Like the Preview, spoilers are ahead! Make sure to watch the episodes first if you don't want to spoil the episode viewing.
Episode 1: Tourist Trapped
It's easy to say that "Tourist Trapped" introduces "Gravity Falls" as a series perfectly because of the showcase of vivid characters, ridiculous plot, and countless funny moments. For example, Mabel is funny consistently throughout the episode with her ludicrous personality, or Soos' constant stupidity. Anyway, the plot is great, following Dipper and Mabel, twins, being sent to a Town called Gravity Falls. Both of them have different things on their mind: Mabel goes around flirting with guys and failing, while Dipper explores around and finds an ancient journal about the mysterious past of the town. Mabel finds a guy for her, and Dipper suspects of him being a zombie. The episode caught me off guard when it was revealed that Mabel's new boyfriend was a couple of gnomes, after Dipper almost found proof that the boyfriend was a zombie. The gnomes kidnap Mabel, and Dipper saves her, but unfortunately, they are chased home by the gnomes, who turned into a monster. Dipper manages to free his twin sister with a leaf blower, and sending off all the gnomes back to the woods they came from. Not only was the episode ridiculous, like I said before, but a plot was slowly unfolding. Grunkle Stan, one of the side characters, was shown at the end of "Tourist Trapped" moving a vending machine and going into a passageway, meaning that he might be hiding something big. Overall, I really enjoyed the episode and since watching I was pumped for what's to come.
Episode 2: The Legend of the Gobblewonker
"The Legend of the Gobblewonker" is one of the more though provoking episodes of the series mainly because of themes of family and trust. The plot is simple: Grunkle Stan wants to take Dipper and Mabel on a family bonding day canoeing. However, Dipper wants to participate in a photography contest of paranormal creatures. Like the original premiere, the plot gets more and more ridiculous as the episode goes on, like with Old Man McGucket and his robot or Soos and Mabel throwing all of Dipper's camera's into the lake. One great side-plot is Grunkle Stan trying to find people to sail with, and that leads to many funny moments. However, the main plot is great, especially when Dipper, Mable and Soos arrive to the "spooky" island and find out that the Gobblewonker is a robot controlled by Old Man McGucket. This leads to a entertaining escape sequence to the shore definitely inspired by the "Indiana Jones" movies, leaving Dipper reporting the insane elder. In the beginning of the paragraph I talked about themes in "The Legend of the Gobblewonker", and those I mentioned are definitely in the episode. By the end, Grunkle Stan is devastated that he has no one to sail with, but Dipper and Mabel begin to trust him, and they go sailing. Overall, I really enjoyed viewing, and that's what's most important.
Episode 3: Headhunters
While "Headhunters" isn't bad, it isn't as good as many episodes in the season. The plot is too serious, and there is a big lack of humor. However, that isn't all that bad. Here is what the plot is all about: it is revealed that Grunkle Stan has a wax figure collection, so Mabel takes it upon herself to create a figure of her great uncle. The day after finishing, the head is gone, leaving Dipper and Mabel investigating. The best thing about the episode is the big reveal at the end: the wax figure's "murdered" Stan's wax figure. However, the wax figures, who are composed of real people and celebrities, won't let them escape, but soon enough, they melt, and everything becomes awesome like before. In my opinion, "Headhunters" could have used a lot more jokes, although there were some funny moments. For example, the introduction of some of the wax figure's is somewhat funny. Overall, "Headhunters" could have been way better if it had more humor.
Episode 4: The Hand That Rocks Mabel
"The Hand That Rocks Mabel" takes everything that disappointed me about the previous episode and makes them good. The reveals are built up better, there are a lot more jokes, and the plot is very important, but it did not take itself too seriously. When I said that the plot is very important, I meant it, because the plot provides a big escalation in story for the season, mainly with the introduction of Gideon. The plot revolves around the addition of Gideon as a character, and at first, no one knows what he looks or sounds like. Out of suspense, Dipper and Mabel go see his show, and Gideon is revealed to be a pale little boy. Gideon finds interest in Mabel, and takes her to a date. From there, "The Hand That Rocks Mabel" becomes a lot more ridiculous, like the introduction of Gideon's amulet and Dipper being captured and shrunk. The episode was extremely funny in countless occasions, for example, Gideon's commercial depicting Grunkle Stan as a fraud. Also, the part when Stan tries to negotiate with Gideon's father is very funny. Overall, "The Hand That Rocks Mabel" isn't the best episode of the season, but it's a big improvement over "Headhunters".
Episode 5: The Inconviencing
While "The Inconveniencing" isn't as good as the previous episode, it's great in it's own right. There are strong themes about embarrassment and maturity mainly revolving Dipper growing up. The plot follows Dipper hanging out with his teenaged co-worker, Wendy, and her friends to a closed convenience store that is believed to be haunted. Mabel tags along, and the episode strongly reveals that the convenience store is haunted. In a satire of haunted house movies, the spirits possessing the convenience store picking off the teenagers one by one and possessing Mabel. Throughout, Dipper tries desperately make friends, but fails when his sister embarrasses him by telling the teens about a dance that he did as a toddler. In the finale of the episode, the old owners of the store appear and state that they hate teens because they gave them a heart attack because of their "hateful rap music". Dipper states that he isn't a teen yet, and convinces the owners to let him and his new "friends" go. Dipper's character evolves throughout, which is really entertaining. Overall, it's a solid episode.
Episode 6: Dipper vs. Manliness
Like the episode before it, "Dipper vs. Manliness" deals with Dipper evolving and maturing as a character, this time he learns what it truly means to be a "man". The plot begins with Dipper trying to win pancakes through strength, but he obviously fails to do so. He is then devastated, and finds a species called the Manotaur, who are half bull and half man. Dipper learns their ways, and the newly found species informs him to kill the Multi Bear, one of their enemies. However, Dipper eventually rejects and learns what it truly means to be a "man". One improvement that "Dipper vs. Manliness" makes over "The Inconveniencing" is in humor, especially with the obvious reference to ABBA. Other than that, there are tons of funny moments, especially at the Diner. Another great moment in the episode is Dipper sympathizing with the Multi Bear, and then informing the Manotaur's that he isn't killing the Multi Bear. The ending shows Dipper telling the truth to Mabel and Grunkle Stan, who don't believe him. However, Stan says that if it really happened, Dipper has learned what being a "man" is all about: standing up for yourself. "Dipper vs. Manliness" is a great edition to "Gravity Falls", and is really entertaining.
Episode 7: Double Dipper
"Double Dipper" takes the subject of cloning and makes it really funny: Dipper and Mabel find an old copy printer and try it, but the damn thing clones whatever you put in it. Grunkle Stan announces that there will be a party to attract customers, and that each worker will have to do something to help. However, Dipper wants to spend time with Wendy, his co-worker that he has a crush on, but fails hard when she manages to get inside with Mabel and her two new friends. That leaves Dipper cloning himself, but the clones soon think for themselves, and all want to dance with Wendy. However, Dipper finds out the clones weakness: water, which is "Signs" all over again. Only one clone is left alive, and Dipper talks with him and has a drink. The clone melts, and Dipper tries to dance with Wendy, but like all of his shots at succeeding with her, he failed miserably. The episode was consistently funny, for example, the funniest parts were the introduction of Mabel's new friends and Soos as a DJ. Dipper learns that no matter how hard he tries, he cannot plan his way through life, because anything can change. "Double Dipper" makes a great addition to the library of great "Gravity Falls" episodes.
Episode 8: Irrational Treasure
Finally, there is a "Gravity Falls" episode where Mabel is motivated and useful: in "Irrational Treasure", she really wants revenge over her enemy, Pacifica Northwest. Their interaction is like many cliched, but interesting rivalries, for example, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, or Ron Burgundy and Veronica Cornigstone, where at first sight they despise each other. The story is about the twins proving that Pacifica's ancestor was a fraud, and finding who the real founder of Gravity Falls is. I was surprised to see that the writers created a quirky fictional president who accidentally won the election by accident. His name is Quentin Trembley, and it's easy to say that he's absolutely insane. There are a lot of really funny quotes of his like "I'll always be right here, on the negative twelve dollar bill" and "I ate a salamander and jumped out the window". However, what isn't funny are the police in the episode, one of them is an idiot, and the other even more of an idiot. They were annoying in the previous episodes and unbearable here. The story was solid and the surprises caught me off-guard, and there were some really funny parts. Overall, this isn't the best episode yet, but this isn't at all bad.
Episode 9: The Time Traveler's Pig
Blendin Blandin is one of my favorite characters in "Gravity Falls", and he is officially introduced perfectly in "The Time Traveler's Pig". The story follows him going back in time to stop a mistake made, but accidentally loses his detonator/time machine, and Dipper finds it. Meanwhile, Mabel wins the pet of her dreams, a pig whom she calls Waddles. Dipper tries to score with Wendy, but like every episode he ends up failing, only this time he could go back in time, but when he went back, Mabel loses the pet to Pacifica Northwest, leaving her absolutely devastated. The story goes on to become ridiculous as the twins change the events of time. The humor in "The Time Traveler's Pig" is also great, like "the creature of indeterminate species" or Grunkle Stan pissing off bystanders to dunk him into a tub of water. The ending was the best part of the episode: Blendin goes back to the future, gets arrested, and it's revealed that giant babies have taken over the world. I can easily say that this episode is very silly, but it's very important to a specific future episode. You'll find out tomorrow... Overall, "The Time Traveler's Pig" is yet another great "Gravity Falls" episode.
Episode 10: Fight Fighters
Here we are, today's final review, "Fight Fighters", the "Street Fighter" parody. The plot is at first simple, but as the episode progresses it becomes absolutely ludicrous. Dipper pisses off Wendy's friend, Robbie, and he challenges the kid to a fight. Dipper hides in the attic playing old arcade games, when Soos tells him to stand up for himself, but suddenly, finds a cheat code to a fighting game that unleashes one of the characters to life. From there, everything just becomes ridiculous. The character, called Rumble, beats up Robbie thinking that he killed Dipper's father. The plot itself could have been enough to make the episode great, but "Fight Fighters" absolutely kills it with humor. For example, the side plot about Stan's fear of heights is funny, as well as Rumble's introduction. I can say that I didn't get all the references to fighting games, because I'm not that into them, but if you are, this episode might be just what you're looking for. The story was enough to keep "Fight Fighters" going, but there were a ton of funny moments leaving me with a smile on my face.
That's all for today! Make sure to check tomorrow for the second part!