It’s never easy to say goodbye to beloved TV shows, and niche series such as Disney’s Gravity Falls are the type that cannot be easily replaced. Much to the dismay of fans everywhere, the animated mystery series is coming to an end. Hopefully, fans can find some sense of relief in knowing that series creator Alex Hirsch is nothing but grateful for their support over the years of Gravity Falls. Here's what he had to say in a recent interview:
I think no matter what we do, it’s going to be hard for fans, because they love the show. I’d say one thing to keep in mind is that I did this because I love the show… I’m so grateful for the fan community that does exist. I’m grateful for their fan work. Every time I see it, it makes me smile. So long as they’re making it, I will be seeing it, and I will be appreciating it. I will be their fan now, if that’s any consolation.
Hirsch’s touching thank you to fans was expressed at a special pre-finale press event and was reported by IGN. And it's especially touching considering that Alex Hirsch ultimately made the decision to end the series. Clearly, however, he still has an intense respect for the fans who have supported the show over time.
Gravity Falls has followed the adventures of Dipper and Mabel as they found themselves in unlikely situations involving monsters, time travel, and even magic. Featuring the voice talents of Jason Ritter and Kristen Schaal, the series amassed a loyal fanbase despite only running for two seasons of twenty episodes each since 2012. The inconsistent scheduling wasn’t enough to outweigh the fun of the series, and so it is coming to its natural end rather than meeting an earth death via cancellation.
Of course, two seasons of twenty episodes doesn’t sound like much for a series to be considered a success, but Alex Hirsch never planned for Gravity Falls to join the ranks of animated shows such as The Simpsons or even SpongeBob SquarePants as running indefinitely with no solid signs of stopping despite decreases in quality. There aren’t many shows in which everybody behind the scenes can allow a natural ending rather than stretching plots thin until cancellation is the only option, but Gravity Falls is fortunately one of them. The show will be closing, but at least fans will get closure.
That’s not to say that Ripper and Mabel will necessarily be gone from the world of animated television forever after the finale of Gravity Falls. Fans of Falls as well as animated sci-fi series Rick and Morty have come up with a solid theory that the two shows exist in parallel worlds within the same universe. Considering all of the twisty and turny shenanigans that the characters have gotten up to on both shows, the end that is nigh for Gravity Falls may not see the end of that world forever. We can at least hope for a few more glimpses in the future.
Whether or not we see more of Dipper and Mabel’s world on another show, the series finale definitely deserves a watch. It airs tonight at 7 p.m. ET on Disney XD.
