge the waking world with the Nightmare Realm]]. Cue the GrandFinale.
593--->'''Ford:''' [[spoiler:"We're too late. It's the end of the world."]]
594* WhamLine:
595** In "Tourist Trapped", Mabel discovers that her new boyfriend is actually [[spoiler: a group of gnomes. They ask her to marry them and become the new Gnome Queen, but she's forced to let them down gently. They take it pretty well.]]
596--->'''Jeff:''' I understand. We'll never forget you, Mabel. [[spoiler: Because we're going to kidnap you.]]
597** From "Gideon Rises", we get to see what's behind the vending machine. [[spoiler: An underground laboratory where Stan kept Journal #1. And now he has all 3 of them.]]
598--->'''Stan:''' After all these years... [[spoiler: finally, I have them all.]]
599** In "Sock Opera", Dipper reluctantly makes a bargain with the demon Bill Cipher. All Bill asks for his part of the deal is a puppet, which Mabel's been churning out in large quantities. [[spoiler: He walks right into Bill's verbal trap, getting possessed for his troubles.]]
600--->'''Dipper:''' So what puppet are you going to pick, anyway?\
601'''Bill:''' Hmm, let's see. Eenie meenie miney... [[spoiler:'''''YOU!''''']]
602** In "Not What He Seems", [[spoiler: after the Universe Portal activates, a strange man steps out. Placing his six-fingered hand on one of the Journals makes him immediately identifiable as the long-awaited Author. What comes next out of Stan's mouth compounds the Reveal.]]
603--->'''Stan:''' [[spoiler:The author of the journals... my brother.]]
604** At the end of "The Stanchurian Candidate", [[spoiler: Gideon is still in prison and his plan for escape has been thwarted. With nowhere else to turn, he finds solace in a poster on his wall, before tearing it down and completing an effigy of Bill Cipher. Before the audience has time to process what Gideon's doing, he lays it out there.]]
605--->'''Gideon:''' I'm finally ready to make a deal.
606* WhamShot:
607** At the end of the very first episode, we see that there's a passageway behind the vending machine. [[spoiler: At the end of Season 1 finale, we get to see what's in the passage: a highly advanced underground laboratory, where Stan has been keeping ''Journal #1.'']]
608** At the end of "Northwest Mansion Mystery", [[spoiler: [=McGucket=] has fixed the laptop. There's a timer on it counting down to the apocalypse. ''It's less than 24 hours away.'' And then the camera pans to a banner the Northwests have in their house of a familiar triangle with an eye, over an image of what looks like people ''burning alive.'']]
609** In "Not What He Seems", [[spoiler: Stan's portal finally opens and a man steps out. He then puts a hand on the journal on the floor; a hand with six fingers.]]
610** And before that, the twins discover a newspaper clipping with the following headline: [[spoiler:''STAN PINES DEAD'']].
611** "The Stanchurian Candidate" ends with Gideon, still in prison, [[spoiler:finishing a chalk drawing of Bill Cipher (and his wheel), which then glows ominously.]]
612* WhatDidIDoLastNight: Mabel after waking up from her sleepover with Candy and Grenda.
613* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
614** It was never revealed whether or not the mailman from "Tourist Trapped" was a werewolf or not.
615** The two Dipper clones that rode away on Robbie's bike in "Double Dipper" have yet to return. [[spoiler:They make a surprise appearance in the credits of the final episode.]]
616** Grenda was introduced with a pet chameleon. She never has it after that.
617** As has the [[ItMakesSenseInContext wax head of Larry King]] from "Headhunters", which [[BackForTheFinale finally reappeared in the finale]].
618** A minor example: in the fourth episode, Mabel saves a lobster that was going to be eaten at a restaurant and then brings it to the shack's tank. In later episodes, the tank is empty.
619** A more major example is Dipper's subplot from "Boyz Crazy" [[spoiler:where Wendy becomes mad at him for asking her out for bowling, [[WhatTheHellHero IMMEDIATELY following her nasty break up with Robbie]], before running off into the woods crying]], since in the episodes that followed they appear to be on good terms again without any explanation or any mentioning of the issue whatsoever. [[note]]Granted, Grunkle Stan assures Dipper in the end that [[spoiler:Wendy]] can't stay mad at him for his actions; but even then this doesn't explain why we never saw them make amends over it. [[/note]]
620** It's unknown what happened to Filbrick and Caryn Pines after [[spoiler:Stan was kicked out]], but given that Stan speaks of them in the past tense, it's possible that they died some time ago.
621* WhatHaveIBecome: In "Boss Mabel", Mabel reaches her breaking point with Soos and Wendy. She tells them off for their goofing off in a Stan-like manner, ending up with the fez on her head. She quotes this verbatim when she looks in the mirror. Dipper answers her with, [[IDidWhatIHadToDo "What you had to, Mabel. What you had to."]]
622* WhenLifeGivesYouLemons: Each member of the Pines family has a character-establishing quote based on this:
623-->'''Dipper:''' When life gives you lemons, extract the juice and use it to draw a treasure map in invisible ink. That really works! Seriously!\
624'''Mabel:''' When life gives you lemons, draw faces on those lemons and wrap them in a blanket. Ta-daaa! Now you have Lemon Babies.\
625'''Grunkle Stan:''' When life gives you lemons, call them 'yellow oranges' and sell them for double the price.
626* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Parodied in "Summerween". Soos hits the Trickster and shatters him completely when he was about to kill the kids, and freaks out when he thought he accidentally hit a guy. [[spoiler:After Soos discovers he's a monster made of candy, he shows no hesitation about eating the Trickster. Even the Trickster approves and the episode draws to a close with an {{Everybody| Laughs Ending}} {{Evil Laugh}}s [[EverybodyLaughsEnding Ending]], abruptly subverted by Soos nonchalantly adding "I ate a man alive tonight."]]
627* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: In "Tourist Trapped", the map of Oregon shows Gravity Falls to be dead-center in Oregon, somewhere between Crook and Deschutes county. But in "Scary-Oke", a doppler map places it closer to Baker City, almost on the border with Idaho. It is of both interstates that pass through Oregon and far from the coast and Portland, so it’s almost certainly in the middle of the state or in eastern Oregon.
628** Stan, Ford, and Shermie’s hometown, the fictional Glass Shard Beach is somewhere along the eastern coast of New Jersey, but never stated where. It could be a stand-in for Atlantic City since New York City isn’t mentioned to be anywhere near the town.
629* WhichMe: This happens between Dipper and his clones in "Double Dipper" a few times.
630-->'''Tyrone:''' Hey buddy, it's me, you.
631* WholeEpisodeFlashback:
632** "Bottomless Pit!" is focused on the characters telling stories, at least one of which we discover actually happened. Also qualifies as a VignetteEpisode, as listed above.
633** Parodied in "Little Gift Shop of Horrors". Stan spends this VignetteEpisode attempting to sell merchandise by telling the wild and mysterious stories behind individual pieces but openly confesses to having made those stories up.
634** "A Tale of Two Stans" is an OriginsEpisode in which Stan and Ford explain their histories together, as well as the creation of The Journals and how [[spoiler:Fiddleford]] came to Gravity Falls.
635* WhoNamesTheirKidDude: It's revealed in "Double Dipper" that Dipper is OnlyKnownByTheirNickname, causing Wendy to remark "I thought your parents just hated you or something".
636* WildGooseChase: In "Not What He Seems", Stan pays a taxi driver to drive in the opposite direction he's running in order to misdirect the government agents trying to arrest him.
637* WildTeenParty:
638** One is alluded to (but not shown) in "Summerween," when Robbie and Wendy say that they are going to a party at Tambry's house while her parents are out of town.
639** The party Bill throws for his demon friends [[spoiler:once they unleash Weirdmageddon]] is basically this, complete with illegal beverages and rave music.
640* TheWildWest:
641** The theme of the ''Tumbleweed Terror'' pinball game.
642** Stan is a fan of the Western film "Grandpa The Kid."
643* WildWilderness: Many adventures in Gravity Falls take place in the gorgeous rainforest and mountains surrounding the town.
644* WimpFight: In "The Hand that Rocks the Mabel", [[spoiler:Dipper and Gideon]] fall off a cliff. On their way down, they slap each other a few times before getting into a slap fight. This is a stark contrast to the more visceral fight that they have in "Gideon Rises".
645* WinHerAPrize: Dipper tries to win a stuffed animal for the girl he has a crush on, Wendy, by knocking down glass bottles with a baseball. He knocks them down, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero but the baseball hits her in the eye]]. [[FromBadToWorse Then, Robbie, Dipper's rival who also likes Wendy, shows up with a sugar cone to help ease the pain in her eye while Dipper was getting ice.]]
646* WindsOfChange: Right before Dipper finds the Journal, wind is shown blowing through the trees. Wind also tends to signify that something strange or plot-significant about to happen.
647* AWizardDidIt: A number of plot holes are filled by the reminder that Quentin Trembley passed a ''lot'' of weird laws in his time in Gravity Falls office and nobody apparently bothered to change them. It's why holding the physical deed to a building -- holding it in your hand -- means you own the building, and why the police are allowed to [[spoiler:send a nine-year-old to adult prison]].
648* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds:
649** Giffany counts for some, given that she has abandonment issues and that no one in her debut episode treats her like a person: Soos breaks up with her because she can't attend his cousin's engagement party, Mabel and Dipper encourage Soos to date real girls and return Romance Academy to the store, and three other people have apparently returned her without even a MercyKill. That said, she is more "destroyer" than "woobie" in that she takes over Hoo Ha's Jamboree to stalk Soos, force him to upload his brain into the game, and [[BreakThemByTalking break him by talking]].
650** The lumberjack ghost in "Northwest Mansion Mystery" has no qualms about [[WouldHurtAChild hurting children]] in his quest for revenge on the Northwests, but he and the other lumberjacks who died were cheated out of a party supposedly held in their honor, and he suffered a CruelAndUnusualDeath. Dipper even expresses some SympathyForTheDevil while exorcising the ghost to keep Mabel safe.
651** [[spoiler:Mabel is a literal and figurative example in "Dipper and Mabel Vs. The Future." She attempts to remove Gravity Falls from the time stream so she won't be left alone and won't have to confront her fear of the future, something that has so much Fridge Horror connected to it, fans temporarily assumed it was the terrifying event that "changes everything" promised by Alex Hirsch. But her attempt surprisingly backfires since the person who offered her the deal was possessed by Bill, so it [[BaitAndSwitch instead causes]] the [[FromBadToWorse Apocalypse]]]].
652* WorldHealingWave: Happens in "Weirdmageddon Part 3: Take Back The Falls" after [[spoiler:Stan destroys Bill in his mind as Ford shoots him with the Memory Gun. While most of the town and natural landscapes are restored, there’s still some cleanup to be done and The Mystery Shack goes through major repairs. It’s later revealed in ''Literature/GravityFallsJournal3'' that all three Journals were restored to even better than before, too.]]
653* WorldOfBadass: ''Every'' major character is some form of badass, be it often or [[LetsGetDangerous only when the situation calls for it]].
654* WorldOfDumbass: Most of the townsfolk leave much to be desired for in terms of intelligence. It ends up being deconstructed in "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E7SocietyOfTheBlindEye Society of the Blind Eye]]" when it turns out that the reason for this is because they've been getting their memories repeatedly erased by said society whenever someone experiences something they're incapable of comprehending.
655* WorldOfMysteries: The Gravity Falls itself is this; enforced by the Society of the Blind Eye keeping things secret from the townsfolk, and caused by the town having a 'Weirdness Magnetism' that literally attracts bizarre events, people, creatures, and phenomena to the area.
656* WorstNewsJudgementEver:
657** "Cheese Crust Pizza Declared 'Delicious'." In other news, "War or Something..."
658** Discussed in "The Stanchurian Candidate". Shandra Jimenez broke down crying in the middle of a story about the Mayor's death.
659---> '''Shandra:''' I'm sorry. It's just been so long since we've had real news! I'm just so happy!
660* WorthIt: Dipper is driven from their shared room by Mabel's slumber party and tries to sleep outside, only for a wolf to begin savaging his leg. He momentarily panics, but a quick glance at Mabel and her friends still jumping around and screaming has him decide the wolf is still better and he goes back to sleep with it still gnawing on him.
661** In "Tourist Trapped" Grunkle Stan sends himself into a coughing fit after scaring Dipper. He manages to cough out "worth it."
662* WouldHurtAChild: As a consequence of being an action series starring children, most supernatural creatures the kids encounter are willing to harm them.
663** [[spoiler:The cursed wax figures]] in Episode 3. They try to murder Dipper and Mabel without hesitation.
664** Also, in "Summerween", [[spoiler:the Summerween Trickster. In fact, he makes it look like he KILLED a child until the end of the episode!]]
665** Rumble, the Fight Fighter, was genuinely trying to kill Robbie, endangered Stan, and Mabel by toppling the water tower, and beat up Dipper with a nearly lethal combo attack just because Dipper had lied to him.
666** Bill Cipher would ''gleefully'' hurt children or even ''kill them''. Of note is his abuse of Dipper's body while he was [[DemonicPossession in possession of it]] and [[spoiler: the moments before [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu he was tricked into entering Stan's mind]], when he was nanoseconds away from murdering Mabel in cold blood]].
667*** "I've got some children I need to make into corpses!" and "When I get my hands on you kids, I'M GONNA DISASSEMBLE YOUR MOLECULES!"
668* WouldntHurtAChild: [[spoiler:The convenience store ghosts]] in Episode 5. They ''would'' hurt teenagers though.
669* WrongGenreSavvy: Mabel in "Sock Opera" after setting off an entire box of fireworks during her stage production, many of which fly at the audience and narrowly avoid causing harm.
670-->'''Mabel''': Don't worry, I have seen enough movies to know this is the part where the audience thinks this was all part of the show and loves it. Cue applause!
671-->''[[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome (audience boos and leaves)]]''
672* WrestlerOfBeasts: Invoked in the episode "The Land Before Swine". Grunkle Stan lies to Mabel about fighting a Pterodactyl that captured her pet pig Waddles under his watch (in reality, Stan set the pig outside so it wouldn't disrupt his business.) Eventually, while searching for Waddles, the truth comes out and a very angry Mable gives her uncle the silent treatment indefinitely. Thankfully, her respect for him is restored when Stan ends up having to do this ''for real'' in the episode's climax.
673* WritersCannotDoMath: In "A Tale Of Two Stans" we finally learn that the twin's grandfather is Shermie Pines the younger brother of Grunkle Stan and [[spoiler: Stan's twin brother Stanford Pines]]. However Shermie is much younger than Grunkle Stan: He is at least fifteen years younger than him, and Stan was a young child during the '60s. Shermie was probably born during the '70s. If the series takes place in 2012 then Shermie would be a very young grandfather to have two grandchildren who are twelve.
674** However, this is all based on that during the flashback, Stan and Ford's mother was holding baby Shermie It could be possible that the infant is actually Shermie’s son, as in Dipper and Mabel's father, making Shermie an older brother.
675** Grunkle Stan at one point says he's almost 70. However, if you piece together his timeline, he left home when he was about 20, was away from Ford for 10 years, and then spent 30 years trying to get Ford back. That would make him around 60, not 70 (20+10+30= 60)
676[[/folder]]
677
678[[folder: X]]
679* XtremeKoolLetterz: Sev'ral Timez.
680[[/folder]]
681
682[[folder:Y]]
683* {{Yandere}}:
684** In "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel", Gideon is prepared to murder Dipper for coming between him and Mabel (even though Dipper just relayed, not caused, the break-up). His eye twitches and his voice becomes very quiet.
685** In "Soos and the Real Girl", [[spoiler: Giffany openly admits to being deranged while trying to murder Soos's date and force him to stay in their relationship.]]
686--->[[spoiler: '''Giffany''']]: Oh, I am crazy! Crazy for you, [[spoiler: Soos]]!"
687* YellowEyesOfSneakiness: Bill Cipher has a slitted pupil, and his sclera turns yellow when he [[spoiler:possesses a body]].
688* YouAreNumberSix: How Dipper names his clones, with the exception of Tyrone (who refuses to be called "Number Two") and Paper Jam Dipper.
689* YouCantFightFate: In "The Time Traveler's Pig," no matter what he tried, Dipper would always inevitably hit Wendy in the face with a baseball. The one time he ''finally'' figured out how to avert this [[spoiler:he needed Mabel to help so she wasn't there to win Waddles and Pacifica got him instead. For Mabel's sake, Dipper had to go back and hit Wendy again.]]
690* YouExclamation:
691** In "Double Dipper", after melting his photocopied clones to mush, Dipper believes they're all gone. Until he hears Tyrone exclaim "YOU!" from behind.
692** In "Boss Mabel", Mabel gives one of these to Grunkle Stan when she gets tired of the shabby treatment he gives his employees and his customers.
693** In "The Land Before Swine", Grunkle Stan gives one to Mabel's pet pig Waddles after the latter eat the former's corn-cob sculpture of a unicorn, driving away Stan's customers.
694** Bill Cipher tosses out a few in "Dreamscaperers."
695** Rumble [=McSkirmish=] gives Dipper a ''really'' [[ChewingTheScenery over-dramatic]] one in "Fight Fighters".
696* YouKilledMyFather: Parodied in "Fight Fighters". Dr. Karate killed Rumble [=McSkirmish's=] father (again), making it his motivation for fighting. Rumble also assumes that this is the reason Dipper wants him to fight Robbie.
697--> '''Rumble:''' Did he kill your father?
698--> '''Dipper:''' Well, he's dating this girl I like and he posts a really annoying amount of status updates.
699--> '''Rumble:''' And then he killed your father!
700--> '''Dipper:''' Uh, sure.
701%%* YourMom:%%Quotes aren't acceptable context.
702%%-->'''Nate:''' Good job throwing the kid off the fence, genius!
703%%-->'''Lee:''' Your mom's a genius.
704* YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb: In "The Inconveniencing", the twins tag along with Wendy and a bunch of her friends while they break into an abandoned convenience store, and they aren't able to do a darn thing once [[spoiler:it turns out to be haunted]].
705[[/folder]]
706
707[[folder:Z]]
708* ZombieApocalypse: Dipper inadvertently caused one in ''Scary-Oke''. In the finale, there's a very small-scale one in the local funeral home where Robbie's family lives. His parents are taking it in stride though.
709* ZombieGait: Conversed in "Into the Bunker" when Wendy and Dipper watch a cheap zombie movie:
710-->'''Wendy:''' They're slow! Just power walk away from them!
711[[/folder]]
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