Posted 28 January 2019
Gravity Falls / Disney Channel, Disney XD / 2012-2016 (added 9-12-19)
From November 5th to November 30th, 2018, I watched the entire “Gravity Falls” series including the behind-the-scenes special “Between the Pines.” I first started watching a few episodes between 2014-2015 on the Disney XD website. Years later, after finding all the episodes on Hulu, I thought why not this one? This show is soooo weird…I like it!
What’s It About?
This show follows the Pines twins, Dipper and Mabel, who visit their Grunkle (Great + Uncle = “Grunkle.” Clever!) Stan for the summer at his Mystery Shack, a tourist trap. Taking place in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, the small town is occupied by many mysteries and weird on-goings that the twins encounter during their stay.
Changing Tones
Despite the dynamic changes in tones between the two seasons, this show is definitely a must to watch in its entirety. Season one had its share of peppiness and self-episodic stories which eventually transitioned into season two’s darker and progressive story arc. Despite this change, the show maintains its quality.
“Dreamscaperers” (the second-to-last episode of season 1) is an ep I enjoyed as it had much going on. It is a preparation for the feel of the then-upcoming season two. This episode began the end of the colorful, goofy storytelling that was possessed by the preceding episodes. More eventful and shadowy events were on the horizon in season two.
The episode “A Tale of Two Stans” (S2, Ep 12) was the season two ep that stood out to me. The episode tells of the early relationship between Grunkle Stan and his twin brother Stanford. Revelations of secrets and what made them drift apart are a major feature in this episode. I’d say the Stan twins had quite a history that was interesting to hear and see. I like the name of their boat, “Stan o’ War.”
Scattered Mysteries
One of the dominant elements of this show are the clues and puzzles that the creator scattered throughout the series about the show’s meaning. I didn’t catch all of them the first time around but the types of clues that even my untrained senses can sense are the cryptograms at the end of the ending credits and the backwards voice at the end of the opening theme song. Watching “Between the Pines” special pointed out what I missed after my first full go-around. It gives me things to look for whenever I watch the entire series again.
Yes, A Popular Show I Actually Like!
This show can be very, very interesting if you follow the hidden clues and solve the cryptograms. Even if you missed most of them (like I did), this show will still have a unique feel over the animations Disney offered at that time. On top of it all, this show had a decent ending! What other shows have that? I give this show 4.5 stars. This show had complex themes that were difficult for me to write about without performing extensive research but it definitely makes this show worth watching again someday. If you haven’t seen this show yet, do me a favor and please watch it. It could change the way you think of things.