[7.5/10] “Double Dipper” does a nice job of marrying a relatable personal hang-up with an entertainingly zany supernatural realization of it. I can, sadly, easily put myself in Dipper’s shoes, with a propensity to overplan in lieu of just making a go of it. Watching him strain to ask Wendy to dance, creating a massive checklist and over-prepping small talk in lieu of just being a person with her is dorky and sympathetic in the way the Dipper regularly represents.
But the direction they go with it is inspired. Clone stories are a dime a dozen (if you’ll pardon the expression), but a magic copier, with duplicates who can be melted away with any random liquid adds a fun, low stakes spin on the idea. It’s a good way to dramatize Dipper’s hangup, to where he can make innumerable copies of himself to take care of any possible contingency rather than just braving the fortunes of chance and possibility. The ensuing silliness of parallel thoughts and the ridiculous “Paper Jam Dipper” and any number of coups and humane imprisonments lead to the sort of wacky fun I’ve already come to expect from Gravity Falls.
The B-story is fun too. Mabel getting into a “party heartiest” contest with local mean girl Pacifica Northwest is a forum for more low-stakes hikinks. Soos’ committed but budding DJ experience, Grunkle Stan’s usual money-minding scheme, and goofy spoofs like a “Don’t Start Unbelieving” song are all good stuff. I especially like the conclusion, where Mabel loses the contest, but gains two great friends who appreciate what she did, not whether she won. (It doesn’t hurt that one of the friends is voiced by Niki Yang of Adventure Time fame.)
The resolution of the main story is good too. Dipper realizing that he had the most success of the evening when he just freelanced and approached Wendy as a human being, not a problem to be solved, is a good epiphany for the young man. And Dipper #2 encouraging him to internalize the lesson, for his sake, makes for a silly but bittersweet finale.
Overall, the idea here is simple, but potent, and the comedy is on point.
Shout by GornagalBlockedParent2019-08-08T11:34:29Z
This show really deservers the prairs it gets, this episode was well written.