Top 10 Times Gravity Falls Tackled Serious Issues

Even cartoon characters are not exempt from the struggles of perfectionism. In this episode, Mabel wrestles with her own pursuit of perfection when a unicorn demands that she be "pure of heart" before granting her some magical hair. Mabel swiftly spirals into an endless quest for purity that ultimately harms herself and pushes away her friends. But at the end of the episode, she accepts who she is, flaws and all. She rejects the unicorn's impossible standards while delivering a solid thrashing in the process. Perfectionism, whether brought on by yourself or a magical unicorn, can be overcome.

When Dipper fails a test of strength and is teased by his family, he begins to feel at odds with his masculinity. To prove his manliness, he trains with a group of creatures called "Manotaurs.” These jacked human-bull hybrids embody the stereotypical macho traits that Dipper aspires to have. This environment of toxic masculinity eventually leads to Dipper nearly killing a creature that the "Manotaurs" deemed ‘not manly enough’. Dipper decides to take a stand and rejects the "Manotaurs'" definition of manliness and is cast out of the group. Despite this, he accepts that his masculinity may not fit under the traditional umbrella. As Dipper is at the age where most boys are thinking about identity, this episode opens a dialogue about different ways of being a ‘man’.

Despite a series of failed summer romances, Mabel once again falls head over heels, this time for a puppet-obsessed boy named Gabe. Worried that he won't like her unless she is also into puppets, she stages an elaborate sock puppet rock opera to impress him. She hides who she really is and pulls her family and friends into the deception. This setup also results in Dipper becoming neglected and possessed by the demon Bill. Eventually, the rock opera ends in literal flames, and Gabe rejects Mabel. Sometimes we change ourselves for others, hiding or even denying our true selves. However, as “Gravity Falls” clearly displays, embracing who we are may not impress puppet-obsessed boys, but it can prevent an evil being from possessing our brother.

For much of the series, Dipper has a major crush on Wendy, a girl three years older than him. While this results in plenty of embarrassing moments, it reaches peak awkwardness when he finally confesses his crush to her. Instead of the typical romantic ending, Wendy talks it out with Dipper and explains that they aren’t right for each other. This dose of realism, even as it comes after a monster fight, grounds the show in the human experience. Like many of us who have been rejected, Dipper has to learn how to salvage their friendship, move on, and keep going.

At first glance, Soos is the dopey fun-loving friend who loves food, video games, and calling people “dude.” But in this episode, Dipper and Mabel discover that Soos hates his birthday. Intrigued, they dig deeper and find out that Soos’ father has been absent his entire life. While other kid shows might opt to magic the absent parent back to fix Soos’ birthday woes, “Gravity Falls” chooses a more realistic route. When Soos has the opportunity at the end of the episode to wish for anything in the universe, instead of using it to see his father, he uses it to help his friends. His friends will always be there for him - as his found family.

Is it better to be burdened with the knowledge of our mistakes and traumas, or forget about them entirely? This episode revolves around this quandary as Dipper and Mabel stumble onto a cult bent on erasing painful memories. Mabel even buys into the cult's message, believing that it might be better to forget her failed romances rather than be stuck with the reminders of her broken heart. Many of us might wish for the same thing. Imagine being able to magic away the worst moments of our life’s blooper reel. But eventually, the twins realize that though memories can be painful, they also make us who we are. Remembering the past allows us to continue on with our future.

How do we handle the mistakes of our predecessors? In this episode, Dipper is enlisted to help the snobby rich girl, Pacifica Northwest, get rid of a ghost haunting her mansion. During the specter hunting, Dipper learns that Pacifica’s family broke a promise to their workers when the mansion was built. That broken promise and the death of a worker due to negligence resulted in the current haunting. Burdened by guilt, Pacifica goes against the wishes of her controlling parents and tries to correct her ancestors’ mistakes. In so doing, she doesn’t erase her family’s past, but takes the first step towards healing. Though we might not be haunted by flaming lumberjack ghosts, making amends is something we all have to deal with.

Grunkle Stan and his brother Ford have been estranged ever since a rift between the two brothers when they were kids After they’re suddenly forced back together for the first time in years, their unresolved tension and refusal to work together nearly costs the lives of everyone in Gravity Falls. Having seen the horrific consequences of their behavior, the two begin to reconcile, choosing to forgive each other. That healing allows them to not only reforge their sibling relationship, but also move on with their lives. What’s particularly poignant is that this moment shows that reconciliation isn’t a one-time event, but a process. Stan and Ford have to work for this familial resolution that can be difficult and painful, yet worth it.

As their summer in Gravity Falls comes to an end, Mabel and Dipper both start preparing for big changes in their lives. Their teenage years are coming, along with the trials of high school, while Dipper is offered a life-changing apprenticeship that would require him to leave his twin. The stress of all this change finally cracks Mabel and she exchanges an interdimensional rift for the promise of fulfilling her wish. Mabel, like many of us, does not want to accept that things inevitably change. While we might not kick off the end of the world by giving a rift to an evil triangle, we all struggle to cope with changes, whether that’s the end of our childhood or the end of a favorite TV show.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Lil’ Gideon’s Redemption, “Weirdmageddon Part 1”
Because No Show Is Complete Without a Villain Redemption

Cheaters Never Win, “Bottomless Pit!”
Being Trapped in a Malevolent Pinball Machine Will Put Anyone Off Cheating

The Mayoral Race, “The Stanchurian Candidate”
Political Parody, Gravity Falls Style

In the three-part finale of the series, Mabel is given a world of her own by the interdimensional demon Bill Cipher. This world allows her to live out whatever fantasy she wants, from hanging out with her TV idols to being mayor of Mabeland. The enticing fantasy is alluring enough that she initially rejects Dipper's attempts to rescue her. She nearly rejects reality, stating that the real world is painful, lonely, and cruel. Dipper validates her fears, but promises that despite the terror of reality, they’ll always have each other. In the end, Mabel accepts the world as an imperfect place, yet a place that she can fit into. Reality may be harsh, mean, and unyielding, but with family and friends around us, we can make it.