[8.0/10] I always enjoy these sorts of three story episodes, particularly ones like these that are clearly inspired by The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror trilogies. Not that Gravity Falls has ever been an especially down-to-earth show, but this allows it to break loose and go for pure yuks with shorter outings focused on even more out there stuff.
The first segment, featuring Stan being cursed to lose his hands, is my favorite of the three. The gag work here is just inspired. Stan trying to hack it (occasionally literally) with only Mabel’s makeshift hands as replacements makes for some hilarious slapstick. The swarm of disembodied hands, running around a cave a la Thing from The Addams Family is creepy, but leads to all sorts of fun physical comedy with them prowling around and being turned into “hand-elabras.” And I found the fact that the gnarled witch who put a curse on Stan is actually just interested in a date and willing to accept the Pines Twins’ home makeovers and book of pick-up lines a bastion of marvelous absurdity. This one had me rolling in the aisles.
The middle segment, where Dipper aims to smarten up and accidentally turns Waddles into a supergenius, was my least favorite of the three, but still does a creditable job. Giving Smart Waddles the voice of Neil DeGrasse Tyson is a bit of a coup, and the balance of his hyperintelligence and him still needing the creature comforts of a pig like a way to scoot around and/or feed himself potatoes is amusing. I do appreciate the emotional core here, where Waddles gives up his intelligence so that he can stay blissfully with an otherwise distraught Mabel. This one just didn’t have as many laughs or impressive bits as the other segments.
The third segment isn’t quite as hilarious as the first, but is still excellent! I love the tribute to Ray Harryhausen in the form of “Harry Claymore”, the local creator of classic stop motion effects in old films. Gravity Falls busting out a Harryhausen-style cyclops and skeletons is very neat, and the show has fun with the mixed mediums. The concept that Harry Claymore didn’t painstakingly make these effects frame by frame, but rather used black magic to create them is an appropriately Gravity Falls spin on things, and I love the idea that they turned on him and took over once CGI was invented. The throughline of Mabel being afraid of them, but saving the day when she realizes she can reshape the clay to be anything she wants gives it a psychological undercurrent. And I appreciate the subversion where Dipper asks if she’s gotten over her fears and she explains that now she’s double-scared because she knows her fears are rational.
I even enjoy the frame story of Stan spinning these yarns to try to sell some nudnik (the viewer) his wares, only to trap them in a box to be put on display in the Mystery Shack. The first person perspective gives the bit some extra flavor. Overall, an amusing and well-done flight of fancy that breaks from the usual format.
Shout by sydneyBlockedParent2023-05-04T16:29:04Z
hands off is peak comedy: toby’s wet blankets, stan’s fork hands, mabel playing rock paper scissors with the disembodied hand, “should we play toss me a dozen eggs like we always do?” “no, jimmy, wait, NOT TODAY”