Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-1949364-20150315000257/@comment-26173936-20150315092448

My short review on Season 2 episodes:

- Scary Oke: Great season opening. While it did tease that the portal from the last cliffhanger was gonna be important later, it's a good choice to push this plot later. The government agents are introduced and the twins finally find out Stan's understanding of the supernatural. Dipper's struggle to convince the agents seems to lead to bigger problems in the future. Mabel is delightfully ham like always. Stan is amazing here, but a little small on the comedy side. (which alot of people love him for.) I did feel like the whole party scene was also a good way to reintroduce the characters, but not a very relevant point. Overall, the plot was sort of stale due to it just taking place in the outskirts of the Shack. It's a good episode with some great action and humor plus Zombie Soos. 8.3/10

- Into the Bunker: WENDY FINALLY BECOMES IMPORTANT. Another good season opener which immediately removes the "Dipper wants Wendy" plot that was somewhat oversaturated and what prevented Wendy from really being her own character. A very good and mature conclusion to the plot point mind you. The dynamic with the 4 main characters is really good and it's finally nice to see a new formula to the mystery episodes (which were mostly just Gideon causing big trouble). The episode is unnerving with it's portrayal of the Shapeshifter and the overall tone of the bunker. I did find some of the jokes to be a little cringeworthy at times but most were really good. Also; "Good luck sleeping tonight!" 9/10

- The Golf War: First hint at Pacifica being less of a one dimensional stereotype and more of a tragic character who is forced to achieve perfection. While she's still a typical Disney character with a similar Disney plot line (frenemy stuff), the inisght it gives the character is interesting. The big scam they perform at the golf course is a strange plot point to bring on but it proves to be a great source of humor. "She's rich, she cheats at life." The Lilputtians are... sort of uninteresting, but there is alot of effort to make them funny with ethnicity jokes. The big action scene at the end is pretty cool and the last minutes where Pacifica is forced to ride with the Pines family is a great representation of the characters (Mabel starts to understand her rival a little more and Dipper continues to hate her.) Also the Big Henry scene deserves a medal. 7.2/10

- Sock Opera: Bill Bill Bill. Still a great character. Funny but creepy as heck. I found Mabel's plot-line with the puppets somewhat lacking at points and this new boyfriend is really boring. The puppet act however, is great. Dipper's plot-line shines in this episode. His obession with the mystery distorts himself and becomes a way for Bill to take over and cause more mayhem. Unlike his role in Dreamscaperers, Bill actually feels more like a big threat instead of a one-off. Mabel proves that she would put her own agenda aside for her family and Dipper improves from this. "You want to know the exact time and date of your death?" "Sure dude!" 8/10

- Soos and the Real Girl: A very creepy episode with more amazing Paul Robertson pixel art. Unfortunately, the Giffany character seems too.... simple. Soos isn't very good as a main character. He's an amazing source of comedy relief, but it's not the most engaging experience with him being the driver of the plot. But this new plot point of Soos finding a woman and learning the process of doing so, makes for great comedy. The action in the final sections of the episode feel a little underdeveloped, with Giffany randomly making a statement on women being untrustworthy. The jabs at Otakus are pretty hilarous. Stan's around too, but he's not in his best plot-lines. It's funny but not a memorable moment for him (great credits scene though) Good humor and some neat action, but not a very unique plot. "You can't change who you ARE!" 6.7/10

- Little Gift Shops of Horrors: Another anthology episode. Despite the show's amazing continuity, the anthologies seem to have really out of character moments such as Stan encasing a cheapskate after drugging him (he hates cheapskates but he's not this cruel about it), Stan willing to sell Waddles, and a undeveloped plot with Mabel and the clayanimation figures. The handwitch story is kinda gross, but still really funny. Nothing wrong there. The Waddles being smart plot, is confusing. The moral that it teaches (Science is not a prize but a goal), is accomplished by Mabel wanting silly times again. Humanity's benefit or tummy rubs. Not a really good path to teach a message like this... The Clayanimation story is actually pretty good, but feels like a very predicatble conclusion where Mabel overcomes her fear. Very funny overall, but not as engaging as the other episodes while problematic with Stan's character portrayal. "Give me my hands back. I have a certain gesture I'd like to show you"  5.8/10

- Society of the Blind Eye: McGucket being the village idiot, is bound to get a better plot point when you got the writers of Gravity Falls around. Several great revelations are made here and the whole memory wiping plot is a very mature theme for Mabel who has been struggling with her boyfriend plots since episode 1. What makes this episode brilliant, is that it essentially removes several plotholes with the characters of the show (you know, they come back next episode as if nothing happened). A very interesting plot and great development to the Old Man. The new Dipper, Mabel, Soos, and Wendy dynamic is still as great as it was in Into the Bunker. Although, I felt that the hype for the Blind Eye Society was really overdone since these guys are just one-offs in the end. Also found McGucket's past a little too similar to a certain Ice Wizard from a different show to really be impressed with it. Still a great episode. One of the best in the series. "Look at me! Testosterone!" 9.3/10

- Blendin's Game: A great tragic revelation to the Soos character. The whole journey that Dipper and Mabel takes just to have Soos appreciate his birthday again is a heartwarming story that leads to a great message in the end. Blendin's back with the crazy Time machine and he's alot funnier with his ridiculous scheme to to take revenge. I felt that the space cops were sort of boring, but they aren't around for too long. Time Baby is glorious and the whole future set up is a creepy but hilarious concept. Unfortunately, the Globnar section felt too rushed and anti climatic for it's own good but I'm also glad it wasn't the focus. I also love the effects that this time travel has on the future depsite being incredibly inconsistent with how the last time travel episode laid out. (Soos was destined to become a handyman even without a time anomaly?) Also, I find it kind of sad that Tambry was once an actively friendly person unlike who she is now. "Now you know how he feels creep." "Heheheh yeah... uh... wow." 8.5/10

- The Love God: A strange way too bring back the teens. Instead of just being stereotypes in the Inconviencing, the teens are given a bit more life and more first world problems. Mabel's plot to make Robbie happy again ironically develops his unintroduced family and Tambry more than him. Robbie is still a unbearable character in the show, but his struggles are explained a brilliant 5 second sequence and his crazy parents. I like how the episode tries to prevent having Dipper focused on becoming the cool guy (that would have been annoying.) The Love God himself tries a little too hard to be funny, but he brings a rather strangely disgusting vibe around that makes him entertaining. The whole plot of playing god while funny, is unfortunately underwhelming due to the bigger plots we've had even in the non mystery focused episodes. I feel like the episode was supposed to make the the teens into better characters. With the exception of Thompson, I don't think it really did it's job. However, Stan's plotline and the countless jabs to teenagers is just hilarious. "It's heaven's punishment for our bad taste in everything!" 7.8/10

- Northwest Mansion Noir: (Look I just like Noir better as a title better...) Pacifica is given some great depth in this episode. And it's all easy to get without a huge Nolan-like speech! Just the implications this episode has is enough to establish a new villain and redeem another. The plight of the Lumberjack, Dipper's increasing sympathy for Pacifica (and romance?), and Pacifica's struggle to be her ownself are great plots. However, while the main plotlines are very entertaining, the new failed summer romance plot comes off as annoying and generic. It takes off so much time from the episode and ends predictably without being all that interesting at all. Most of the main cast is still portrayed very well and Dipper continues to show his growth throughout the series which people find hard to believe. (OOOH DIPPER IS BILL BECAUSE HE HAS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! *facepalm) Sadly, Stan and Soos are nowhere to be seen. It doesn't really matter though. The episode holds up really well even without them and proves to be a very entertaining and adventurous story. "Dream Hipster!" 8.4/10

-Not What he Seems: One of the greatest minutes of animation I've ever seen. The episode is full of spectacle and intensity while still being funny when necessary. Stan's plot is finally revealed and the show is immediately changed forever. The first half takes on a great comedic yet tense tone, with Stan being arrested and with Dipper and Mabel journeying through the Shack to prove his innocence. The second half with the Pines twins discovering the horrible secret and trying to stop it, takes on a tragic action movie tone that is beautifully animated. The revelation at the end is a brilliant twist that is still surprising despite the solution already being solved by several theorists. The emotional struggle that the characters show is very real and heart wrenching. Dipper is offended by being hidden from the truth, Mabel continues to stick with her conscience while denying Stan's possible darker motives, Soos disobeys Mr. Pines, and Stan makes the mistake of not telling his loved ones the truth. The only flaws that I would have is the strange disappearance of the agents surrounding the shack, the lack of comedic effect from the jokes in the second half, and the cop out to add Wendy to the plot in the episode. But these are minor flaws that comes out from a undeniably perfect episode. "It's the final countdown like they always sang about!." 9.7/10