When it comes to modern animated shows made byDisney, none are more quietly significant thanGravity Falls. The series tells the story of twins Dipper and Mabel Pines (Jason Ritter & Kristen Schall) spending their summer with their great-uncle Stan (Alex Hirsch) in a small town in Oregon. While Stan operates a tourist trap to bizarre, cheap, and obviously fake exhibits, the twins quickly realize that the town is a hotbed of genuine supernatural activity.
Gravity Falls balanced comedic antics and wacky characters with genuinely engaging storylines and a mystery plot that lasted the entire series. It has become a beloved series with a strong cult following, earninghigh praise from critics and audiences alike.
10"Northwest Mansion Mystery"
Season 2, Episode 10
IMDb Score: 9.1/10
The Northwests, the wealthiest and most arrogant people in town, attempt to throw a party for the elite. But when the ghost of a lumberjack begins haunting the mansion, their daughter Pacifica (Jackie Buscarino) is forced to call on Dipper for help.
Related:Why ‘Gravity Falls’ Mysteries Set it Apart
Up to this point, Pacifica had been characterized as a stereotypical mean girl with a wealthy lifestyle. But Northwest Mansion Mystery reveals that her controlling family has halted any opportunity she’s tried to make for personal growth. It’s a refreshing look and a touching redemption of a character the viewer’s been taught to hate for most of the series.
9"Dreamscapers"
Season 1, Episode 19
IMDb Score: 9.2/10
While he took a backseat to Gideon (Thurop Van Orman) during this time, “Dreamscapers” remains a significant episode for the first appearance of the Pines’ most prominent threat – Bill Cipher (Alex Hirsch). And it’s a perfect introduction, allowing him to show off his abilities and personality while remaining in the shadows.
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Gideon summons him to make a deal: enter Stan’s mind and get the deed to the Mystery Shack, and in return, Gideon must aid Bill in his mysterious plans. But Dipper, Mabel, and Soos (Alex Hirsch) follow him inside, leading to funny discoveries and endearing revelations.
8"Gideon Rises"
Season 1, Episode 20
Following the events of “Dreamscapers,” the Pines are living with Soos’ Abuelita (Matt Chapman). Gideon has wholly won the town over to his side with his supposed psychic powers, announcing his intentions to destroy the mystery shack while secretly plotting to use the journals for his own nefarious purposes.
On the verge of getting sent home, Dipper and Mabel must do everything possible to stop Gideon’s plans before it’s too late. But while Stan initially dismisses the journals as pure nonsense, it turns out he actually has a great idea of what they can do.
7"Into the Bunker"
Season 2, Episode 2
One of the show’s less popular storylines was Dipper’s unrequited crush on Stan’s teenage assistant Wendy Cudoroy (Linda Cardellini). Thankfully, it came to an appropriate resolution in Into the Bunker. Wendy decides to join the twins when they discover a mysterious bunker used by the author of the journals.
While Dipper tries to look for the author, Mabel repeatedly tries to get Dipper to confess his feelings for Wendy. But these feelings must be brought to the forefront when they accidentally release a shapeshifting experiment (Mark Hamill).
6"Dipper & Mabel Vs. The Future"
Season 2, Episode 17
IMDb Score: 9.3/10
Over the last few episodes, Dipper has been spending more and more time with his great uncle Ford (J.K. Simmons) as they research the town’s anomalies. But that comes at the expense of preparing for his and Mabel’s 13th birthday. Dipper eventually decides he might stay in the town for good while Mabel goes home on her own.
Unfortunately, Mabel doesn’t take this news too well and runs off in a tearful panic at the prospect of no longer having her brother by her side. But this leads her to make a decision with reality-ending consequences.
5"Weirdmageddon 2: Escape From Reality"
Season 2, Episode 19
Finally making it into Mabel’s unique prison bubble, the Pines find her prison is Mabeland: a mini-reality of all her fantasies and dreams come true. Animals can talk, she has multiple boyfriends, and she can grant anyone their desires before they even realize they want it.
Of course, the inhabitants of Mabeland have no intention of letting her leave anytime soon. Eventually, both sides debate the benefits of staying in a world where everything’s happy and satisfying versus a cold, harsh world. But Dipper promises that he’ll be by his twin sister’s side whatever happens next.
4"Weirdmageddon Part 1"
Season 2, Episode 18
IMDb Score: 9.5/10
The event that has been teased since the show’s beginning has finally come to pass – Bill Cipher has begun the apocalypse. Or, as he calls it, Weirdmageddon. All over town, horrifying, weird monsters have run amuck, petrifying citizens and establishing Bill as king.
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With Mabel imprisoned in a floating bubble and Ford taken right to Bill’s lair, Dipper decides that he needs to save Mabel first. After all, when the Pines Twins get together, they can do incredible things. He’s joined by Wendy, Soos, and eventually even Gideon, all aiding him in his quest to get his sister back.
3"A Tale of Two Stans"
Season 2, Episode 12
IMDb Score: 9.6/10
Following the events of “Not What He Seems,” Stan’s mysterious past is finally revealed as he explains how he came to live in Gravity Falls. Growing up with a twin brother who exceeded him in every path, disagreements, and sabotage led him to leave his family for good.
After spending the rest of his days on the run engaging in criminal activity, he found himself alone in his brother’s research house just outside of town. As all his secrets are explained, a new dynamic is established in the house – one that not all are happy to live with.
2"Not What He Seems"
Season 2, Episode 11
IMDb Score: 9.8/10
As Stan’s experiments in the basement begin to reach a fevered pitch, Dipper and Mabel discover that their great-uncle may not be who he says he is. They’ve always known he’s a shady guy, but they soon begin to suspect he may have stolen their real great-uncle’s identity.
The FBI gets hot on Stan’s trail, while Dipper finds a message warning of the machine in the basement. As the machine begins to open a portal of unimaginable power, and Mabel is forced to choose between trusting her great uncle and listening to reason,Stan’s big secret is finally uncovered.
1"Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls"
Season 2, Episode 20
After freeing Mabel, the Pines are finally ready to take down Bill Cipher once and for all.Even supporting villains must become alliesfor the entire town to stand together against a reality-altering being who seems more powerful than God.
Eventually, when it seems like all has settled, the choices made to save the town have both good and bad repercussions. But of course, summer must end, and life must go on for Dipper and Mabel, so they bid Gravity Falls farewell, at least for now.
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