Gravity Falls Review: "Society of the Blind Eye" (Season 2, Episode 7)

You see? Nobody suspect the quirk.

Airdate: October 27, 2014

Synopsis: After realigning any and all evidence found, Dipper deduces that Old Man McGucket might have wrote the journals about the mysteries in Gravity Falls. After meeting up with the man, McGucket claims amnesia before 1982. Deducing that his mind was wiped, the gang wind up in the innards of the Gravity Falls Museum of History, where they find a secret society dedicated to wiping the memories of the townsfolk.

Review (MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK): I could gush endlessly about this episode, to the point where the review would be just me squeeing for about a novella's worth of words. Instead, I will just plow through the plot basics quickly, and review the more in-depth afterwards.

The plot? Fantastic. Fantastic buildup, fantastic twist, fantastic climax... fantastic all around.

OK, you want more? I'll give you more.

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 4: "Entangled"

Airdate: 25 October, 2012

SYMBOLISM!

Synopsis: Kryten and Cat wind up in sync due to an experiment with the quantum rod. The two are full of coincidence, say the same thing at the same time, etc. Lister, meanwhile, winds up on the wrong end of a poker game against Biologically Engineered Genetic Gobblers, losing both Starbug and Rimmer. Making matters worse? A bomb is attached to Lister's crotch. If he doesn't turn over Rimmer within 24 hours, or tries to tamper with the bomb, he gets blown to bits... thus ending Rimmer's life, as Lister's lack of existence terminates Rimmer's runtime. (We can also presume that the bomb could do decent damage to the ship, putting the lives of Kryten and Cat in jeopardy.)

With little hope, Lister has to go down and renegotiate a poker game. However, the Cat mentions that Lister has a tendency to choke. Thus, the BEGG's choke to death. Literally. They eat power cords and choke on them. Kryten and Cat, thankfully, are able to use their newfound power to find the maker of the ship, a chimp who was once a forgetful scientist named Professor Edgington (Sydney Stevenson).

Review: It's often said that "Pete" and "Back in the Red" are the worst ever Red Dwarf episodes. One of the (many) complaints against the episodes is that they had too much material for the originally planned timeslot (one for "Pete" and two for "Back in the Red"), so they were extended to an extra episode. Now, though, this gave them two much time, so they had to add tons of filler. Thus, we got the claymation crew, a wretched Kryten story, and tons and tons and tons of Rimmer and Lister walking into the damn captain's office.

This episode shows that singular episodes with tons of material, while a bit rushed, can actually work... that is, if you pump in tons and tons of comedy, as well as a very quirky theme.

"Entangled" deals with the concept of coincidence, irony, and the antithesis. Oh, boy does it deal with it. I could go into detail about it, but that would require me posting the entire transcript of the episode.

Instead, I will say that "Entangled"'s concept is a microcosm of the entirety of Red Dwarf, if you think about it. Red Dwarf is something of a counter to Star Trek: whereas Star Trek has a very optimistic outlook on the future of humanity, displaying civilisations as enlightened (or at least passionate), Red Dwarf has all of it's characters be people who, well, let's just say wouldn't lead the Enterprise. Coincidently, Red Dwarf premiered mere months after Star Trek: The Next Generation, and both shows hit their stride around the same time. Series VII premiered months after Star Trek: First Contact, with both showing a more "dramantic" turn for the franchises. Series VIII, considered the worst series of Red Dwarf, aired mere months after the premiere of Star Trek: Insurrection, considered one of the weaker Star Trek movies. Both were attempts to return to what made the early years great... and didn't work out too well.

In-universe, meanwhile, this episode's use of coincidence is pretty good. While I do think there could've been a bit more creativity and variety in the coincidence jokes, whether it's the acting, the timing, or the characters involved, almost every joke hits where it's supposed to. Prime examples? Again, I can't list them all... so I'll list three of them.

• The "report forms/lost-ya-in-a-poker-game" double conversation.
• Cat holding Roestler's book on Coincidence just as Kryten points out said book.
• The only person to be traded is the one nobody cares about.

Now, what problems exist in this episode? A few. For one, the pacing makes for a bit of a weak ending. Once you get the tactic, it seems like they're trying too hard to create tension. Secondly, if nobody will miss Rimmer, why would they aim to stop the deal from coming through?

Also, there's a small plot hole. You see, why wouldn't they just return Rimer to the BEGGs, disable the light bee when far enough, and activate Rimmer on a new light bee? The only thing missing would be Starbug, and it would appear that Red Dwarf still has a shuttle or two, as we saw as they were travelling to the BEGG planet!

Yet, this might be solved by the following in-universe explanations:

• The ship really isn't being maintained by a computer- a Holly, a Queeg, a Pree. Granted, we've seen Lister repair Kryten before, so computer repair might be in store for him. Yet, he still might not be "mature" enough to really focus on repairing the computer when it's unnecessary. Thus, the crew might not have the ability to activate a new light bee.
• That shuttle the crew took to the BEGG planet looked small. We know how close to insanity they got in Starbug during Series VI and VII. Using that shuttle long-term would drive them beyond spare.

Again, so far, the second-best episode of the series (surpassed only by "Lemons"). Series X is actually doing decently, if not up there with the "golden years".

Tidbits:

• The "C-plot" of the week? The accident report forms. Boy, Rimsie really is neurotic. Eh, at least it wasn't as pointless as Taiwan Tony.
• Look closely, and Professor Edgington's glasses are upside down. It's the little things like that which make Red Dwarf such a brilliant series.
• This episode had a few production oddities:
• The chimp was restricted to only a few hours on set due to regulations. The original end of the plot was Lister and Rimmer bickering like a divorced couple about how to take care of a chimp. Thank you, animal regulations!
• Stevenson was not available at the time of the transformation from the chimp to Professor Edgington, so they got a model for that scene.
• Also, because details were still being hammered out, the final five minutes were not taped in front of an audience- rather, a copy was shown to a studio of people.
• Steven Wickham comes back as the BEGG chief. He previously played the Kinitawowi Chief's Daughter in "Emohawk: Polymorph II". 

Favourite Scene: The entirety of Rimmer realising he was gambled away in a poker game. Special mention goes to Cat spelling out his Curriculum vitae.

Least Favourite Scene: The ending. So much unnecessary tension!

Score: 8.5

Gravity Falls Review: "Little Gift Shop of Horrors" (Season 2, Episode 6)

Airdate: 4 October, 2014

Well, another year, another trilogy! This time, a tourist gets trapped in the clutches of Grunkle Stan and his salesman tactics. Trying to convince him to buy something at the shack, he tells three tales concerning the items he finds.

Note Ahead of Time: For the purposes of this review, I am considering everything encompassing this episode not even remotely close to canon. However, I will analyze the segments, first on their own merits, and how they fit into the overall scheme of the episode.

Also, there are spoilers. For that reason alone, I am putting a "jump" on this.

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 3: "Lemons"

Airdate: 18 October, 2012

"Oh, Jesus!"
"Yes?"

Synopsis: The crew of Red Dwarf manage to acquire a Swedish rejuvenation shower. Being the Red Dwarf crew, they assemble it... haphazardly, to say the least. End result? They wind up in Britain in the year 23AD. The remote that can transport them back? Lister tossed the battery, thinking it was used up. Rimmer suggests making a potato battery to power the remote.

Kryten: Britain in 23AD, sir, doesn't have any potatoes and won't get them until the 16th century.

Rimmer's backup plan- lemons.

Kryten: Britain in 23AD, sir, doesn't have any lemons, either. They won't get those until the 14th century.

Cat: He's getting closer!

The nearest lemon source is India... 4000 miles away. At a local lemon market, they manage to procure lemons. Whilst talking about how primitive 23AD is, they manage to attract the attention of a certain fellow. He calls himself Jesus.

Review: No matter what your thoughts on Christianity (or organised religion) might be, it's pretty much a fact that The Bible is the most quoted and referenced book/anthology in the history of modern media. It's influence extended beyond typical media, and has created numerous tropes- forbidden fruit, the Judas archetype, the house divided, etc. Name a trope, it probably originated in The Bible.

Red Dwarf has routinely referenced the book, both via jokes and as plots. Rimmer's middle name? Judas. The religion of Mr Rimmer? Based on a misprint in 1 Cor 13. "The Last Day"? Total send up to the idea of puritanism and the afterlife. Red Dwarf, when dealing with religion, leans heavily to the "atheist" side of the spectrum- bashing organised religion as a means of controlling the masses, as seen in "The Last Day". (Robert Llewellyn is a self-described atheist.) The show also seemed to encourage people, however, to not use their "one life" and completely waste it- "The Inquisitor" was proof of this, with the titular character erasing those whose lives were spent totally slobbing around, unlike Lister.

Most of the brutal critiques of religion were done in the vein of "silicon heaven"- the afterlife for robots.  So, how could Red Dwarf take on the figurehead of arguably the largest religious belief in the West?

Amazingly, he's treated pretty well, and yet they were still able to write a damn good script surrounding the character.

What makes Red Dwarf work is it's combination of subtle humour and louder comedy. There are several send-ups to the bible, several of which your average viewer won't firmly get unless they've been paying attention in Church. Of course, they also make some more... obvious send-ups. One in particular caught my eye.

Of course, The Last Supper has been sent up by almost every piece of media in existence. The Simpsons, for one, used it as a parody of The Da-Vinci Code. (Too bad it was a Season 16 episode, and thus, probably is subpar.) Take a closer look at this, however.

In Da Vinci's painting, the man who's face is right next to Jesus is Apostle Thomas, who is pretty miffed about Jesus's plan. The man sitting next to Jesus on his left? Rimmer, who is not only always miffed about something, but still is a bit stunned that he appears to be meeting the most famous man in history. To the far right, Cat, who is just as confused as anybody else... much like the three disciples to the left of Jesus were. Sitting right next to Jesus on his right? Kryten, who Jesus declares a man of peace- possibly his favourite. To the right of Jesus in The Last Supper were Judas, Peter, and John, who Jesus regarded as his closest disciples (two of whom betrayed him). To the far right? Some guy who also looks surprised.  Lister's just there for comedy purposes.

The characterisation of Jesus is actually pretty brilliant, from a comedy standpoint. Here we have this group, possibly in the presence of the wisest man in history. They send this man from the Roman ages to the future. What is his reaction to the year 3 million? He's fascinated with the bags. You can store stuff in them! Oh, he also needs a kidney stone removed. Joy.

Of course, there's a twist at the end that puts all the puzzles, all the characterisation, in place.

This episode features some well-spread out character development. Compared to "Fathers and Suns", which focused quite a bit on Listy, and "Trojan", which focused more on Rimmer, this episode splits the development between the two. Lister, for one, is again back to his loveable characterisation- one that tries to focus on positive impacts of issues of conscience, even if he has disagreements. He maintains that Jesus's teachings helped the world, despite the wars fought and despite his belief that he's "the ultimate atheist".

Rimmer's revelation that his middle name was Judas because his mother wanted him to be named after somebody honourable is actually pretty deep in and of itself. You see, Rimmer, through the series, is shown to be cowardly and callous, quick to sell out. This comes at the cost of whatever virtues he has, such as those shown at the end of "Out of Time". Same with Judas. While Judas's betrayal was pretty low, little is known about any potential virtues that he had. It's actually a pretty deep naming trick.

Only cons? Well, did we need the Shakespeare gag? Not really. Oh, and why did they have to name-drop eBay? Why? I'm just glad they didn't name-drop IKEA.

Still, this is easily the best episode of Series X so far. Fantastic plot, great humour, great structure, great character... what more do you need?

Tidbits:

• They actually made a battery out of lemons. It did put out eight volts.
• This episode actually used... location filming. I wouldn't be surprised if that ate the budget of half the series.
• Interestingly, the "tongue of Albion" wasn't spoken in 23AD England. The tongue spoken back then was Gaelic.
• This episode actually shares some traits with "Tikka to Ride". Both episodes feature the Dwarfers going back in time, meeting a historical figure known for their idealism, trying to set history right, and cannibalism may or may not have been involved. The differences? Well, this episode was funny, and didn't make me want to slap Lister.

Favourite Scene: Pretty much every scene involving Jesus. The "last supper scene" was fantastic.

Least Favourite Scene: Again, what was with the Shakespeare gags?

Score: 8.75

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 2: "Fathers and Suns"

Airdate: 11 October, 2012

AHHHH!!! DATA DOCTOR FLASHBACKS! GET EM OFF! GET EM OFF!

Synopsis: Every year, Lister sends a Fathers Day card to himself, then proceeds to get wasted so that, when he sees the card on Fathers Day, he has no recollection on what he put in it. With Rimmer telling Lister that he's a pathetic father, and with the help of the Medi-Bot, Lister decides to give himself tough love. Meanwhile, Rimmer and Kryten install a new computer, Pree. Compared to Holly, Pree has extreme intelligence, yet with a twist: her mission is entirely tied to the crew, such as repair standards and final destinations. This proves problematic when, in Lister's act of tough love to himself, he resigns his position on the ship.

Oh, and Kryten is also wondering... is a table game that he played with various vending machines the night before offensive?

Review: This was a bit of a strange episode to organise my thoughts about. While the episode had a plot (two, even) that could've fit solidly in the first two series, the end result felt a bit more awkward than it should have been.

This episode is a follow-up on "Ouroboros". In hindsight, I think "Ouroboros" was the moment when Series VII heavily lurched toward it's negative reputation. ("Beyond a Joke" sealed it.) This episode decides to focus on how Lister tries to act like a parent to himself. Thankfully, the result here is much better than the result seen in "Ouroboros"- Lister actually acts on the fact that he's the victim of the "grandfather" paradox. I have to say, the scene where Lister keeps popping in the tapes he made the previous night, with his "father" self in sync with his "son" self, is brilliant in both comedy and character. It shows that, as slobbish and as seemingly unmotivated as Lister is, Lister actually wants to improve- he's just a bit too comfortable in his current state. That, and it's probably the best gag in the show since at least "Cassandra".

"From now on... Red Dwarf is run by Pree!"

Speaking of which, I think the "Pree" plot could best be described as "Queeg" meets "Cassandra", with doses of "White Hole". I think that's why that particular plotline felt a bit off- I think Doug was midway through writing the episode, noticed the similarities between this and "Cassandra", was short on time, and decided to rip off "Queeg", because who gives a damn about creativity anymore? Hell, if The Simpsons can rip of plotlines for 15 straight years and still get nominated for Emmy awards for 14 years after the sell-by date (not saying I like that theory), Red Dwarf can ape from two episodes once and get away with it.

In that plot, we get more of a view into Rimmer's latent control freak tendencies, sexism, and attempts to conceal both. The execution seemed a bit broad, but it is a reminder that, as much as we feel for Rimmer after we see his family life, we have to recognise that he's a git.

Pree, as a character, is actually pretty interesting. After learning that she did a shoddy repair job, she reveals that she takes her personality from the crewmen. Lister was able to predict what he was going to do with the tapes. Rimmer orders everything done, no matter what the cost. Kryten holds everything up to the letter of the law. The Cat is very strategic. Pree holds all of these characteristics- a gestalt, if you will. (And yes, I recognise that this is similar to "Legion".)

The C-plot did split opinion when it first aired, with several reviewers claiming that it toed the line of good taste. In hindsight, I actually sort of liked it for what it was- a running gag that also exposed some aspects of the Red Dwarf universe. I did like how Red Dwarf presented itself as the anti-Star Trek; in Trek, racial issues are seen as largely cosigned to the 20th century, with racism symbolically represented with episodes such as "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield". Red Dwarf, though, still has racism as a question in their universe- that, and the characters are certainly at least a bit ignorant. Fits well with the more cynical universe of Red Dwarf. Yes, it did reach points that bordered on awkward and dated (Taiwan Tony, for one). However, the pay off manages to fuse all three plots in a manner that's pretty damn creative.

So far, Red Dwarf X is holding it's own; not outstanding, but not wretched. Will the next episode break the streak of good episodes? Who knows?

Tidbits:

• This episode also gives some more input as to what happened with Rimmer between "Only the Good" and "Back to Earth", as we learn that he knows about Lister's parental situation. So, he does have some knowledge of the events of Series VII and VIII.
• Craig Charles actually had the flu during filming of the "tapes" sequence. Strangely enough, this made his scenes during and after Lister's rant more convincing.
• If I had to choose between the Medi-Bot and the Data Doctor... I'll choose the Medi-Bot. Simply because I never want to so much as look at Series VIII. Ever.
• It's worth noting that this is the first episode of Red Dwarf since VIII to take place entirely on Red Dwarf itself (barring a brief sequence where Lister is jettisoned out of the ship). If VIII is ignored (which it should be), then it is the first episode since "The Last Day" to take place entirely on the small rouge one.
• One more note: I will be putting off my review of the Gravity Falls episode "Little Gift Shop of Horrors" until we get closer to halloween.

Favourite Scene: Tapes. Sequence. Excellent acting, excellent writing, excellent timing... excellent.

Least Favourite Scene: I'll admit- Taiwan Tony was a tiny bit dated.

Score: 7.5. It would've gotten an 8.5 if it wasn't so derivative.

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 1: "Trojan"

Airdate: 8 October, 2012

Synopsis: The scouters aboard Red Dwarf pick up a derelict ship, the Trojan. Despite the derelict being unworthy of flight, this ship fascinates the crew, who are still stuck on a ship "slower than the speed of dark". After Rimmer fiddles around with a quantum rod, the Trojan comes in close contact with the Columbus III. The hologram on that ship is Howard Rimmer. Yes. Rimmer's brother. Already dejected from failing the Astro-Navs again, Rimmer's resentment fills up his hard drive, causing him to suffer a crash. After being cleared of some of the "malware", he realises he has two options- fess up to his failures, or lie to his brother.

No prizes for guessing what he chooses.

Review (SPOILER-ISH): One of the central tenants of Rimmer's character has always been the conflict between the guy and his family. It's strongly implied that, as much as he uses them as a crutch for his aloof and insensitive behaviour, that his strained relationship really did mess his psyche up. His father physically abused him, mentally abused him, his brothers tortured him beyond typical "brotherly" fights, and his mother was aloof to the whole situation, sleeping around to avoid the situation. Bringing Rimmer's supposedly more successful brother to the centre of an episode- the premiere of the first "regular" Red Dwarf episode in 13 years, mind you- was, in hindsight, a bit of a daring manoeuvre. Does it work?

Mostly.

Being that Red Dwarf has traditionally made Rimmer the centre of an eccentric ensemble, it's no surprise that he gets the first episode out. They had no choice- if they had focused on, say, Cat, enough viewers might have been alienated to put the franchise in danger. In some regards, the writers had no choice but to play it safe. Yet, again, they also took the risk to introduce us to Rimmer's brother, Howard. That was cool of them.

This episode drops a damn huge revelation on us concerning Howard, however. Let's just say that he never really was the person he was hyped up to be. Yet, he also manages to do something that would take a lot of chutzpa for anyone- especially Rimmer- to do. What we see is the impact Rimmer's poor childhood had again, through Howard. His life was a lie- what makes you think Rimmer's other brothers were failures themselves? Did Rimmer's parents lie to him in a failed attempt to motivate Rimmer to succeed? Or were they too selfish about their own failures, that they would lie to their own son? It's a pretty interesting twist.

Rimmer's character, yet again, has to be reset somewhat, just to give a feel to potential new viewers. As such, as awful as we saw Howard in previous episodes (and as awful as Rimmer said he was here), we saw Rimmer return the favour. Granted, it blows up in Rimmer's face, but Rimmer still pulled a cruel manoeuvre. In fact, in my first ever edition of "Not Another Top X List", I placed Rimmer's betrayal of his brother at #1. Yet, if what we know about Howard is true... he totally deserved it.

The big problem with the episode lies with Lister and his stupid call centre plot. Really, there was little humour to mine from it. Granted, I loved Kryten freaking out at the call centre operator. However, it also forces him to act way out of character in order to resolve the plot (here's a hint- it deals with jumping at the risk of getting hit with phasers.)

After two series of slapdash/nonexistent comedy and a series that tried too hard to be a postmodern drama, the comedy here is back to form. It's not really too hysterical- there's not too much character comedy here- but I'll take this far over "Beyond a Joke" any day of the week. Favourites of mine include the "Trojan moving gag", the "orange glow paint" joke, Rimmer's interactions with Trojan, and Rimmer trying to revise for his test.

So, was "Trojan" worth the wait? I'm willing to say so. It's probably not too much of a masterpiece (the call centre was pretty stupid, for one), but it serves it's purpose- bring Red Dwarf back to it's roots. Driving the point home, the episode was given a generally positive reception after three series of divisive-to-scathing reviews. That's just how pleased the fans were.

Welcome back, Red Dwarf. Nice to review episodes of you again.

Tidbits

• I forgot to mention- the acting in this episode is pretty damn good. Strangely enough, compared to the first 8 series, Craig Charles did give off a bit more of a "dramatic", toned down vibe to Lister's character. Granted, Charles does play Lloyd Mullaney in Corrie. Oh, and Lister is at least in his mid 40s (physically).
• Like always, the Cat makes pretty much everything funny. Danny John-Jules just has that midas touch.
• The question is- will I review Series XI when it comes out? If I'm still doing this blog (which I probably will), then the answer is a resounding yes.
• Again, very pleased to see that the models for the ship are back. CGI? Who needs CGI?

Favourite Scene: Going to have to go with Rimmer, post resentment-removal. Lots of character comedy there.

Least Favourite Scene: Three words. Call. Centre. Plot.

Score: 7.5

Red Dwarf X Preview

No matter what the critical response to Red Dwarf: Back to Earth was, the ratings were deemed to be extraordinary. Gaining the highest ever ratings for the Dave network, speculation was rampant and immediate concerning a tenth series. First word came out in June 2010, when the actors stated that more Red Dwarf would be made. However, nothing was confirmed then. It wasn't until April 2011 when UKTV finally confirmed that Red Dwarf would be back for a full series.

The reaction was cautiously optimistic. TV series have been revived before due to strong interest. Doctor Who was brought back in March 2005, Family Guy was brought back two months later, Futurama was revived twice, etc. However, the quality of these revivals has been debated time and time again. While Doctor Who came back to rave reviews for it's more character-focused plots, Family Guy and (to a lesser extent) Futurama got a more lukewarm reaction, accused of lacking the magic the original seasons had, or going in a more crass direction. On top of that, the past three installments of Red Dwarf have been blasted as being far weaker compared to the original six series. (You saw me getting more frustrated with the show as we ended the eighth series!)

So, would Red Dwarf get the same critique as other shows? Or would it be a return to form?

Well, before we dive in, let's just see how the production went. This will be quick, because the fact of the matter is that it all depended on the budget... which was, yet again, barely there. Doug Naylor had to fight just to get a studio audience. Once the sets were dismantled, any extra scene had to be shot in front of a green screen- any episode containing these were aired to a studio audience, not taped like the other episodes.

However, this series did go "back to basics". The Red Dwarf models were brought back (thank smeg), the sets gained vibrant colours again, Howard Goodall was brought back to do the music, Howard Burden was back to do the costumes... it really felt like the show was being returned to the "tried and true". Granted, budget limitations constrained the episodes. Ambitious projects such as "Back to Reality", "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", and "Dimension Jump"? Not done this time around. This was more like Series II- back to basics.

So, what was the end result? Was the show back to form? Or was it proof that Red Dwarf should've ended with Rimmer blowing the Time Drive out of the sky?

Well, here's the episodes!

• Trojan: Rimmer gets an SOS call from a ship... where his brother is the ship's hologram. He realises that he needs to beat his brother at his own game, and pass the astro-nav exam... the one that he failed several times.
• Fathers and Suns: Lister decides to help himself on Fathers Day, by trying to be a better father to himself. Makes sense. Oh, and Rimmer installs a new computer, Pree.
• Lemons: After a time-travel incident involving flat-pack furniture, the gang are sent back to 23AD England. They have to travel to India to get some potatoes to get a battery to go back to Red Dwarf.
• Entangled: A game of poker goes deadly when Lister loses Rimmer. He is given 24 hours to turn over Rimmer, or have a bomb that's attached to his pelvis blown up. Oh, and Kryten and Cat become quantum entangled.
• Dear Dave: Lister gets in a love triangle with an old girlfriend and two snack dispensers. 
• The Beginning: Simulants finally begin playing war games with the Dwarfers. This seems like the end for the gang... even Rimmer, who never accomplished any of his goals.

Gravity Falls Review: "Soos and the Real Girl" (Season 2, Episode 5)

Airdate: September 22nd, 2014

Synopsis: When Soos gets an invitation to his cousin's engagement party, he realizes (with help from his grandmother) that he needs to find a date. After initial attempts prove fruitless, he winds up buying a Japanese dating simulator (against the game store's warnings). Said simulator involves the player interacting with Giffany, a "schoolgirl" at "School University". However, Giffany is more than just a character in the game- through the magic of electricity, she becomes possessive of Soos, especially once Soos meets a real woman, the quirky Melody. Once Soos decides to send the disc back to the game store, Giffany snaps, realizing that she must destroy Melody and trap Soos.

Meanwhile, in yet another quest for money, Stan realizes that he needs to steal an animatronic from Hoo-Haw's Jamboree Pizza Time to replace his old animatronic. It's so stupid, not even Wendy will dignify his insanity.

Review (SPOILERS): After a string of generally awesome episodes, Gravity Falls took something of a retreat back into merely "great" territory. Strangely, the past four episodes were more focused on the fantasy and mystery elements in the town, while this episode seemed to embrace the sci-fi wing of speculative fiction.