As a prize for completing a notoriously hard jigsaw puzzle in the Alternate Reality Game "Cipher Hunt", Alex uploaded the pilot episode on August 3, 2016. However, the pilot was hidden behind one more puzzle, a username and a password. Later that day, the fans discovered that the username was "RETURNBACKWARDS" and the password was "TOTHEPASTAGAINTHREE".
The pilot can be seen here
upon inputting that username and password. There's also a "next time" preview. In June of 2022, new footage was unearthed and released online. It can be found here.
Tropes in the pilot:
- Accidental Misnaming: Stan misnames the twins as "Dylan and Rowena".
- As You Know: Stan begins his explanation of the Mystery Shack's attractions with the phrase "as you kids know".
- Blatant Lies: When Stan calls for the twins, Dipper claims they're sleeping and Mabel claims they're dead.
- Blush Sticker: Not only does Mabel have these, but so does Dipper, instead of the usual eye bags that he has in the series.
- The Cameo: The ending has a brief glimpse of a prototype Wendy using an Ouija Board with Dipper.
- The reel features early versions of Gideon and Bud Gleeful.
- Characterization Marches On: Stan having trouble remembering Dipper and Mabel's names was dropped in the main series.
- Chekhov's Gun: Near the beginning of the episode, Dipper finds a popsicle stick with a joke on it that's missing the punchline. Near the end of the episode, the Gnome King challenges Dipper and Mabel to answer that same joke as a "riddle".
- Creepy Twins: The extra footage reel features Dipper and Mabel meeting a pair of these.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: No Soos, no Wendy (outside of a brief cameo in the "next time" teaser at the end), Journal 3 is replaced by "Dr. Crackpot's Book of the Damned", Stan is in his 80’s instead of his 60’s, whilst the animation is done in Flash and in a mixed media style akin to Fish Hooks (which Alex Hirsch previously worked on).
- There’s also a Gnome King. In the main series’s canon, the gnomes don’t have a formal leader (except maybe Jeff).
- Gonk: Stan. Oh dear god, Stan.
- Large Ham: Justin Roiland as the Gnome King.Gnome King: My Queen, the time has come to fulfill your destiny!
- Mistaken for Undead: Dipper and Mabel freak out when they find Grunkle Stan with red stuff around his mouth, lurching and moaning about "brains". He's not a zombie, he just ate a strawberry freeze-pop too fast and got a nasty brain freeze, which lead to him bumping his shin against the coffee table.
- Noodle Incident: Dipper mentions a fishing trip that lead to an encounter with a lake monster (which would inspire the episode "Legend of the Gobblewonker") and an incident that lead to Mabel getting telekinetic powers.
- Old-Timey Cinema Countdown: There's "HEAD", "SOUND START", "PICTURE START", and a monochrome countdown from 8 to 3 (and 2 very shortly) before the show actually starts.
- Prehensile Hair: The Gnome King boasts a prehensile beard that he can use to lift himself into the air.
- Taken for Granite: The gnomes turn to stone after Dipper correctly guesses the answer to the king's riddle.
- This Cannot Be!: The Gnome King's reaction to Dipper and Mabel answering his riddle.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Jeff disappeared after the Gnomes kidnap Mabel.
- Wizard Beard: The Gnome King's beard is longer than his body, by a couple of yards.
