Gideon Rises

"Gideon Rises" is the twentieth aired episode of the animated television series Gravity Falls. It is also the final episode of the series' first season. The episode premiered on August 2, 2013, on the Disney Channel. It was directed by John Aoshima and Joe Pitt, and written by Alex Hirsch, Matt Chapman, and Michael Rianda.^[1]

The series follows twins Dipper (voiced by Jason Ritter) and Mabel (voiced by Kristen Schaal) as they spend their summer vacation at their great uncle's tourist trap, where they are introduced to the paranormal side of the town Gravity Falls. The episode is the second of the two-part finale of the first season. It continues the plot from previous episode "Dreamscaperers", and sees Dipper and Mabel, alongside their great uncle Stan (voiced by Alex Hirsch), and friend Soos (voiced by Alex Hirsch), as they try to get back their stolen house from their nemesis Gideon Gleeful (voiced by Thurop Van Orman).

The episode received a viewership of 3.2 million. "Gideon Rises" was released for digital distribution as part of the series Volume 2.^[2]

Plot summary

Gideon Gleeful has taken control of the Mystery Shack, forcing the Pines family to move in with Soos at his grandmother's house. At a press conference, Gideon announces his intentions to turn the Mystery Shack into his own personal theme park, Gideonland, which the Pines family see on television. Stan, Soos, Mabel and Dipper disguise themselves and enter the Mystery Shack during the "grand closing" organized by Gideon, so they can figure out how to get the deed back. After Gideon shows Mabel's pet pig Waddles dressed as him, presenting him as the mascot for Gideonland, the Pines get frustrated and run up on the stage trying to convince everyone that Gideon is a fraud, that he stole the deed to the shack, and should be arrested. Gideon gives each of them a pin, before throwing them out of the Mystery Shack.

When they return to Soos' house, Mabel worries about where are they going to stay if they don't get the Mystery Shack back. Dipper and Mabel's parents call Stan on the phone concerned about where are they staying, Stan lies to them that he has put them in a four-star hotel. Meanwhile, at the Mystery Shack, Gideon is seen looking through the context of his own cryptic journal (titled 2). Gideon's father enters the room and tells him that he should be celebrating Gideonland, instead of reading the book. Gideon tells his father the true nature of this book; the story reads that it was written a long time ago by a brilliant unknown author who learned the secrets of Gravity Falls, secrets too powerful for one man, and hid the journals where no one could find them, knowing that when the journals are brought together, it would lead to a gateway of "unimaginable power". Gideon says that codes and maps from the journal have led him to believe that the other book is hidden somewhere on the Mystery Shack's property.

Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel are told that they are heading on the next bus out of Gravity Falls. Trying to think of a way to defeat Gideon, Dipper decides to form a plan with advice from 3. The plan is put into motion the next day; Dipper and Mabel assemble the gnomes that had tried to kidnap Mabel at the beginning of the summer and try to take back the shack, but the gnomes are stopped by Gideon's pig whistle. As the gnomes grab a hold of both Dipper and Mabel, Dipper drops the third journal, and Gideon takes it from him. Dipper, feeling defeated, gives up, and heads together with Mabel to the bus station to leave town. Back at the Mystery Shack, Gideon is overwhelmed with the journal he stole from Dipper, realizing that it was journal number 3, and that there are three journals. Gideon thinks that Dipper also has the first journal and plans to leave Gravity Falls with it. He quickly runs outside the Mystery Shack, where Old Man McGucket is finished building a giant Gideon-like robot. Gideon takes the robot and goes after the bus.

At Soos' house, Stan is looking at the pin Gideon put on him, and asking himself why is he always a step ahead from him. His hearing aid starts acting up and wonders what's causing it to happen, soon to realize Gideon's scheme. As the bus continues its drive, Dipper sees the Gideon-bot chasing them. Scared, Dipper and Mabel run forward to tell the bus driver, realizing that he is Soos. Gideon chases and corners the bus at the edge of a cliff. Dipper and Mabel escape the bus, but Gideon corners them. He demands the first journal from Dipper, but Dipper tells him that he only had one journal. Gideon then grabs Mabel and throws Dipper aside, claiming that he will rule Gravity Falls with Mabel as his queen. Dipper jumps off the cliff into the Gideon-bot, where he and Gideon start to fight. Dipper eventually catches a punch from Gideon and punches him with his own fist, causing the bot to punch itself. As a result, the bot loses balance and falls off the bridge, but Mabel and Dipper are saved by Mabel's grappling hook. A large crowd surrounds the robot, to which Gideon lies that Dipper and Mabel tried to kill him. As the police get ready to arrest Dipper and Mabel, Stan shows up and reveals that Gideon is a fraud; he uses hidden video cameras inside the pins he gives out to spy on the local citizens. The police arrest Gideon, and Stan takes the deed and 2 from him. The Pines return to the Mystery Shack and start settling their things back in their room, when Stan goes to check on them. Dipper and Mabel tell Stan that they were talking, and they wanted to show Stan the journal, exclaiming that they finally trust him. Stan laughs, crediting everything the twins told him to be a result of reading the book, and takes it. Dipper starts to run after Stan to get 3 back, but Mabel stops him.

Later that night, Stan takes 3 and later opens a hidden passage door behind the Mystery Shack vending machine. He walks into a hidden laboratory and goes down an elevator. Revealing that he was the one with ownership of 1, he places the three books together with each opened at a specific page revealing the blueprint for a machine. He uses codes from the pages to activate the machine. As the episode closes, he merely says "Here we go!".

The code at the end of the episode decoded says "Search for the Blindeye", a foreshadowing in the next season (multiple references scattered within the six Dipper shorts and also in some of the episodes in season 2).

Reception

"Gideon Rises" was released on August 2, 2013, as the last episode of the Gravity Falls first season and received a viewership of 3.2 million in the United States.^[4] The episode was nominated for a Golden Reel Award under the category Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR Animation in Television.^[5] The A.V. Club gave the episode a grade of "A", concluding "No single half-hour could wrap up all the questions Gravity Falls has raised over this season, but this episode shows an impressive knack for knowing which questions need answering and which can be safely ignored. And the biggest question it answers isn’t even really on the radar until the final minutes of the episode, as Stan finally reveals just how much he's been fooling everyone all this time. Alex Hirsch nails Stan's reaction to being presented with Dipper's journal, as he can’t quite mask his initial, genuine excitement before returning to his oblivious disguise. It's still not at all clear where this is all headed towards, but the show appears on the verge of changing irrevocably."^[3]

References