The charming and hilarious Charley and Ella are joined by the equally charming and hilarious Alexa and David to watch and discuss "Northwest Mansion Mystery." We talk Pacifica's character arc, the class struggle shown in this episode and long-awaited justice for Grenda. Check out more of Alexa and David on Come On Fhqwhpods and How Did This NOT Get Made: https://www.pipedreampodcasts.com/come-on-fhqwhpods! https://www.pipedreampodcasts.com/how-did-this-not-get-made Episode edited by Elizabeth No...
Mar 27, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Charley and Ella are joined by Gravity Falls Season 1 creative director/Mitchells vs. the Machines director Michael Rianda to talk "The Love God"! We discuss Michael's path to Gravity Falls and beyond and some infamous Disney censorship of this episode. PLUS: Our own Patron Juneau Ceres helps us crack the most complex Vigenère code yet! Follow Michael: https://twitter.com/michaelrianda Watch Michael's Academy Award-nominated film The Mitchells vs. the Machines on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com...
Mar 26, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In this special BONUS episode, the podcast is mutinied as Charley and Ella are joined by Twitch streamer/voice actor Irish Ian to watch and discuss the new show from David Jenkins and Taika Waititi, "Our Flag Means Death"! Follow Ian: https://twitter.com/Irish_Ian17 Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MysteryShack Watch Our Flag Means Death episode 1 "Pilot": https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GYgzPqgCXB3Q9lgEAAAAE:type:episode Watch our stream of Pirates of the Caribbean Rea...
Mar 16, 2022•52 min
In this special BONEus Patreon goal episode, Charley, Ella and Mary McKeon (of Into The Falls: A Gravity Falls Podcast https://anchor.fm/into-the-falls-podcast ) watch and discuss the Dog with a Blog episode "Freaky Fido." Remember ALF? He's back! In dog form. Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MysteryShack Watch Dog with a Blog episode 12 "Freaky Fido": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/4a9a09d7-7ed3-4216-9164-493569736293 "Howl of Conspiracies" theme by https://simandthedimbulbv2-...
Feb 18, 2022•39 min
Charley and Ella are joined by digital illustrator, Tezuka scholar and Charley's longtime best friend Ray to discuss "Blendin's Game." We talk about the way it beautifully executes a story that so many other shows fumble, as well as the return of Blendin Blandin and the time travel shenanigans therein. Follow Ray: https://twitter.com/meloncrab Check out Ray's piece on Princess Knight: https://www.animefeminist.com/anifem-recommends/general-feminist-friendly-manga-recommendations/ Support us on P...
Feb 09, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Charley and Ella are joined Gravity Falls superfan and voice of Dipper Pines, Jason Ritter! They watch "Society of the Blind Eye" and discuss the huge plot revelations within, Jason's history with the show as both a voice actor and a fan, and the true meaning of "blanchin'." Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonRitter Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MysteryShack Watch Gravity Falls episode 27 "Society of the Blind Eye": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/6f58bbe5-377f-435b-8064-...
Feb 02, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Charley and Ella are joined by Shelby Sessler to discuss "Dipper & Mabel's Guide to Mystery and Nonstop Fun," the first original Gravity Falls book from Disney Publishing. We participate in the book's many activities and interview the book's co-author Rob Renzetti about the production process! Follow Shelby: https://twitter.com/shelbysessler Follow Rob: https://twitter.com/RobRenzetti Buy Dipper & Mabel's Guide to Mystery and Nonstop Fun: https://www.abebooks.com/Gravity-Falls-Dippers-Ma...
Jan 26, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Charley and Ella discuss the three terrifying tales on display in "Little Gift Shop of Horrors," with guest segments from Abby Kirby and Shelby Sessler. We talk Stan's approach to a witch's curse, the comedic (pork) chops of a genius Waddles, and the episode's stop-motion Ray Harryhausen homage. We also dig into some listener mail and discover our new favorite movie ever! Follow Abby: https://twitter.com/abbyekirby Follow Shelby: https://twitter.com/shelbysessler Support us on Patreon at https:/...
Jan 19, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In this special BONUS episode, the podcast becomes MATRIX-y Shack Lookback as Charley and Ella discuss the latest installment in the franchise, "The Matrix Resurrections." We talk the film's deconstruction of the soft reboot, how it compares to the rest of the series and what the story means to us personally. Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MysteryShack Watch "The Matrix Resurrections": https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GYbD1_wnm3mDCwgEAAAPM:type:feature "You'll Be Back"...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 41 min
DISCLAIMER: This episode was recorded and released prior to the revelations about & arrest of its guest, Kyle Carrozza. We condemn Carrozza's actions and offer our deepest sympathies to his victims, and we have fully cut ties with him. That said, rather than attempt to rewrite history, we have decided to leave this episode online and intact as a time capsule of when it was made. Charley and Ella talk "Soos and the Real Girl," discussing Soos' love life taking the lead in this episode, what m...
Jan 12, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Charley and Ella are rejoined by fan studies scholar Abby Kirby ( https://twitter.com/abbyekirby ) to watch and discuss "Sock Opera." We talk the return of Bill Cipher, the cultural and historical influences on the story, and why this episode is considered iconic and forever changed the fandom. Check out Abby's Gravity Falls anniversary zine project: https://gf10yearslaterzine.tumblr.com/ Read Abby's master's thesis, "The fan/producer duality in microfandoms: Examinations of collaboration, creat...
Jan 05, 2022•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Charley and Ella are visited by the Spittle Man himself, Adam New (voice actor and our audio cleaner-upper!) to discuss "The Golf War," which we argue is appropriate for Christmas. We talk the absurd amount of guest voices in the episode, the evolving relationship of Mabel and Pacifica, and the mysteries of mini-golf. Follow Adam: https://twitter.com/AdamNewVA Watch Gravity Falls episode 23 "The Golf War": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/a058a6cf-62b2-4ac4-9be4-d5ca35c5f14a Support us on Patreo...
Dec 22, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Charley and Ella discuss "Into the Bunker" ft. the "ship"-wrecking of Dipper and Wendy, the abject horror of Mark Hamill's Shapeshifter, and the influences of Myst and The Thing on this episode. Watch Gravity Falls episode 22 "Into the Bunker": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/0eaf30ec-26ce-4e88-ae28-5f872adeb781 Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MysteryShack Download Ella's "The Thing"-themed parody song: https://ellacesari.bandcamp.com/track/the-thing-you-do-a-the-thing-song-par...
Dec 15, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Charley and Ella are joined by Gravity Falls supervising producer/"My Life as a Teenage Robot" creator Rob Renzetti to discuss the GF episode he directed, "Scary-oke"! We talk with him about the show's tonal shift moving into Season 2, the changes to the character dynamics, and the art direction that makes this episode pop. Follow Rob on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobRenzetti Watch Gravity Falls episode 21 "Scary-oke": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/596afb97-57c7-4bfa-878a-358ee4a9af4d Suppo...
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Charley and Ella are rejoined by Michael William Hunter (of Come On, Fhqwhpods!) to watch the remaining Gravity Falls shorts, including "Fixin' it with Soos," "TV Shorts" and "Mabel's Scrapbook." We discuss the perfection of Soos, the peeks these shorts give us at the Gravity Falls townsfolk, and that gripping Duck-tective cliffhanger. Also, Michael plays round two of our new game show segment! Check out more of Michael on Come On, Fhqwhpods! (A Homestar Runner Podcast): https://www.pipedreampod...
Dec 01, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 25
(CW: brief mentions of suicide) Charley and Ella are joined by Michael William Hunter (of Come On, Fhqwhpods!) to watch the "Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained" and "Mabel's Guide to Life" shorts released during the big hiatus. We discuss how the characters and world are adapted to the new format, the hidden secrets within the shorts, and an infamous Gravity Falls knockoff app. Also, Michael plays our new game show segment! Check out more of Michael on Come On, Fhqwhpods! (A Homestar Runner Podca...
Nov 24, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Charley and Ella are joined by David Spencer to embark through "PinesQuest," the Gravity Falls browser game released during the Great Hiatus between seasons 1 and 2. We talk David's experience playing the game for the first time, the plethora of continuity nods and secrets within, and a LOT of Zelda homages. Check out more of David on Come On Fhqwhpods and How Did This NOT Get Made: https://www.pipedreampodcasts.com/come-on-fhqwhpods! https://www.pipedreampodcasts.com/how-did-this-not-get-made P...
Nov 17, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Charley and Ella are joined by Alexa and David as they discuss Gravity Falls' Season One finale, "Gideon Rises." We talk the big emotional beats of the episode, the shocking secrets and twists and the many fan theories that followed. Check out more of Alexa and David on Come On Fhqwhpods and How Did This NOT Get Made: https://www.pipedreampodcasts.com/come-on-fhqwhpods! https://www.pipedreampodcasts.com/how-did-this-not-get-made Watch Gravity Falls episode 20 "Gideon Rises": https://www.disneypl...
Nov 10, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Charley and Ella take Alexa and David on a journey through the mind to meet Bill Cipher for the first time in "Dreamscaperers." We're also enamored with Xyler and Craz and mystified by the British Dog-Man, and we discuss one of the biggest fan theories of the time. Check out more of Alexa and David on Come On Fhqwhpods and How Did This NOT Get Made: https://www.pipedreampodcasts.com/come-on-fhqwhpods! https://www.pipedreampodcasts.com/how-did-this-not-get-made Watch Gravity Falls episode 19 "Dre...
Nov 03, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Charley and Ella are (re)joined by Mary McKeon, host of Into The Falls: A Gravity Falls Podcast ( https://anchor.fm/into-the-falls-podcast ) to discuss "Land Before Swine." We squee (yes, squee) over Waddles, talk Stan and Mabel's heartwarming relationship, and, of course, bring up Dog with a Blog. Watch Gravity Falls episode 18 "Land Before Swine": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/5e493b9d-b136-4e28-a2d8-f618db3b2298 Watch Dog with a Blog: https://www.disneyplus.com/series/dog-with-a-blog/23RCL...
Oct 27, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In this special BONUS episode, Charley and Ella are joined by Shelby Sessler to unravel the secrets of the first episode of "Inside Job," the new Netflix series from Gravity Falls writer Shion Takeuchi and produced by Alex Hirsch. We discuss whether conspiracy theory jokes can be funny these days, and why it's important and good that Reagan Ridley is unlikable and how that impacts her character dynamics. We also debate the existence of Kazaam. NOTE: While uploading this episode we realized that ...
Oct 22, 2021•52 min
Charley and Ella are joined by voice actor/cosplayer Shelby Sessler to talk "Boyz Crazy." We discuss Grunkle Stan's hallucination-y memories, the real-life stories behind Sev'ral Timez, and the infinite charm of Lance Bass. Check out Shelby's voice acting and cosplay: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkGbtsH1n-XIB3ECbSPpxfl3j4vld2QZr https://www.tiktok.com/@shelbysessler Watch Gravity Falls episode 17 "Boyz Crazy": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/d1a932a5-d65e-41ce-a1fe-1c8473aeec7d The p...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Charley and Ella have a very standard, non-freaky discussion of "Carpet Diem," the way it enhances the typical body swap story, and Dipper's very lacking social life. PLUS: a shocking event that changes the Gravity Falls fandom forever! Watch Gravity Falls episode 16 "Carpet Diem": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/c3a85bb7-72c7-4c51-b43a-0043dc2bb738 Download the theme song: https://ellacesari.bandcamp.com/track/my-hearts-in-gravity-falls-20-ft-pryin-brian "Hall of Conspiracies" theme by https:/...
Oct 13, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Charley and Ella are joined by fellow Pipedream podcaster Michael William Hunter (co-host of Come On Fhqwhpods) to discuss "The Deep End." We talk Matt Chapman's most prominent role yet, the way this episode gives every Pines family member something to do, and a particularly puzzling fan theory. Watch Gravity Falls episode 15 "The Deep End": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/21172768-2a0d-495b-9340-04cbea0a8b06 Download the theme song: https://ellacesari.bandcamp.com/track/my-hearts-in-gravity-fa...
Oct 06, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Charley and Ella take a look at the anthology of stories in "Bottomless Pit!", discussing the production history behind the episode's structure and what the show gets to explore in three short segments. Ella also gets really mad about spaghetti. Watch Gravity Falls episode 14 "Bottomless Pit!": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/ceffeaf4-dcbc-4071-8063-cb8f663c8536 Download the theme song: https://ellacesari.bandcamp.com/track/my-hearts-in-gravity-falls-20-ft-pryin-brian "Hall of Conspiracies" the...
Sep 29, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Rise and grind, girlbosses! Charley and Ella discuss "Boss Mabel," Gravity Falls' return from its first big hiatus. We talk about its sitcom-esque vibes, how it makes up for its lack of mystery, and cultural icon Big Mouth Billy Bass. Watch Gravity Falls episode 13 "Boss Mabel": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/7e0304b4-442b-4284-9d77-94c4199d5f16 Download the theme song: https://ellacesari.bandcamp.com/track/my-hearts-in-gravity-falls-20-ft-pryin-brian "Hall of Conspiracies" theme by http://sim...
Sep 22, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Charley and Ella are joined by fan studies scholar Abby Kirby ( https://twitter.com/abbyekirby ) to go in-depth on the cultural phenomenon of the Gravity Falls fandom during the show's first big hiatus. We also take a look at the browser game "Rumble's Revenge" and the secrets it contains. Check out Abby's Gravity Falls anniversary zine project: https://gf10yearslaterzine.tumblr.com/ Read Abby's recent article about the show and its paratexts (MAJOR Gravity Falls spoilers within): https://thedai...
Sep 15, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 14
DISCLAIMER: This episode was recorded and released prior to the revelations about & arrest of its guest, Kyle Carrozza. We condemn Carrozza's actions and offer our deepest sympathies to his victims, and we have fully cut ties with him. That said, rather than attempt to rewrite history, we have decided to leave this episode online and intact as a time capsule of when it was made. Charley and Ella discuss "Summerween," the way the episode captures the trick-or-treating experience, how it encap...
Sep 08, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Charley and Ella talk about the return of Lil' Gideon, the way this episode relates to the trans-ing of their respective genders, and (of course) the FAAAAAAAAAMILY AUTO MART! Watch Gravity Falls episode 11 "Little Dipper": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/b66e0bc7-a66f-4e85-88af-57b75dfeeefa Watch the Family Auto Mart commercials that inspired Bud Gleeful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X03iP0Uhmck Download the theme song: https://ellacesari.bandcamp.com/track/my-hearts-in-gravity-falls-20-ft-...
Sep 01, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Charley and Ella discuss the evolution of video game representation in film and TV, the unreasonably stellar acting of the late Raúl Julia, and the path that led Charley to discover Gravity Falls in the first place. Watch Gravity Falls episode 10 "Fight Fighters": https://www.disneyplus.com/video/47dfb63a-f756-41f6-a254-9c8b8bd14353 Chiptune theme song and "Hall of Conspiracies" theme by http://simandthedimbulbv2-0.tumblr.com/ Download the theme song: https://ellacesari.bandcamp.com/track/my-hea...
Aug 25, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 11
