Stanford: The Missing Perspective

Why Stanford Isn’t Really an Asshole, Just an Overly Sensitive Owl.



Okay so here’s the deal; A Tale of Two Stans left a lot of fans salty over Stanford, just as badly as Stanford is still salty over Stanley. His reason for hating Stan, aka “destroying” his machine and making him lose his dream school over the selfish prospect of them sailing away together, seemed childish to a lot of viewers. ESPECIALLY because he used it as a reason to stay mad at Stanley over 10 years later. But why would this make Stanford so angry? Why so salty? I mean, he went to school, completed a PHD in less than 6 years AND got a huge $100,000 grant. It’s not like he didn’t get everything that he would have gotten at his dream school… right?

Except what made Ford so angry, so upset wasn’t the fact that the machine broke or that he didn’t go to the school he loved, but the principal behind the entire issue. We don’t really see this because this part of the story - and the subsequent fallout - is all seen from Stanley’s perspective. And to him, this all sounded like really unfair treatment. And it IS. It is cruel to throw your brother to the streets, to not even back him up, because you’re so upset. It hardly makes Ford’s anger and emotion seem justified.



So from Stan’s perspective, this was not an even deal. It was fast, harsh, and left him out on his own. A lot of people related to Stanley this ep, because Stanley is really a relateable character. Like Dipper, he probably felt that he had no redeeming qualities, and that drove him to take drastic measures to make his family proud. Meanwhile, the star child goes to college and finds success.

But What Is Stanford’s Perspective?

Like any good conflict, there are two sides, and typically both sides are “to blame” to some degree. In this instance, it appears that Stanley is to blame, but it’s possible that the opposite is the real truth. However, the emotional damage is still present, and that damage is what hits Stanford the hardest of all.



We have to look at the situation with this in mind; Stanley was Ford’s BEST and ONLY friend in grade school and high school. The two were inseparable, and despite Ford having stronger smarts than his brother, Stan never once was jealous or resentful of his brother’s success. Instead, he was ALWAYS supportive- he constantly was the one there to help his brother and give him the confidence to keep going with his work. Lee may have “ridden the coattails” of his brother’s smarts, but Ford relied on Stan to be the grounding force in his life, as well has his strongest support. For 18 years, Stan was the one there for Lee, through thick and thin.



So when Ford is given the opportunity to SUCCEED, to go to his dream school and become someone with his science and find a place where he fit in, he expected Lee to be just as supportive as he always was. He didn’t think that his brother would be so - there’s really no better word for this - selfish to go to a drastic length such as sabotaging his machine just to have his brother stay in Jersey with him. He figured it would probably just be something his brother would have to get used to, but it would be fine. They got through everything together. This wouldn’t be any different.



But it was, and the accident happened, the machine was “sabotaged”, and Stanford found damning evidence for Stanley’s part in the whole thing. And this was incredibly upsetting, not because he did it in the first place, but that he suddenly couldn’t support his brother in this, the MOST important thing that had ever come his way.

This was no longer just about the machine, or the school, but the trust he had in his own brother. That was suddenly shattered; the one person who had always been there for him had completely deserted him and cost him everything in the process. He didn’t want to go on some trip with someone who obviously didn’t care about what he wanted, and so why should he care about what Stan wanted? If anything, the insistence on the treasure hunting was enough to send Ford over the edge. Why would he want to go traveling with the one person who had single-handedly hurt him more than anyone else?

So when Stanley comes back, over ten years later, and tells Ford he’s being selfish, that is such a hot button word for him that he loses it. It all floods back and he can’t even handle it. How dare the man who sabotaged BOTH of their futures and then tried to drag him into a personal pet project tell HIM what was or wasn’t selfish? He was sitting there trying to tell Stanley to get rid of a book that could potentially bring about the end of the world, and he had the gumption to call him the selfish one.

And You Know What? I Feel Stanford in This. I Relate to Him MORE Than I Relate To Stanley.

I know what’s it’s like not only to want to fit in somewhere, but also I know what it’s like to trust someone so deeply, give everything to them, and have that trust shattered so completely, it’s almost impossible to repair it. It could be over “childish” things or not; the point is that there is a DEEP VALUE at work at the very core, and when that value is shaken (which is very hard to do by the way), there’s almost no going back. It’s as if the person has violated your entire being and everything you stand for, and that’s unforgivable.



Stanford’s deep value was that no matter what, no matter where he went, he could count on his twin to be there, supporting him, encouraging him, being his best, most understanding friend. But then Stanley failed, and it was so enormous that it ruined BOTH of their lives in the end. And when he gave him that “second chance” to be trusted in 1982, he failed again; he couldn’t get rid of the book that stood as his life’s most dangerous work. And that was enough to make Ford salty for another 30 years; because over and over again Stanley proved he couldn’t be trusted in Ford’s eyes. And that deep value was shaken twice; it won’t be easy to forget.

So when you ask, “why hasn’t Ford forgiven Stanley? What an Asshole!” remember that it’s not just about being returned from the grave. It’s not just about Stanley’s hard work; it’s about the fact that Ford needs time to process how he feels about his brother and how much he really WANTS to have him back in his life. He’s currently in a position where he could be so closed off to Stanley that even spending 30 years to bring him back won’t be enough to break through. It’s not enough to prove to Ford that Stan is “trustworthy”; that he can let his brother in and forgive him for destroying the deepest part of him.



Is this fair? Is this okay? NO, HELL NO, IT’S NOT. I’m not condoning Stanford’s behavior - I’m simply trying to explain it so that other’s understand. Stanford isn’t just an asshole; he’s a funny guy that loves his work and seeks thrilling adventure. He already has an affinity for his “weird” niece and tends to get along with the kids. But he needs the time to have his eyes opened and to see what Stanley is all about now. He hasn’t known his brother in 40 years, and he still has a lot of secrets he’s keeping close to the vest. But that doesn’t mean he WON’T open back up to his brother; in fact, the repairing of their relationship will probably be a strong driving plot force for the rest of the season.



Is Ford a Sinnamon Roll? You bet your bippy he is. But he’s also a highly redeemable character that has much to prove. So give Ford a chance guys; his side is relateable and understandable as well, and we still have a long way until the season finale melts our faces off.

