Tourist Trapped

Did You Know?

• The episode served as a special preview of the series.
• Its premiere was seen by close to 3.4 million viewers in the United States.
• It got 267,000 viewers when it premiered in the UK and Ireland on July 20, 2012.

Plot

Twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are sent to spend the summer in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, staying at the Mystery Shack, a cryptid-themed tourist trap run by their great-uncle Stan Pines. Mabel embraces the vacation while Dipper is unimpressed by Stan's exhibits. While hanging signs, Dipper finds a journal with the number 3 on its cover, written by someone claiming the town's mysteries are real. Mabel begins dating a tall man named Norman, whom Dipper suspects is a zombie based on the journal.

Norman reveals he is a group of gnomes stacked together, and their leader Jeff orders Mabel's abduction to force her into marrying all the gnomes. Dipper rescues Mabel on a golf cart, and the gnomes chase them as a giant gnome. At the Mystery Shack, Mabel feigns interest in marrying Jeff, then drives the gnomes off with a leaf blower. That night, Dipper writes in the journal while Stan enters a hidden door behind the vending machine.

Reception

Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club gave "Tourist Trapped" a B+ rating, praising its mature feel compared to other animated children's series, drawing inspiration from The Simpsons, The X-Files, and Twin Peaks. He commended the art style and the use of paranormal themes for comedy, citing a scene where Mabel hopes her zombie boyfriend Norman is a vampire, playing off the Twilight series, followed by the absurd reveal that Norman is a group of gnomes.

However, he criticized the remainder of the episode for relying too heavily on random humor. Wilkins praised Kristen Schaal's performance as Mabel, noting her gleeful lack of restraint and propensity for violence similar to her role as Louise Belcher, but with the difference that Mabel is not a complete sociopath. He described Mabel as a goofy, happy-go-lucky preteen whose enthusiasm supported many gags and whose dialogue reflected a genuine 12-year-old mindset.

Jason Ritter's performance as Dipper was praised for conveying a panicked, suspicious worldview, though his voice was noted as sounding too old for a 12-year-old. The episode received two nominations at the 40th Annie Awards: Ian Worrel for Best Production Design in a Television/Broadcast Production, and Kristen Schaal for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production, which she won.