Celebrating 10 Years of Gravity Falls

This article will discuss spoilers of Gravity Falls

Wow, ten years of Gravity Falls. Created by Alex Hirsch, this series has grown over time into one of the most successful shows ever for Disney. It paved the way for other series such as The Owl House, Amphibia, Star Vs. the Forces of Evil, and so many others. It has been well documented Hirsch’s push for queer representation despite Disney executives trying to stop him every step of the way. His actions were joined by other creators such as Rebecca Sugar and ND Stevenson, allowing for many recent animated series to allow for LGBTQIA+ characters and themes in their shows. Gravity Falls still has fans clamoring for another season, movie, or spin-off despite the show ending six years ago. Amphibia creator, Matt Braly, who worked on Gravity Falls, even paid tribute in the episode “Wax Museum” with Hirsch reprising his roles as frog versions of Grunkle Stan and Soos.

But why after ten years is Gravity Falls still so popular?

A big reason for me is that this team trusted their audience. The writers, animators, and creators never once shied away from the story they were telling. One of my favorite moments of Alex Hirsch talking about the show was at the Comic-Con panel in 2015. He says, “Our theory is that kids are way smarter than anyone gives them credit for… There’s this misunderstanding in media that kids will watch anything. It’s like they’re mistaking the appetite… Yeah, kids will watch anything just like a hungry person will eat anything. But they will sing the praises and love something that you make good. Just because people love to consume doesn’t mean they wouldn’t prefer something amazing.”

Supervising producer Rob Renzetti also added, “You should never write down to kids. Any show that does that is making a mistake.”

Kristen Schaal, the voice of Mabel Pines, yells, “Kids are people too!”

This entire interaction summed up one of the biggest reasons Gravity Falls is such a huge success. Hirsch knew that a young audience could handle the complex elements of the narrative. Not once does this show ever talk down to its audience. The bits of horror mixed in have the same fun as Goosebumps novels. That’s the point. It’s okay to be a bit scary at times because life can be scary. Fear is part of growing up, whether that fear is telling a girl you like her or fighting an interdimensional demon.

The story of Gravity Falls is deceptively deep. On the surface, it seems like an adventure of the week show about twins Dipper and Mabel Pines staying for the summer with their Great Uncle Stan (“Grunkle Stan” for short). But in the first episode “Tourist Trapped,” it’s quickly established that there is more going on in the story. The episode opens with Dipper and Mabel fleeing from a hoard of angry gnomes trying to kill them. It establishes there is a supernatural element in the world. While Gravity Falls isn’t the first show to have this kind of premise, the ending of the first episode lays the groundwork for the amazing journey.

“Tourist Trapped” ends with Grunkle Stan walking through his home/business, The Mystery Shack, at night by himself holding a lantern. Up to this point, he’s been a fun-loving grifter who cons dumb tourists out of their money. He adamantly waves off Dipper’s concerns that there are supernatural beings in the woods. But in the final moments, Stan enters a code into the vending machine and reveals there’s a secret room behind it as he shuts the door.

For the rest of the first season and mid-way through the second, there is a mystery surrounding Stan. What’s in the secret room? Why is he hiding this knowledge from his niece and nephew? How can he ignore the supernatural in the town of Gravity Falls when it’s so clearly there?

As Dipper and Mabel, along with their friends Soos and Wendy, discover more about the mysterious town, the story comes to its first crossroads in the season two opener, “Scary-oke.” A hoard of zombies is attacking the Mystery Shack. It looks like the kids might fall victim to the ghouls. But Stan comes out and punches his way through the creatures to get the kids to safety. It’s here that Stan reveals that he’s always known about the supernatural and lied to protect them.

This builds upon “Gideon Rises,” the season one finale. After Dipper and Mabel trust in Stan and share Journal 3 with him, Stan takes their book and laughs off the supernatural once again. But it’s a lie. Finally, the audience gets to follow him down behind the vending machine. Below the Mystery Shack, there is a secret laboratory. It’s revealed that Stan had both Journals 1 and 2 the entire time. With all three books together, he activates a portal in the next room. As the machine whirls to life, he smiles wide and says, “Here we go,” signaling to the audience this is just the beginning of the story.

It's a big moment in the show, changing the entire dynamic. During the first season, Dipper and Mabel kept their adventures a secret from their Grunkle. Stan joined along a few times like in one of my personal favorite episodes “Land Before Swine.” But for the most part, Stan’s story and the twins were mostly separated. But now the secret is out, Stan is on the adventure and in the mix of the story. It was a smart move on the crew to do so to keep the show fresh. Stan is such a powerhouse character (though I might be biased as he’s my personal favorite), and he adds so much to the weekly adventures.

The story of Gravity Falls has two big mysteries wrapped up in the narrative. With the introduction of the Big Bad of the series, Bill Cipher, there is an ongoing question about what his plans are. But by far the biggest mystery of the show is who is the author of the three journals that Dipper finds in the first episode? It’s a question that plagues Dipper well into season two as he searches for answers.

At the core of the show, Gravity Falls is about family, both blood relations and found family. It focuses on the struggles of growing up as the twins near their 13th birthday. There is a parallel with Stan too as the hints were painstakingly laid throughout the early episodes.

That’s because Dipper and Mabel aren’t the only twins in town.

Everything changes in “Not What He Seems.” Gosh, I could write an entire essay about why this is a perfect episode of television, but that will have to be saved for another time. It’s my personal favorite episode of the show. I love it so much!

Government agents come for Stan just as the portal is on the verge of completion. Backed into a corner, Stan orders Soos to protect the vending machine. During all of this, Dipper and Mabel realize their Grunkle has lied to them this entire time. Those family bonds are tested. In a heartbreaking moment, Soos must face the kids. He’s grown to love Mabel and Dipper over the summer. He sees Stan as the father he never had. And in the brawl, they open the vending machine.

Finding that the government agents weren’t lying, that Stan has been hiding some huge secret, the kids look on in fear as the portal reaches its final stages of powering up. Having escaped the agents, Stan runs in and begs the twins not to shut it down. Dipper is angry. Always the questioning one, his trust is completely shattered with his Grunkle. Soos breaks my heart though. He declares he will protect the twins no matter what even if it means fighting Stan who he loves. It’s great drama hinging on the very core relationships of the series. The audience doesn’t want to see characters we love battling it out. It’s such a perfect scene.

Which is then capped off in one of the most iconic moments of the series. The boys are trapped by the power of the portal, unable to move. Only Mabel is left at the shutdown switch. Mabel, who has formed a deep relationship with Stan, is faced with a choice. Does she trust her twin who is begging her to use logic and stop the portal? Or does she trust her great uncle who she loves, pleading with her to let the portal finish?

And Mabel in a single moment becomes the most important character for the future of the show. She releases the shutdown button. The gravity lost in the room causes her to float up into the unknown. With a rainbow of hues swirling behind her and a galaxy as her backdrop, Mabel becomes the shooting star. Mabel chooses Stan.

She chooses love.

The portal finishes and explodes. In the wreckage, our heroes crawl out to see the aftermath. A being emerges who is familiar to the man the twins have stayed with all summer. He has a similar build, looks, and gait. Touching the Journal lovingly with his six-fingered hand, the man picks it up and reveals who Stan so desperately fought for.

His own twin brother Ford had been lost thirty years prior. Now thanks to Stan’s devotion, Ford is back despite being very unhappy at Stan’s recklessness (and Stan stealing his identity).

Ford’s reveal was one of the most satisfying moments in fandom for me. For years, one of the earliest theories of Gravity Falls was that Stan had a twin brother who was lost in another dimension. The deep-diving fans searched through clues over and over, debating how and why it happened. The arrival of Bill Cipher in season one definitely solidified that he was probably involved with Ford’s disappearance somehow.

I remember exactly where I was when I watched “Not What He Seems.” I remember the emotions coursing through me as each beat unfolded. As Soos and Dipper fought Stan, I remember the tears welling in my eyes. I held my breath as Mabel became the shooting star. And when Ford stepped out of the portal, I sprang up to my feet. I stood, watching in awe as he pulled off his mask revealing himself as Stan’s brother. I was shaking. I started laughing hysterically! The episode ended, and I rewound it. I watched it three more times just to make sure it actually happened.

Collapsing on my couch, I cried. I cackled. I felt like I was dreaming! I never felt so justified in fandom before that such a big fan theory was right. Fan theories are nothing new in fandoms. It’s part of the joy of being a fan, debating the what-ifs and maybes. But Gravity Falls was special. We were all so collectively right and seeing Ford was the greatest reward. Never before that or since then has any show, movie, book, comic, or piece of media ever given me that feeling.

Again, Gravity Falls was so smart for changing up the format until the end of the show. Ford is a new element that drives a wedge as Stan, Dipper, and Mabel adjust to having this family member back in their lives. While the back half of season two still has supernatural elements and the growing threat of Bill Cipher, it takes time to focus on the characters. It delves into their fears. It showcases why we care so much for each and every one of them.

Because that is the other element of what makes Gravity Falls successful. The characters are always the focus of the story. From day one, they are what drive the plot. It would all fall apart if we didn’t care about the people at the heart of the show.

It can be so difficult to pull this off, especially in this age when character episodes are often labeled as “filler.” For an all-ages audience who is learning media, it can sometimes be overlooked that character development is a kind of plot. Not every episode can have huge reveals. Hirsch didn’t seem to care about this criticism. He knew exactly what he was doing when it came to the character development of the cast.

The wide range of characters are relatable which gives Gravity Falls so much re-watchability. A young audience can come in at Mabel and Dipper’s ages. The struggles of puberty and discovering new crushes and relationships are something everyone can relate to. Dipper’s one-sided feelings for Wendy are normal for most people. Or the want to avoid those crushes like when antagonist Gideon pines after Mabel, much to her chagrin. There is a focus on shifting emotions as Dipper takes interest in Mabel’s rival, Pacifica. Anyone at any age can understand Dipper and Mabel’s story to a certain extent.

The family elements are so strong too. The focus on the two sets of twins is always at the forefront of the series. But the added element of found family is just as important. There are many examples of found family in Gravity Falls. As I mentioned, Soos sees Stan as his dad after his own father left him. Soos is an honorary member of the Pines Family and always will be. After one of the more tragic reveals of her past, Pacifica so bravely overcomes her own parental abuse to save the day in one heroic moment. She chooses to save Dipper’s life and ignores her own parents in the process, firmly redeeming her. Dipper and Mabel discover new friends with Wendy and her group, who all help Dipper and Mabel grow in different ways. By the end of the show, one way or another, most of the characters are part of the Pines Family.

The adults in the show are definitely what helps the series’ lasting power. I feel like every day that passes, I become more like Stan and Ford. Sometimes I have my Soos days. Every character is flawed in some way and must overcome their shortcomings. The adults are a huge part of this too. A lot of all-ages media leave the adults as an afterthought, letting the focus be solely on the kids’ journey. Gravity Falls ignores those tropes making sure every single person is given their moment. Having wonderfully fleshed out adult characters in an all-ages series allows the audience to grow up with the series. If someone started the show at the same age as Dipper and Mabel, ten years later, they are now adults who can see elements of the series in an entirely new light.

There is also the community of the town of Gravity Falls. What a lively cast of background characters! Hirsch and his team did such an amazing job to make even the smallest of background characters have a relationship and connection to the core cast. Whether it’s “Get ‘em” guy Tyler who becomes the mayor, Lazy Susan who dates Stan for an episode, the endearing queer cops Blubs and Durland who announce their love in the series finale, and everyone else in between, the audience cares about these characters. Bill Cipher invades the town in the finale, and I care about what happens to every single person. I even care about Pacifica’s horrible parents because those two mean something to her, and I love Pacifica. Building such a vibrant community that is just as important as the main cast is not easy to do. It is a testament to the skill of these writers and creators. Every single character, no matter how small, contributes to the world of Gravity Falls.

This allows the story to relate to so many people. When I first discovered Gravity Falls, I was visiting my old college roommate after we graduated. We were both in our early 20’s and hanging out one afternoon. She knew I loved animation and asked if I had seen the series. When I said no, her eyes lit up and she yelled, “HOPE! We must watch Gravity Falls right now!” She didn’t show me “Tourist Trapped.” Instead, my first episode of the show was “The Time Traveler’s Pig” because she felt like it was a good intro episode that not only captured the main cast but also the supernatural elements of the series. I was instantly hooked and desperately sought out the show. Devouring Gravity Falls, I fully emersed myself into the fandom from that point forward.

But it wasn’t just two women in their 20’s laughing at the jokes and really digging the deeper plot. I got to witness the series touch so many people.

At the time, I was also the nanny for a wonderful family. The little girl I took care of was ten-years-old. One day she arrived home from school, and I noticed in her work she drew what looked to be a picture of Mabel. Sure enough, she had been watching Gravity Falls the entire time. With each new episode that came out, she would wait to watch it with me, sprinting off the bus and inside where I had her snacks waiting and the episode queued up. It suddenly became such a vital tool to help me do my job. When my kid had trouble or off days, I was able to use elements from Mabel’s journey as examples to help her work through her problems. When she was a little older, she came up to me and said, “Hope! I think I like a boy. He’s not Mermando, but he’s really cute!” It became a language that we both shared.

Gravity Falls was a central and important part of my work as a nanny. Even her brother, a couple of years older, got in on our talks. His early teenage emotions left him acting that he was “too cool” for a “kid show.” But one time, he said quietly to me, “Don’t tell my sister that I really love Dipper. He’s so cool! I want to be like him!” Ten years later, he graduated from college with a degree in science and technology with dreams to work in the space program. His mother said he wanted to discover new things in the cosmos.

I like to think that Dipper had more influence on that kid than he would have ever admitted when he was twelve.

My life fell apart at one point in my mid-20’s and I was forced to move back home. It was my first time living with my step-mom, and she really wanted to bond with me. Season two of Gravity Falls was running at the time. One night as I prepared to watch the new episode, she came over and asked to join me. She wanted to know about my interests. I can’t remember the episode, but she was instantly hooked. My step-mom asked if we could start the show from the beginning.

Since then, Gravity Falls is still one of her favorite series I’ve shared with her. Now in her 70’s, she will occasionally ask if there will be a new season or a movie. She misses the adventures of Dipper, Mabel, Stan, and Ford. So, a couple of years back, I told her, “Well, it’s not Gravity Falls, but one of the artists on the show, Dana Terrace, has a show called The Owl House. Alex Hirsch voices two of the characters.” She fell in love with The Owl House instantly. We’re still working through season two, but whenever the show is on hiatus, my step-mom will ask every couple of weeks when the show will come back.

Then more recently, I got to experience Gravity Falls once again through the eyes of a new viewer. My co-podcaster is named Chris and we’ve had our Star Wars show for over eight years. He got to witness firsthand my emotions as I would gush to him whenever a new episode of Gravity Falls dropped. He is a conspiracy theory guy, loves cryptids, and essentially has the same demeanor and humor as Grunkle Stan. For years, I pestered him over and over again to watch the show.

Finally, I made Chris a deal. If I edited the show, would he make a podcast with me where we would watch Gravity Falls? He agreed and our side project Hope Makes Chris Watch Cartoons was born. Now, I admit, I am horrible at editing podcasts. I still have the last couple of episodes to edit from last year (I’ve been busy! Don’t judge me!). But I got to share the show with my dear friend, watching him experience the series for the first time.

We had a segment where Chris would make his own predictions. Most of the time, he was wildly off. One time though, he was spot on. In one of our earliest episodes, Chris off-handedly said, “I don’t know, maybe Stan has a long lost brother or something,” and then he kept on talking! He never went into that point. He never brought it up again. It took everything in my power not to scream.

And through the show, Chris taught me so much too. I still wonder if Ford and the Journals are based on Charles Fort and The Book of the Damned. Chris told me about Moloch the owl and its lore with Masonic lodges. The show was a gateway for us to get closer as friends. Watching this man in his 50’s devour and love each episode was such a joy. He would cackle over the adult humor. He recalled stories from his own childhood growing up in a small town. The residents of Gravity Falls truly resonated with him. Despite still needing to edit the last episodes, I can say that Chris really loved the finale. He said it was a testament to a brilliant show and one of the most satisfying around. While I can never go back and experience the series for the first time again, watching my friend enjoy Gravity Falls for the first time was the next best thing.

Gravity Falls’ staying power is undeniable. It truly captured the trials and tribulations of growing up. It mixes the drama of family with the supernatural bonkers narrative that came with Bill Cipher. There is no question why people still discover and fall in love with the show. Those kids who first watched it are now adults. They can share the series with their own children. Now on Disney+, the accessibility of the show allows for new audiences to find it and fall in love.

After ten years of mysteries, it doesn’t look like it is going away anytime soon. Gravity Falls truly is something special.