Gravity Falls (season 1)

The first season of the American animated television series Gravity Falls consisted of 20 episodes on the Disney Channel, and aired from June 15, 2012 to August 2, 2013.

Gravity Falls
Season 1
Cover art for digital distribution (volumes 1 and 2 respectively)
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes20
Release
Original networkDisney Channel
Original releaseJune 15, 2012 (2012-06-15) –
August 2, 2013 (2013-08-02)
Season chronology

Development

Premise and plot

The season revolves around the various antics of two fraternal twins, Dipper and Mabel Pines, who were handed over to their Great Uncle (or "Grunkle") Stan, who runs a tourist trap called The Mystery Shack, in the town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. They soon realize that the town holds many secrets, and when Dipper obtains a book that he finds in the magical land he’s transported to, he and Mabel find their everyday life changes. Alongside them in their antics are Soos and Wendy Corduroy, who work for The Mystery Shack, the latter of whom Dipper has a crush on.

Prior to working on the series, series creator Alex Hirsch's primary inspiration growing up was the popular animated sitcom The Simpsons, where he observed that "animation could be funnier than live-action. That animation didn't have to just be for kids. That it could be satirical and observational and grounded in a sense of character interaction". Hirsch graduated from the California Institute of the Arts, and was hired to work as writer and storyboard artist for the Cartoon Network series The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, where he was paired up with Pendleton Ward, the creator of Adventure Time. Afterwards, he moved on to co-develop the Disney Channel animated series Fish Hooks, shortly before he pitched (and was subsequently green-lit) Gravity Falls.[1]

Production

Hirsch explained in an interview with The A.V. Club during production of season 1, that a typical episode is conceived in a room reserved for writers, where a simple synopsis is presented, and from then on dramatic structure is defined, and the plot is modified to include a character-driven subplot, which Hirsch expresses as "the hardest thing... to find a character story that actually uncovers, explores, or pushes tension – on something our characters care about – that is properly explored via the magic or monster or impossibility of the week."[1]

B- and A-stories are created, and are given to a writer to produce an outline, which is then subsequently checked-off by Hirsch for feedback. The writer produces a draft from these edits, where more notes may be given. Hirsch states that he and creative director Mike Rianda may personally create a draft for themselves before a final script is produced, in which the dialogue from the draft received from the writer is majorly revised; Hirsch states that the revising process "is not a discredit to our writers – it's just we have a very particular vision. In particular, I usually rewrite almost all of Dipper's dialogue and most of Mabel's dialogue, just because I have them in my head. Me and Mike will stay up for about 48 hours prior to the delivery of every script. We'll take the weekend, we'll work all night, we'll drink Red Bull, we'll sleep on the couch in shifts like maniacs, we'll slap each other in the face".[1]

A script is delivered, which then gets translated into a storyboard, where feedback is received from Hirsch to the board artists if a certain element, such as a gag, doesn't work. Afterwards, a pitch for the episode is given to the network, where they do a read-through, and then the episode is either checked out by the network, or retooled in the small amount of time allocated before an animation studio must receive something to work with.[1]

Cast
Larry King in March 2017
This season employs the likes of voice acting veteran Kevin Michael Richardson (left), who voices the character Sheriff Blubs, and has guest starred well-known figures, such as Larry King (right)

The main characters comprises the voices of Jason Ritter as Dipper and Kristen Schaal as Mabel, with series creator Alex Hirsch portraying Grunkle Stan and Soos, and Wendy Corduroy played by Linda Cardellini. Hirsch stated in an interview, tongue-in-cheek, on the role of Mabel that he "knew from the get-go that it's got to be [Schaal] or there's no show. I would've just stopped working. If we hadn't gotten her, I would have probably quit".[1]

Of the recurring characters comprises the voices of Dee Bradley Baker as Mabel's pet pig, Waddles, and Hirsch also playing Old Man McGucket, the "local kook" of the town. Kevin Michael Richardson plays Sheriff Blubs, with partner Deputy Durland being voiced by Keith Ferguson. Frank Welker voices Gompers, a goat who lives in the forest of Gravity Falls. Voice acting veteran John DiMaggio plays Manly Dan, a strong lumberjack and father of Wendy. Niki Yang plays Candy Chiu and Carl Faruolo plays Grenda, two of Mabel's best friends. Toby Determined, a journalist for Gravity Falls' Gossiper, is voiced by Gregg Turkington, and Will Forte plays Tyler Cutebiker.

The series commissions various guest stars to voice characters who portray one-shot characters, or in some cases, cameos of themselves, as is the case in "Headhunters", where both Larry King and Coolio can be seen as wax sculptures of themselves.[1] Other voices include John Oliver, who plays a wax figure of Sherlock Holmes (also featured in "Headhunters"), Alfred Molina as Multi-Bear and Jennifer Coolidge as Lazy Suzan in the episode "Dipper vs. Manliness".[2] Justin Roiland plays a time traveler by the name of Blendin Blandin in "The Time Traveler's Pig". Brian Bloom is the voice of Rumble McSkirmish, a video game character featured in the episode "Fight Fighters".[3] Corey Burton voices an unnamed lawyer in "Little Dipper". Jeff Bennett plays the role of The Summerween Trickster in the episode "Summerween". Matt Chapman and Mike Rianda both voice Mermando and Mr. Poolcheck respectively, in the episode "The Deep End". Lance Bass voices the band consisting of clones, Sev'ral Timez, in the episode "Boyz Crazy"; Matt Chapman returns to voice some members of the band.[4] Greg Cipes and John Roberts voice Craz and Xyler, characters from the fictional film "Dream Boy High" in the episode "Dreamscaperers".

Broadcast

Internationally, Season 1 was broadcast in Canada via Disney XD (Canada) with some numbering alterations reflecting the production codes: Headhunters (as Head Hunters) is counted 2[5] instead of 3 and The Inconveniencing is counted 3[5] instead of 5.

Episodes
  • Production codes for this season start with the string 618G-1 (the first three numbers numerically represent the birth month and date of series creator Alex Hirsch), with the last two numbers representing the order the episodes were produced in, which may not represent the order in which they air.[6][7][8]
  • Episode 19 has been released on different platforms under two names: "Dreamscaperers" and "Dreamscapers".[9]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
11"Tourist Trapped"John AoshimaAlex HirschJune 15, 2012 (2012-06-15)1073.40[10]
Two fraternal twins, Dipper and Mabel Pines, arrive at the remote town of Gravity Falls to spend their summer break with their great uncle Stan, but a mysterious journal hidden in the forest found by Dipper reveals the town's strange and uncanny secrets to the duo, and Dipper tries to save Mabel from her strange new boyfriend who appears to be a zombie, but is actually something much stranger.
22"The Legend of the Gobblewonker"John AoshimaAlex Hirsch & Mike RiandaJune 29, 2012 (2012-06-29)1013.14[11]

Dipper, Mabel and Soos embark on a boating expedition to prove that a sea monster exists beneath, hoping to win a thousand dollars. Meanwhile, Stan, after being abandoned by Dipper and Mabel, tries to find fishing partners.

Guest stars: Conrad Vernon as Tate McGucket and Will Friedle as Reginald
33"Headhunters"John AoshimaAlex Hirsch & Aury WallingtonJune 30, 2012 (2012-06-30)1022.71[12]

Mabel sculpts a life-sized wax sculpture of Stan to add to his collection of wax museum figures, but when the wax figure's head goes missing, the twins are on the case.

Guest stars: John Oliver as Wax Sherlock Holmes, Larry King as Wax Larry King, Coolio as Wax Coolio and Greg Ellis as Wax William Shakespeare
44"The Hand That Rocks the Mabel"John AoshimaAlex Hirsch & Zach PaezJuly 6, 2012 (2012-07-06)1042.95[13]
Dipper and Mabel meet an intriguing new neighbor: a psychotic child fraud named Li'l Gideon. When Gideon begins obsessing over Mabel and tries to win her over, Dipper tries to stop him.
55"The Inconveniencing"Joe Pitt & Aaron SpringerAlex Hirsch & Mike RiandaJuly 13, 2012 (2012-07-13)1033.55[14]

Dipper attempts to woo Wendy by lying about his age. Hanging out with Wendy and her friends, the kids end up in an old, abandoned shop that is seemingly haunted.

Guest stars: Ken Jenkins as Pa Duskerton and April Winchell as Ma Duskerton
66"Dipper vs. Manliness"Joe Pitt & Aaron SpringerTim McKeonJuly 20, 2012 (2012-07-20)1063.14[15]

When Dipper wants to become more "manly", he wanders into the forest on an epic quest and meets a strange species that teach him the ways of their masculinity. Meanwhile, Mabel tries to get Stan to impress Lazy Susan.

Guest star: Alfred Molina as The Multi-Bear
77"Double Dipper"Joe Pitt & Aaron SpringerStory by : Mitch Larson
Teleplay by : Alex Hirsch, Tim McKeon & Mike Rianda		August 10, 2012 (2012-08-10)1094.18[16]
Stan throws a party at the Mystery Shack; while Dipper produces clones of himself to help him impress Wendy and Mabel faces off against her new rival Pacifica Northwest in a karaoke battle.
88"Irrational Treasure"John AoshimaStory by : David Slack
Teleplay by : Alex Hirsch & Tim McKeon		August 17, 2012 (2012-08-17)1083.87[17]

On the annual Pioneer Day at Gravity Falls, the kids discover that the town's founder was a fraud and a hoax, so they set out to expose the truth. However, when they do, Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland go after them to stop the secret from being revealed.

Guest star: Tara Strong as Sue
99"The Time Traveler's Pig"Joe Pitt & Aaron SpringerAlex Hirsch & Aury WallingtonAugust 24, 2012 (2012-08-24)1054.14[18]

Dipper's wish comes true when he steals a Time Traveler's time machine to undo a mistake and win Wendy over, while Mabel accompanies him to keep on winning her pig, Waddles, until when Dipper finally undoes his mistake, Mabel loses her pig to her nemesis, Pacifica Northwest. Elsewhere, Stan rigs a dunk tank to scam the town.

Guest star: Justin Roiland as Blendin Blandin
1010"Fight Fighters"John AoshimaAlex Hirsch & Zach PaezSeptember 14, 2012 (2012-09-14)1102.94[19]

Dipper brings a video game character, Rumble McSkirmish, to life so he can fight Robbie, but when things go too far Dipper realises he needs to save Robbie. Meanwhile, Mabel tries to end Stan's fear of heights.

Guest star: Brian Bloom as Rumble McSkirmish
1111"Little Dipper"Joe Pitt & Aaron SpringerAlex Hirsch, Tim McKeon & Zach PaezSeptember 28, 2012 (2012-09-28)1112.60[20]
Feeling insecure that Mabel is becoming the alpha twin, Dipper seeks a magical crystal to grow taller. But when Gideon finds the crystal, he uses it to shrink the kids and tries to use it on Stan to take over the Mystery Shack.
1212"Summerween"John AoshimaAlex Hirsch, Zach Paez & Mike RiandaOctober 5, 2012 (2012-10-05)1123.48[21]

The people of Gravity Falls love Halloween so much that they also celebrate it in summer, with jack-o'-melons and much trick-or-treating. Dipper and Mabel are excited to join in on the fun, but when Wendy casually mentions that trick-or-treating is for kids, Dipper's outlook on the evening changes. The night gets even more complicated when a monster that Dipper accidentally insulted makes them fulfill his candy quota by the night's end, or else he will eat them.

Guest star: Jeff Bennett as The Summerween Trickster
1313"Boss Mabel"John AoshimaStory by : Tommy Reahard
Teleplay by : Alex Hirsch & Tim McKeon		February 15, 2013 (2013-02-15)1143.45[22]
Mabel bets Grunkle Stan that she will make more money at the Mystery Shack by treating people nicely than he does by being rude and cranky. He heads off to win a fortune on a TV game show, while she deals with lazy employees and a real monster captured by Dipper.
1414"Bottomless Pit!"Joe Pitt & Aaron SpringerAlex Hirsch & Mike RiandaMarch 1, 2013 (2013-03-01)1133.10[23]
As the kids, Stan and Soos fall into a seemingly bottomless pit, they tell each other stories to pass time.
1515"The Deep End"Joe Pitt & Aaron SpringerNancy CohenMarch 15, 2013 (2013-03-15)1154.50[24]
Mabel befriends a cute merman trapped in the deep end of the public pool, and is determined to return him to his family in the ocean – even though that means her whirlwind of a romance will come to an end. Meanwhile, Dipper learns that Wendy is a lifeguard at the pool, so he decides that the best way to spend time with her is to volunteer. Elsewhere, it's all out war for the best lawn chair at the pool between Stan and Gideon.
1616"Carpet Diem"Joe PittAlex Hirsch, Tim McKeon & Zach PaezApril 5, 2013 (2013-04-05)1173.36[25]
Soos discovers a hidden room inside the Mystery Shack, and Dipper is happy to claim it as his own independent space, but there is one problem – Mabel wants the room too. They both compete for Stan's approval to win the room as part of a contest that gets even trickier when the siblings switch bodies due to the room's mysterious shag rug.
1717"Boyz Crazy"John AoshimaMatt Chapman & Alex HirschApril 19, 2013 (2013-04-19)1163.16[26]

When Mabel discovers that her favorite boy band is actually a bunch of imprisoned clones, she sets them free, only to decide on keeping them for herself. Meanwhile, Dipper thinks that Robbie has brainwashed Wendy using a secret message hidden in the lyrics of one of his songs.

Guest star: Lance Bass as Sev'ral Timez
1818"Land Before Swine"John AoshimaAlex Hirsch & Tim McKeonJune 28, 2013 (2013-06-28)1183.50[27]
A prehistoric pterosaur snatches Waddles after Grunkle Stan throws him outside, and Dipper, Mabel, Stan, Soos and Old Man McGucket go after the beast in order to save Waddles, while also working out friendship issues between each other.
1919"Dreamscaperers"
John Aoshima & Joe PittMatt Chapman, Tim McKeon & Alex HirschJuly 12, 2013 (2013-07-12)1192.70[28]

The kids and Soos travel through Grunkle Stan's mind to defeat an ancient demon named Bill Cipher, summoned by Gideon to retrieve the code to Stan's safe in a ploy to get the Mystery Shack.

Note:: This is the first of a two-part season finale.
2020"Gideon Rises"John Aoshima & Joe PittMatt Chapman, Alex Hirsch & Mike RiandaAugust 2, 2013 (2013-08-02)1203.18[29]

After Gideon swindles the Mystery Shack away from Stan, everything in Gravity Falls appears to be even more west of weird – Dipper, Mabel and Grunkle Stan are forced to move in with Soos and his grandmother, while the town remains enamored with Gideon's charm. Meanwhile, Grunkle Stan isn't certain he can take care of the twins, and is considering sending them back home. Thus, the kids get on a bus to leave Gravity Falls; but a giant robot with Gideon inside starts chasing after them because he thinks Dipper has Journal 1. However, the twins defeat Gideon and win back their home. Grunkle Stan exposes him as a fraud by showing everyone the surveillance cameras hidden inside Gideon's pins, which causes him to go to jail and the townspeople to turn against him. At the end of the episode, Grunkle Stan has started the activating sequence for the portal in the shack basement after he collected all 3 journals.

Note: This is the second and last part of a two-part season finale.

Ratings

The season received wide acclaim from critics.

Review grades
No. Title Air date The
A.V. Club
(A-F)
1 "Tourist Trapped" June 15, 2012 B+
2 "The Legend of the Gobblewonker" June 29, 2012 B+
3 "Headhunters" June 30, 2012 B
4 "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel" July 6, 2012 A-
5 "The Inconveniencing" July 13, 2012 A
6 "Dipper vs. Manliness" July 20, 2012 B+
7 "Double Dipper" August 10, 2012 A-
8 "Irrational Treasure" August 17, 2012 A-
9 "The Time Traveler's Pig" August 24, 2012 B+
10 "Fight Fighters" September 14, 2012 B
11 "Little Dipper" September 28, 2012 A-
12 "Summerween" October 5, 2012 A-
13 "Boss Mabel" February 15, 2013 B+
14 "Bottomless Pit!" March 1, 2013 A-
15 "The Deep End" March 15, 2013 B
16 "Carpet Diem" April 5, 2013 B
17 "Boyz Crazy" April 19, 2013 B+
18 "Land Before Swine" June 28, 2013 A-
19 "Dreamscaperers" July 12, 2013 A-
20 "Gideon Rises" August 2, 2013 A

References
  1. Adams, Erik (September 28, 2012). "Comedy Showrunners Week: Alex Hirsch on the real in the unreal of Gravity Falls". A.V. Club. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  2. Wilkins, Alasdair (September 21, 2012). "Dipper Vs. Manliness – Gravity Falls". A.V. Club. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  3. Goldman, Eric (September 14, 2012). "Gravity Falls' Big Video Game Episode". IGN. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  4. West, Abby (April 16, 2013). "Lance Bass does boy bands proud on Gravity Falls". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  5. "Gravity Falls". RogersOnDemand.Com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Season 1
    EP 3 The Inconveniencing Aired on 11/03/12
    EP 4 The Hand That Rocks The Mabel Aired on 10/27/12
    EP 2 Head Hunters Aired on 10/20/12
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