Gravity Falls (Series Review)
Michael Scott
Some time ago I wrote a somewhat longish post about how I thought that the fact that "Adventure Time" was coming to an end in the next year was sad. It was, for a long time, one of my favorite shows and it was the herald of the current golden age of animation.
I briefly mentioned "Gravity Falls", a Disney channel knockoff of Adventure Time. But maybe this was selling it short. Only further showing that AT opened the door for better produced and better written family entertainment, Gravity Falls has done something different.
While it's never in it's 2 season run, reached the lofty heights that some episodes of Adventure Time did, and it's not usually as laugh-out-loud funny. It's longer format (20 minutes as opposed to AT's 7) and it's focus on more realistic relationships creates a unique combination.
Everyone with a sibling or best friend knows a Mabel or a Dipper.
Everyone with a job knows a Soos.
And anyone who's ever had a crush on someone that they know deep down they can't be with knows a Wendy.
It's real. Despite it's focus on the supernatural, the heart of the show is as real as it comes.
It also did something I struggle to believe Adventure Time could do at this point, given AT's unfortunate downward trend since the Orgalorg Season.
Gravity Falls started, arced, and ended. It had a very conclusive and satisfying ending. It didn't feel sappy or forced, and it didn't purposely leave loose ends for a sequel or 3rd Season.
Realistically, we will not see Gravity Falls ever again. It is finished, despite it's creator's insistence that more may come.
But this isn't a bad thing.
While it didn't climb the highest diving board at the pool, it made a huge splash.
Adventure Time is going to have to pull out all the stops to have an ending that speaks to me as much as Gravity Falls did.
PS: Despite around 1/3 of the episodes being filler, it is a show best enjoyed from the beginning. Start from episode one and go from there, spoiling the later stuff isn't going to do you any favors!
"Adventure Time is going to have to pull out all the stops to have an ending that speaks to me as much as Gravity Falls did."