'Roadside Attraction': Gravity Falls Review

Another fortnight, another episode of Gravity Falls for our perusal! Am I happy about that, I hear you ask? Well, let me answer your question with another question:

Does a manotaur shit in the woods?

(Seriously, does anyone know? I mean, they don’t seem like the types to be fussed over indoor plumbing . . .)

For those of you who might not have gathered yet from my previous reviews, I love Gravity Falls. It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time, a bizarre blend of Twin Peaks and Scooby-Doo. I love the humour, I love the characters, and I love the mysteries that surround that insane little town. And, as a result of that love, I hold a lot of expectations for the show – I can’t help that.

So, if you’re looking for a review that sings this episode’s praises, I’d suggest looking elsewhere. ‘Roadside Attraction’ has its charming moments, but they’re few and far between.

 

Stan takes the kids (along with Candy and Grenda) on a road trip around Oregon, intending to vandalise every other tourist trap in the state along the way. Meanwhile, Dipper is still not over his crush on Wendy, and Stan gives him some flirting advice – and well, you can imagine how well that goes.

It’s an interesting enough concept for an episode, but the execution felt more than a little flawed; after all the build-up we’ve had to Stanford’s introduction, and the threat of Bill Cipher in the previous episode, the mundane (‘continuity-free’ as Alex Hirsch calls it on Twitter) nature of ‘Roadside Attraction’ feels out of place, with pretty much no links to anything that’s happened in previous episodes.

 

That said, we got some great Stan moments, and any episode that has Mabel, Grenda and Candy in one plays is guaranteed to have some laughs. Overall, not a bad episode, but definitely not one of the best.

Pros

• Nice to see Stan after last episode's near-absence
• The golden trio, together once more! 

Cons

• None of the mystery element that makes Gravity Falls such a great show
• Using the 'Dipper is awkward' premise yet again.

6/10