LogFAQs > #969883765

#90: Northwest Mansion Mystery
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/5/5/AAAG8cAAD8oD.jpg

Show: Gravity Falls
Original airdate: February 16, 2015

"Our family name is broken! And I'm gonna fix it!"

I'm a sucker for mean girl characters turning good, which seems to be an archetype as of late, but one I'm quite pleased to see whenever it shows up. Pacifica Northwest was one of those characters, who'd already shown a smidge of kindness in the minigolf episode earlier in the season, but it was in Northwest Mansion Mystery where she really got to shine. Interestingly enough, this episode was directed by Matt Braly, who'd later go on to create Amphibia! Anywho, the episode focuses on a party in the Northwests' ritzy mansion, which happens to be inhabited by a vengeful ghost. Pacifica recruits Dipper's help to thwart the ghost, but Dipper is understandably reluctant to do so because of Pacifica's long history of being, well, a jerk. However, as the episode progresses, we see Pacifica actually opening up to Dipper, while we learn her troubled history of abuse from her parents, who have conditioned her to do what they say by ringing a bell. I was already feeling somewhat sympathetic to Pacifica even before this episode, so... yeah, once I realized that a lot of her behavior was the result of her parents' abuse, I really wanted her to get better, and this episode didn't disappoint, with a really fun ending and Pacifica turning over a new leaf. Unfortunately, season 2 didn't give us much more of Pacifica, choosing instead to focus on the Pines family and the grand mystery arc, but fanfic writers have filled in the gaps well enough. This episode would probably be somewhat higher on the list if the show had utilized Pacifica more afterward, but as it stands, it's still one of my favorite episodes in the series, giving the rich girl her chance to shine.