Line #89 Recap/GravityFallsS2E6LittleGiftShopOfHorrors


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/37fb7d43469a866655255dbeeecbef60.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250:Animation, the darkest of all black magics.]]
3
4	Grunkle Stan regales a lost traveler with a series of three "Tales Designed to Sell My Merchandise":
5
6	'''Hands Off:''' Stan loses his hands after provoking a "Hand-Witch" who lives in the mountains.
7
8	'''Abaconings:''' An intelligence-boosting mushroom makes Waddles a genius, but threatens his friendship with Mabel.
9
10	'''Clay Day:''' Grunkle Stan's attempts to help Mabel overcome her fear of stop-motion leads to an assault by ferocious claymation monsters.
11	----
12	!!Tropes in this episode:
13	* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: The cart that smart Waddles rides on.
14	* AbsentMindedProfessor: Smart Waddles has shades of this, as he (along with Dipper) gives dangerous inventions to Grenda and Candy without a second thought. [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons The Percepshroom may've put his intelligence through the roof, but they didn't do a thing for his wisdom.]]
15	* AbsurdPhobia: In "Clay Day", Mabel is shown to have a irrational fear of stop-motion animation. Part of the plot involves Stan and the others trying to help Mabel get over her fear.
16	* AdaptationalVillainy: The Pines are complicit in capturing a traveler and keeping him imprisoned as a new exhibit at the Mystery Shack for the crime of [[DisproportionateRetribution not buying any merchandise]]. Stan is much more of a {{Jerkass}} who [[EvilLaugh maliciously laughs]] at the unfortunate fate of the traveler, and Dipper and Mabel come across more as CreepyTwins in their [[ComedicSociopathy uncharacteristic callousness]] towards the trapped man.
17	* AffectionateParody: Clay Day takes a few playful shots at Stop Motion Animation, and [[SelfDeprecation a couple at animation in general]].
18	* AndIMustScream: The customer's fate at the end of the episode is stuck behind glass as a new exhibit. It's implied that Stan even glues his mouth shut!
19	* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Genius!Waddles says that his Smarticle Accelerator will help him find the answers to such dilemmas as "the origin of life, the meaning of existence, [and] why dudes have nipples!"
20	* BattleDiscretionShot: The final battle inside Harry Claymore's studio gets turned into an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome because of this. The witnesses even lampshade it.
21	* BitingTheHandHumor: "Tales Designed to Sell My Merchandise" can be interpreted as a jab at Disney's aggressive IP marketing practices.
22	* BrainyPig: In "Abaconings" Waddles the Pig becomes super smart after he eats the Percepshooms off Dipper's forehead.
23	* BreatherEpisode: "Abaconings" was more a cutesy story about Waddles gaining intelligence, sandwiched in-between scarier stories of Stan and the kids attacked by cursed disembodied hands and claymation monsters.
24	* CanonDiscontinuity: The stories themselves and even the FramingDevice are almost certainly not canon to the rest of the show, considering that the cipher keyword is "non-canon". Stan also states that he made up "Abaconings," and the page about Percepshrooms is the only one seen in the show not in [[Literature/GravityFallsJournal3 the real-life Journal 3]].
25	* ComedicSociopathy: Stan traps the customer in a glass cage and uses him as tourist attraction in the Mystery Shack because [[DisproportionateRetribution he didn't buy anything]], then Dipper and Mabel are undisturbed by seeing him trapped in the credits and don't help him out. There's really no reason for Stan to be that malicious and petty or for Dipper and Mabel to be that callous/oblivious ''besides'' it being funny and the episode being non-canon.
26	-->''(Tourist scrawls 'HELP ME' in glass)''\
27	'''Mabel:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint I don't think you're playing this right.]]
28	* TheComicallySerious: Waddles, as played by UsefulNotes/NeilDeGrasseTyson. When he knocks over a laptop, he types, "Forgive me. My pig arms are cute and useless."
29	* ContinuityNod:
30	** Tyler the Cute Biker's wind chimes stand is called "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E17BoyzCrazy Sev'ral Chimez]]".
31	** You can also see Waddles eating out of a [[Recap/GravityFallsS1E12Summerween Jack-o-Melon]] at one point.
32	* CreatorCareerSelfDeprecation: In "Clay Day".
33	-->'''Stan:''' You see, Mabel, those monsters are just tiny clay figures moved around one frame at a time by an anti-social shut in.\
34	'''Soos:''' Those people are called "animators."
35	** And again, a few minutes later:
36	--->'''Dipper:''' What?! But how are these things real? What about stop-motion animation?\
37	'''Harry Claymore:''' What? You really believe someone moves these figures around one frame at a time? I'm not a masochist!
38	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Dipper in "Abaconings", finding a Percepshroom that would stimulate brain power, and rubbing it all over his forehead. You'd think he would have learned from "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E11LittleDipper Little Dipper]]" about messing with strange substances. Justified in that Stan is telling the story.
39	* DisproportionateRetribution: Stan locks the visitor to the Mystery Shack in a glass case and makes him into a new attraction because he didn't buy anything. To make it worse, the guy only even came there because his car broke down.
40	-->'''Stan:''' That's right, I'm a jerk!
41	* EyeRecall: Waddles does this as he is remembering his past adventures with Mabel, inspiring him to return to his old self.
42	* FaceYourFears: Subverted. Mabel does ''not'' overcome her fear of claymation. In fact, she's twice as afraid of it now that she knows her fear is rational.
43	* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: At the end, Stan gives the viewer a potion that causes them to collapse on the ground. The next day, the viewer wakes up as an attraction in the Mystery Shack, that Stan calls "The Cheapskate" for not having bought any of the items he offered. Tourists look at the attraction in awe.
44	* FramingDevice: Stan trying to sell merchandise to an unseen customer serves as one for the three stories.
45	* FreezeFrameBonus:
46	** During "Hands Off", you can briefly see Agent Powers at the swap meet and Agent Trigger at the bowling alley.
47	** Mabel's VHS of ''Shimmery Twinkleheart and Cinnamon'' is so [[StylisticSuck low-quality]] that it has a background cel with the episode production number visibly written on it.
48	* GeniusSerum: In the story "Abaconings", Waddles becomes super-intelligent from eating a Percepshroom that Dipper found, choosing to pursue the answers to life's questions and problems. He chooses to give up his intellect because his pursuits will not give him any time to spend with Mabel (and he misses getting his tummy rubbed), much to the dismay of Dipper.
49	* HalloweenEpisode: Part of Disney's "Monstober" month-long special, and the second one for the show after "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E12Summerween Summerween]]". It's [[CanonDiscontinuity non-canon]], not unlike ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''' "Treehouse of Horror" specials, given that the post-credits cipher reads "noncanon". Since the stories fit into the rubric of the show, the only way anyone would've known (aside from the extreme ComedicSociopathy) is that cipher.
50	* HelpingHands: The Handwitch from "Hands Off!" has a small army of disembodied hands at her beck and call.
51	* {{Homage}}: The "Clay Day" short is one to Creator/RayHarryhausen, right down to the animated director being a stand-in for the legendary director.
52	* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: While it's not really a "fight", per se, Mabel gives a speech of this nature to Waddles when her friendship with him is threatened, and manages to get him to realize what he became.
53	* ImpairmentShot: After Stan gives the customer a sleeping potion, the camera briefly blurs, then topples sideways as the customer starts to lose consciousness.
54	* IntelligenceEqualsIsolation: Waddles gives up being a genius in "Abaconings" when he realizes solving the worlds' problems will give him no time to be with his owner/best friend Mabel.
55	* LargeHamRadio: At the start of "Abaconings", Mabel and Waddles play at being "May-May and the Hogg".
56	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: The latter half of the battle between Claymore's stop-motion monsters and Twinkleheart is done as a ShadowDiscretionShot, with the characters remarking that stop-motion is really expensive.
57	-->'''Soos:''' Sure is an impressive battle, though. I sure am glad I'm facing towards it.
58	* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn: The spooky tinkling music that plays when the Hand-Witch meets Grunkle Stan turns out to be coming from the Cute Biker's wind-chimes.
59	* LivingMuseumExhibit: This the fate of the unfortunate traveler who comes to the Mystery Shack late at night. He ends up drinking Stan's potion, passes out, and then turned into an exhibit with no escape.
60	* MediumBlending: The third tale features stop-motion film in-universe done in actual claymation.
61	* MouthfulOfPi: Dipper tries to use a magical mushroom to become smarter, but unbeknownst to him, Waddles eats it instead. Dipper tries to recite pi, but can't even get past 3.1, but then Waddles suddenly starts talking and continues it. This episode is just a story, so Dipper likely does know more digits of pi.
62	* MundaneMadeAwesome: Smart Waddles merely has to "talk" with UsefulNotes/NeilDeGrasseTyson's voice to show how awesome he has become. He's even using Nerf darts to chase away Gompers.
63	* NegativeContinuity: None of the episode is really meant to be canon, but while the first two shorts at least end in StatusQuoIsGod, the last of the three shorts ends with Soos turned into a clay monster and then seemingly killed when Stan throws a television through his head.
64	* NonStandardCharacterDesign: The claymation figures blending in with the traditional animation.
65	* OhCrap: A brief one shown by Grunkle Stan after Mabel (off-screen) lets him know Waddles isn't for sale with a well-placed suction dart to the fez.
66	* POVCam: The FramingDevice is seen entirely through the eyes of the customer Stan is telling the stories to.
67	* PunBasedTitle: All of the shorts in the episode have one.
68	* ReedRichardsIsUseless: Discussed in "Abaconings" and played straight; Waddles chooses to become a normal pig again after the Percepshroom made him smarter, even though solving all the mysteries of the world could benefit humanity. Dipper doesn't think to try using the Percepshroom again and keeping it out of Waddles's reach.
69	* RockPaperScissors: While Dipper is trying to punch away the hands attacking him, Mabel tries to defeat one with this game. She loses and runs away screaming.
70	* SchmuckBait: The "potion" that Stan offers as a free sample, actually a knockout drug. Even if it was a {{Jerkass}} move for Stan.
71	* ShoutOut:
72	** The title of the episode refers to...well, [[Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors it should be obvious]].
73	** Stan grabs a sphere that looks like [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings the eye of Sauron]]. Presumably, it's a ''palantír''.
74	** The Hand Witch is wearing The Master's robe from ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate''.
75	** The Hand Witch makes a chair of hands that looks like the [[Series/GameOfThrones Iron Throne]].
76	** The claymation cyclops the Pines family faces resembles the cyclops that appeared in Film/The7thVoyageOfSinbad, while the skeletons are based on the skeleton warriors that appeared in Film/JasonAndTheArgonauts. Fitting, considering that Harry Claymore is himself a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed version of Ray Harryhausen.
77	** At the beginning of "Clay Day," the clock on the wall is [[Film/ClashOfTheTitans1981 Bubo]].
78	** At the end of "Clay Day", Soos turns into ''WesternAnimation/{{Gumby}}''.
79	*** He also says, "Holy toledo!", which was the catchphrase of Pokey.
80	** Genius Waddles is a shout-out to two prominent scientists. His mobile wheel chair and voice synthesizer is based on Creator/StephenHawking, while his whimsical and awe-inspiring speeches on science are based on UsefulNotes/NeilDeGrasseTyson, who in fact voices Waddles.
81	** The title "Abaconings" is a pun on ''Film/{{Awakenings}}''.
82	* SpoofAesop: According to "Clay Day", all stop-motion animation is evil. Also, it's rational to be scared of it.
83	* StealthPun: In the cave scene in "Hands Off!", we see Dipper fighting off several of the disembodied hands through punches. He was engaging in ''hand-to-hand'' combat.
84	* ThrowTheDogABone: While Dipper is heartbroken that Waddles would give up learning the secrets of the universe all at once just to be with Mabel, the pig uses what little time he had left with his intelligence to tell Dipper that "science is a horizon to search for, not a prize to hold in your hand". This makes Dipper feel a little better, but he doesn't completely get over it until the end where Waddles gives him a lick on the face and spits out his What-The-Heck-A-Hedron.
85	* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: In "Clay Day", Harry Claymore used black magic to animate his stop-motion monsters and make filming easier, but when computer animation made his creations obsolete, they went berserk and trapped Claymore in his own home.
86	* TheUnreveal: We never find out who the person whom Stan tried to sell to was.
87	* ThreeShorts: This Halloween episode has three short stories.
88	* UnreliableNarrator: Stan, in telling the stories. He even admits that "Abaconings" is made up before he even starts telling it.
89	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Dipper and Mabel act [[ComedicSociopathy astoundingly undisturbed]] by the man trapped in a glass cage in TheStinger.
90	* UpliftedAnimal: Waddles becomes highly intelligent after eating the mashed-up Percepshroom.
91	* VignetteEpisode: The second one after "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E14BottomlessPit Bottomless Pit!]]"
92	* VoiceForTheVoiceless: When Waddles becomes smart, he builds a cart that does all the talking for him.
93	* WeWantOurIdiotBack: The short "Abaconings" involves Waddles becoming super-smart by accidentally ingesting magical mushrooms, and getting more unattached to Mabel because of his desire to pursue intellectual topics (which instead made him and Mabel's brother Dipper get closer). In the end Mabel, quite tearfully, begs Waddles to go back to normal and he does. The short's AntiIntellectualism bent also clearly shows that Mabel doesn't enjoy that her brother has become increasingly separated from her by his obsession to seek mysteries.
94	* ZergRush: The magic hands attack Stan, Mabel and Dipper like this.
95	----
96	-->''[[TheStinger PVREK BIG QF. JCDQZRF’ ZNVEFH OBCX: "C BEWRS VVUTBFL BT BKNX CVAY BKNX CVAY BKNX"]]'' [[note]]Check Out Dr. Waddles’ Latest Book: "A Brief History Of Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink"[[/note]]

Context Recap / GravityFallsS2E6LittleGiftShopOfHorrors