Gravity Falls Review: Season 1 Wrap Up

Remember: in Gravity Falls, there is no one you can trust.

So, you have a show airing on the teeny bopper vehicle Disney Channel. Alright, some scepticism is always expected.

It's a cartoon. OK, Disney is known for it's good cartoons.

First season, most Disney Cartoons (hell, most shows in general) are trying to find their footing, gain some depth, etc.

Well, Gravity Falls has just finished it's first season... and it has already established itself (at least in my insane mind) as not only a fantastic show, but quite possibly, the best show on American TV.

It's incredible to think that such a little show could be so fantastically crafted, so deep, so funny... it's pretty damn close to perfect. Barring a couple of clunkers (and a slight dip in the middle), this season was pretty damn good.

Probably my favourite aspect of this season would have to be the character development and the relationship between them.

• While Dipper and Mabel seem like your typical twin siblings, the animosity between them is realistic; it's not dry and boring, nor is it nihilistically sadistic. That's what makes the interactions between them so awesome, so heartwarming, so funny. 
• We see Dipper start to come of age; he gains his first crush, learn the definition of masculinity, defend the ones he loves, and gain a knowledge of the insanity of the town.
• Mabel seems to develop into a more complex character than the goofy tween she first presents herslef as; she can be selfish, intelligent, and surprisingly mature... maybe even more so than Dipper.
• Stan, at first, seems totally inept when it comes to child-rearing, being a jerkass and all that. However, slowly, he becomes concerned with the state of the twins. Is he still greedy and aloof? Yes. However, he would trade anything and everything in for the well being of Dipper and Mabel. His knowledge of the events of the town remains relatively ambiguous through the season.
• One of my main complaints this season was the underuse of Wendy, and how her main role was as a potential love interest for Dipper, throwing her in a love triangle. However, the chance of a romantic relationship between the two is damaged - possibly beyond repair - when Dipper just about lets it slip that he wants to date Wendy... mainly because Wendy realises that Dipper saved her from what could've been a horrible situation (although that's all up to interpretation of what actions were committed by Robbie) and a lying smeghead (that is a much more solid fact) just to get a shot at her. Hopefully, the next season will show a much more well-written character.
• Soos establishes himself as some sort of combination between Red Dwarf's Kryten and Lister; he's a slobbish, childish man, yet he also has a strong moral centre. He slowly establishes himself as quite possibly the most "normal" of the people that live at the shack.
• Gideon, at first, just seems like a one-off villain that just has powers and wants to date Mabel. However, we slowly learn that he is looking to take down Stan... and get something located in the shack. He also reveals himself to be more crafty and manipulative than he lets off at first.

The plot... there is little to say about the plot except that it is quite complex, quite twisty, and very, very brilliant. Whether you're 5 or 55, the appeal of the plot development is quite broad. Same goes for the comedy; it appeals on every single level possible, from pop culture to character-based comedy, from highbrow humour to lowbrow humour.

Really, this was (and is) a fantastic season of what might be one of the best (and one of the most underrated) TV shows out there. Even the two "clunkers" ("The Time Travellers Pig" and "Dipper vs. Manliness") are decent enough by TV standards. Let's just hope the momentum carries over to season 2!

Well, on that note, that's it for my coverage of Gravity Falls for the next few months. Alex Hirsch has already confirmed that the second season should air this summer. I might do another Top X List, one related to the show. Coverage of Red Dwarf Series VI (the last of the "original" six) should begin within the next few days, so I have that to look forward to.

...mmm. What else can I do to pass the time between now and Summer?

May as well watch The Simpsons continue to crater in. That's what we need - a reminder on how the once greatest show of all time became a shell of itself.