10 /10

Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere in Oregon, two twins exit a bus. A flashy showman, their Great Uncle, greets them, and invites them into the paranormal epicentre of the world. While it seems he's too much of a trickster to believe in the supernatural he promotes, the kids explore the town, and find enough adventure, mystery and conspiracy to last a thousand lifetimes. It's an experience that will change the both of them forever.



Gravity Falls' intro has no lyrics, and yet, in roughly forty seconds of screen-time, we already know the settings, the major characters, their virtues and flaws, their relationships, and a whole lot of foreshadowing for things that won't even be touched on until the very end. This very effectively sums up the show; a lot being thrown at you, even if you don't recognise it at the time. It constantly thinks back to itself, with some of the most in-depth continuity, background or foreground, of any show, animated or not. Characters casually appear in the background several episodes before an episode revolves around them, minor plot-points are revisited dozens of episodes later, and damage to both people and property doesn't vanish after a single episode. Almost every major plot twist (and there are many) involves a heavy degree of foreshadowing, stretching back into the first season. Thankfully, it's never quite enough for the casual viewer to pick up, but enough to reward multiple viewings. Being a show that revolves around mystery (the creator, Alex Hirsch, had the intention to blend the episodic mysteries of X-Files, with the overarching mystery of Twin Peaks), every episode is littered with codes and riddles that are used both for comedy, and hints about upcoming confrontations. The more one dissects each episode, the more one realises the dedication and effort that was put into every one.



But regardless of the mystery elements that define the series, the heart and soul of the show is the relationship between the twins, Dipper and Mabel. Both on the cusp of puberty, Dipper is introverted, adventurous, and deeply precocious, while his sister is extroverted, more interested in the prospect of summer romance than the supernatural, and has an infectious, childish optimism for life. So many pitfalls that beset other twin/sibling relationships in shows are avoided in their writing: identical characters, every episode being a conflict between the two, one of the two always being right, etc. While very different, the two compliment, rather than conflict with each other. When they tease, they know when to stop, when they fight, it's a big deal, and when they see the anguish the other goes through, they sacrifice. What a relief from the endless cynical jibes that define character interaction in the modern era; here, the two unquestionably love and cherish the company of each other. It's the most affecting twin relationship one could write without straining believability. Both have insecurities about themselves, and both are deeply flawed from the outset, which they learn to overcome together. Hirsch said one of the most amazing things about the show for him was the sheer amount of people calling him up to thank him for their getting closer to their siblings, after having drifted apart, or never having been together at all. The relationship between Hirsch's own twin sister and himself as the obvious inception for Mabel and Dipper gives a deeply authentic vibe, creating one of the best written sibling relationships in all fiction.



This allows the show to do something really well; humour. Hirsch never intended to do a kid's show, and constantly wrote the show from the perspective of what would children get into, and what would make adults laugh, a formula which enabled the show to have the entirety of the top ten broadcast ratings on their channel. Consequently, the strong characterisation and connections between the characters, (the twins, their con-man Great Uncle, the practical but dim-witted janitor, and the tomboyish counter-girl) allow for miraculously high-quality character-humour. However, this isn't to pigeon-hole the show's comedic writing, which has an incredible range from slapstick, to visual gags, to fourth-wall breaks. There is not a fart joke to be found, but there are jokes that no child could possibly get that will send older viewers into uproar (such as the Great Uncle giving the names of his hands as "Scratchy and Shaky.") When asked which episode in particular the censors most objected to, Hirsch replied "All of them".



While the humour can often be adult, including some of the most depressing, nihilistic monologues one can get away with given the rating, the level of darkness in terms of horror is something that shocks most people who watch the series for the first time. With a shape-shifter morphing into a spider version of the main characters, screaming severed heads, and lines like "I've got to turn some children into corpses", Gravity Falls never shied away from nightmare fuel. Yet even then, the show never forgets that it is primarily a comedic series. In the midst of extreme drama, there will be isolated comedic moments that are just enough to make you laugh, but integrated enough not to detract from the tone. The intensity of the drama cannot be underestimated though, with major life and death decisions having to be made by children who are clearly not prepared for the turmoil they are going through, which makes us all the more heartbroken to see their anguish.



Ultimately, the show concluded on the creator's terms; he envisioned a beginning, middle, and ending, and saw it through to the (highly emotional) end. Gravity Falls will never suffer the same zombification that overcame once great shows like the Simpsons, leaving one of the most consistent high-quality programming across not just children's, or animated television, but the medium in general. It's a show for all ages, and an adventure in itself.