A detailed explanation as of why Pacifica's dad is manipulating her. Ivan Pavlov was a Russian scientist who studied behaviors, his most well known studie was on conditioning. Pavlov would ring a bell right before feeding a dog. After a while of doing that the dog associated the ringing of the bell with being fed, the dog would start salivating at sound of the bell even if there wasn't any food, that dog was conditioned. In this episode Mr. Northwest rings a bell every time Pacifica goes out of line or disobey and Pacifica just stops and apologizes. Mr. Northwest conditioned his daughter to expect punishment if he rings that bell so that she does as she's told which incredibly fucked.
I'm surprised no one has yet to comment on this! I was about to say what you have just delivered better than I would have. This is just what I was thinking, it's so shitty too- it just shows how horrible parents can be in a blind eye, I'm sure some wouldn't pay such attention to it, it's such a traumatizing thing to do, and can really fuck a mental state
I thought the bell was a slight reference to the show "Over the Garden Wall." More specifically the episode in which one of the characters has to ring a magical bell to control a demon that's being possessed by someone. But yes, I agree what Mr. Northwest did to Pacifica was messed up.
More spoiler-free things: 1. The ghost's name is Archibald Corduroy, so he's Wendy's ancestor. 2. Matt Braly wrote this episode, and won an ANNIE AWARD for it! He went on to create Amphibia so he's doing great. 3. The pose Dipper made when he turned into wood is the one the shapeshifter made when he said it would be his last form. Spooky. 4. All of the zombies that came to life in scary-oke are all the lumberjacks who died, soooooo yeah. Kids show, everybody! 5. People (including me) say Amity is who Pacifica would've been if she got to reach her full potential. 6. Yes, we ship Dipper and Pacifica. I know I do. Dipcifica 4 lyfe! (I think Pacipper sounds better but the other name is pretty much canon at this point. 7. There's an episode of Amphibia that's an homage to Gravity Falls. There's a hidden code in that episode that says "Dipcifica 4 lyfe" so the creators ship it too. 8. This episode might be my favorite, but the next one is the BEST.
Woah! I love this show and I didn't notice fact 1 or 4 in my multiple watch throughs, but that's so cool! Especially him being Wendy's ancestor! Thanks for sharing this stuff, those small details just further my love for this show, and yes, Dipcidica 4 life!
As much as I understand not liking the whole boy crazy thing, I actually do like Grenda's plot line in this episode. It's a nice commentary on how you don't need to change yourself for a boy. Just be yourself and people will like you as you are.
I grew up with gravity falls and I never saw Mabel as the boy crazy girl. I always remembered her as the quirky funny girl who was failing miserably at fitting in and still managed to be endearing and full of character. The boy crazy stuff was kinda part of that, as she always wanted the boys but it never worked out for her. I see her as someone with a whole lot of personality outside of being obsessed with finding a boyfriend, but that’s just my opinion! I love her and never knew how much people disliked her but I can live with it lol
same here, online and in my real life friend groups Mabel was always kind of a "random xD rainbows!! agent of chaos!! can i haz a cookie" symbol, everyone i knew loved her, and her romantic plots weren't ever the subject of conversation, maybe other than Mermando since they aired that episode all the time. I totally understand why it would be different for an adult in the year 2023 watching the show back-to-back, and regardless all opinions are valid, but it just hurts a little that people who watch GF nowadays can't get past her crushes and flaws. Again, the show's fault, not theirs. (and it probably doesn't help that most people get into the show because of its "lore" and "incredible plot" when really the highlight of the cartoon itself are the constant jokes - i say it as someone who was obsessed with the mysteries and plot as it was unfolding)
@@tomnarr yeah I was thinking that! Obviously the mystery in this show is incredible and it ultimately is what made me so attached to this show, but GF would never be that popular if it wasn’t for its outstanding humor. The whole time she was talking about how she’s missing the interesting plot I was like but… it’s so funny…
I honestly like that they had Dipper get turned to wood. Because then it's JUST Pacifica's decision. It's all up to her, to look in her parents' face and say no.
I get your grievances with the boy craziness, but honestly I did find Marius' crush on Grenda adorable and mold breaking. "Could I give you my number?" "I don't have a phone, write it on my face!" :D
Appearantly, the boy crazy stuff was based on what Alwx Hirsch's sister was like. So it's not completely inaccurate, but I agree that it's a tired trope. Also, I love this episode so much. We get amazing character development for Pacifica, (I love it when kids break away from their parent's awful morals.) We get Dipcifica, a ship that I really love, and the creepiest, most raw, most disturbing imagery of the entire show. I'm still surprised Alex Hirsch was able to get away with some of it.
This is explained in between the pines. I hope someone recommends she watches it. Alongside, the response video to Hirsch had to S&P. Maybe even the Bill Cipher statue hunt.
You could say that this is another "Mabel is boy-crazy" episode, but really, this one isn't about Mabel, or at least her love life. It's about her friendship with Grenda, and her love life. I appreciate that in spite of her being an externally masculine girl, she's the one who gets to have her prince in shining armor. Also, Mabel's personality isn't just "boy-crazy", in the same way that Dipper's personality isn't just "awkwardly crushing on Wendy". She can be a pre-teen girl with nuance, and have one of her traits be being boy-crazy. Some episodes focus on it, and some don't. But yeah, one of those traits of hers that isn't being boy-crazy is being kinda self-centered, and it's a shame that there's only really 1 episode where she truly faces that fact.
Of course, Elijah can't know it yet; but upon rewatching, I not only appreciate the Grenda plotline in this ep for her getting Marius at the end, but for the fact that . . . . . like Soos and Melody, they're a couple who stays together past the end of the show. Given the way Dipper is based on Alex (and Mabel on his twin sister Ariel), I can understand why Alex didn't develop a real romance for Dipper more in the show itself. I could see that feeling a bit weird to him. (Of all the things he remembers from his tween summers, I'm sure "getting a steady girlfriend" probably wasn't one of them.) But, oh boy yes, the fandom absolutely DOES ship Dipcifica.
Fun Fact: Pacifica was the inspiration Matt Braly took when writing Anne's character for *Amphibia* Also, in the Season 2 GF episode of *Amphibia* with the Wax Museum, there's a secret message that reads Dipcifica 4 Lyfe
Initially, I remember reading how Anne was inspired by Pacifica on the official Amphibia wiki, and I never understood how and why. Honestly, I thought Sasha takes more from Pacifica in terms of design and personality. But now that Amphibia is over, I understand what he was going for. Pacifica and Anne both share the trait of having people walk all over them.
The flaw with the representation complaint is that representation means ALL traits. Not just positive traits. You want strong female characters? There's Wendy. The three are written because they represent the naive traits of being kids, cause that exists in real life too. If all characters are to have the positive traits, that just creates another stereotype. So we can applaud new characters that represent good things but complaining about what was made a decade ago doesn't make sense to me. We should be happy to see the contrast and change.
Wendy’s been criticized for not being the strongest written character though by fans lately. Judging from episode commentaries from the show crew where they admit that they struggled to write her, worrying about breaking her strong female image, that might be the case.
@@kaylemathewcomendador6964 they wanted to do more with her but there just wasn't enough time in the season for her to get more development. can't remember but there was some episode they wanted to do about her becoming a shoplifter or something and bonding with stan over it, with some mentions of her family being tough on her etc. unsolicited rant but that's just another reason why i think there should've been three seasons instead of two (dipper and pacifica being dropped after this episode and ford getting somewhat limited screen time are some others), but i guess it's still alex hirsch's decision in the end. the books do an okay job in patching up those two flaws in the show, i guess, but they still haven't gotten around to showing anything about wendy.
@@gianni50725 From what I can recall from the source of that, that episode was also scrapped because the show crew worried about it “breaking Wendy’s strong/cool image” too.
@@Blitzo8390 unfortunately I doubt Alex would ever do it. GF was only 2 seasons because showrunning was stressful and also he's made his disdain for Disney and their S&P department VERY clear.
Being boy-crazy isn't the problem. Having it as the default when Mabel isn't relevant to the story, is. There's a lot to Mabel's character. She likes making people happy. She's fiercely loyal. She's off beat. She likes creativity. But no, the episode is about Dipper, and we need filler. So Irrelevant Boy Crush #8 it is.
It's interesting, and I wonder if Elijah reconsiders her reaction at the beginning, knowing where the episode goes. That is, she's really impatient with Mabel pushing Dipper to take the job, because it benefits what SHE (and her friends) want. And I get that viewpoint. But I saw it more as the writers thinking, if Dipper still thinks so badly of Pacifica, how DO we get him to agree to take this job? And the easy answer (and birth of the B-plot) is because Mabel and her friends are into the party. So at the start, and as Elijah reacted to it, it seems like Mabel pushing Dipper to do something he doesn't want to do, just to get something Mabel wants. But it's really just about getting Dipper where he needs to be -- and on several points, him being "pushed" to say yes to Pacifica is really a win for him. It's a win because he gets to be sort of like The Author for a bit (and I like that the episode didn't over-emphasize it) -- wielding the Journal, *he* is the supernatural investigator who can solve the problem with his knowledge, and he does. That's his DREAM. Secondarily, it puts him in a position to interact with Pacifica, which is good for her, and good for him too. (I agree, they make a good couple!) He helps her, and he comes to appreciate her in a new way. He wouldn't have taken that step without that push from Mabel, though (even though her push had nothing to do with those outcomes). I do think that it would have been possible to come up with other story ways to get him there. Just appealing to him wanting to play that part of Ghost Harasser a bit more strongly probably would have been enough. I was never particularly bothered by the device they did use. But, that's why I say, I wonder if Elijah feels less annoyed by it (specifically by Mabel pushing Dipper into it; aside from the boy-crazy stuff), having seen where the story wound up for Dipper.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but there are exactly 2 out of 40 episodes where Mabel gets a subplot about going after a boy crush (2x4 and 2x10), plus 3 more where it’s more the focus of the episode (1x1, 1x15, and 1x17). How does that justify that this is Mabel’s default subplot? I really don’t like making comments like this, but that statement in particular bugs me.
while i was watching this show, the whole "boy crazy" stuff with mabel & her friends was honestly kind of nice to see. as a gay guy who didn't come out of the closet until late high school, it very much represents how i was about guys during my early teenage years, except i didn't have the friends to talk about it with, so i feel like i kinda missed out on that part of life. so seeing mabel like this is kinda comforting in a way lol
I like Mabel because I see myself as a kid in her, she is selfish, immature, neurodivergent, believes she's a good person, that's how exactly how I was as 12. And I hated myself for how much of a brat I was, and other people hated me for being like that too When people hate on her, I see people hating me but I remember that I'm not Mabel nor a 12-year-old anymore
Ik Mabel gets annoying and boy crazy, but Alex said he based her on his real life sister and on what she was at that age from his perspective. The whole show was inspired by the summers they'd spend together at a relative' place. Edit: she is not meant to represent tween girls. She is a parody of his own sister.
Very much this and I hope Elijah sees this one. It's not Alex saying this is how tween girls are, this is Alex saying this is how his sister was as a tween. All tween girls don't have to be boy crazy for just one girl to have had that experience.
I'm sure that's a valid excuse for Mabel, but what about Grenda or Candy? I didn't realize until Elijah brought it up, but it's true: most of Grenda's personality is "buff but boy-crazy" and Candy is "nerdy but boy-crazy". It's kinda jarring.
@@KingVasuki Considering Pacifica's red haired friend in Boyz Crazy who was either visually based on Ariel or voiced by her, I forget which, was also boy crazy, I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume Grenda and Candy either also take inspiration from Ariel or are based on Ariel's childhood friends 🤔 but tbf it's not like boy crazy is all those two are either.
I will say, I get the criticisms with the portrayal of the girls in this show, but it still made strides in that department. Wendy and Granda are great examples, and while yes, Granda is still boy crazy, it's still a different kind of femininity. And Pacifica isn't another Amity, Amity is another Pacifica. Also, definitely ship Pacifica and Dipper, they are cute as hell!
The only thing I'm sad about this episode is that Wendy was never part of this, considering her Family Ancestors were the victims of Labour Abused and her entire family of Lumberjacks were cut to short and the reason why the Corduroy were the only Lumberjacks in Gravity Falls Its like removing the Plantars in Anne vs Andrias Arc or Hunter in Luz vs Belos Arc
Some fun facts about this incredible episode: 1. Matt Braly, the creator of _Amphibia_ and one of the main creative forces of the _Gravity Falls_ team, was the director of "Northwest Mansion Mystery." He went on record stating that Pacifica was his favorite character to write for and came up with the best material for the season 2 episodes focused on her. He also won an Annie award in 2016 for Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production for this episode in particular. 2. Although not a full redemption arc, Matt's writing for Pacifica gave her a brief but amazing opportunity to defy the one-dimensional, rich girl bully stereotype season 1 had seemingly set her on. Her brief signs of self-improvement and breaking with toxic influences of authority figures also became the foundation for Anne Boonchuy when he started creating _Amphibia_ after the series ended. Some argue that Sasha has more in common, but if you really look at Anne in season 1 you can definitely see similarities to Pacifica's early appearances. The only difference is that, while _Gravity Falls_ only gave a small amount of time to show the beginnings of Pacifica's redemption and coming-of-age story, _Amphibia_ was structured entirely around Anne recognizing the toxic mindset she'd been stuck in and actively work to improve herself and the lives of those she touches. 3. The ship name between Dipper and Pacifica is most commonly known as "Dipcifica." The ship itself existed back in season 1, but there were few fans following it then and found themselves overshadowed by the far larger "Wendip" ship of the time. That instantly changed after this episode. Waves of fanart and stories centered around Dipper and Pacifica together began flooding the fan sites and continues to see a steady stream to this very day. Alex Hirsch hadn't factored a romantic pairing between these two into the show, but the outpouring of support by fans didn't go unnoticed. They left some clues in Journal 3 and the comic series "Forgotten Legends" that strongly implies they have an attraction to one another, but (in classic rom-com fashion) don't want to fully admit it. In essence, Dipcifica is the Lumity of the series but without the explicit confirmation from the creator. Regardless, their ship is by far the most healthy and natural one that came out of the fandom and the pair has become a foundational pillar in most of the great fan stories that explore events after the series. You can find the best Dipcifica pieces by asking for recommendations on one of the Gravity Falls subreddits. Just be ready to see a lot of people in the comments repeating "this is the way" like their pairing is some kind of sacred creed (even though it is). 4. Matt Braly really showed his appreciation for _Gravity Falls_ with the "Wax Museum" episode of _Amphibia,_ but he went a step further for fans of this ship. In the episode there are two Caesar cipher codes that can be found on the walls of Stan Pond's museum. When decoded, the second one (located at the bottom left of the door frame his wax monsters drag him into) "Dipcifica 4 Lyfe." 5. When decoded, the A1Z26 cipher in the episode's end page reads "STANISNOTWHATHESEEMS STANISNOTWHATHESEEMS STANISNOTWHATHESEEMS." Brace yourself, Elijah. This series is about to get absolutely wild from here to the end.
A lot of people don't take her obvious neurodivergence into account. Obviously she's flawed, but I sympathize with her, having ADHD and maturing at different rate from my peers. I agree that the writers should have added character development and not so much focus on her boy crushes. I think that would have endeared her to more people.
As a huge Gravity Falls fan, I totally understand why you haven't been enjoying the show much. I think part of it is the fact that there was so much stuff Alex Hirsch was doing for the fans outside of the show that you really just had to be there when it happened to understand why we love it so much.
True, nothing beats watching this show while it aired! It was a whole event. Truly an unforgettable experience, it will always have a special place in my heart.
Also the fact that the storyline people most remember doesn’t come until later, but the community only praises the lore heavy mystery mongering of season 2, totally ignoring episodes that don’t focus on Bill and characters close to him
Elijah here’s a fun fact: In the Gravity Falls Journal 3 spin-off book released, the book states the ghost haunting the manor is an ancestor of the Cordouroy’s which if you remember is Wendy’s family, and if your wondering what happened to all the other workers the journal also said that the zombies in the S2 EP1 EP were all those fallen workers
that was such a great call back and kind of implies that it was a rather unexpected result that Pacifica would do what she did, that there was a good chance that that was the end of Dipper.
The only thing i can really say about Mabel is that she definitely is a lot more sensitive to change than any other character. Whenever anyone had messed with or challenged her personality or, more accurately, her way of thinking, she kind of lost it a little. We see it with minor cases like when Pacifica made fun of her and she decided to "stop being silly" not to mention that by the end of that episode it was affirmed for her that the way she acts should be perfectly acceptable. Later on, we will see more serious cases about Mabel's view of the world she lives in to be challenged. She's kind of like a psychology study. As is Dipper. I've also heard somewhere before that one of Mabel's roles is to keep Dipper grounded. Dipper is really focused throughout the show on becoming mature, which as a mission is in and of itself immature. You can't force yourself to grow. But we see Dipper trying to be more than what he currently is, a 12 year old, he tries to be older, stronger, smarter. Mabel is there to keep him grounded. He is a child and is meant to behave like one, as all children should have the freedom to. That's kind of the reason why we see a lot of Dipper giving things up for Mabel's sake. In most of those cases, Dipper is metaphorically giving up whatever kind of maturity he's been pursuing that episode. No hate, just my thoughts :]
(Spoiler warning) Ah yes, the redemption episode that truly paved the way for all our beloved mean girls turned queens. What really made Pacifica the template is that her redemption had the most important ingredient of self reflection. Yes her parents and family are terrible, but she did plenty of things she has to own up to as well.
@@jaohonaxa Oh absolutely. I just steam a little bit when people talk about redemption arcs and don't include Cordy because like, all my love to Zuko, imo it's the best redemption arc in modern fiction.
One of the reasons some people have gotten upset with your comments towards Mabel is likely because Mabel used to be such a divisive character and had a lot of hate directed at her for years. At this point, I think people are just tired of hearing the same old arguments. Yes the show is new for you so these complaints about Mabel are new for you as well, but for these people, they're the same tired talking points that they've already heard many times before. They forget that you weren't there during the initial discourse, so they get defensive.
@@pemanilnoobhonestly my biggest issue with these critiques is that people act like *she needs to be a perfect character.* she doesn’t. In fact, she isn’t meant to be, as she’s a pre teen girl. Teens and pre teens are selfish idiots, dipper and Mabel both included
Saying you want Mabel to stop being Boy-crazy and selfish is like saying you want Stan to stop scamming ppl. They aren't meant to be great upstanding Role Models. Some fictional characters are just kind of shitty ppl
I don't think you're giving kids enough credit. The show is fairly clear about depicting how much trouble Mabel's behavior gets herself and others into - kids can handle main characters with flaws. Also, Mabel very much has depth beyond being boy-crazy? Her plotlines that involve boys aren't that frequent over the seasons.
@@notseen9but they did? Like Elijah’s whole complaint could essentially be boiled down to “Mabel only has one personality trait” (being boy crazy). Except that simply isn’t true. Very few episodes even have a subplot with thta, let alone a main plot. Not to mention Mabel being overall different from others, struggling to fit in, being fiercely loyal to friends, and welcoming to others all also being part of her personality
I know you don't identify with "boy crazy", but you have to understand that it's something that most kids go through, and it's not uncommon or even bad. You can't change what you're attracted to, it's something you're born with, this was Alex's reality and he simply wanted to convey it in his creation, and I hope you know that new series don't have to be forced to introduce diverse characters, it has to be the creator's desire to do so and it's not good to force them to meet the agenda of the moment. You also have to admit, if instead of boys Mabel was interested in girls, it wouldn't bother you at all if she acted towards them the same way she acts towards boys, since you identify with it (I say this based on your reaction when two girls in a series have minimal friendly interaction). Don't get me wrong, I love the channel and the content Elijah creates, I am bisexual and I love almost every series she has reacted to, I just wanted to make a constructive comment because, in the same way she complains about Mabel's "boy craziness", it starts to bother me that she always says how much this bothers her, but then praises things like Lumity and them saying "my amazing girlfriend" continuously (I love Lumity's ship). I recommend you to watch episode 2 of the fifth season of south park (it has to do with how lgbt people are treated and how others take advantage of them).
My thoughts exactly! There is nothing wrong with a girl being "boy crazy" so many tween girls are so of course tv is going to show it. And Mable has other things going for her besides boys
I completely agree, sure Mabel's "boy crazy" stuff is annoying but Elijah is similar to that with girls, I get she doesn't exactly identify with it but she is being kinda a hypocrite in a way. (Kinda like you said) (Would say more but I'm bad at conveying thoughts/feelings)
Yeah, I used to really enjoy Elijah's content but this bothered me a lot, it feels very hypocritical that they (idk Elijah's pronouns) would have no issue with Mabel acting that way if she was into girls and not guys. I'm glad somebody else was willing to address this.
I have to say, it was REALLY hard to hear you complain about how tired you were of the boy crazy plots and the lack of mystery, since I know what's coming next lol. I think you'll like the next couple episodes a LOT
Well, considering Mabel is meant to represent Alex's sister, it doesn't surprise me that he wasn't afraid to make her and her friends totally boy crazy, cuz that's probably how he saw then back in the day. Either way, we still have characters like Wendy, the Queen, Melody who really did nothing wrong and of course... Pacifica... Which absolutely should've gotten way more focus, but it still doesnt change the fact this episode made me love her ❤❤❤❤❤ (Also, yes, she and Dipper are the OTP, for suuure)
Hello, Elijah. I don’t usually leave comments, and I’m unlikely to do it again, but I just felt like leaving my thoughts on your thoughts about Mabel and the show in general. First off, let me say that I am a big admirer of you and your work, and I’m looking forward to your next reactions. However, while I do understand your frustrations, I do have a few disagreements. You said that Mabel doesn’t have an identity outside of liking boys, which I think is not only untrue, but unfair. I counted, and there are only eight episodes where Mabel goes boy crazy. I love the characters from Korra, She-Ra and Owl House too, but I think she has a lot more nuance than you give her credit for. We see in episodes like “The Hand That Rocks the Mabel,” “Irrational Treasure,” “The Boss Mabel,” “Summerween,”and “The Golf War” that there is so much more to her. And it only gets better from here. Also, boy crazes evidently are like this, considering she’s based on Alex’s irl sister and her experiences. And speaking as a guy with three straight college-age female cousins, it’s really not that far off. There are a lot of girls like this, even today. That being said, I highly recommend you give this show a rewatch once you’re done with it. You might pick up on something you missed the first time, which is actually part of the fun with this show. I don’t want to sound too critical because despite my disagreements, I still really enjoy your reactions and hearing your thoughts. I just wanted to share some of my own. Gravity Falls is one of my all-time favorites, and both Dipper and Mabel are some of my favorite characters I’ve ever seen in anything. You don’t have to like Mabel, but please don’t say that there’s nothing to her character. Me personally, I adore her, flaws and all. Nevertheless, I am excited to see you finish the show. I really think you’ll love it. P.S. Dipcifica for life! P.P.S. Recommendation: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (watch the movie first)
Yeah, she appears to have a lack of experience interacting with girls like Mabel. Pre-teens tend to get boy crazy like Mabel, or at least generally hormonal if your gay in some form. I feel like she needs to keep in mind that not every girl is like Luz, Korra or Adora.
Honestly Mabel's boy crazy antics were always so over the top it was kind of comforting for the girls to indulge in boy craziness because girls get shame for liking anything so it was fun to see them just always be so unabashed. Though I'll admit sock opera and this one are the best versions of this side plot, and when I remember, that yeah this had been done at least several times ten fold I understand that it has gotten old. Since I saw this show as it came it it was MONTHS between these episodes, so I had forgotten most of the boy crazy plots in the first season.
Yeah, now we're talking. This episode is a big highlight of season 2, as it puts a certain character in the spotlight, gives said character a redemption arc, and adds more lore to the world building of the series. I'm glad we've made it to this episode, and I look forward to what's coming next.
The comment about Mabel being a bad representation for young girls is weird. There are young girls like Mabel who like to talk about boys with their friends or who get crushes easily. And there’s more to her character besides that anyways. Just because you don’t relate to her doesn’t mean other people don’t.
This happens a lot, people being like "This isn't good woman representation" when not every woman is the same and not everyone has the same experiences
It's been confirmed that the Ghost's real name is Archibald Corduroy, and he's one of Wendy's ancestors. Remember the zombies from Scaryoke? Most of them were townsfolk who died in the mudslides.
@connorjohnson8590 admittedly, it's not explicit. The wiki says they were lumberjacks who died in the flood of 1863, which would fit with the 150 Years.
@@dantegrimm6439 I think it's made somewhat explicit in Journal 3? (Although what bugs me about that is that it's clear all those zombies happen to be underneath where the Mystery Shack was built. But you don't really get the sense that the Mystery Shack is located directly down-hill from the Northwest Mansion. I mean... to whatever extent you can ever trust the map of this town, which like the Mystery Shack layout itself, they purposefully never nailed down. But the times when we get a sort of overall view that shows the locations of both, they don't seem like they're close enough together for it to be the case? Anyway, we just have to handwave it, because I do think that was the intent of the creators -- who, as I said, never nailed down things like maps and layouts, so that they didn't box themselves into a corner where they couldn't say something like this was true, just because of previously-established maps or anything.)
this is one of the only episodes where i like the boy-craziness of those three, since instead of it getting in the way of the plot, it gives Dipper a strong and direct reason to try to protect the mansion, as his sister is in there. the b-plot reminds the viewer that Mabel is there and in danger, it shows us what's happening at the party, giving us a good cutaway to show the toast and subsequent mass-woodening, and has some nice character building for Candy and especially Grenda. it's actually sorta good, unlike almost every other one of the b-plots like this.
Don't worry, we're all aware that not every tween girl is boy crazy. It's just a parody of a tired trope. Kind of like how tween boys in TV shows are all absolute idiots whenever they are around a girl they like *cough cough* Dipper *cough* Both tropes are tied, but if done right can be funny.
I get you’re tired of “boy craziness” but man it’s way more exhausting to hear someone shout about it than just watch it happen Well, not gonna tell you to stop or whatever, do what you want Honestly idk why you’re even watching it if you hate it so much
The whole point of Gravity Falls is not just the mystery mongering with Bill cipher, though it is a major one. I blame the fans for hyping this show up as something that really doesn’t exist until really late on
Less something that didn't exist and more something that just changed with time. While GF was airing, there was undeniably a lot of talk about all the mysteries and what there was to uncover. But we had weekly airings and months long hiatuses and huge groups of people who hadn't seen GF before and all tuning in to see what's new and help each other solve the mysteries. Unfortunately, reacting 10 years later with no hiatuses and no community also speculating about the clues alongside you is going to take away a lot from GF's mystery element :/
the thing that bothers me about the mabel... i'll call it "critique", is that it doesnt feel like yall are giving the investigation into her character justice. you perceive it as annoying (your opinion) and then dont think more deeply than that. you refuse to ask why. and also what it means for the story. this isnt an opinion, it's just good literary analysis. also, no matter how annoying "mabel stans" have been in the past, it cant be anything like the visceral hatred this fandom has for mabel. like people are way to vicious in proportion to what this twelve year old actually did
Lol disagree conpletely, many mabel dislikers understand her character and why her arc is relevant to the story, however, it doesn't mean you are obligated to like her. It's understood that boy-craziness is a common tween habit as many are just entering puberty, but just because it's realistic, doesn't mean it's not hard to sit through at times. It can be understood that having mabel make mistakes and be selfish is for the greater plot, and for her to slowly grow up as she develops as a character, however no one is obligated to enjoy that journey, especially if the execution makes her to a certain extent unintentionally unlikable.
@@selinimint7908 I thought you were asking for a productive discussion of differing opinions, but apparently you seem to be one for petty banter, good day.
@@stress395 oh you are actually annoying. Listen. people are allowed to dislike characters and character arcs all they want. but the sheer amount and intensity of the hate for mabel made it hard to enjoy the show and is making it hard to enjoy the reaction. these people made it seem like mabel was an awful person who deserved fucking jailtime for *checks notes* being a selfish tween. heres what i believe. keep shitty opinions based on your own disgust of teen girls to yourself. and no, you're not immune from hating teen girls it's fucking everywhere. no one is exempt. i saw no reason to engage with you further based on your first reply. nothing you said was interesting and i didnt see, and still dont see, the value in continuing this discussion. you are a waste of my time.
I do think there's something to mention (or ask, rather): have you been reading the ciphers at the end of the episodes? Have you been going through the episodes after watching them looking for tiny details? Because that's the mystery element. Garvity Falls isnt a sherlock holmes story were you can make observations and get clues about the story through a normal read/watch. It's an ARG in the form of a kids' show. The reversed whispers in the intro tell you how to translate different hidden ciphers throughout the episode (most in the end credits). This search for ciphers and small details that almost require pausing the episode to just look through a shot or a background is a central part of why the theory community around the show was so big during the time it aired. Don't want to sound like I'm chastizing you for "enjoying the show in the wrong way" or anything like that, but I think that the reason that you've been disappointed with the show in some ways is that the way you've been enjoying and experiencing it isnt the way that the people hyping up the show did, so there's a disconnect. Anyway, love the reactions, just had some thoughts and decided it might be do something good to share them UwU. Loving the reactions, keep it up :3
That’s why I always feel like anyone who watched Gravity Falls after the fact is missing out. Because the theorycrafting and mysteries of bits of extra lore and hidden information were what really made this show so special. Without that community engagement with the mysteries, it really just doesn’t hit the same way. I also feel this way a lot for Steven Universe, because the hidden lore and theories were such a major part of the random that without that context you lose a large piece of the experience.
@@ChespinCraft Sure, yeah, a big part of Gravity Falls was an ephemeral experience. But it's not the only thing going for it. I didn't watch it while it was airing and I missed out on all of that theorizing and real-time cipher solving and stuff. But I fell in love with the show enough that almost 8 years after first watching it, I'm still involved in the fandom. Yeah, I missed out. But I also didn't.
I think this is a really good point, because a lot of people who will likely have talked up the mystery element to her are basing it on that experience -- the theorizing, searching for clues, deciphering codes (and the sheer difficulty of finding the Vignere cipher keywords in these S2 episodes!). For people engaged in doing that, the "mystery" element is present in every single episode. But that aspect isn't there, if you aren't doing it in some way. I hope someone is giving her the decoded messages and stuff after each ep. (I can't remember now, did Mosco know about those? Or find out about them afterwards?) (As I said in another comment -- I didn't watch the show while it was airing; but I binged it, and I was able to get the various decoded messages from websites. I think when you binge it, the amount of time between the Plot-Heavy stuff doesn't feel as pronounced, so that never bothered me.)
Yeah, Gravity Falls has a lot more mysteries in them than the story centered ones. The hidden background codes were quite a big thing when the episodes premiered. Shame she hasn’t picked up on them.
you may be tired of the boy crazy thing but mabel and this part of her itself was inspired on alex's sister, not something to shove into girls face as in they should be like that
One of my favorite things about Encanto and Louisa is that when Disney released all of their merch for the movie they had very ittle Louisa stuff and she turned out to be one of the most popular characters. They sold out and were rushing to get stuff out to meet demand. Then conversly, they released tons of Isabela stuff because they thought she would be the most popular character because she was the most like a traditional princess and her stuff barely sold.
I really think that maeble have character and personality, she is burstig with that! Came on, she is creative, she is a good character! I dont see why people dont like her, came on! She is funny and the perfect complementary role for dipper, the show would not be as good as it is if not for maeble. Sorry for the grammar, english is not my first language.
The ship name, by the way, is Dipcifica. It's so popular that it was referenced in the background of the Amphibia episode that centered around Frog Stan. If you mention it in certain circles, you may start extensive comment chains of people repeating the phrase 'this is the way'.
"Just because you're your parents' daughter doesn't mean you have to be like them. It's not too late." That was so sweet of what Dipper said to Pacifica. And this is just like what happened between Amity and her mom Odalia in The Owl House. Unlike Alador, she kept forcing Amity to be exactly like her and she used that necklace to keep her in line, just like how Pacifica's father uses that bell to keep her in line. Luckily, Luz came into Amity's life and convinced to be her true self, and those two became the cutest couple ever. I truly see Dipper and Pacifica becoming another cute couple like Lumity.
This episode is GOATED with a GOATED ship, I'm not usually into ships but their two "archetypes" in this instances work so well off each others... ...also, as to "why it's always silver": there are many reasons, but a big and interesting one behind it is that silver was placed at the bottoms of wells and would chimically react in a way to purify it... since folks had no idea of the chemistry involved they just assumed silver had magical property of "cleansing evil" and became the staple of all traditions and folklore about banishing and fighting the supernatural and demonic
There's also the fact that silver has antimicrobial properties, so it was used to keep water and food from becoming contaminated. It also used to be associated with the sun, and on top of all that, if is unique in that its the most conductive metal of all as well as the most reflective.
What makes Pacifica's abuse at her parents hands even worse is that the use of the bell to keep her in line is reminiscent of pavlovian conditioning. The kind that is used to train dogs or other pets, and a bell is a common tool used in this process, with the subjects associating its ringing with a punishment that had been inflicted on them. While it is never made clear what her parents did to her that made her immediately shut up whenever her dad rings the bell, but it's clear that she associates the bell with a traumatic experience that her parents were no doubt involved in. The implications alone make Preston's treatment of Pacifica slightly worse than Odalia's abuse of Amity, which is saying a lot. And yes, while Dipper and Pacifica never officially hook up in the show, the tease is still there, and they are a pretty popular ship in the Gravity Falls fandom even to this day. They're basically the heterosexual version of Lumity. The next episode is going to be very intense, and nothing is going to be the same. So hold onto your hat, 'cause it's going to be a hell of a ride.
That is a good point about how women and girls in this show are so stuffed into the romance box, which is unfortunate in its own right and also alienating to queer viewers. I mainly remember Mabel as the girl who wanted a human-sized hamster ball and never really got her own love interest, ultimately when it came down to it, having deeper connections with her friends and family (and pig), but she and her friends do talk about boys A Lot. One of the things Alex Hirsch wanted to do with this show was show a dynamic where two siblings were very different from each other, but got along well and liked each other a lot. So while I did dislike how often Mabel would be rude to Dipper, him always helping her with stuff wasn't as much a bother to me because a lot of the time, they are a team. There is maybe something sexist to how it's nearly always Mabel inciting adventures and making jabs, while Dipper would be so reactive to the point that several episodes are about Mabel pushing Dipper so far that shenanigans ensue from him pushing back. Like it's not a story until the boy does something about the situation. But since Dipper ultimately does like Mabel and not mind, in general, how pushy she is with him, we get a refreshing lack of negative tension on his end BUT lots of unresolved tension on the side of the audience. As cool as the mystery stuff does get though, the main thing I like about this show is how I vibe with the humor. This world that is just so done with how stupid the creator thinks other people are, while also being a coming of age arc about caring about experiences and people outside of your nerdy genius world.
The thing is, apparently Mabel and her "boy- craziness" was based of Alex Hirsch's sister, and the twins dynamic in general I think, but I do remember not liking Mabel all that much when I was little
Giving depth to female characters is still a problem even nowadays Disney's been pushing out dorky/socially akward teen girls (Luz Noceda, Star Butterfly, Mabel Pines, Rapunzel, Anna from Arendelle, Moana, the girl from Wish, maybe Anne and/or Mei Mei?) for a long while because that is what sells And we're also flooded with trinity/strong female protagonist syndrome ("It often occurs that this kind of character merely becomes another form of stereotype, one which is paper thin; behind their strength there is no depth to them as individuals. When a female character is ‘kick ass’ and yet serves no other purpose, or gives no indication of emotion other than ‘angry killing machine") Recently Helluva Boss has been criticized for supposedly giving the male chatacters way more depth/development/backstory than the female ones 🤔
@@nantae1047are you saying luz noceda has no depth? You used her as one of your examples after saying shows struggle to give girls depth. If so, i cant agree with you regarding her at least
@@xmant8842 all I can say is that I didn't fully enjoy the owl house because, as someone who dedicated her entire preteen years to worshipping SVTFOE only for it to end terribly, I didn't want to watch another weirdo misunderstood girl try to rebel against a political faction because it's hunting down a species that she cares about
you literally are so exaggerating about the girls besides, marius fell head over heels FOR Grenda, the strong chubby one with the deep voice which isnt the standard of beauty in society. the LITERAL YOUNG GIRLS realized being jealous wasnt a good thing to do and they supported her and her relationship. just bc its not gay it doesnt make it bad 🧍♀️
Dipper and Pacifica are cute. Nice to see Dipper hang out with someone closer to his age and have a dynamic that isnt steeped in that prepubescent awkward crush that goes nowhere thing like he had with Wendy for a whole season
True, it's funny really, the fact that he kind of disliked her meant he never felt the need to impress her and could be himself with her and over this episode they were able to grow comfortable and develop a friendly dynamic. As well as Dipper being able to show off in a natural way his really quite solid expertise, without being mocked for it. On the other hand Pacifica finally has someone she can be her real self with/explore who she is outside her parents pavlovian conditioning. Dipper is a place she can feel safe from the pressures of her family and she is a place where Dipper is safe from his own self conciseness.
@@mobpego1345 The entire show, people are trying to get Dipper to enjoy himself more and to take his yea dour of the books. Usually, he doesn’t listen to that at all and if he does it takes an entire adventure for him to be like “I need a break.” But with Pacifica, he literally was like “You know what? I wanna hang out with her. Forget the ghost stuff and adventures for a second.”
Fun fact: The lumberjacks killed in the mudslide ended up underneath where the mystery shack is now. They were the zombies that Dipper accidentally raised in the season 2 premiere.
Just finished this episode and honestly Pacifica’s dad conditioning her like a dog was probably more disturbing than the deer crying blood chanting “Ancient sins” Also apparently the next episode is called “Not What He Seems” and I’m both hyped and scared to learn whatever I assume Stan is hiding
I think when people say that Gravity Falls (the show) is full of mystery, reactors WILL get disappointed that not a lot of mystery is seriously focused on in the show. Thats because the overarching mystery of Gravity Falls became so big and exciting because of the sleuths that were actively solving and posting their findings online. It was the sense of community that was harbored that made the mystery so much fun to solve at that time. The mystery is in the background, even when they make no mention of it, and I think it just isnt as fun catching details and theorizing about it when everyone else already knows the answer. Like on the spirit of Unus Annus, you cant really replicate that feeling of trying to solve the mystery as the episodes air (and there were LONG gaps between airing of episodes, which also impacted how people enjoyed it and made stuff that were annoying in the show, less so). Sure, you can watch it like these reactors do, but it doesnt really encapsulate the feeling of community, the unknown, and uncertainty that a lot of fans remember when they were watching as it came out. Theres really nothing to be done about it. Its just how it is, and I am thankful that other shows were able to improve upon the show's flaws while still keeping its strengths.
You mention Korra but let's be honest. Pretty much the whole first season (and the good chunk of the second one) was about both Korra and Asami being boy-crazy. And sure, seasons 3 and 4 moved from it and this is one of the reasons why I like season 3 and 4 more than 1 and 2. And I am not even looking for representation or anything. I am a straight, white male and I was sick of that triangle shit and Mako was the most boring part about the whole show
19:14 Fun fact: Remember in the episode" Into the bunker" when the shape shifted told him Dipper what his last form will be? Well, Dipper is in that form, meaning if it weren't for Pacifica changing her mind and letting the towns folk in he would have been in that form as well as everyone else.
Comparing this to the previous episode reminds me of an argument I saw once that compared Mabel with Pacifica. People were frustrated they gave such a great moment of self reflection to Pacifica but never did that with Mabel.
I feel bad for Pacifica. She knows the truth of her family history. Her parents are the worst. She's finally becoming a better person. Dipper and Pacifica are both shipped 😱😱😱💖💖💖👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Is this what it’s like to watch straight people gloss over queer content? I feel like she’s completely glossed over all the mystery stuff and isn’t seeing what’s been in the show since the start. Like the mystery stuff IS THERE…. is she just not recognizing it as a mystery? Is she not trying to puzzle things out? Yeah Mable is not the best but ouch… this is actually not really fun to watch if she’s not enjoying the show at all… I dunno, I’m just a little worried. If the next episode doesn’t ingratiate itself to her this might just not be a show for her and I feel bad for recommending it now…
Huge thanks to the episode's director Matt Braly (creator of Amphibia) for suggesting that the ghost's motivation is that he wasn't invited to the party.
Genuinely, I understand why boy craze trope is frustrating but as someone who can relate to both Dipper and Mabel, it is also frustrating to have it such a big deal. Mabel is 12, with only magazines and books as her inspiration for romance. I feel like it's a double standard when Dipper was obsessing with Wendy. Idk, just an opinion while watching this playlist.
I love that you're so honest about whether you're enjoying a show or not, because all too often I find myself wondering if the reactors I'm watching really enjoy what they're watching or if they're just catering to their audience. Your willingness to express dissatisfaction with a show as beloved as Gravity Falls lets me know that your thoughts and opinions are legit, which is something I can't be certain of for most of the other reactors I watch. So big ups for that! And I definitely get the frustrations with the lack of mystery, the show is definitely more character-focused with the mysteries being the backdrop more than anything. So if the characters aren't resonating with you/you're in it primarily for the mystery it makes sense you'd be disappointed. As for Mabel... yeah, divisive character. She doesn't bother me, but that's only because it takes an ungodly level of insufferable to make me hate a character (I even like Jar Jar Binks, judge me if you must). And the boy-crazy thing... definitely overdone, but since Mabel's based on Alex's Hirsch's real-life twin sister who was literally that boy-crazy during that time in their lives it's not necessarily inaccurate. Just overplayed. Mind you I'm no stranger to despising a character, it just doesn't happen often. I've dropped shows because a character drove me up the wall before ( *cough* Demon Slayer *cough* Zenitsu *cough* ).
Okay so before I say this I just want to say that I get where you’re coming from in regards to Mabel and even agree with you on some points and I’m not even sure if this what you meant when you said this but Implying that Mabel has no personality outside of liking boys came across to me as a REALLY disingenuous criticism because it’s just provably untrue
Fun Fact; that Pose Dipper takes when he's turned into Wood is the EXACT Same one the Shapeshifter said he'd take when it was Frozen. You know, "and this is the final form you'll ever take!"
In the gravity falls book 3 that you can buy irl there’s a entry by dipper saying that when he hugged her that she smelled nice and some other compliments and then realized what he was writing and crossed it out it’s so cute
Elijah, you kinda answered the question yourself as to why Mabel is the way she is; She’s based on Alex’s sister who, at the time, was boy crazy. Even some of her crushes names are in the show (Gabe Benson was one of his sister’s real crushes) Maybe it’s a “tired old cliche” but it did happen and that’s the main reason. Alex wasn’t feeding into that storyline, his sister was genuinely like that (Although Mabel is exaggerated due to her being a cartoon character)
I will say alot of this show was experiencing it with the internet and the theories that revolved around background information. So the mystery has technically already begun. This show was made around the idea of the people who pause and and dig dipper then what is directly given. Carpet diem as well as dreamscaperers from season 1 is a great one to rewatch if you want to.
Silver is usually associated with the Supernatural because it’s association with purity (I.e. medicinal uses), it’s reflectiveness and it’s association with the Moon and Night. At least that’s what I’ve read in the past and gathered from a quick Google Search. And I think the talking Animal Heads may have been an omage to the Evil Dead movies.
One of the best episodes that gave us the best and most popular ship of the series (and yes, it's canon). Dipcifica (the name) is one of those ships that we didn't know we wanted/needed until we got it. Alex Hirsch even posted that now that the whole Dipper and Wendy ship was concluded after the shapeshifter episode that they could now focus on Dipper/Pacifica. And you're right, if you think about it, based on their circumstances, Pacifica is like another Amity with Dipcifica being almost like a beta version of Lumity. It's such a great dynamic, and you don't really notice how much chemistry they had until it was pointed out. BTW, that bell her parents use on her is a form of child abuse that's meant for control. But it explains so much about her, and she showed such growth in a single episode.
Mabel was based on a real person, Ariel Hirsch. So it’s understandable that you’re frustrated with Mabel, but just remember you’re also complaining about a real person who was like this as a child. You know what it’s like to be made fun of for being a “weird” kid growing up. Ariel was like that too.
Hi! Incase you read this, I'm so happy to see you freely expressing what you like and dislike while watching. The genuine commentary is literally the best part of your videos. Never pretend to like an element of the story to please the audience
A detailed explanation as of why Pacifica's dad is manipulating her.
Ivan Pavlov was a Russian scientist who studied behaviors, his most well known studie was on conditioning.
Pavlov would ring a bell right before feeding a dog.
After a while of doing that the dog associated the ringing of the bell with being fed, the dog would start salivating at sound of the bell even if there wasn't any food, that dog was conditioned.
In this episode Mr. Northwest rings a bell every time Pacifica goes out of line or disobey and Pacifica just stops and apologizes. Mr. Northwest conditioned his daughter to expect punishment if he rings that bell so that she does as she's told which incredibly fucked.
I'm surprised no one has yet to comment on this! I was about to say what you have just delivered better than I would have. This is just what I was thinking, it's so shitty too- it just shows how horrible parents can be in a blind eye, I'm sure some wouldn't pay such attention to it, it's such a traumatizing thing to do, and can really fuck a mental state
I thought the bell was a slight reference to the show "Over the Garden Wall." More specifically the episode in which one of the characters has to ring a magical bell to control a demon that's being possessed by someone. But yes, I agree what Mr. Northwest did to Pacifica was messed up.
@@jessiefyler3751 I don't think it's possible for OtGW to inspire NMM since they came out like five months apart.
That's messed up
Thats fucked up 🥺
More spoiler-free things:
1. The ghost's name is Archibald Corduroy, so he's Wendy's ancestor.
2. Matt Braly wrote this episode, and won an ANNIE AWARD for it! He went on to create Amphibia so he's doing great.
3. The pose Dipper made when he turned into wood is the one the shapeshifter made when he said it would be his last form. Spooky.
4. All of the zombies that came to life in scary-oke are all the lumberjacks who died, soooooo yeah. Kids show, everybody!
5. People (including me) say Amity is who Pacifica would've been if she got to reach her full potential.
6. Yes, we ship Dipper and Pacifica. I know I do. Dipcifica 4 lyfe! (I think Pacipper sounds better but the other name is pretty much canon at this point.
7. There's an episode of Amphibia that's an homage to Gravity Falls. There's a hidden code in that episode that says "Dipcifica 4 lyfe" so the creators ship it too.
8. This episode might be my favorite, but the next one is the BEST.
The next one is held up as the peak
Woah, nice lore dump! I didn’t know numbers 1 and 4.
Woah! I love this show and I didn't notice fact 1 or 4 in my multiple watch throughs, but that's so cool! Especially him being Wendy's ancestor!
Thanks for sharing this stuff, those small details just further my love for this show, and yes, Dipcidica 4 life!
Imagine if Wendy found out that Pacifica's family screwed over one of her own
Wow, never knew some of this stuff
As much as I understand not liking the whole boy crazy thing, I actually do like Grenda's plot line in this episode. It's a nice commentary on how you don't need to change yourself for a boy. Just be yourself and people will like you as you are.
I agree, it’s especially nice to see a more “masculine” girl like Grenda who has muscles have a love interest who loves her the way she is
Especially because - SPOILER -
.
.
.
.
.
Grenda and Marius are a couple who continue past the show.
Exactly! I get not liking a trope but tropes exist for a reason
@@owenbridgersyeah no
@@dulcemendoza3526 yeah yes
I grew up with gravity falls and I never saw Mabel as the boy crazy girl. I always remembered her as the quirky funny girl who was failing miserably at fitting in and still managed to be endearing and full of character. The boy crazy stuff was kinda part of that, as she always wanted the boys but it never worked out for her. I see her as someone with a whole lot of personality outside of being obsessed with finding a boyfriend, but that’s just my opinion! I love her and never knew how much people disliked her but I can live with it lol
same here, online and in my real life friend groups Mabel was always kind of a "random xD rainbows!! agent of chaos!! can i haz a cookie" symbol, everyone i knew loved her, and her romantic plots weren't ever the subject of conversation, maybe other than Mermando since they aired that episode all the time. I totally understand why it would be different for an adult in the year 2023 watching the show back-to-back, and regardless all opinions are valid, but it just hurts a little that people who watch GF nowadays can't get past her crushes and flaws. Again, the show's fault, not theirs.
(and it probably doesn't help that most people get into the show because of its "lore" and "incredible plot" when really the highlight of the cartoon itself are the constant jokes - i say it as someone who was obsessed with the mysteries and plot as it was unfolding)
@@tomnarr yeah I was thinking that! Obviously the mystery in this show is incredible and it ultimately is what made me so attached to this show, but GF would never be that popular if it wasn’t for its outstanding humor. The whole time she was talking about how she’s missing the interesting plot I was like but… it’s so funny…
I honestly like that they had Dipper get turned to wood. Because then it's JUST Pacifica's decision. It's all up to her, to look in her parents' face and say no.
it also pays off the shapeshifter episode. He gets turned to wood in the same pose that the shapeshifter took when it froze
I get your grievances with the boy craziness, but honestly I did find Marius' crush on Grenda adorable and mold breaking.
"Could I give you my number?"
"I don't have a phone, write it on my face!" :D
Appearantly, the boy crazy stuff was based on what Alwx Hirsch's sister was like. So it's not completely inaccurate, but I agree that it's a tired trope. Also, I love this episode so much. We get amazing character development for Pacifica, (I love it when kids break away from their parent's awful morals.) We get Dipcifica, a ship that I really love, and the creepiest, most raw, most disturbing imagery of the entire show. I'm still surprised Alex Hirsch was able to get away with some of it.
Well, the shipping already existed before this episode
@@cameroniacobucciYes, but only with this episode can I understand why it exists.
@@DanGamingFan2406 I see that.
This is explained in between the pines. I hope someone recommends she watches it. Alongside, the response video to Hirsch had to S&P. Maybe even the Bill Cipher statue hunt.
I want her to react to epithet erased
You could say that this is another "Mabel is boy-crazy" episode, but really, this one isn't about Mabel, or at least her love life. It's about her friendship with Grenda, and her love life. I appreciate that in spite of her being an externally masculine girl, she's the one who gets to have her prince in shining armor. Also, Mabel's personality isn't just "boy-crazy", in the same way that Dipper's personality isn't just "awkwardly crushing on Wendy". She can be a pre-teen girl with nuance, and have one of her traits be being boy-crazy. Some episodes focus on it, and some don't. But yeah, one of those traits of hers that isn't being boy-crazy is being kinda self-centered, and it's a shame that there's only really 1 episode where she truly faces that fact.
One episode and a graphic novel story.
Of course, Elijah can't know it yet; but upon rewatching, I not only appreciate the Grenda plotline in this ep for her getting Marius at the end, but for the fact that
.
.
.
.
.
like Soos and Melody, they're a couple who stays together past the end of the show.
Given the way Dipper is based on Alex (and Mabel on his twin sister Ariel), I can understand why Alex didn't develop a real romance for Dipper more in the show itself. I could see that feeling a bit weird to him. (Of all the things he remembers from his tween summers, I'm sure "getting a steady girlfriend" probably wasn't one of them.) But, oh boy yes, the fandom absolutely DOES ship Dipcifica.
Yeah, I found the lack of mention of Grenda here disturbing.
Fun Fact: Pacifica was the inspiration Matt Braly took when writing Anne's character for *Amphibia*
Also, in the Season 2 GF episode of *Amphibia* with the Wax Museum, there's a secret message that reads Dipcifica 4 Lyfe
I didn't know the first fun fact😮
Wow That’s really cool, I honestly didn’t know 😱😱😱
I love that second fact.
Initially, I remember reading how Anne was inspired by Pacifica on the official Amphibia wiki, and I never understood how and why. Honestly, I thought Sasha takes more from Pacifica in terms of design and personality. But now that Amphibia is over, I understand what he was going for. Pacifica and Anne both share the trait of having people walk all over them.
Oh wow
The flaw with the representation complaint is that representation means ALL traits. Not just positive traits. You want strong female characters? There's Wendy. The three are written because they represent the naive traits of being kids, cause that exists in real life too. If all characters are to have the positive traits, that just creates another stereotype. So we can applaud new characters that represent good things but complaining about what was made a decade ago doesn't make sense to me. We should be happy to see the contrast and change.
Wendy’s been criticized for not being the strongest written character though by fans lately. Judging from episode commentaries from the show crew where they admit that they struggled to write her, worrying about breaking her strong female image, that might be the case.
@@kaylemathewcomendador6964 they wanted to do more with her but there just wasn't enough time in the season for her to get more development. can't remember but there was some episode they wanted to do about her becoming a shoplifter or something and bonding with stan over it, with some mentions of her family being tough on her etc.
unsolicited rant but that's just another reason why i think there should've been three seasons instead of two (dipper and pacifica being dropped after this episode and ford getting somewhat limited screen time are some others), but i guess it's still alex hirsch's decision in the end. the books do an okay job in patching up those two flaws in the show, i guess, but they still haven't gotten around to showing anything about wendy.
@@gianni50725 From what I can recall from the source of that, that episode was also scrapped because the show crew worried about it “breaking Wendy’s strong/cool image” too.
Elijah, you hit the nail on the head for why people ship Dipcifica. It's such a good ship.
They’d make a good couple.
@@jamesenglebert9149Too bad they weren't canonized.
@@quincyconnors9391. With many shows being revived, if Gravity Falls gets revived, then I hope Alex makes the ship canon
@@Blitzo8390 unfortunately I doubt Alex would ever do it. GF was only 2 seasons because showrunning was stressful and also he's made his disdain for Disney and their S&P department VERY clear.
@@quincyconnors9391 I think it was heavily hinted that they got together in the post-series books that got published
Being boy-crazy isn't the problem. Having it as the default when Mabel isn't relevant to the story, is. There's a lot to Mabel's character. She likes making people happy. She's fiercely loyal. She's off beat. She likes creativity. But no, the episode is about Dipper, and we need filler. So Irrelevant Boy Crush #8 it is.
Yeah it's a bummer. It almost feels like the show can't explore Mabel unless she's with Dipper for a bunch of the ep
It's interesting, and I wonder if Elijah reconsiders her reaction at the beginning, knowing where the episode goes. That is, she's really impatient with Mabel pushing Dipper to take the job, because it benefits what SHE (and her friends) want. And I get that viewpoint. But I saw it more as the writers thinking, if Dipper still thinks so badly of Pacifica, how DO we get him to agree to take this job? And the easy answer (and birth of the B-plot) is because Mabel and her friends are into the party. So at the start, and as Elijah reacted to it, it seems like Mabel pushing Dipper to do something he doesn't want to do, just to get something Mabel wants. But it's really just about getting Dipper where he needs to be -- and on several points, him being "pushed" to say yes to Pacifica is really a win for him.
It's a win because he gets to be sort of like The Author for a bit (and I like that the episode didn't over-emphasize it) -- wielding the Journal, *he* is the supernatural investigator who can solve the problem with his knowledge, and he does. That's his DREAM. Secondarily, it puts him in a position to interact with Pacifica, which is good for her, and good for him too. (I agree, they make a good couple!) He helps her, and he comes to appreciate her in a new way. He wouldn't have taken that step without that push from Mabel, though (even though her push had nothing to do with those outcomes).
I do think that it would have been possible to come up with other story ways to get him there. Just appealing to him wanting to play that part of Ghost Harasser a bit more strongly probably would have been enough. I was never particularly bothered by the device they did use. But, that's why I say, I wonder if Elijah feels less annoyed by it (specifically by Mabel pushing Dipper into it; aside from the boy-crazy stuff), having seen where the story wound up for Dipper.
@@gryphonvert I totally agree with you
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but there are exactly 2 out of 40 episodes where Mabel gets a subplot about going after a boy crush (2x4 and 2x10), plus 3 more where it’s more the focus of the episode (1x1, 1x15, and 1x17). How does that justify that this is Mabel’s default subplot? I really don’t like making comments like this, but that statement in particular bugs me.
@@sentient5I would say Mabel’s crush isn’t that much of a subplot in 2x4 but yeah the episodes are pretty right
She is so close to a big part in the series and i am DYING to see her reaction. I swear this episode seriously freaked me out.
while i was watching this show, the whole "boy crazy" stuff with mabel & her friends was honestly kind of nice to see. as a gay guy who didn't come out of the closet until late high school, it very much represents how i was about guys during my early teenage years, except i didn't have the friends to talk about it with, so i feel like i kinda missed out on that part of life. so seeing mabel like this is kinda comforting in a way lol
I like Mabel because I see myself as a kid in her, she is selfish, immature, neurodivergent, believes she's a good person, that's how exactly how I was as 12. And I hated myself for how much of a brat I was, and other people hated me for being like that too
When people hate on her, I see people hating me but I remember that I'm not Mabel nor a 12-year-old anymore
Ik Mabel gets annoying and boy crazy, but Alex said he based her on his real life sister and on what she was at that age from his perspective. The whole show was inspired by the summers they'd spend together at a relative' place.
Edit: she is not meant to represent tween girls. She is a parody of his own sister.
Very much this and I hope Elijah sees this one. It's not Alex saying this is how tween girls are, this is Alex saying this is how his sister was as a tween. All tween girls don't have to be boy crazy for just one girl to have had that experience.
I'm sure that's a valid excuse for Mabel, but what about Grenda or Candy? I didn't realize until Elijah brought it up, but it's true: most of Grenda's personality is "buff but boy-crazy" and Candy is "nerdy but boy-crazy". It's kinda jarring.
@@KingVasuki Considering Pacifica's red haired friend in Boyz Crazy who was either visually based on Ariel or voiced by her, I forget which, was also boy crazy, I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume Grenda and Candy either also take inspiration from Ariel or are based on Ariel's childhood friends 🤔 but tbf it's not like boy crazy is all those two are either.
@@KingVasuki Those are still only 3 boy-crazy girls out of who-knows-how-many in GF
But she's still an unlikeable character
I will say, I get the criticisms with the portrayal of the girls in this show, but it still made strides in that department. Wendy and Granda are great examples, and while yes, Granda is still boy crazy, it's still a different kind of femininity. And Pacifica isn't another Amity, Amity is another Pacifica. Also, definitely ship Pacifica and Dipper, they are cute as hell!
The only thing I'm sad about this episode is that Wendy was never part of this, considering her Family Ancestors were the victims of Labour Abused and her entire family of Lumberjacks were cut to short and the reason why the Corduroy were the only Lumberjacks in Gravity Falls
Its like removing the Plantars in Anne vs Andrias Arc or Hunter in Luz vs Belos Arc
Tbf, unlike this times, they didn't know his name or who he was related to you, each we found out thanks to journal 3
OMG, I never even thought about that you're absolutely right, oh man now that would have made this episode perfect.
Some fun facts about this incredible episode:
1. Matt Braly, the creator of _Amphibia_ and one of the main creative forces of the _Gravity Falls_ team, was the director of "Northwest Mansion Mystery." He went on record stating that Pacifica was his favorite character to write for and came up with the best material for the season 2 episodes focused on her. He also won an Annie award in 2016 for Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production for this episode in particular.
2. Although not a full redemption arc, Matt's writing for Pacifica gave her a brief but amazing opportunity to defy the one-dimensional, rich girl bully stereotype season 1 had seemingly set her on. Her brief signs of self-improvement and breaking with toxic influences of authority figures also became the foundation for Anne Boonchuy when he started creating _Amphibia_ after the series ended. Some argue that Sasha has more in common, but if you really look at Anne in season 1 you can definitely see similarities to Pacifica's early appearances.
The only difference is that, while _Gravity Falls_ only gave a small amount of time to show the beginnings of Pacifica's redemption and coming-of-age story, _Amphibia_ was structured entirely around Anne recognizing the toxic mindset she'd been stuck in and actively work to improve herself and the lives of those she touches.
3. The ship name between Dipper and Pacifica is most commonly known as "Dipcifica." The ship itself existed back in season 1, but there were few fans following it then and found themselves overshadowed by the far larger "Wendip" ship of the time. That instantly changed after this episode. Waves of fanart and stories centered around Dipper and Pacifica together began flooding the fan sites and continues to see a steady stream to this very day.
Alex Hirsch hadn't factored a romantic pairing between these two into the show, but the outpouring of support by fans didn't go unnoticed. They left some clues in Journal 3 and the comic series "Forgotten Legends" that strongly implies they have an attraction to one another, but (in classic rom-com fashion) don't want to fully admit it. In essence, Dipcifica is the Lumity of the series but without the explicit confirmation from the creator.
Regardless, their ship is by far the most healthy and natural one that came out of the fandom and the pair has become a foundational pillar in most of the great fan stories that explore events after the series. You can find the best Dipcifica pieces by asking for recommendations on one of the Gravity Falls subreddits. Just be ready to see a lot of people in the comments repeating "this is the way" like their pairing is some kind of sacred creed (even though it is).
4. Matt Braly really showed his appreciation for _Gravity Falls_ with the "Wax Museum" episode of _Amphibia,_ but he went a step further for fans of this ship. In the episode there are two Caesar cipher codes that can be found on the walls of Stan Pond's museum. When decoded, the second one (located at the bottom left of the door frame his wax monsters drag him into) "Dipcifica 4 Lyfe."
5. When decoded, the A1Z26 cipher in the episode's end page reads "STANISNOTWHATHESEEMS STANISNOTWHATHESEEMS STANISNOTWHATHESEEMS."
Brace yourself, Elijah. This series is about to get absolutely wild from here to the end.
Keep in mind that Mabel is a 12 year old child...she has alot of growing up to do, she's not manipulative.
Folks really overuse therapy speak
A lot of people don't take her obvious neurodivergence into account. Obviously she's flawed, but I sympathize with her, having ADHD and maturing at different rate from my peers. I agree that the writers should have added character development and not so much focus on her boy crushes. I think that would have endeared her to more people.
I feel like I relate to her a lot
I want to be nice and cool, but I’m always scared people will hate me for every small thing I do wrong
So is Pacifica.
Just because she's a child, doesnt mean she's not manipulative. My sister's a kid, but she manipulates me and my mom all the time.
As a huge Gravity Falls fan, I totally understand why you haven't been enjoying the show much. I think part of it is the fact that there was so much stuff Alex Hirsch was doing for the fans outside of the show that you really just had to be there when it happened to understand why we love it so much.
Plus the hiatuses, we went crazy during those, trying to solve all the mysteries
True, nothing beats watching this show while it aired! It was a whole event. Truly an unforgettable experience, it will always have a special place in my heart.
she doesnt like it bc its not gay
and doesnt cater to queer audiences but to everyone🤷♀️
@@bluefrostryy that’s a major reach lol her dislike for it is understandable
Also the fact that the storyline people most remember doesn’t come until later, but the community only praises the lore heavy mystery mongering of season 2, totally ignoring episodes that don’t focus on Bill and characters close to him
Elijah here’s a fun fact: In the Gravity Falls Journal 3 spin-off book released, the book states the ghost haunting the manor is an ancestor of the Cordouroy’s which if you remember is Wendy’s family, and if your wondering what happened to all the other workers the journal also said that the zombies in the S2 EP1 EP were all those fallen workers
yes i've read about that. i was shocked, but honestly i could see the ghost being a ancestor of Wendy
That’s actually really sad 😢
So don't piss off Wendy, her family is great at curses. Now I want an AU where Wendy is a full blown forest witch.
yup, explains why there were so many random dead bodies around one area and outside a gravesite
Trust me, the rest of the season is exactly what you’re looking for when you talk about the show.
For sure
Ye
When Dipper turns to wood, he freezes in the same pose that was depicted by the shapeshifter in Episode 2
that was such a great call back and kind of implies that it was a rather unexpected result that Pacifica would do what she did, that there was a good chance that that was the end of Dipper.
This was the first time where both main characters where affected by the villan's powers
The only thing i can really say about Mabel is that she definitely is a lot more sensitive to change than any other character. Whenever anyone had messed with or challenged her personality or, more accurately, her way of thinking, she kind of lost it a little. We see it with minor cases like when Pacifica made fun of her and she decided to "stop being silly" not to mention that by the end of that episode it was affirmed for her that the way she acts should be perfectly acceptable. Later on, we will see more serious cases about Mabel's view of the world she lives in to be challenged. She's kind of like a psychology study. As is Dipper. I've also heard somewhere before that one of Mabel's roles is to keep Dipper grounded. Dipper is really focused throughout the show on becoming mature, which as a mission is in and of itself immature. You can't force yourself to grow. But we see Dipper trying to be more than what he currently is, a 12 year old, he tries to be older, stronger, smarter. Mabel is there to keep him grounded. He is a child and is meant to behave like one, as all children should have the freedom to. That's kind of the reason why we see a lot of Dipper giving things up for Mabel's sake. In most of those cases, Dipper is metaphorically giving up whatever kind of maturity he's been pursuing that episode. No hate, just my thoughts :]
No no that makes sense 🤔
(Spoiler warning)
Ah yes, the redemption episode that truly paved the way for all our beloved mean girls turned queens. What really made Pacifica the template is that her redemption had the most important ingredient of self reflection. Yes her parents and family are terrible, but she did plenty of things she has to own up to as well.
I'm sorry, I love Pacifica, but Cordelia Chase laid this groundwork 20 years ago.
@@Khajmer I don’t really know anything about her so I can’t really argue on that, but can we agree on Pacifica doing it for animation?
@@jaohonaxa Oh absolutely. I just steam a little bit when people talk about redemption arcs and don't include Cordy because like, all my love to Zuko, imo it's the best redemption arc in modern fiction.
This episode is the reason why I love Pacifica
One of the reasons some people have gotten upset with your comments towards Mabel is likely because Mabel used to be such a divisive character and had a lot of hate directed at her for years. At this point, I think people are just tired of hearing the same old arguments. Yes the show is new for you so these complaints about Mabel are new for you as well, but for these people, they're the same tired talking points that they've already heard many times before. They forget that you weren't there during the initial discourse, so they get defensive.
Or maybe it’s people who never once noticed these “bad attributes” and now feel like they’re being shamed for it?
@@pemanilnoobhonestly my biggest issue with these critiques is that people act like *she needs to be a perfect character.* she doesn’t. In fact, she isn’t meant to be, as she’s a pre teen girl. Teens and pre teens are selfish idiots, dipper and Mabel both included
Saying you want Mabel to stop being Boy-crazy and selfish is like saying you want Stan to stop scamming ppl.
They aren't meant to be great upstanding Role Models.
Some fictional characters are just kind of shitty ppl
I don't think you're giving kids enough credit. The show is fairly clear about depicting how much trouble Mabel's behavior gets herself and others into - kids can handle main characters with flaws. Also, Mabel very much has depth beyond being boy-crazy? Her plotlines that involve boys aren't that frequent over the seasons.
Someone didn't listen.
@@notseen9but they did? Like Elijah’s whole complaint could essentially be boiled down to “Mabel only has one personality trait” (being boy crazy). Except that simply isn’t true. Very few episodes even have a subplot with thta, let alone a main plot. Not to mention Mabel being overall different from others, struggling to fit in, being fiercely loyal to friends, and welcoming to others all also being part of her personality
I know you don't identify with "boy crazy", but you have to understand that it's something that most kids go through, and it's not uncommon or even bad. You can't change what you're attracted to, it's something you're born with, this was Alex's reality and he simply wanted to convey it in his creation, and I hope you know that new series don't have to be forced to introduce diverse characters, it has to be the creator's desire to do so and it's not good to force them to meet the agenda of the moment.
You also have to admit, if instead of boys Mabel was interested in girls, it wouldn't bother you at all if she acted towards them the same way she acts towards boys, since you identify with it (I say this based on your reaction when two girls in a series have minimal friendly interaction).
Don't get me wrong, I love the channel and the content Elijah creates, I am bisexual and I love almost every series she has reacted to, I just wanted to make a constructive comment because, in the same way she complains about Mabel's "boy craziness", it starts to bother me that she always says how much this bothers her, but then praises things like Lumity and them saying "my amazing girlfriend" continuously (I love Lumity's ship).
I recommend you to watch episode 2 of the fifth season of south park (it has to do with how lgbt people are treated and how others take advantage of them).
My thoughts exactly!
There is nothing wrong with a girl being "boy crazy" so many tween girls are so of course tv is going to show it. And Mable has other things going for her besides boys
I completely agree, sure Mabel's "boy crazy" stuff is annoying but Elijah is similar to that with girls, I get she doesn't exactly identify with it but she is being kinda a hypocrite in a way. (Kinda like you said)
(Would say more but I'm bad at conveying thoughts/feelings)
Yeah, I used to really enjoy Elijah's content but this bothered me a lot, it feels very hypocritical that they (idk Elijah's pronouns) would have no issue with Mabel acting that way if she was into girls and not guys. I'm glad somebody else was willing to address this.
This is actually super true
I ain’t reading allat 💀
I have to say, it was REALLY hard to hear you complain about how tired you were of the boy crazy plots and the lack of mystery, since I know what's coming next lol. I think you'll like the next couple episodes a LOT
Literally my favorite Gravity falls episode ever. It's so creepy and unsettling and Dipcifica was my favorite ship until Lumity
Well, considering Mabel is meant to represent Alex's sister, it doesn't surprise me that he wasn't afraid to make her and her friends totally boy crazy, cuz that's probably how he saw then back in the day. Either way, we still have characters like Wendy, the Queen, Melody who really did nothing wrong and of course... Pacifica... Which absolutely should've gotten way more focus, but it still doesnt change the fact this episode made me love her ❤❤❤❤❤ (Also, yes, she and Dipper are the OTP, for suuure)
Hello, Elijah. I don’t usually leave comments, and I’m unlikely to do it again, but I just felt like leaving my thoughts on your thoughts about Mabel and the show in general. First off, let me say that I am a big admirer of you and your work, and I’m looking forward to your next reactions. However, while I do understand your frustrations, I do have a few disagreements.
You said that Mabel doesn’t have an identity outside of liking boys, which I think is not only untrue, but unfair. I counted, and there are only eight episodes where Mabel goes boy crazy. I love the characters from Korra, She-Ra and Owl House too, but I think she has a lot more nuance than you give her credit for. We see in episodes like “The Hand That Rocks the Mabel,” “Irrational Treasure,” “The Boss Mabel,” “Summerween,”and “The Golf War” that there is so much more to her. And it only gets better from here. Also, boy crazes evidently are like this, considering she’s based on Alex’s irl sister and her experiences. And speaking as a guy with three straight college-age female cousins, it’s really not that far off. There are a lot of girls like this, even today.
That being said, I highly recommend you give this show a rewatch once you’re done with it. You might pick up on something you missed the first time, which is actually part of the fun with this show.
I don’t want to sound too critical because despite my disagreements, I still really enjoy your reactions and hearing your thoughts. I just wanted to share some of my own. Gravity Falls is one of my all-time favorites, and both Dipper and Mabel are some of my favorite characters I’ve ever seen in anything. You don’t have to like Mabel, but please don’t say that there’s nothing to her character. Me personally, I adore her, flaws and all. Nevertheless, I am excited to see you finish the show. I really think you’ll love it.
P.S. Dipcifica for life!
P.P.S. Recommendation: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (watch the movie first)
yes, it's crazy to tell that mabel has no personality.
Agree. This episode clearly hit a nerve.
Yeah, she appears to have a lack of experience interacting with girls like Mabel. Pre-teens tend to get boy crazy like Mabel, or at least generally hormonal if your gay in some form. I feel like she needs to keep in mind that not every girl is like Luz, Korra or Adora.
@@cherie2861 Nah, she does 🤷♂️.
Honestly Mabel's boy crazy antics were always so over the top it was kind of comforting for the girls to indulge in boy craziness because girls get shame for liking anything so it was fun to see them just always be so unabashed. Though I'll admit sock opera and this one are the best versions of this side plot, and when I remember, that yeah this had been done at least several times ten fold I understand that it has gotten old.
Since I saw this show as it came it it was MONTHS between these episodes, so I had forgotten most of the boy crazy plots in the first season.
Yeah, now we're talking. This episode is a big highlight of season 2, as it puts a certain character in the spotlight, gives said character a redemption arc, and adds more lore to the world building of the series. I'm glad we've made it to this episode, and I look forward to what's coming next.
Ah yes, almost a season and a half in and NOW we see why people praise this show
The comment about Mabel being a bad representation for young girls is weird. There are young girls like Mabel who like to talk about boys with their friends or who get crushes easily. And there’s more to her character besides that anyways. Just because you don’t relate to her doesn’t mean other people don’t.
Right? Her argument is the same used by conservatives, yet they're despicable and pieces of SHI/? Lol.
This happens a lot, people being like "This isn't good woman representation" when not every woman is the same and not everyone has the same experiences
It's been confirmed that the Ghost's real name is Archibald Corduroy, and he's one of Wendy's ancestors.
Remember the zombies from Scaryoke? Most of them were townsfolk who died in the mudslides.
Oooooh! Didn't know that bit about the mudslide victims! That tracks though.
@connorjohnson8590 admittedly, it's not explicit. The wiki says they were lumberjacks who died in the flood of 1863, which would fit with the 150 Years.
@@dantegrimm6439 Ah, that makes sense
@@dantegrimm6439 I think it's made somewhat explicit in Journal 3? (Although what bugs me about that is that it's clear all those zombies happen to be underneath where the Mystery Shack was built. But you don't really get the sense that the Mystery Shack is located directly down-hill from the Northwest Mansion. I mean... to whatever extent you can ever trust the map of this town, which like the Mystery Shack layout itself, they purposefully never nailed down. But the times when we get a sort of overall view that shows the locations of both, they don't seem like they're close enough together for it to be the case? Anyway, we just have to handwave it, because I do think that was the intent of the creators -- who, as I said, never nailed down things like maps and layouts, so that they didn't box themselves into a corner where they couldn't say something like this was true, just because of previously-established maps or anything.)
this is one of the only episodes where i like the boy-craziness of those three, since instead of it getting in the way of the plot, it gives Dipper a strong and direct reason to try to protect the mansion, as his sister is in there. the b-plot reminds the viewer that Mabel is there and in danger, it shows us what's happening at the party, giving us a good cutaway to show the toast and subsequent mass-woodening, and has some nice character building for Candy and especially Grenda. it's actually sorta good, unlike almost every other one of the b-plots like this.
Don't worry, we're all aware that not every tween girl is boy crazy. It's just a parody of a tired trope. Kind of like how tween boys in TV shows are all absolute idiots whenever they are around a girl they like *cough cough* Dipper *cough* Both tropes are tied, but if done right can be funny.
I swear I was the entire episode like "girl just wait a lil" cant wait for her to watch it
I can’t wait for the next 2 episodes! The show rewards you for being patient!
I get you’re tired of “boy craziness” but man it’s way more exhausting to hear someone shout about it than just watch it happen
Well, not gonna tell you to stop or whatever, do what you want
Honestly idk why you’re even watching it if you hate it so much
The whole point of Gravity Falls is not just the mystery mongering with Bill cipher, though it is a major one.
I blame the fans for hyping this show up as something that really doesn’t exist until really late on
Less something that didn't exist and more something that just changed with time. While GF was airing, there was undeniably a lot of talk about all the mysteries and what there was to uncover. But we had weekly airings and months long hiatuses and huge groups of people who hadn't seen GF before and all tuning in to see what's new and help each other solve the mysteries. Unfortunately, reacting 10 years later with no hiatuses and no community also speculating about the clues alongside you is going to take away a lot from GF's mystery element :/
the thing that bothers me about the mabel... i'll call it "critique", is that it doesnt feel like yall are giving the investigation into her character justice. you perceive it as annoying (your opinion) and then dont think more deeply than that. you refuse to ask why. and also what it means for the story. this isnt an opinion, it's just good literary analysis. also, no matter how annoying "mabel stans" have been in the past, it cant be anything like the visceral hatred this fandom has for mabel. like people are way to vicious in proportion to what this twelve year old actually did
Lol disagree conpletely, many mabel dislikers understand her character and why her arc is relevant to the story, however, it doesn't mean you are obligated to like her. It's understood that boy-craziness is a common tween habit as many are just entering puberty, but just because it's realistic, doesn't mean it's not hard to sit through at times. It can be understood that having mabel make mistakes and be selfish is for the greater plot, and for her to slowly grow up as she develops as a character, however no one is obligated to enjoy that journey, especially if the execution makes her to a certain extent unintentionally unlikable.
@@stress395 then sit with your discomfort in silence because i don’t care
@@selinimint7908 I thought you were asking for a productive discussion of differing opinions, but apparently you seem to be one for petty banter, good day.
@@stress395 oh you are actually annoying. Listen. people are allowed to dislike characters and character arcs all they want. but the sheer amount and intensity of the hate for mabel made it hard to enjoy the show and is making it hard to enjoy the reaction. these people made it seem like mabel was an awful person who deserved fucking jailtime for *checks notes* being a selfish tween. heres what i believe. keep shitty opinions based on your own disgust of teen girls to yourself. and no, you're not immune from hating teen girls it's fucking everywhere. no one is exempt.
i saw no reason to engage with you further based on your first reply. nothing you said was interesting and i didnt see, and still dont see, the value in continuing this discussion. you are a waste of my time.
I do think there's something to mention (or ask, rather): have you been reading the ciphers at the end of the episodes? Have you been going through the episodes after watching them looking for tiny details? Because that's the mystery element. Garvity Falls isnt a sherlock holmes story were you can make observations and get clues about the story through a normal read/watch. It's an ARG in the form of a kids' show. The reversed whispers in the intro tell you how to translate different hidden ciphers throughout the episode (most in the end credits). This search for ciphers and small details that almost require pausing the episode to just look through a shot or a background is a central part of why the theory community around the show was so big during the time it aired.
Don't want to sound like I'm chastizing you for "enjoying the show in the wrong way" or anything like that, but I think that the reason that you've been disappointed with the show in some ways is that the way you've been enjoying and experiencing it isnt the way that the people hyping up the show did, so there's a disconnect.
Anyway, love the reactions, just had some thoughts and decided it might be do something good to share them UwU. Loving the reactions, keep it up :3
That’s why I always feel like anyone who watched Gravity Falls after the fact is missing out. Because the theorycrafting and mysteries of bits of extra lore and hidden information were what really made this show so special. Without that community engagement with the mysteries, it really just doesn’t hit the same way. I also feel this way a lot for Steven Universe, because the hidden lore and theories were such a major part of the random that without that context you lose a large piece of the experience.
@@ChespinCraft Sure, yeah, a big part of Gravity Falls was an ephemeral experience. But it's not the only thing going for it. I didn't watch it while it was airing and I missed out on all of that theorizing and real-time cipher solving and stuff. But I fell in love with the show enough that almost 8 years after first watching it, I'm still involved in the fandom. Yeah, I missed out. But I also didn't.
I think this is a really good point, because a lot of people who will likely have talked up the mystery element to her are basing it on that experience -- the theorizing, searching for clues, deciphering codes (and the sheer difficulty of finding the Vignere cipher keywords in these S2 episodes!). For people engaged in doing that, the "mystery" element is present in every single episode. But that aspect isn't there, if you aren't doing it in some way.
I hope someone is giving her the decoded messages and stuff after each ep. (I can't remember now, did Mosco know about those? Or find out about them afterwards?)
(As I said in another comment -- I didn't watch the show while it was airing; but I binged it, and I was able to get the various decoded messages from websites. I think when you binge it, the amount of time between the Plot-Heavy stuff doesn't feel as pronounced, so that never bothered me.)
Yeah, Gravity Falls has a lot more mysteries in them than the story centered ones. The hidden background codes were quite a big thing when the episodes premiered. Shame she hasn’t picked up on them.
you may be tired of the boy crazy thing but mabel and this part of her itself was inspired on alex's sister, not something to shove into girls face as in they should be like that
One of my favorite things about Encanto and Louisa is that when Disney released all of their merch for the movie they had very ittle Louisa stuff and she turned out to be one of the most popular characters. They sold out and were rushing to get stuff out to meet demand. Then conversly, they released tons of Isabela stuff because they thought she would be the most popular character because she was the most like a traditional princess and her stuff barely sold.
I really think that maeble have character and personality, she is burstig with that! Came on, she is creative, she is a good character!
I dont see why people dont like her, came on! She is funny and the perfect complementary role for dipper, the show would not be as good as it is if not for maeble.
Sorry for the grammar, english is not my first language.
i agree
All the Mable hate really hurts my heart to watch.
yes😭she is my favourite Character
I'm hoping that it's not actual hate and just misunderstanding her character but yeah it's unfortunate 😅
But she's so selfish
she is also a kid...
@@Lale_Canfeda
@@Lale_Canfeda Not completely, and that’s kinda the point of her.
The ship name, by the way, is Dipcifica. It's so popular that it was referenced in the background of the Amphibia episode that centered around Frog Stan.
If you mention it in certain circles, you may start extensive comment chains of people repeating the phrase 'this is the way'.
for the record, dipper and pacifica are like... the most shipped duo from this series. its ridiculous how hard people go at that
Ah yes, another video were Elijah can't stop going off track with something else instead of just watching the episode
She did, infact, pay attention to the video. But, opinions are opinions, and i am 8 months late. 💙
Fact: In Journal 3 Alex has confirmed that Pacifica does have a crush of Dipper.
Where😭
@@Matikajjjj In an interview. I've read this on Pasicifica's page on the Gravity Falls Wiki.
"Just because you're your parents' daughter doesn't mean you have to be like them. It's not too late."
That was so sweet of what Dipper said to Pacifica. And this is just like what happened between Amity and her mom Odalia in The Owl House. Unlike Alador, she kept forcing Amity to be exactly like her and she used that necklace to keep her in line, just like how Pacifica's father uses that bell to keep her in line. Luckily, Luz came into Amity's life and convinced to be her true self, and those two became the cutest couple ever. I truly see Dipper and Pacifica becoming another cute couple like Lumity.
Dipper's scream as he was being turned into wood is the same as the shapeshifter predicted on the episode into the bunker
I love how she’s complaining about “Not getting any mysteries”. We about to get something VERY different soon.
This episode is GOATED with a GOATED ship, I'm not usually into ships but their two "archetypes" in this instances work so well off each others...
...also, as to "why it's always silver": there are many reasons, but a big and interesting one behind it is that silver was placed at the bottoms of wells and would chimically react in a way to purify it... since folks had no idea of the chemistry involved they just assumed silver had magical property of "cleansing evil" and became the staple of all traditions and folklore about banishing and fighting the supernatural and demonic
There's also the fact that silver has antimicrobial properties, so it was used to keep water and food from becoming contaminated. It also used to be associated with the sun, and on top of all that, if is unique in that its the most conductive metal of all as well as the most reflective.
What makes Pacifica's abuse at her parents hands even worse is that the use of the bell to keep her in line is reminiscent of pavlovian conditioning. The kind that is used to train dogs or other pets, and a bell is a common tool used in this process, with the subjects associating its ringing with a punishment that had been inflicted on them. While it is never made clear what her parents did to her that made her immediately shut up whenever her dad rings the bell, but it's clear that she associates the bell with a traumatic experience that her parents were no doubt involved in. The implications alone make Preston's treatment of Pacifica slightly worse than Odalia's abuse of Amity, which is saying a lot.
And yes, while Dipper and Pacifica never officially hook up in the show, the tease is still there, and they are a pretty popular ship in the Gravity Falls fandom even to this day. They're basically the heterosexual version of Lumity.
The next episode is going to be very intense, and nothing is going to be the same. So hold onto your hat, 'cause it's going to be a hell of a ride.
Fun fact, the way dipper freezes is the exact way the shape-shifting demon made him look like
That is a good point about how women and girls in this show are so stuffed into the romance box, which is unfortunate in its own right and also alienating to queer viewers. I mainly remember Mabel as the girl who wanted a human-sized hamster ball and never really got her own love interest, ultimately when it came down to it, having deeper connections with her friends and family (and pig), but she and her friends do talk about boys A Lot.
One of the things Alex Hirsch wanted to do with this show was show a dynamic where two siblings were very different from each other, but got along well and liked each other a lot. So while I did dislike how often Mabel would be rude to Dipper, him always helping her with stuff wasn't as much a bother to me because a lot of the time, they are a team. There is maybe something sexist to how it's nearly always Mabel inciting adventures and making jabs, while Dipper would be so reactive to the point that several episodes are about Mabel pushing Dipper so far that shenanigans ensue from him pushing back. Like it's not a story until the boy does something about the situation. But since Dipper ultimately does like Mabel and not mind, in general, how pushy she is with him, we get a refreshing lack of negative tension on his end BUT lots of unresolved tension on the side of the audience.
As cool as the mystery stuff does get though, the main thing I like about this show is how I vibe with the humor. This world that is just so done with how stupid the creator thinks other people are, while also being a coming of age arc about caring about experiences and people outside of your nerdy genius world.
The thing is, apparently Mabel and her "boy- craziness" was based of Alex Hirsch's sister, and the twins dynamic in general I think, but I do remember not liking Mabel all that much when I was little
Giving depth to female characters is still a problem even nowadays
Disney's been pushing out dorky/socially akward teen girls (Luz Noceda, Star Butterfly, Mabel Pines, Rapunzel, Anna from Arendelle, Moana, the girl from Wish, maybe Anne and/or Mei Mei?) for a long while because that is what sells
And we're also flooded with trinity/strong female protagonist syndrome ("It often occurs that this kind of character merely becomes another form of stereotype, one which is paper thin; behind their strength there is no depth to them as individuals.
When a female character is ‘kick ass’ and yet serves no other purpose, or gives no indication of emotion other than ‘angry killing machine")
Recently Helluva Boss has been criticized for supposedly giving the male chatacters way more depth/development/backstory than the female ones 🤔
@@nantae1047are you saying luz noceda has no depth? You used her as one of your examples after saying shows struggle to give girls depth. If so, i cant agree with you regarding her at least
@@xmant8842 all I can say is that I didn't fully enjoy the owl house because, as someone who dedicated her entire preteen years to worshipping SVTFOE only for it to end terribly, I didn't want to watch another weirdo misunderstood girl try to rebel against a political faction because it's hunting down a species that she cares about
@nantae1047 I agree with you that star vs ended awfully. But owl house and luz were infinitely better
FINALLY WEVE MADE IT, NEXT EPISODE IS A BIG ONE GUYS
you literally are so exaggerating about the girls
besides, marius fell head over heels FOR Grenda, the strong chubby one with the deep voice which isnt the standard of beauty in society.
the LITERAL YOUNG GIRLS realized being jealous wasnt a good thing to do and they supported her and her relationship.
just bc its not gay it doesnt make it bad 🧍♀️
Dipper and Pacifica are cute. Nice to see Dipper hang out with someone closer to his age and have a dynamic that isnt steeped in that prepubescent awkward crush that goes nowhere thing like he had with Wendy for a whole season
True, it's funny really, the fact that he kind of disliked her meant he never felt the need to impress her and could be himself with her and over this episode they were able to grow comfortable and develop a friendly dynamic. As well as Dipper being able to show off in a natural way his really quite solid expertise, without being mocked for it. On the other hand Pacifica finally has someone she can be her real self with/explore who she is outside her parents pavlovian conditioning. Dipper is a place she can feel safe from the pressures of her family and she is a place where Dipper is safe from his own self conciseness.
I think it’s important to note that the ONLY person who’s ever taken Dipper’s attention to the point of not doing discoveries is Pacifica
Wait wdym?
@@mobpego1345 The entire show, people are trying to get Dipper to enjoy himself more and to take his yea dour of the books. Usually, he doesn’t listen to that at all and if he does it takes an entire adventure for him to be like “I need a break.” But with Pacifica, he literally was like “You know what? I wanna hang out with her. Forget the ghost stuff and adventures for a second.”
@@DarkestNova556 oh whoa you’re right!
Fun Fact, the pose that Dipper was frozen in was the same pose the mimic monster from the bunker had before it was frozen in stasis.
Nice little foreshadowing there
Fun fact: The lumberjacks killed in the mudslide ended up underneath where the mystery shack is now. They were the zombies that Dipper accidentally raised in the season 2 premiere.
Fun Detail: The pose in which Dipper turns into a wooden statue is the "last form you'll ever take" from Shapeshifter episode
Just finished this episode and honestly Pacifica’s dad conditioning her like a dog was probably more disturbing than the deer crying blood chanting “Ancient sins”
Also apparently the next episode is called “Not What He Seems” and I’m both hyped and scared to learn whatever I assume Stan is hiding
Whoah you are watching for the first time :0
are you watching for the first time??? 👀if so, holy moly you are in for one heck of a ride, episode 11 is SO GOOD!!
I think when people say that Gravity Falls (the show) is full of mystery, reactors WILL get disappointed that not a lot of mystery is seriously focused on in the show. Thats because the overarching mystery of Gravity Falls became so big and exciting because of the sleuths that were actively solving and posting their findings online. It was the sense of community that was harbored that made the mystery so much fun to solve at that time.
The mystery is in the background, even when they make no mention of it, and I think it just isnt as fun catching details and theorizing about it when everyone else already knows the answer.
Like on the spirit of Unus Annus, you cant really replicate that feeling of trying to solve the mystery as the episodes air (and there were LONG gaps between airing of episodes, which also impacted how people enjoyed it and made stuff that were annoying in the show, less so).
Sure, you can watch it like these reactors do, but it doesnt really encapsulate the feeling of community, the unknown, and uncertainty that a lot of fans remember when they were watching as it came out.
Theres really nothing to be done about it. Its just how it is, and I am thankful that other shows were able to improve upon the show's flaws while still keeping its strengths.
Well well well well well!
We have some new breadcrumbs now :)
You mention Korra but let's be honest. Pretty much the whole first season (and the good chunk of the second one) was about both Korra and Asami being boy-crazy. And sure, seasons 3 and 4 moved from it and this is one of the reasons why I like season 3 and 4 more than 1 and 2. And I am not even looking for representation or anything. I am a straight, white male and I was sick of that triangle shit and Mako was the most boring part about the whole show
Glad to see Gravity Falls reactions coming out more frequently!!
19:14
Fun fact: Remember in the episode" Into the bunker" when the shape shifted told him Dipper what his last form will be? Well, Dipper is in that form, meaning if it weren't for Pacifica changing her mind and letting the towns folk in he would have been in that form as well as everyone else.
Comparing this to the previous episode reminds me of an argument I saw once that compared Mabel with Pacifica. People were frustrated they gave such a great moment of self reflection to Pacifica but never did that with Mabel.
4:36 - "I would say that to her face!" - says it to her face and slams the door.
That's some serious big dipper energy there.
I feel bad for Pacifica. She knows the truth of her family history. Her parents are the worst. She's finally becoming a better person. Dipper and Pacifica are both shipped
😱😱😱💖💖💖👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
I can promise you, there is no flirting in the next 2 episodes
Is this what it’s like to watch straight people gloss over queer content? I feel like she’s completely glossed over all the mystery stuff and isn’t seeing what’s been in the show since the start. Like the mystery stuff IS THERE…. is she just not recognizing it as a mystery? Is she not trying to puzzle things out? Yeah Mable is not the best but ouch… this is actually not really fun to watch if she’s not enjoying the show at all…
I dunno, I’m just a little worried. If the next episode doesn’t ingratiate itself to her this might just not be a show for her and I feel bad for recommending it now…
damn didn't think the boy crazy stuff with mabel was that serious
Apparently Mabel was inspired by Alex Hirschs sister Ariel, who supposedly really was this boy crazy.
Huge thanks to the episode's director Matt Braly (creator of Amphibia) for suggesting that the ghost's motivation is that he wasn't invited to the party.
Genuinely, I understand why boy craze trope is frustrating but as someone who can relate to both Dipper and Mabel, it is also frustrating to have it such a big deal. Mabel is 12, with only magazines and books as her inspiration for romance. I feel like it's a double standard when Dipper was obsessing with Wendy. Idk, just an opinion while watching this playlist.
My enemies-to-lovers heart melts for Dipcifica and I know Alex Hirsch relates so I'm justified :)
Lets be honest, we are all waiting for Elijah to watch 11th episode, and It's finally almost there!
I love that you're so honest about whether you're enjoying a show or not, because all too often I find myself wondering if the reactors I'm watching really enjoy what they're watching or if they're just catering to their audience. Your willingness to express dissatisfaction with a show as beloved as Gravity Falls lets me know that your thoughts and opinions are legit, which is something I can't be certain of for most of the other reactors I watch. So big ups for that!
And I definitely get the frustrations with the lack of mystery, the show is definitely more character-focused with the mysteries being the backdrop more than anything. So if the characters aren't resonating with you/you're in it primarily for the mystery it makes sense you'd be disappointed.
As for Mabel... yeah, divisive character. She doesn't bother me, but that's only because it takes an ungodly level of insufferable to make me hate a character (I even like Jar Jar Binks, judge me if you must). And the boy-crazy thing... definitely overdone, but since Mabel's based on Alex's Hirsch's real-life twin sister who was literally that boy-crazy during that time in their lives it's not necessarily inaccurate. Just overplayed.
Mind you I'm no stranger to despising a character, it just doesn't happen often. I've dropped shows because a character drove me up the wall before ( *cough* Demon Slayer *cough* Zenitsu *cough* ).
Oh my God, guys... *the* next episode is what I was waiting for so long. You will love it, Elijah, I promise you this
Okay so before I say this I just want to say that I get where you’re coming from in regards to Mabel and even agree with you on some points and I’m not even sure if this what you meant when you said this but
Implying that Mabel has no personality outside of liking boys came across to me as a REALLY disingenuous criticism because it’s just provably untrue
And thus the Dippcifica Ship was born.
Well, technically it was always there when Pacifica debuted.
Fun Fact; that Pose Dipper takes when he's turned into Wood is the EXACT Same one the Shapeshifter said he'd take when it was Frozen.
You know, "and this is the final form you'll ever take!"
In the gravity falls book 3 that you can buy irl there’s a entry by dipper saying that when he hugged her that she smelled nice and some other compliments and then realized what he was writing and crossed it out it’s so cute
Elijah, you kinda answered the question yourself as to why Mabel is the way she is; She’s based on Alex’s sister who, at the time, was boy crazy. Even some of her crushes names are in the show (Gabe Benson was one of his sister’s real crushes) Maybe it’s a “tired old cliche” but it did happen and that’s the main reason. Alex wasn’t feeding into that storyline, his sister was genuinely like that (Although Mabel is exaggerated due to her being a cartoon character)
"Later on in this season"- It's the next episode. S2Ep11. I cannot wait.
I will say alot of this show was experiencing it with the internet and the theories that revolved around background information. So the mystery has technically already begun. This show was made around the idea of the people who pause and and dig dipper then what is directly given. Carpet diem as well as dreamscaperers from season 1 is a great one to rewatch if you want to.
If you miss the mystery, just wait until the next episode…
Silver is usually associated with the Supernatural because it’s association with purity (I.e. medicinal uses), it’s reflectiveness and it’s association with the Moon and Night. At least that’s what I’ve read in the past and gathered from a quick Google Search.
And I think the talking Animal Heads may have been an omage to the Evil Dead movies.
One of the best episodes that gave us the best and most popular ship of the series (and yes, it's canon). Dipcifica (the name) is one of those ships that we didn't know we wanted/needed until we got it. Alex Hirsch even posted that now that the whole Dipper and Wendy ship was concluded after the shapeshifter episode that they could now focus on Dipper/Pacifica. And you're right, if you think about it, based on their circumstances, Pacifica is like another Amity with Dipcifica being almost like a beta version of Lumity. It's such a great dynamic, and you don't really notice how much chemistry they had until it was pointed out. BTW, that bell her parents use on her is a form of child abuse that's meant for control. But it explains so much about her, and she showed such growth in a single episode.
Mabel was based on a real person, Ariel Hirsch.
So it’s understandable that you’re frustrated with Mabel, but just remember you’re also complaining about a real person who was like this as a child.
You know what it’s like to be made fun of for being a “weird” kid growing up. Ariel was like that too.
The pose dipper struck when he turned to wood was the same one from the shapeshifters last words before being frozen.
The shapeshifter only said that it would be a fate worse than he could imagine, *NOT* that Dipper would die
Hi! Incase you read this, I'm so happy to see you freely expressing what you like and dislike while watching. The genuine commentary is literally the best part of your videos. Never pretend to like an element of the story to please the audience
7:55 Feeling like we've spent more time this episode on this subject than the show did....FF to 9:05...still going...10:00....