Gravity Falls Review

“Trust No One”

I’m not sure if this cartoon counts as YA, but it’s not technically for adults and it might traumatize small children, so here we go.

Gravity Falls started airing after I had left for college and wasn’t really my little sister’s cup of tea, so I had very little reason to interact with it for several years. When I finally did, however, I found a show that was as imaginative and sharp as Golden Era The Simpsons… and if you’re too young to get that reference, let me just say, that’s a high standard.

Here’s the scenario: Mabel and “Dipper” (real name unknown) Pines are twelve year olds sent to live in the weird town of Gravity Falls, Oregon with their Great Uncle Stan, a con man running a roadside attraction of fake supernatural entities (eg. The Corn-icorn, the unicorn made of corn) that exist to justify his gift shop. Dipper finds a journal by a mysterious author who found the ACTUAL secrets and monsters hiding away in town, and the rest is… mystery. See what I did there?

The show is immediate joy. Dipper is like a young Ben Wyatt from Parks and Rec, Mabel is a soul of pure romance in a fuzzy sweater and braces, and Grunkle Stan is everything I aspire to be, with lines like this: “You know, studies show that keeping a ladder inside the house is more dangerous than a loaded gun. That’s why I own ten guns. In case some maniac tries to sneak in a ladder.” There’s also a colorful cast of folks around town (also very reminiscent of early The Simpsons) that keep joke after joke coming.

And if this were JUST a jokes and monsters show, that would be more than enough, but it isn’t. It’s also a show that handles issues of growing up with grace and humor. Dipper and Mabel have to deal with crushes, crises of confidence, and struggles to fit in (or just not fit in) unscathed. And those tough lessons come wrapped up in a Merman/Free Willy scenario, or Time Travel hijinks, or whatever kooky idea creator Alex Hirsch had that week.

There are so many references and inspirations that an older audience can fall in love with the show, and teens can unapologetically enjoy a voice that doesn’t talk down to them. A terrific (and all too short) experience. 5 journals out of 5. Streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus.