Owls and Dreams.

Okay, so we know that Bill can see through “whatever looks like him” into the world of Gravity Falls and the Shack. We know that Bill primarily exists in the “mindscape” or the Dream World; and can only interact with others on the physical plane if they are asleep or on the verge of. He needs to have a “Vessel” to be able to interact with others on a physical plane, seen in him stealing Dipper’s body.

An interesting Reddit comment pointed out how that while areas of the shack have the Eye of Providence in them (the gift shop, the front door, the attic, the parlor, the wax museum area), allowing Bill to see into the Shack and what’s going on, many key areas do NOT have an EoP; the Basement, Stan’s room, Stan’s office, The Author’s Room, the living room.

But you know what I HAVE noticed is in most of those rooms?

And of course, this little guy…



So if Bill can use the semblance of himself to see what goes on in the Mystery Shack when he’s not there (presuming he’s not there), what if the someone else, someone like THE AUTHOR, does the same thing? What if he took a leaf out of Bill’s book and can see what’s going on in the Shack… through the likeness of OWLS? But, what? How is this even possible?

From the Search for the Blind Eye website, we have this:



A WISE OLD OWL LIVED IN AN OAK THE MORE HE SAW THE LESS HE SPOKE THE LESS HE SPOKE THE MORE HE HEARD WHY CAN’T WE ALL BE LIKE THAT WISE OLD BIRD?

I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to call the “Wise old Owl” the Author and the “Oak” the Mystery Shack. The rest of the riddle seems pretty self explanatory.



There’s a lot more notes from the website going all the way back to the end of season 1. If you haven’t seen them, they are compiled here. What’s interesting to note is that a lot of the dialogue sounds like a back and forth between Bill… and the Author.



Bill: HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY THE WINNERS.

HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY THE WINNERS. Author: HOW MUCH LONGER CAN I WAIT. DON’T OPEN THE DOOR .

HOW MUCH LONGER CAN I WAIT. . Bill: YOU CAN’T JUST GO SWITCHING IT UP ON THEM THEY REALLY AREN’T THAT CLEVER.



YOU CAN’T JUST GO SWITCHING IT UP ON THEM THEY REALLY AREN’T THAT CLEVER. HIS FEEBLE ATTEMPT TO TRY AND MAKE YOU REALIZE IS QUITE HUMOROUS.

Author: DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME. SECRETS HARD TO BELIEVE

DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME. SECRETS HARD TO BELIEVE Bill: NOW THIS IS MY KIND OF DAY.

NOW THIS IS MY KIND OF DAY. Author: IT’S OVER. THERE IS NO HOPE. STRANGE DAYS.

IT’S OVER. THERE IS NO HOPE. STRANGE DAYS. Bill: HE’S GONE BECAUSE YOU FAILED



Man, that’s all pretty cryptic. These came from Sept/Oct 2013. But if the speakers are Bill and the Author, how are they conversing? Simple; they both exist in the mindscape at the same time.



Now, there’s a pretty popular theory going around right now that the Portal not only connects to the universe, but also connects to the Mindscape. The mindscape, as we know it, is pretty parallel to our world and is where Bill lives. We also know that without a body, living in the mindscape is like being a ghost. Others in the physical world can’t see or hear you, which is why Bill is probably all around and “watching”, even though we can’t see him.

Welcome to the mindscape, kid! Without a vessel to possess you’re basically a ghost!”



So what if the Author was here, there, and everywhere… in the Mindscape? What if he’s actually been stuck in a parallel world of Gravity Falls, but is still able to view what goes on in his own world via owls?



An interesting bit that actually points towards this theory is the fact that the Author came out of the portal in the first place. If he was traveling the universe, what would have clued him into the one moment in that universe’s space that the portal was opening and he should be ready? How would he have traveled to that portal spot and known to enter it at a specific time? Especially since Grunkle Stan clearly had no way of actually going into the portal prior to starting it back up; the only communication he would have had is in the notebook he accidentally threw into the portal.



But if the Author had ALWAYS BEEN THERE, and always been on the other side of the portal, or around a mindscape version of Gravity Falls, he would have known what Stan was up to, what the kids were doing, and would have been prepared to cross the other side at just the right moment. Another clue to this being possible is the stairscase leading to the basement. In NWHS, there’s an interesting, 6-fingered handprint on the wall. In Gideon Rises, there’s nothing in that same spot. Did the Author put it there, in his rush to get to the portal on time in the Mindscape? I would say it’s simple foreshadowing, but nothing is THAT easy in the world of Gravity Falls.



This would also explain why Stan so freely talks to “himself”; aka his reflection, Wax Stan, outloud, etc. etc. He KNOWS his brother is around, and is just trying to give the guy a semblance of a conversation. But I digress.

The point is that the Author was quite possibly in the mindscape prior to his return. And if he was, he may have been keeping an eye on things in the shack himself, but in his own, hidden way. Like Bill looking through the EoP at every turn in the shack, the Author may have used OWLS and the semblance of an owl to keep an eye on places that Bill couldn’t see, and make sure Bill continued to be unable to see in those places.

If this is true, The Author may have a much more complex relationship with Bill than previously imagined. Especially if Bill has been the main guy The Author has been conversing with via searchfortheblindeye; aka the main dude hanging around the Mystery Shack in the Dreamscape. Who knows, maybe the Author once struck up a deal with Bill, and, like Dipper, got himself stuck in the mindscape? But instead of getting his soul pulled into the mindscape, his entire body got stuck… through the portal.



As always, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what turns up in the next episode.

