The narrator, a film theorist, discusses their favorite animated series, Gravity Falls, and its creator Alex Hirsch. They explore the show's use of codes, mysteries, and hidden secrets, which inspired a community of theorists. The narrator reveals that they have discovered the blacklight edition of Journal 3, a book that contains hidden secrets and lore from the show.
They notice that Bill Cipher, the show's villain, leaves notes in the book, and one of these notes seems to imply that Bill is able to possess people in the real world. The narrator then points out that Alex Hirsch has written a foreword to the book, and when a black light is shone on his picture, a message from Bill appears.
The narrator theorizes that Bill Cipher has possessed Alex Hirsch and is using him to create more content. They point out that the show's finale, Weirdmageddon, features a title card that reads "Created by Bill Cipher" instead of Alex Hirsch. They also mention that Bill Cipher has appeared in other TV shows and franchises, including Rick and Morty, Big City Greens, The Owl House, DuckTales, and The Simpsons.
The narrator then explores the Bill Cipher Zodiac, a prophecy from the show that explains how to banish Bill once and for all. They notice that the symbols on the zodiac correspond to other projects that Alex Hirsch has worked on, including Kid Cosmic, Inside Job, The Owl House, Mitchells vs. the Machines, and Amphibia.
The narrator concludes that Alex Hirsch is using his career to fight against Bill Cipher's influence and banish him once and for all. They acknowledge that this is a fictional theory, but they believe that Alex Hirsch is the kind of person who would seed this idea into his work.
The narrator ends by thanking Alex Hirsch for inspiring a community of theorists and for helping to create a new genre of entertainment. They also offer to help Alex Hirsch defeat Bill Cipher, joking that they have never dressed up as a llama before, but there's a first time for everything.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Gravity Falls is a Disney series about twins Dipper and Mabel Pines who spend their summer with their great uncle Stan in the town of Gravity Falls, Oregon.
2. The series features supernatural and paranormal events, including cryptids in the woods and codes to crack.
3. The show's creator is Alex Hirsch, who is also the author of the book "Journal Three".
4. The blacklight edition of Journal Three contains additional lore and secrets about the show.
5. The book's foreword is written by Alex Hirsch, and a blacklight reveals a message from Bill Cipher.
6. Bill Cipher is a universe-hopping demon from the second dimension who possesses god-like powers.
7. Bill Cipher has appeared in other TV shows, including Rick and Morty, Big City Greens, The Owl House, DuckTales, and The Simpsons.
8. The Bill Cipher Zodiac is a mysterious symbol that appears throughout the series, and is meant to be a prophecy to banish Bill Cipher.
9. The Zodiac symbols correspond to different characters in the show, and are meant to be used to defeat Bill.
10. Alex Hirsch has worked on several other TV shows and projects, including Kid Cosmic, Inside Job, The Owl House, Mitchells vs. the Machines, and Fish Hooks.
11. Hirsch was a key creative in the Disney series Fish Hooks, which was set inside a giant fish tank.
12. Hirsch voiced the character of Dirk in the film Mitchells vs. the Machines.
13. The Bill Cipher statue from the show's finale is similar to a real-life statue of Bill Cipher that was hidden in the woods as part of a scavenger hunt.
14. The statue was buried with a copy of Journal 3 and a blacklight, which revealed a sketch of Bill himself.
15. The Cipher Hunt was a real-world scavenger hunt set up by Alex Hirsch to keep interest in Gravity Falls alive after the show ended.
16. The hunt featured cryptograms, hidden codes, and real phone calls with Grunkle Stan.
17. Bill Cipher's primary way of making binding agreements is by shaking hands.
18. Alex Hirsch has a history of hiding secrets and Easter eggs in his work, including in the show Gravity Falls.
19. Theorizing as a genre of entertainment was not as popular when Gravity Falls first premiered in 2012.
20. Alex Hirsch is a theorist who built a show with hidden secrets and lore, and let viewers decode them on their own.