Irrational Treasure

"Irrational Treasure" is the eighth episode in Season 1 of Gravity Falls. It debuted on August 17, 2012.

Overview
When Dipper and Mabel discover evidence that the reported town founder is a hoax, they set out to expose the historical cover-up and prove that Mabel's silliness is not a bad thing.

Synopsis
When Gravity Falls' holiday, Pioneer Day, comes around, Grunkle Stan, Dipper, and Mabel stroll through town, looking at all the out-dated activities and ceremonies. Later, Sheriff Blubs calls the town to a meeting where Pacifica Northwest makes an announcement about her great grandfather, Nathaniel Northwest. Pacifica asks for volunteers to say something about themselves. Mabel comes up, but Pacifica makes Mabel feel bad by telling her she's too silly, and Mabel decides she should be more serious by taking off her nacho earrings and her sweater. Dipper then finds an article in his 3 book that says Nathaniel Northwest may have been a fraud. Enclosed was a map, with the triangle symbol. Behind a statue, Sheriff Blubbs and Deputy Durland hear Dipper and Mabel's plan. He tells an anonymous figurewith several cameras. Dipper and Mabel head to the library to look up the symbols on the map. Dipper finds a symbol that means fire and is the same shape as the picture on the documents. Dipper thinks they should burn the document, until Mabel makes a hat out of the paper, which shows them a map to Gravity Fall's Museum of History. Dipper dramatically says they're going to have to break in! Dipper and Mabel head to the Museum where a lady says "Here's your free Pioneer Day passes and balloons, blue and pink!" Dipper then dramatically says, "We're in!" There's an abstract painting shaped in a triangle, and when Mabel turns upside down, it reveals an pointing angel, and she comments that she saw that statue in the cemetery. Once at the cemetery, Mabel sees the statue, and she pretends that the statue is picking her nose. She bends the statue's finger, opening a secret passageway. Mabel and Dipper enter it, and Dipper says to watch for booby traps. Mabel then laughs at booby traps. They go down the hallway when Mabel steps on a button, which triggers tranquilizer darts. They dodge the darts and go down a hallway revealing many top secret documents (e.g., Abraham Lincoln's hat was covering up a hand on his head; Ben Franklin secretly was a woman). They come across a document called the Northwest cover-up, and it is revealed that the true founder of Gravity Falls was Quentin Trembley. Sheriff Blubbs and Deputy Durland discover them and play a film showing the truth about Gravity Falls. Sheriff Blubs then says he must ship them off to Washington, DC with Quentin Trembley's peanut brittle capsule. The gang is now in a giant crate. Mabel, in sadness thinking that she caused this, eats part of the peanut brittle, freeing Trembley, who miraculously survived as a result of the peanut brittle's "life-sustaining properties" (as said by Mabel). They escape, but are caught by Blubbs and Durland. They climb to the roof, where Trembley recalls that he never signed a resignation, and that he ate a salamander and jumped out the window instead. Trembley then orders the cops to stop, and take a vacation. When Dipper, Mabel, and Trembley head back to town, Trembley decides to make Mabel a Congressman and gives her a hat. Dipper gets the President Key which can open any lock in America. Back in town, Mabel accepts her silliness and doesn't care if Pacifica knows the truth or not, but Dipper shoves the proof in Pacifica's face, calling her family a 'sham' and telling her to 'deal with it'. He then says that revenge is underrated and that it felt good.

During the end credits, it shows Quentin Trembly and the babies of supreme court. They are trying to discuss things but apparently it's hard with four babies, and commenting it is a "dark day for America".

Credits

 * Story by:
 * David Slack
 * Written by:
 * Tim McKeon
 * Alex Hirsch
 * Directed by:
 * John Aoshima
 * Storyboards by:
 * Mark Garcia
 * Chris Sonnenburg
 * Niki Yang


 * Starring:
 * Kristen Schaal - Mabel Pines
 * Jason Ritter - Dipper Pines
 * Alex Hirsch - Grunkle Stan


 * Jackie Buscarino - Pacifica
 * Keith Ferguson - Deputy Durland
 * Alex Hirsch - Quentin Trembley and Old Man McGucket
 * Kevin Michael Richardson - Sheriff Blubs
 * Gregg Turkington - Toby Determined
 * Thurop Van Orman - Lil' Gideon


 * Additional Voices:
 * Keith Ferguson
 * Alex Hirsch
 * Chris Parnell
 * Kevin Michael Richardson
 * Jason Ritter
 * Tara Strong
 * Gregg Turkington
 * Kari Wahlgren

Production notes
See also: List of allusions and List of goofs.

Character revelations

 * We see Mabel not wearing a sweater during the day for the first time. She wears a pink shirt under.
 * Dipper ends up accepting Soos' nickname for Dipper and Mabel, he called them the "Mystery Twins", from "Headhunters".
 * Mabel learns to accept her silliness,and that being silly is a good thing.
 * Mabel also learns that her silliness is the key to herself.

Trivia

 * Viewership: The episode's premiere was viewed by 3.87 million people.
 * Gideon makes an appearance dressed as a humble tomato farmer.
 * Part of the secret documents read, "A time devouring baby is trapped in a glacier in Antarctica." This is probably a reference to the Time Baby who appears in the next episode.
 * The triangle creature appears on the negative twelve dollar bill.
 * On the secret document that says The Northwest cover-up reads " The statues in Mount Rushmore are actually president-faced robots that will be called into action when America needs them."

Cryptogram

 * During the end credits of this episode, there is a cryptogram that reads "V. KOFIRYFH GNNYOVB" Once decoded, it reads "E. PLURIBUS TREMBLEY." In Latin, this means "Trembley out of many."