Headhunters

"Headhunters" is the 3rd episode in Season 1 of Gravity Falls. It premiered on June 30, 2012.

Overview
When someone tampers with Mabel's life-size wax statue, she and Dipper set out to find the culprit. Meanwhile, Grunkle Stan mourns over the loss of his wax doppelganger.

Synopsis
Dipper and Mabel are watching a show called Duck-tective. Soos runs in and wants to show Dipper and Mabel what he found while he was cleaning. Dipper and Mabel both think that it is buried treasure. However, he takes them to see a secret door hidden behind the wallpaper. They open it and discover a forgotten wax museum. Mabel admires how lifelike the wax statues are. Dipper points out one that he thinks isn't so lifelike. It's actually Grunkle Stan, which scares Dipper, Mabel, and Soos and they run screaming. Then, there is the theme song. Grunkle Stan introduces the Gravity Falls Wax Museum. He says it was one of their most popular mystery attractions before he forgot all about it. He then notices that Wax Abraham Lincoln has been melted by the sun. He then accuses looking at Wax John Wilkes Booth of opening the blinds. Mabel suggests she'll create a new Wax figure to replace it. Grunkle Stan likes Mabel's idea and agrees to let her do it.

Mabel begins to think of ideas for her wax figure. Her first idea is a girl that is part fairy princess and part horse fairy princess. Dipper suggests she carve something from real life and Mabel thinks of a waffle with big arms. Dipper then suggests she draws someone in her family. Mabel then gets the idea to sculpt Grunkle Stan when he comes into the room looking for his pants. Once she is done, Grunkle Stan loves it and declares that the Wax Museum is back in business.

The next day, they have a grand re-opening of the Wax Museum. There is a mini press conference where Mabel takes questions. A reporter named Shandra Jimenez questions where the pizza that was promised on the flyers is. Grunkle Stan claims it was a typo, then shuts down the press conferences and runs off with the admission money. The customers leave infuriated due to there not being any pizza. Mabel thinks it went well.

That night Grunkle Stan counts the money he made today. He tells Dipper and Mabel to go wash up because they have a long day tomorrow. Grunkle Stan sits down to watch Duck-tective with his wax figure while Dipper and Mabel are brushing their teeth. Grunkle Stan gets up to use the bathroom, but when he comes back, his wax figure is headless. He calls over Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland, but they deem the case as unsolvable. Dipper believes he can solve the case and takes on the job, even though the police officers just think that it is a waste of time. He does so anyway, and he and Mabel come up with a list of suspects. Dipper says it could be months before they find their first clue. Mabel then notices a clue. She sees footprints that lead them to an ax which the believe is the murder weapon. Mabel realizes that the ax could belong to Manly Dan. They take the ax to Soos who tells them that Manly Dan hangs out at a crazy intense biker joint downtown.

Dipper and Mabel head to the biker joint called Skull Fracture and use fake IDs to get inside. Mabel begins talking to one of the customers there while Dipper questions Manly Dan. Manly Dan has proof that proves he couldn't be the murderer. Manly Dan also points out that the ax is left handed and he only uses his right hand. Dipper and Mabel go through their list of suspects to see who is left handed. Once they go through several suspects, there is only one person left on the list - Toby Determined who runs the Gravity Falls Gossiper. Dipper and Mabel get Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland to raid Toby's office, but he also has proof that proves he is not the murderer. Dipper believes that Toby has to be guilty. Toby reveals he was in his office making out with a cardboard version of Shandra Jimenez. Dipper tells Sheriff Blubs to check the prints on the ax. He says there are none, leaving Dipper and Mabel confused and embarrassed.

We then see Stan having a funeral for his wax figure with Dipper, Mabel and Soos in attendance. Stan runs out crying while reciting a eulogy. Dipper then notices that Wax Stan's shoe has a hole in it. He pieces together the clues and realizes that it was the wax figures. The wax figures come to life and threaten to kill Dipper and Mabel. Mabel asks if they are magic and Sherlock Holmes says they're cursed. He reveals how Stan forgot about them & why they tried to kill him. The wax figures then begin attacking Dipper and Mabel. Improvising with a fire iron, Dipper sword duels with Sherlock Holmes and purposely lures him outside to be melted by the sun.

Mabel gets rid of the rest of the wax figures by throwing them into the fireplace. Grunkle Stan walks in and thanks Dipper and Mabel for finding his wax head. Mabel says she is 99% sure she got rid of all the wax figures, but Wax Larry's head is still in the vents.

The end credits show Mabel trying to decide which sweater to wear, the purple sequins or the yellow llama hair. She asks Dipper which sweater she should pick and, unknown to her, the wax head of Larry King peeks at her through the heat vents and suggests the one with the llama hair because llamas are "nature's greatest warriors". Mabel thinks she heard Dipper and thanks him and leaves to change, while Dipper looks around in confusion.

Credits

 * Written by:
 * Aury Wallington
 * Alex Hirsch
 * Directed by:
 * John Aoshima
 * Storyboards by:
 * Tyler Chen
 * Erik Fountain
 * Niki Yang
 * With the Voice Talents of:
 * Kristen Schaal - Mabel Pines
 * Jason Ritter - Dipper Pines
 * Alex Hirsch - Grunkle Stan and Soos
 * Coolio - Wax Coolio
 * Larry King - Wax Larry King
 * John Oliver - Wax Sherlock Holmes
 * Linda Cardellini - Wendy Corduroy
 * John DiMaggio - Manly Dan
 * Keith Ferguson - Deputy Durland
 * Will Forte - Tyler
 * Kevin Michael Richardson - Sheriff Blubs
 * Gregg Turkington - Toby Determined
 * Additional Voices:
 * James Adomian
 * Eric Bauza
 * Greg Ellis - Wax William Shakespeare
 * Alex Hirsch - Old Man McGucket
 * Kevin Michael Richardson - Unnamed bouncer
 * Horatio Sanz
 * Kari Wahlgren - Shandra Jimenez
 * Casting By:
 * Sara Goldberg

Production notes

 * See also: List of allusions and List of goofs.

Trivia

 * Viewership:This episode was watched by 2.710 million viewers on its premiere night.
 * One of the prominent wax figures is Richard Nixon. Alex Hirsch did a short animation featuring Nixon called "Imaginary Friend."
 * Another prominent wax figure is Larry King, seen holding the microphone.
 * There is no such thing as a left-handed ax.
 * Blendin Blandin's picture is seen in the pictures of the suspects.
 * According to Toby Determined's alibi camera footage, the wax figure's beheading took place on Saturday.
 * The title of the episode is a reference to the term "headhunter," which is a personnel recruiter for a corporation.
 * When Old Man McGucket is talking, you can see Blendin Blandin picking up Dipper's shoe in the background.
 * Wax Larry King is the only surviving wax figure. Albeit, it is only his head.
 * A man, woman, and two boys are seen at the wax museum in the wax figures' flashback and during the grand unveiling of Wax Stan, not having aged a bit.
 * The scene when the Gravity Falls Water Tower is shown, is exactly the same as the one pictured in book 3, except for the presences of Giant Vampire Bats.

Cryptogram

 * During the end credits of this episode, there is a cryptogram that reads "KH'V VWLOO LQ WKH YHQWV." Once decoded, it reads "HE'S STILL IN THE VENTS." It is referring to Wax Larry King's head.