Gravity Falls: An Old Fan's Retrospective and Ranking

[@ChromaDistortion]

have yall ever noticed how the shape shifter's in Dipper's "last form he will ever take" resembles the one where he gets turned into wood in Northwest Manor Noir?

[@AbrasiousProductions]

makes me wonder if dipper was really meant to die there but he thankfully didn't

[@elymt]

Yes!

[@TheInfintyithGoofball]

Yeah I noticed that when I was 10 AND WAS TERRIFIED BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE SHAPE SHIFTER SAW SOME PROFECY!

[@oliverrainer6107]

"Every member of the Pines family has made a deal with Bill. Every single one. But only one of them was a smart enough con man to trick the Devil himself." that is a very powerful quote, that encapsulates the genius of this show. bill a conniving trickster, managed to trick Ford (a man who trusted bill when he seemed friendly), Dipper (a person who learned at episode 1 to "trust no one" but was tricked in desperation) and Mabel (a persons going through grief which bill took advantage of), but he couldent trick the one person who is a con man, seeing right through bill, with a trick of his own.

[@TailsFan]

I heard that Roadside Attraction was actually meant to be before Ford arrived, and they saved it for later because they were still writing the ending. Possibly even right after Into the Bunker.

[@CottonArsonist]

Imo, the Northwest Mansion Mystery/Noir is the best non-Weirdmageddon episode. I love how it's a fairly open yet enclosed space that focuses on a developed character and an underdeveloped character, ultimately maturing them both. Mix that with a few callbacks and foreshadows along with some mystery, jokes and nightmare fuel and it's an episode I just adore.

[@wyldetimesreviews]

Gravity Falls has done more for contemporary animation than I think people truly understand. It inspired countless artists, paved the way for many great shows, and set an example of what you could do with an animated show. Great video Dan, as always, love some of the gags in this one!

[@DanielGoldhorn]

Oh absolutely, it's a great series and I hope I was able to do it justice!

[@paolabetancourt3365]

Well, it’s not really weird Dipper didn’t immediately get over Wendy. Gravity Falls treated their characters as real people, so it is normal to still have feelings after being rejected because it takes time to forget that person and feelings you have - especially if we consider Wendy as his first crush. I don’t particularly like Roadside attraction, but I get why Dipper’s feelings for Wendy are still present.

[@jessehcreative]

I really feel like you could slot that in somewhere Pre-Ford Post-Bunker and not lose anything. Never found the perfect spot for it though….

[@Twisted_A]

Personally It’s not that I don’t like roadside attraction. I just think it’s placement in the fourth season, right after the big Ford Bill reveal and just before Weirdmegendon was misplaced. I think if it was in the 2nd or 1st season it would be looked back on more fondly. But as it stands it feels it’s taking the place of a more important episode that would further develop the relationship dynamics and better the setup the finale

[@Sylveon526Triplo]

Roadside attraction would have worked much better if it was a couple episodes after the bunker not more than 10 later

[@KrispyBroccoli]

Gravity falls is hands down one of the best Tv shows ever made! Glad it was a part of a lot of our childhoods. Great video!

[@DanielGoldhorn]

Thanks so much!

[@suplik.dandelion]

I’m not kidding when I say I’m fully crying rn. The ending of Gravity Falls is just the most satisfying ending I’ve seen so far. As a person, who absolutely loved the show as a kid and, as soon as I was old enough for the internet, is in the fandom I love these types of videos. I always enjoy them and they make me want to rewatch the show for billionth time. Gravity Falls has helped me in so many ways. Mabel is the absolute goddess in my eyes, because… well I was just like her as a kid (and still am) but I didn’t really have friends who would accept me for being unhinged and well, whatever Mabel is. I remember around my 13th birthday I again reminded myself how much the show means to me, because it helped me accept myself. Mabel and Dipper were the same age when I told myself that I just don’t like smoking and drinking like my friends did (eastern European here). Plus the biggest impact this show had was on me and my twin brother. As far as I remember we were always comparing ourselves to the mystery twins, cuz we just are them. I’m as weird as Mabel and he is as nerdy as Dipper. We even adapted the “awkward sibling hug… tap tap” thing. Love this vid, again thank you for making me cry like a baby.

[@SoSuave25]

Its so hard for videos like these to do the show justice. These retrospective videos are awesome, don't get me wrong, but man watching the show while it was airing was an entirely different experience. Seeing payoffs like McGugget in the society of the blind eye episode, Stan having a twin who was the author, etc. were theories which the community came up with. And seeing these episodes air which confirmed the theories was such a crazy feeling. The episodes, characters, theory-crafting, easter eggs, and fandom of the show makes this one of the greatest Disney shows of all time, and my all time favourite!

[@MandoMonge]

Hey! you ripped the hat, now you have to buy it!

[@DanielGoldhorn]

I already have twelve. This one is merely another fine addition to my collection.

[@Drave_Jr.]

Arguably for Carpet Diem, the fact Status Quo returned shows how important it is. Like in Summerween, and later Weirdmaggedon, shows, Dipper and Mabel don't work well when not together. It shows that Dipper views being with Mabel to be important when thinking over everything, which Summerween and Weirdmaggedon also show.

[@umbarumba1918]

this was a great video! i finished the series a couple days ago and i was upset about the lack of analysis and critiques there were on youtube. however, this video really filled that void for me! you're super underrated, this video feels like it was made by a channel with 100x your subscriber count. also, fun fact about the "i've got some children to make into corpses" line in the finale: alex originally wanted bill to say something along the lines of "i've got some kids to kill," but disney wouldn't let him, so the line is now much more unsettling. again, i really enjoyed the video! i've subbed :)

[@DanielGoldhorn]

Thank you so much, that means a lot to me! And that sounds just about right, haha. Technically fitting Disney's rules but inadvertently now a lot more creepy. Great show all around, and glad to have you on board!

[@ShirubaGin]

I guess the real Gravity Falls was the friends we made along the way.

[@warbles4874]

I watched this whole vid without even realizing it only had 6k views, you def deserve more recognition. Incredible video.

[@eatatjoes6751]

My favorite thing about Gravity Falls is that the pace shift feels natural, unlike *coughStarvscough* where the show immediately takes a hard swing into romantic stuff.

[@TSDTalks22]

I think the episode Sock Opera permanently altered my brain chemistry

[@kanekyrocryptic7853]

My biggest problem with the show is in "Dipper and Mabel vs The Future", I don't agree with people who call Mabel "the worst", like she definitely causes a lot of trouble throughout the series, but there was always a good reason for all of those events to happen and subsequently a good reason behind resolving them. But it is hard to ignore that she brought THE END OF THE WORLD by willingly giving away something that DOESN'T BELONG TO HER to a guy who tried to KILL THEM like a week prior. Even if you have the worst day ever, you don't give your brother/uncle's stuff to some guy, just because he promised you a reward, that makes Mabel seem uncharacteristically selfish and gullible, she is 13, not stupid. And in the next couple episodes, it is not acknowledged and she doesn't tell anybody about it, so she doesn't need to face any personal consequences (The Weirdmageddon itself doesn't count, because everyone has to deal with, not just her), and proceeds to be content to abandon everyone and live an illusion, even when she's told that everyone who she loves is in danger. If she was tricked somehow, I would get it, but even if emotionally charged, it was a conscious decision that is treated like an oopsie and not with the world-ending weight that it should have carried.

[@phoebe2675]

In defense of Mabel; she didn’t know/was never told what the rift even was. I don’t think that she knew that it would cause the end of the world. She probably figured it was just some nerd thing and yeah, maybe she was a tad bit selfish for wanting a bit more summer, however the one person who’s been there for her for the longest is suddenly about to ditch her, and she was told that high school was the worst, and having a bit more summer seemed like a good thing for her. One of her big character traits is not wanting to grow up, so I do understand where her choice came from. Also idk if she truly knew about what was going on outside? I’m not totally sure tho, don’t quote me on that part Also the giving it to a guy that tried to kill them, in his defense they did kinda ruin their lives and the twins realized their mistake and tried to make up for it, and assumed they were on a good page. I totally understand why ppl have a problem with it, I do think it could’ve been better written, maybe Dipper and Mabel should’ve had a full on argument before Mabel ran off, but she does have her reasons for it. (I mean this all in a respectful way, I just wanna engage in healthy conversation about it)

[@kanekyrocryptic7853]

@@phoebe2675 Oh I agree that she does have reasons for it, I just believe that those reasons are too selfish to be a priority when she's told that everyone she knows is in danger.

[@Sylveon526Triplo]

I will have to defend her here. She on her lowest point at that moment. Her TWIN brother is going stay away from her for most of her life at the age of 13 that is harsh for a fresh teen. At a sidenote she discovers that high school is shit and will have to deal with it alone. Accepting that offer would make sense for anyone in her place and the last time they had seen blending they ended up as friends.

[@aukakileaf6454]

I’ve watched a lot of videos recapping/ranking gravity falls; over all a lot of videos just covering the series, but none of them were as fantastic as this one. A lot of what you said regarding the show as a whole resonated with me. I loved hearing your opinions on it. Absolutely great video that really gives the show a solid critique and review.

[@DanielGoldhorn]

Thank you so much. This series did mean so much to me, and I hope I was able to do it justice. I'm glad that my thoughts on it were able to resonate with you!

[@TheinterfaceTvSeries]

The Dipper and Wendy relationship hit the hardest for me because I was once in love with an older girl who only saw me as a cute little kid. I remember my heart breaking as I realized she'd never feel the same way about me.

[@Gendernt_Is_Silly]

I like this way of ranking. It subverts your expectations, kinda like the show

[@TylerGoatMan]

1:07:05 I only got into Gravity Falls back during Covid, but still even just hearing the finale music brings me to tears.

[@luizhenriquebarbosadasilva8667]

i like how bill is such a mastermind in manipulation he specificaly picked blendin who had a favor to the twins

[@teddyfurstman1997]

I loved Gravity Falls a lot! This best show that came from Disney Channel. The Book of Bill is great supplement material for Bill Cipher fans.

[@Pumpkinshire]

Maybe a good script doctor fix for roadside attraction would be the twins have cabin fever from being stuck inside all the time and then dipper climbs out the window because Pacifica invites him on a family road trip every parent pick marginally agree because they owe him and then Ford and Stan go after him with a C plot with Mabel and wendy Holding down the fort against increasingly gregarious supernatural attacks flipping through the journals outside of their element

[@Twisted_A]

Wow such an underrated video! Good job man. Headhunters is one of my favorites because rewatching it knowing the twist of Ford puts this episode into a completely different context. His eulogy speech is given so much more context with him tearing up not because he’s selfish, but because he’s saying goodbye to his brother all over again.

[@enjeepic2558]

great video

[@DanielGoldhorn]

Thank you!

[@WesternDragoon-w5x]

Ooo! You're going to love my stories! I reeallly need to get you to watch Twisted sometime regardless of the content warnings.

[@AbrasiousProductions]

I got into the show at the same time you did!

[@darkninjafirefox]

I thino roadside attraction works best if you skip to it before Ford arrives. I think it was supposed to air earlier in the season, but the network held on to it

[@scientistcameraman_ligit]

I want more gravity falls 😢😢😢😢😢 i miss it sooooo much!!!!!!!

[@deutschesmanutter]

fun fact, the gold war sounds like the gulf war... and its suspiciously the 3rd episode of the 2nd season...

[@schhur]

27:34 I get a lot of Fake Peppino vibes from this man

[@wavestogo5893]

I love ur Voice it's realy relaxing

[@PotatoSoup.official]

Amazing video keep it up!

[@DanielGoldhorn]

Thank you so much!

[@TheInfintyithGoofball]

The Last Mabelcorn was written in two days by Alex Hirsch. No really.

[@ploopyploopster5427]

yessss such good takes

[@emperor_putenskiy]

Me: hating Summerween with a passion for weak jokes, wasted cool monster, and badly written conflict that's basically an unnecessary demo version of what's coming in series finale Author: so this episode catapultes itself at the top of the list Me: goddamit (But that dialog in shop that you highlighted was kinda sweet, so for that reason it's probably isnt my least favorite episode, Roadside Attraction beats it because that mess just doesn't work on too many levels)

[@emperor_putenskiy]

Stan is my favorite character, too. I was kinda surprised not to see many threads online like "who is your favorite character, and why is it Stan?" Like, for me, even tho there's a lot of other great characters, not a single one comes close to Stan in terms of being so well written (although I dont like how he's written in Weirdmageddon, but, well, I don't like Weirdamageddon part 2 and 3 writing in general so I guess nothing can help that)

[@emperor_putenskiy]

Yep, Wendy is totally an actual character and not just the love interest! I especially like how she develops throughout the series, starting as a "cool girl from lumberjack family" and ending as a "cool girl from lumberjack family". So many interesting conflicts with resolutions involving her, like ugh.... hating popular song in society of blind eye I guess?.. I also like all that time she spent with her family on screen. Who was her family again? Toby Determined and Pig Farmer guy?..

[@marcwhitlock5002]

Are you excited for "The book of Bill" coming out this summer?

[@DanielGoldhorn]

Oh you know I am

[@CommerceAudio]

Great video! Deserves way more. (Friendly advice I would touch down that background music in some parts as to not compete with your voice.)

[@DanielGoldhorn]

Thanks! And yeah, I've definitely been working on toning down music in recent releases. Appreciate the feedback, going to make sure I keep acting on that!

[@Gavblox]

I think gravity falls should’ve had like 10 more episodes in season 2

[@Gavblox]

Or like even 5 cus season 2 feels a bit rushed

[@Sylveon526Triplo]

I have to disagree. It felt at a good time to finish the series. At least they could replace the roadside episode

[@Gavblox]

@@Sylveon526Triplo or like 5 I feel like season 2 b was rushed

[@Jenny_Metzelar]

2:11

[@Zacharycole1]

great video