Dreamscaperers
Bill Cipher is summoned to steal a safe combination.
"Dreamscaperers" is the nineteenth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American animated series Gravity Falls, serving as the first part of a two-part season finale. It marks the first appearance of Bill Cipher, the series' main antagonist. The episode originally aired on the Disney Channel on July 12, 2013.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Gravity Falls
- Season
- 1
- Episode
- 19
- Writer
- Alex Hirsch
- Matt Chapman
- Tim McKeon
- Director
- Joe Pitt; John Aoshima
- Editor
- Kevin Locarro
- Air date
- 12 July 2013
- Length
- 23 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Plot
After Soos finds a bat in the kitchen, Stan sends Dipper to handle it, but the bat mauls Dipper, leading him to believe Stan dislikes him. Meanwhile, Gideon Gleeful, after another failed attempt to steal the Mystery Shack deed, performs a ritual in the woods to summon the demon Bill Cipher. Bill agrees to invade Stan's mind to obtain the safe combination in exchange for Gideon's future help. Mabel and Soos overhear the plan and report it to Dipper, who consults Journal 3 about Bill's dangers. Dipper, Mabel, and Soos follow Bill into Stan's mindscape via a ritual. Inside, they find a maze of doors containing Stan's memories. Bill demonstrates his power by pulling out movie characters Xyler and Craz and blasting a hole in Dipper's torso. While searching for the combination, Dipper sees a memory of Stan calling him "an utter embarrassment" and, convinced Stan hates him, leaves the group.
Production
Tim McKeon and Matt Chapman wrote the episode under the story of series creator Alex Hirsch, with direction by Joe Pitt and John Aoshima. John Aoshima and Matt Braly had worked with Hirsch since the unaired pilot used to pitch the show. The episode introduced Bill Cipher, though images of him appeared earlier in the season. The characters Xyler and Craz from the fictional film "Dream Boys High" were based on 1980s cartoons and teen films. The cast included Jason Ritter, Kristen Schaal, Alex Hirsch, and Thurop Van Orman, with additional voices by Linda Cardellini, Greg Cipes, John Roberts, Jennifer Coolidge, Grey DeLisle, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Stephen Root.
Broadcast and reception
The episode premiered on the Disney Channel on July 12, 2013, drawing 2.7 million viewers in its original American broadcast and ranking second in the United States for the day. It received a 0.5 rating among the 18–49 demographic. Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A−, calling it a celebration of the show's first 19 episodes and praising Bill Cipher as a memorable creation, though he criticized under-motivated stories and efforts to balance Mabel and Dipper's status. The episode won art director Ian Worrel an Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation award at the 2014 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
More in Characters & Cast
Elsewhere in Gravity Falls
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