The Gravity Falls resurgence reminds me how great the show is

It’s been over eight years since Gravity Falls ended, but the fandom is experiencing a mini renaissance. It’s all thanks to The Book of Bill, a new companion text (if a book with a page dedicated to silly straws, a straight excerpt of The Great Gatsby, and a two-page advertisement for demonic Precious Moments-inspired tchotchkes can be considered “text”) penned by the show’s creator Alex Hirsch. It’s the first meaty piece of Gravity Falls content in a while, and because of that, I’ve seen more Gravity Falls fan art across social media in the past few weeks than in the past eight years. Judging by the near-month-long stronghold that Gravity Falls and Gravity Falls-associated terms have had on Tumblr’s weekly fandom breakdowns (and anecdotal evidence from my friends on TikTok), I’m not the only one. 

A lot of the fan art is centered around Bill Cipher, the triangular demonic entity who narrates the book, and Stanford Pines, the mysterious paranormal researcher great-uncle of the two main characters. The book really leans into their relationship, and all but confirms that they were romantically involved. Naturally, fans have taken that and run with it, really relishing the toxic exes vibe that the book reveals.

But it’s not just Bill and Ford having their big moment: There’s a general resurgence of Gravity Falls, and all the characters are in on the action. (It also helps that Dipper and Mabel’s birthday is canonically on Aug. 31, which means the usual annual chorus of fans wishing them a happy birthday was even more amplified this year.)

People are poring over the pages of the book and zoning in on tiny details in the same way they used to dissect screenshots to try and predict where the show was going. There is a lot of thought — and not to mention background gags — in every frame and page of Gravity Falls material, and I love to see people pick up on the little bits that I missed out on the first time through. 

But beyond those clues and hints and Alex Hirsch’s over-the-top trolling, I’m just glad to remember what a wonderful show Gravity Falls is. It started simply, with a monster-of-the-week premise as Dipper and Mabel faced off new paranormal encounters, but eventually fans began to pick up on a greater overarching mystery. I wasn’t necessarily one to pore over each new screenshot with my own theories, but it was always great fun to watch others do that. And since I came into the show a bit after it started airing, I could keep on the lookout for the hints that I already knew about. (What can I say? I’m pro-spoiler.) Seeing people approach the book with the same fervor reminds me of how fun it was to read people discussing Gravity Falls: not just the theories, but the character relationships and all the wacky world-building that made it shine. 

One of the show’s greatest strengths was just how weird it could get, putting fun spins on typical paranormal tropes. The bar was set in the first episode: Mabel spawned a crush on a brooding, pale boy, which Dipper assumed was a zombie. But he was actually a bunch of gnomes in a hoodie. There’s all sorts of fun twists and subversions to supernatural antics, but at the same time, the show could get pretty dang scary. It’s just a delightful and zany time, bursting to the brim with humor and creativity. Gravity Falls really set the bar for what Disney Channel animation could be. Unfortunately, people at Disney Channel don’t seem to realize that, and other shows that followed in its footsteps, like The Owl House, continue to get shortchanged. 

But we’ll always have Gravity Falls. And the fandom is still there — and stronger than ever, thanks to The Book of Bill. Sometimes revisiting an old favorite can be a bit bittersweet, like looking back on childhood summers and not quite grasping the same joy. But the renewed passion proves to me, at least, that there was something so special about this quirky show. 

Gravity Falls is available to stream on Disney Plus.