Amongst popular cartoons such as Avatar: The Last Airbender or Teen Titans, Gravity Falls is considered one of the best kids’ shows to ever grace television. Just like Avatar, and Titans, the show is perfect for all ages as it tackles some adult things throughout its 40 episode, two-season run. Created by Alex Hirsch, the series centered around siblings Dipper and Mabel Pines, who spend their summer at their great uncle’s tourist trap in Gravity Falls, Oregon. Together, the brother and sister duo encounter strangle findings throughout their stay in the mysterious state. The series won two Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation and despite going off the air five years ago, it remains a popular series due to its amount of reruns played on the Disney channel. So, is Gravity Falls an overrated show? Have the adventures of Dipper and Mabel been overblown by the masses?
Gravity Falls and Avatar: The Last Airbender may be different in terms of genre; however, both series have something in common, a fantastic story. Believe it or not, that’s actually rare in this day and age in terms of television. No longer do shows like Hey, Arnold, Rocket Power, X-Men: Evolution or Batman Beyond exist; Kids shows often tend to be an easily digestible affair that doesn’t have the intricate and complex themes that adult shows have. Want a quick laugh? Let’s have some slapstick comedy and maybe a fart joke or two for good measure. Kid shows either fall in the educational category (Sesame Street, Blues Clues) or mindless entertainment designed for short attention spans. So when a show like Gravity Falls comes along, it is refreshing to get a kids series that isn’t afraid to blend adult themes and intriguing storytelling that could also be educational for younger viewers.
Gravity Falls is great because the show never treats it’s audiences like idiots and features some of the most relatable characters on television. It helps that most of the characters are actually based on Alex Hirsch’s life. Don’t think that a guy like Soos exists? Well, that character is actually based on a real-life college friend, Jesus Chambrot. Dipper and Mabel are loosely based on the creator and his twin sisters. These characters feel real because they are based on something authentic. Don’t get me wrong, this is a wacky show. Then again, it’s kind of hard to not be weird when talking gnomes, murderous wax figures, a four-headed bear, and Lil Gideon exist. Despite the weirdness, it never takes over the show as the message and themes remain clear throughout the entire arc. We as the audience can connect with Dipper, Mable, Grunkle Stan, Wendy, and the plethora of characters that inhabit Gravity Falls because these aren’t one-dimensional beings that simply carry the plot forward from beginning to end. They evolve, like Dipper being a shy and awkward kid to a fearless and bright teen by the show’s end. However, it just isn’t the colorful cast of characters that draws you into Gravity Falls, it’s how well thought-out the series is from the beginning.
The big mystery of Grunkle Stan and the basement is introduced from episode one and Hirsch takes his time building throughout season one and early season two until the huge reveal in A Tale of Two Stans. Even when that reveal unravels, the show never loses momentum as it expertly builds to its climax with Bill and his hosts of freaks. It’s during this four-part episode where each character gets a moment to shine, and several stories that are played throughout the 40 episodes officially pay off. To see “Old Man” McGucket become a millionaire or Soos owning the mystery shack were some of the heartwarming moments because of how deeply we’ve connected with their characters. Gravity Falls focuses on growing up as an adolescent and the mistakes we often make as young kids still trying to figure out the world. These messages are conveyed in a timely and simple manner, yet they never feel dumbed down just because this is a kid’s show. As previously stated, Avatar and Gravity Falls may be vastly different shows, but the level of storytelling is on par with both shows. It is one of the best television shows to come along the media landscape, thus it deserves to be mentioned in the same breathe as some of the classics that came before it.
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