I’m not the first to point out I’m far too old to not be a parent and yet still be watching Disney XD, unless it is a Star Wars-related program. And yet every week, for 2 years, I have been watching the TV guide on Monday nights for new episodes of what can easily be described as a show about 12-year-old Mulder and Scully living in Oregon in the 90s while everybody else lives in present day.
Sadly this show, Gravity Falls, came to an end a couple weeks ago with the final battle between the town of Gravity Falls and Bill Cipher, a maniacal telepathic triangle consumed by dreams of world domination and bringing all possible weird to the world.
Bill isn’t the only bizarre creature found in this town though. Gravity Falls tells the story of twins Dipper (Jason Ritter) and Mabel (Kristen Schaal) Pines who come from California to spend the summer with their Great Uncle (a.k.a. Grunkle) Stan (Alex Hirsch, creator of the show). Stan, a greedy scam artist, runs the Mystery Shack — a tourist trap museum of the weird made up of handmade oddities.
During their first week in town Dipper finds a mysterious book in the woods about the town’s paranormal creatures and events with the number 3 on the cover. Containing information about gnomes, zombies, electric carpets, werewolves, and even Bill, a creature they learn better to leave alone, Dipper uses the book to find adventure and discover the real weirdness in Gravity Falls. Along with his sister, his crush and coworker Wendy (Linda Cardellini), Soos (also Alex Hirsch) — a man-child who has spent his life at the Mystery Shack and devotes his life to Stan and taking care of his friends — and Mabel’s pet pig Waddles, the crew discover the mysteries of the town while they enjoy the two-season-long summer vacation.
What makes the show enjoyable to not just kids but geeks of all ages are the actors voicing these characters. Everybody from Nathan Fillion to Mark Hammel, Tara Strong to J.K. Simmons, and even Weird Al have starred as either single-episode characters or regulars. Until I started writing this post, I didn’t even realize who half the stars were, let alone that a quarter of those were just the show’s creator.
In December I heard the news that this show was ending and I was crushed. There were now only 2 episodes remaining and there could be many more mysteries to reveal, especially since the book’s author had recently been found and was gradually uncovering answers Lost-style, answering first season questions while throwing out 10 more questions each. Even more, the show’s finale (SPOILER) drops a hint at returning the next summer, though show creator Alex Hirsch (he even plays Old Man McGucket) has made many statements that the show has concluded in order to prevent the show’s story from spreading thin.
While the show sadly just ended, it’s a Disney show so it will continue showing until new series are introduced to fill the time slots. If you want to spend time in Gravity Falls but can’t access the show itself, the Gravity Falls Wiki is a great spot to laugh over characters’ histories.