Wendip - The Unsinkable Ship of Gravity Falls
The journey of the Wendip ship is an interesting one. It was the first and biggest for at least half of the show's runtime, perhaps more. And though it's not what it once was, it's still moving forward. Because despite what some people say, it has not sunk.
Oh, it's been battered and bruised, and even plunged below the waves at one point. But when it looked as though it was lost forever, it shocked many by resurfacing, and has continued sailing since. Fitting for a ship dedicated to the characters of Dipper and Wendy, it has proven itself to be stubborn, resilient, and tough.
But that is not the only reason why Wendip survived what should have been a killing blow. No, for the true secret to its almost supernatural endurance lies in a being capable of shaping the very reality of Gravity Falls itself. One with the power to alter, create, or destroy entire timelines and universes. A chaotic force who has controlled and tormented the Pines family repeatedly, yet seems to find particular amusement in making Dipper suffer; taunting and mocking him frequently, especially in regards to his crush, all to appease his twisted sense of humour.
I'm kidding. It's Hirsch. Alex Hirsch is the main reason Wendip came back, and since then has played a major role in keeping it going.
And it's really, really annoying.
Some people might be surprised to hear me say that. I've defended and supported Wendip on multiple occasions. Wendy is one of my favourite characters, and her relationship with Dipper is one of my favourite relationships in the entire show, second only to Dipper and Mabel's. My favourite fanfic, fan writer, and fan artist all strongly support Wendip. There's more than a few who've assumed I consider it to be the best ship in the fandom.
Nope. But even if it were, let me make this absolutely clear: I'm front and foremost a Wendy fan. I don't care about shipping. In fact, I would end Wendip in a second if I thought that would finally get us some serious Wendy development. I even used to say that I wish Into the Bunker HAD been the end of Wendip, because then maybe she would have received more screen time instead of being primarily used as a joke at Dipper's expense.
I don't say that anymore. I think time has proven that was very naive of me. And nowadays, I'm actually very glad that it wasn't the end of Wendip. To the point that, as much I hate it when a female character is so heavily tied to a romantic pairing instead of allowing her to be an independent character, the return and continuation of Wendip is probably the best thing that ever happened to Wendy. And that's speaking as someone who would let the ship sink forever if it allowed her to finally get the attention she deserves.
But let's discuss the journey of Wendip a little. I won't go into too much detail about all the scenes she shares with Dipper. There's a lot of them and I'm saving them for an essay all about Dipper and Wendy. The 'Special Relationship', as I like to call it. Because what I find incredibly sweet is how much they really mean to each other. I'm not talking about the crush, or whether or not they get together years later. I can take or leave that. No, what I really love is that Wendy is only person other than Ford to show a consistent preference towards Dipper, not his sister.
Mabel has Candy and Grenda, her BFFs. Stan was happy to sacrifice himself to save them both but still tends to show a favouritism towards Mabel. Soos has his moments with Dipper, and while I like to think he loves and cares for both twins equally, one could reasonably argue he might like Dipper just that little bit more since they're Pterodactyl Bros and have more scenes together. But Wendy has consistently spent more time with and had more significant moments with Dipper. The Movie Nights, the scene on the log, working together at the Shack and at the pool, the time they spent together during Weirdmageddon, and who could forget the finale when they swap hats and she gives him the letter?
I could go on. In fact, I will. But not today.
So, let's start at the beginning. While I've seen some people suggest Dipper might have been interested in Wendy from the very first time they met, there's no evidence of this. Journal 3 reveals he originally thought her name was Wanda, so she probably didn't make too memorable of a first impression. And since his early interactions don't feature that nervous awkwardness that became commonplace after that moment on the roof in The Inconveniencing, I think it was only then that he started to see her as more than the teenager who worked at his great uncle's place.
But while Wendy was friendly to the twins, she was also a little hesitant to spend time with them outside of work. In fact, Dipper had to lie about their age just to convince her they could come along. However, after eventually admitting his real age and saving their lives at the cost of embarrassing himself in front of the girl he wants to impress, Dipper earns Wendy's trust and her respect. Now it doesn't matter that he's not a teen, she's perfectly happy to spend more time with him. Something Dipper is very keen to do.
However, The Inconveniencing also introduced a problem for Dipper in the form of Robbie Valentino: a tall, older, gothic teen with guitar and an attitude problem. Unfortunately, not only was Robbie immediately antagonistic towards the twins (Dipper especially since he was the one who pointed out his graffiti looked more like a muffin than an explosion) but he was quickly shown to also be interested in Wendy.
And thus the rivalry began.
I won't say too much about Robbie's actions. I have an essay planned for him too, and his…problems. I'd like to cover them in more detail there, as well as compare his arc to the show's other rivals and antagonists, Gideon and Pacifica. Let's just say that he wasn't a very good boyfriend. In fact, he was pretty terrible in general during season one, and came off as much worse than the writers likely intended.
And a probably unintended side effect of that was it made Dipper's relationship with Wendy look so much better in comparison.
To be clear, Dipper wasn't exactly a great catch. And I'm not just talking about him being a sweaty, unwashed, pre-teen. Even if that wasn't the case, Dipper had other issues that would have likely hindered a relationship with Wendy. He was petty, insecure, a little possessive, and sometimes he could be self-centred. But because he and Wendy were frequently put together in episodes with Robbie; who had all these problems but worse and more, it made Dipper look so much better than his rival.
And while both boys had similar flaws, Dipper usually managed to overcome his. In The Time Traveller's Pig, they're both trying to spend time with Wendy, but Robbie is rude to the twins beforehand, and Dipper eventually puts Mabel's feelings before his own. In Fight Fighters, they both try to spend time with her at the arcade, but Robbie purposefully makes Dipper jealous while ignoring his girlfriend. And later, he insults and threatens Dipper, first emotionally, then physically. And while Robbie was happy to challenge a pre-teen to a fight, Dipper was eventually willing to take a beating from a supernatural martial arts champion to protect Robbie. (Admittedly after Dipper unintentionally sent Rumble on him, but no way in hell would I take a beating for Robbie Valentino, regardless of the situation.) And in Summerween, Dipper tries to go to a party that Wendy invites him to, but Robbie again mocks him in front of her despite knowing about the crush.
Throughout all these episodes, Dipper shows he's definitely got problems and still has a bit of growing up to do. But these pale in comparison to Robbie and his many, many issues. In fact, in The Time Traveller's Pig when having to chose between a timeline where Mabel keeps Waddles, or one where Robbie dates Wendy, Dipper outright asks Mabel if she wants Wendy to date Robbie, and she hesitates. And the question isn't phrased in a way that's about his desires, it's about what's best for Wendy. It says something that not even Mabel thinks Robbie and Wendy would be a good couple.
And consciously or not, a lot of people would see how Robbie behaved and think that Wendy didn't deserve a boyfriend like that. And would be better off with someone who was nicer and more mature. Someone who actually cared for her and respected her.
Maybe someone like Dipper.
Because throughout these episodes, while we see the cracks start to form in Robbie and Wendy's relationship, we see Dipper and Wendy's start to grow. She goes from indifferently accepting his invitation to the fair, to being outright eager to spend time with him at the pool. They have fun at work and in their spare time. When Robbie insults Dipper in front of her, she's quick to come to Dipper's defence and once even hits Robbie for teasing him. At the same time we're seeing one bad relationship slowly get worse, we're seeing another become stronger.
Because despite his youth, Dipper tends to show a great deal of maturity. Not in that he doesn't have flaws or makes mistakes, but in that he usually learns from them. He often puts others before himself, even if it's at the expense of his own happiness. He's brave, and smart, and inquisitive, and kind. If they were the same age, there would be plenty of reasons why Wendy might be interested in Dipper.
But she's not. And occasional flights of fancy aside, Dipper isn't completely ignorant of how unrealistic his desires are. He all but admits it in The Deep End, when Mabel asks, "Don't you know what it's like to fall for someone? Even though you know in your heart that it'll probably never work out, but you'd do anything for that person?" It's obvious from the look on his face. One of pain and resignation because deep down he knows that Wendy doesn't return his feelings, and that as much as she enjoys spending time with him, it's only as a friend.
And while we see their friendship blossom over season one, and it becomes clear why Dipper would fall for her, we also see that Dipper isn't the only one with issues. Because while Dipper often puts her on a pedestal and in Dipper's and Mabel's Guide to Mystery and Nonstop Fun! even called her perfect, Wendy did have flaws.
For one thing, while she's older, I'd say Wendy's less mature. She doesn't grow or reflect on her actions the same way Dipper does. She's lazy, sometimes acts out, and can have quite the attitude problem. She's even a little bit manipulative at times. The prime example of this is in Boss Mabel, when she pressured Mabel repeatedly, including into paying Wendy to not to her job, despite Mabel being her friend and actually trying to make her happier at work. Yet Wendy still used Mabel's generosity and eagerness to please against her. And in Double Dipper, she was happy to leave Dipper to man the ticket stand all by himself so she could enjoy the party, something made only worse if you believe - like I do - that she was aware of the crush and used it to her advantage.
She's also not as invested in romance as Dipper seems to be. She has a long list of exes that she struggles to name or even remember, and when she realises she didn't actually break up with her last boyfriend - Mark Epston - she still continues to ignore his call moments later. It's a far cry from what Dipper would look for and likely need in a relationship. If someone treated him like that, it would be emotionally devastating.
It's also an example of Wendy's hypocrisy. She dumped Robbie for standing her up and for failing to communicate, yet she ghosts her most recent ex without a care. In both Into The Bunker and The Love God, she outright states she wishes Robbie would try and move on, yet becomes enraged when she finds out he's dating Tambry. And in Lost Legends, when trapped in one of the comic panels and avoiding several traps, Wendy declares it's a lot less funny when she's on the receiving end. Basically, she can dish it out, but can't always take it back.
Honestly, as much as he looks up to her and values her, and for all of the things she does for him, Wendy's far from the perfect girl Dipper thinks she is.
But that's to be expected. It doesn't matter that he was witness to most of these, he still likes her and tends to see her through rose-tinted goggles. Because crushes don't care about logic or reality, they are irrational and often frustrating. And sometimes they make you do stupid and selfish things.
Like what we saw in an episode that was very important Dipper and Wendy's relationship: Boyz Crazy. Here is where we see the downside of Dipper's affection. Sometimes treating Wendy as a prize or a goal instead of a person. He celebrates when Wendy dumps Robbie, despite her clearly being upset. And later, when he asks her to spend time with him immediately after she broke up with Robbie again, she's so hurt by Dipper's insensitivity that it drives her to tears and she lashes out at him for the first time.
Leaving Dipper to wonder if she'll ever forgive him. He knows he went too far and put himself before her. At the end of Fight Fighters, when their rivalry almost made Wendy angry at both of them, Dipper was the one who warned Robbie that their behaviour could result in both boys losing her. For once, it's a lesson Dipper failed to learn. And it came back to bite him in a way that hurt more than the beating he took from Rumble. For all his injuries, at least Dipper was happy at the end of that episode.
Now, I really enjoy these scenes. We see a vulnerability to Wendy that we haven't before. As tough as she is, and as good as she is at masking her feelings, she can still be hurt. It makes her a lot more fleshed out and proves she does care how others treat or see her, and that she has her limits. That she's a person with thoughts and feelings, not an object to be won. And it also has a huge impact on Dipper's interactions with her, lasting into the next season.
After their fight at Lookout Point, Dipper's crush is only mentioned in a couple of episodes in season one, and just in passing. He's still a bit awkward around her, and others tease him for it, but it's only used for the occasional joke at Dipper's expense, not the A or B plot. He's no longer trying to impress her the way he was. Because now he's realised just what losing her would cost him.
He's not scared the girl he likes will stop talking to him, he's sacred of something far worse.
Reading between the lines of the show and other material, including Tweets, interviews, and commentaries, it's clear that Dipper is a very lonely boy. It's a commonly held belief that Wendy and Soos aren't just Dipper's close friends, they're his only friends.
So it's not just how attractive he finds Wendy that's new to Dipper, it's their entire relationship. He's not a sociable person. He's awkward and obsessive, and people struggle to take him seriously. He's constantly trying to prove himself and yearning for respect and attention. And Wendy's one of the few people who gives him that. And his relationship with her is different from his friendship with Soos. Soos is a loveable, sweet, fun, innocent guy. It's less stressful, more relaxed. But now Dipper's already come close to messing everything with Wendy up once, and he doesn't know if she'd forgive him a second time.
And for all his wisdom, Dipper's shown time and time again that he doesn't know how romances really work. He's someone who struggles to talk to girls, let alone knows how to interact with them. He only has to go by what he's seen or heard, and Wendy's previous romantic relationships have not ended well. He doesn't expect her to return his feelings, but he's also worried that he'll become another Robbie or Mark Epston; someone she has no interest in seeing again.
In fact, he's so scared of losing her due to her being unable to accept his feelings, that he even put their lives at risk to avoid it.
Because in season two, the writers tried to end Wendip. They literally wrote 'kill the crush' as one of their goals in the writer's room, and made it the main purpose of the second episode. And it was a great episode to do it in. My personal favourite, in fact.
This episode opens with Dipper and Wendy having a movie night, revealing it's a regular thing for them and showing an activity they share just between them. A happy moment of casual friendship, without the drama of the supernatural, and it shows Dipper's reached a point where he can be be alone with Wendy without it necessarily being awkward or the part of an overly complex plan. Just two people enjoying each other's company.
But while he still has feelings for Wendy, but is too scared to let her know, especially since he's fully admitted to himself that she doesn't feel the same. But he doesn't think he can take that kind of rejection, so decides not to confess. He lies to Mabel (and probably himself) that he's over Wendy, and decides to dedicate his time to finding the Author. But Mabel, unsatisfied with his avoidance of the issue, tries to force him to come clean to Wendy, unintentionally putting their lives in danger.
And it's here we see just how terrified of being rejected Dipper is. Because given the choice to either tell Wendy how he feels, or risk being attacked by an alien creature, he chose the later. It's a bit funny and a bit sad that potential death is less frightening to Dipper than losing her as a friend.
But in the end, he had nothing to worry about. After Dipper blurts out his feelings and they defeat the Shapeshifter, Dipper and Wendy have a heart to heart in what is perhaps my favourite scene of the entire show.
Wendy admits that she's always known about his crush, something he didn't see coming. And she also tells him that she's too old for him, something he did know, even if it didn't change how he felt. But as anxious and scared as he feels now that the truth is out, she's quick to comfort him. She tells him it doesn't matter and she confirms just how much he means to her, even saying that her life was far less interesting before he came, and that she has more fun with him than almost anyone.
It's a beautiful scene and I've heard it's been an important lesson for others who want to turn someone down without hurting them. And I can see why. Because while Wendy makes it clear they can't be a couple, the way she does it is so tactful and respectful. She doesn't dismiss or make light of his feelings. She says she's too old for him, so it doesn't sound like the issue lies with Dipper. She asks him how he feels and doesn't judge him for it. Then she tells him just how important he really is to her, and tells him that won't change, even if it might be a little awkward at first. Finally, as she leaves, she promises another move night, confirming that, yes, they are still friends. And as sad as that is for Dipper in the moment, it offers him some comfort, because their friendship is what really matters, even if it hurts right now.
And so, that was it. In the best Better As Friends moment I've seen even to this day, they managed to achieve their mission and 'kill the crush'. Wendip was officially sunk.
…For about eleven episodes.
Less if you count Bill in Dipper's body having the hots for Wendy.
But either way, despite dedicating the second episode of the season to finally ending that particular subplot, they brought it back. Much to the joy of Wendippers, the frustration of those who dislike the ship, and the confusion of people on both sides and in-between. And Hirsch and the writers have no one to blame but themselves.
Now, before that happened, the episode Northwest Manor Mystery aired, during which Dipper and Pacifica famously hug. To many - myself included the first time I saw it - this was further confirmation that the crush was over. Wendip was dead. Dipper had a new love interest and would move on.
That didn't happen. In fact, Pacifica and Dipper never exchange a single sentence after that. They just occasionally talk in a room the other happens to be in. Meanwhile, after half a season of no Wendip references at all, not only did it reappear, but it once again became a vital part of Dipper's character, and was even referenced in key scenes of the Weirdmageddon trilogy, the show's epic finale.
It's return began in Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons, when Dipper is so desperate to play his favourite game that he has to resort to having Gompers the goat be a second player. Something so depressing, Dipper wonders if he should give up and go back to obsessing over Wendy. It's just a one-off comment, said in past-tense and meant as a joke but it's enough. Because the crush has been mentioned. It's back in the fan's minds. And we are going to get so much more.
In The Last Mabelcorn, when Project Mentem is scanning his mind, among the loudest of the many thoughts that the machine picks up - and the one he's most embarrassed about despite Disco Girl being sung a moment ago in front of his hero, the Author - is "Wendy! Wendy! Wendy! Wendy! Wendy!" Meanwhile, in the background - thankfully silently - it's showing that Dipper is also thinking of Wendy in her bathing suit and, uh, wondering if crossing his legs will help hide something.
Look, he's twelve and it happens. Don't judge him, okay?
But it does highlight an important point: just because he might have accepted and even spoken to Wendy about the nature of their relationship, that doesn't mean he can suddenly get over her. He's a kid going through puberty and she's an attractive older redhead. She's probably his first crush, and maybe even the first girl to ever really talk to him. More than that, she's someone who cares about him, and whom he cares for too, even if it's not entirely in the same way. It's no wonder he's having trouble moving on.
And it's not without trying, either. The main plot of Roadside Attraction is about Dipper still struggling with feelings for Wendy and trying to move on by talking to other girls. And while the episodes ends with Dipper feeling satisfied that he managed to go a whole day without thinking about Wendy, that won't last long.
Because a recurring theme of the Wendip arc is that emotions are difficult and complicated. As Dipper rightly points out during Roadside's cold open, "I know she's not interested and I know it's over, but how do you just turn off the way you feel about someone?" And for all the issues I have with that episode (and there are many), that's a line that's stuck with me, and one of the few things I like about it.
You can't suddenly stop caring about someone, even if you know it would make your life so much easier. I know that first hand.
I continued to have feelings for a woman years after we stopped seeing each other. And that was toxic, miserable relationship. Ending it was one of the smartest and best decisions of my entire life. But I couldn't completely get over how she made me feel, and it wasn't all about the bad times. Even now, I sometimes think of the better moments we shared and I yearn for something similar. And I'm an adult. Dipper's a twelve year old boy who's likely dealing with new feelings and desires made only worse by hormones. No wonder he struggles to move on.
And despite what the ending of Roadside implies, he does continue to struggle. Not only that, but we see the full extent of his feelings during Weirdmageddon. In the first episode, he looks sadly at Wendy when he passes on the most important lesson of the summer to his foe: "You can't force someone to love you. The best you can do is strive to be someone worthy of loving."
Despite everything he's said and done, he still cares. He still wishes she felt the same back. There's a part of him that hopes that one day, if he's lucky and he works hard enough, she'll return his feelings. See him as a man she could love instead of the boy she turned down.
In fact, in the following episode, this is shown to be his greatest desire: a Wendy who encourages him to grow up fast so they can be together. While I think that the chance to grow up immediately is as big a temptation as the chance to be with Wendy, there's no denying that she's still a significant portion of it. In a land that grants your every fantasy before you even think about it, Wendy is almost literally the girl of his dreams, the one who almost made him forget the outside world just so he could be with her.
But reject her he does. One last time. And, to some, that was the final step in Dipper's path. This time, he was the one who turned her down, so now he's completed his journey. That he no longer has an impossible crush on an impossible girl.
Others see it as proof of just how committed he is to her, how strong those feelings are. It just proves how impressive he really is to reject such a temptation, and is further evidence that he really is someone worthy of loving.
Personally, I don't think rejecting Fake Wendy was the true end of his crush. That it was a testament to Dipper's willpower and dedication to doing the right thing, not the magic bullet that made him suddenly stop having feelings for her. Partially because I don't consider that to be very satisfying but also because he's supposedly gotten over her several times already and clearly hasn't. So why should I believe this time is any different?
Either way, the show ends with them in a good place: a strong bond has formed between them and that's just as, if not more important than a romance. They're happy. They're not together but they've still got each other. And with a final farewell, an exchange of hats to symbolise their close friendship, and a letter with signatures from several of the people he's impacted over the summer, Wendy shows Dipper just how important he is and how much he'll be missed.
Regardless of shipping, I love this pair. They make me happy.
But I get why some people don't want to see them together.
First, there's the age difference. Probably the most cited problem people have with the ship, made worse by an art style that makes the twins look about eight while Wendy could be in her twenties. But either way, Wendy's too old for Dipper. She says so herself. And I agree. I know that if I had a sixteen-year old kid, I wouldn't want them dating a thirteen-year old. And I'd be even more concerned if I had a thirteen-year old kid dating a sixteen-year old.
But there seems to be a common misconception among some people that Wendip has to happen the next year. And while some shippers would like to see them together then, I'd say most Wendippers like to give them some time before they start dating. To wait until he's an adult and the age difference of only two-three years won't matter, then Dipper's feelings could resurface and Wendy might see him in a new light.
Because feelings change and people grow. We literally see how Dipper and Wendy start as little more than acquaintances but end up as something so much more. Why wouldn't they continue to get closer? What's to stop those feeling becoming romantic for both of them? And considering it's the same age as difference as Aang and Katara, and less than Ferb and Vanessa, it's not hard to see them get together one day. In fact it's less than the age difference between my own parents, and while they've been together for forty years, Dipper and Wendy get on a LOT better than they do. Besides, it's Gravity Falls. Stranger things happen literally every day.
In fact, I used to work with a woman who told me about her son. That when he was fourteen, he developed a crush on their neighbour, a seventeen-year old girl. His feelings were clear, but she gently turned him down because he was too young for her. But they remained good friends, becoming very close. Yet even when she started dating and had other relationships, his feelings never quite went away. So when he was eighteen, he tried asking her out and, despite some reservations, she decided to give him a chance.
Now they're married with a child. Wendip in real life. And while their story isn't common, it's hardly unique. And if it can happen in reality, who's to say it can't happen in Gravity Falls?
Especially since it's a multiverse. Because when I see people say that Wendip is unrealistic or somehow impossible, it just boggles my mind. It's a town where golf balls wage war against each other, a two hundred-year old man preserved himself in peanut brittle, a team of aliens somehow fit into human society despite not bothering to build the right side of their infiltration robot, and a giant baby controls time. The show literally has a main character who spent thirty years travelling through other dimensions, including one where dinosaurs have business meetings, another where the whole of Earth's population consists of babies, and one where M shaped people live in M shaped houses that they clean with M shaped Hoovers, while speaking in a language who's entire alphabet consists of the letter M.
If you can accept the M dimension but think eventual Wendip is too far then I genuinely don't know what to say to you.
But the argument I can relate to the most is from those who see it as hampering Dipper's character development. That Wendip never happening was meant to be an important lesson about the complexities of romance, that you can't get everything you want, that some people aren't suited to each other, or that no matter how hard you try they might never return your feelings. It's a great message! One I fully support! I wish we could see it more often!
Because it's one the writers of Gravity Falls failed to deliver.
They almost did. They came this close with Into the Bunker. It definitely wasn't without trying. But when that could have been the end of Wendip, and perhaps the only thing that could have made my favourite episode even better…they brought it back.
As a fan of the classic Universal Monster Movies, and Hammer Production horrors, I've seen a lot of films featuring Frankenstein's Monster. Almost always, Frankenstein, or a descendent, or someone inspired by him, would build the Monster or resurrect it, realise their mistake, and try to destroy it…until the next film where it all starts again. Even when I was a child in my single digits, I caught on to the repetition and grew frustrated with their failure to commit and learn from the past mistakes.
Wendip is Hirsch's Frankenstein's Monster.
As much as he's done to stop it, and for everything he's said against it, he's the one responsible for bringing it back. And not just once. He specifically asked Mat Braly to write the ending of Into the Bunker in a way that should have closed it for good. Then came NWMM, which gave Dipper a potential new love interest, one his own age. Instead, Dipper's goes right back to thinking about Wendy and he never mentions Pacifica in the show again. So they wrote Roadside Attraction, an entire episode about Dipper supposedly moving on, only for Wendip to be referenced again only two episodes later, and not as gags, but as pivotal moments of the story. Even with the release of The Book of Bill, almost ten years later, practically all of Wendy's mentions are tied to Wendip.
For whatever reason, despite what he says, Alex Hirsch cannot let Wendip die and is the main reason it continues to this day. So you can't criticise the shippers or accuse it of being sunk when the the show's own creator decided to squander three opportunities to end it for good and keeps adding fuel to the fire while telling people it should have went out years ago.
In fact, is it any wonder it persists? Three times it should have ended, only to return arguably stronger. So what if it the feelings were one-sided? That had always been the case, why would that stop people shipping them if it hadn't before? In fact, now he had more important scenes with her, and was more relaxed and casual around her. If anything, they seemed closer after it.
Look, moving on and accepting that things don't always work out how you want is a great lesson. But it's a lesson Dipper can still learn, and still end up with Wendy years later. Sometimes you have to stop looking before you find something. Or someone. Dipper and Wendy do get closer after the crush is revealed. Their interactions are less awkward, he causes less trouble, and he's more calm around her despite still obviously attracted to her. While she might never have been interested in the awkward kid constantly trying to get her attention and whispers under his breath, maybe one day she could fall for the man who makes her smile and laugh and doesn't try to impress her.
So, do I think Wendy has romantic feelings for Dipper? No. Do I think they should get together in the next year or two? No. Do I think they could eventually become a couple? Eh. Sure. Why not?
Stranger things have happened. In our world, let alone in one as weird and wonderful as Gravity Falls. It's no wonder some people seriously believe that, one day, it could work out for them. That the friendship might blossom into something else.
People like Jason Ritter.
That's right. The voice actor of Dipper Pines, a huge Gravity Falls fan in his own right, and the man who even Alex Hirsch has said has become more like Dipper than he has…likes Wendip. I'm not surprised considering some of his comments, his tweets, and what he said during the commentaries. But the clincher was when he was outright asked if Dipper would marry Pacifica, and part of his answer was, "I don't know. It's a big wide world out there. And there's also a part of me that thinks while twelve and thirteen are worlds apart...I'd say twenty-five, twenty-seven/twenty-eight…not so different. Maybe Wendy? Yeah, it's just, you know, I'm just throwing it out there. That it's not impossible that maybe one day, Dipper, Wendy…"
So Wendippers of the world rejoice! Even ten years later, Dipper still thinks about Wendy!
But all joking aside, why wouldn't some people like to see them together one day? They're good friends, they have great chemistry, and there's a lot for a romance to build on. Friends To Lovers is a common trope for a reason. And for all the hate Wendip sometimes gets, it's not the worst or the weirdest ship out there. It definitely has several advantages that makes it a believable. In fact, it's the one with the most interaction between the characters, so it's easy to see how a romance would work out between them.
We've already seen Dipper mature over the course of the show. He's repeatedly shown that he learned the lesson that he installed on Gideon: that you can't force someone to love you, but you should try to be someone worthy of loving. He's proved that he can become a better person, someone that tries to change, especially for the people he loves.
And, for all her flaws and lack of character development, we even see that in Wendy too. She gets closer to Dipper over the summer. At first hesitant to hang out with him due to his age, or indifferent about doing activities with him, she soon becomes eager to spend time with him, and invites him to parties and festivals. She defends and protects him, and supports him throughout. On the log outside the Bunker, and on the roof when the world is ending, Wendy helps Dipper he's at his lowest and encourages him to do his best.
And while she clearly doesn't have much of a stock in romance, and tends to forget and ignore her exes as if they mean nothing to her - to the point of forgetting to actually break up with them - it's pretty clear she wouldn't do that to Dipper.
There's even evidence of this in the show itself: at the end of Boyz Crazy, both boys hurt her. But she only forgave one of them. Admittedly, she already had issues with Robbie prior to this, and Dipper was clearly remorseful for what his actions did to her but the point still stands. Even when she was dating Robbie, she had a fondness for Dipper, and eventually, in a certain way, ended up caring about him more than her boyfriend.
Dipper and Wendy would definitely have issues they have to overcome. But Wendippers believe they are capable of doing so. And I agree with them. They mean too much to each other to not at least try and fix them. Dipper might be more of a romantic than Wendy, but she still cares enough to treat him better than most boys she's dated. She wouldn't dump him without a care, she'd certainly never forget him. They'd talk through any problems they might have, like they did when it came to events like Boys Crazy, Into The Bunker, and during the Weirdmageddon trilogy.
So no wonder Wendip prevails. It was there from near the start of the show to the finale. It's referenced in most of the extra materials and is even (in a way) the possible result in the Curse of the Time Pirates' Treasure!: Select Your Own Choose-Venture book, and one of the happier endings to boot.
But the ship itself is not the reason I have so much fondness for Wendip. It's because of the shippers.
A a Wendy fan, I am beyond frustrated with her continued lack of development. Of seeing her being used as either a joke or a plot, and that's when she's remembered at all. In fact, I think that's the reason why Hirsch can't let Wendip die: he's failed to learn the lesson that Dipper was supposed to; that she's her own person and her life should not revolve around Dipper and his feelings for her. And yet, ironically, the Wendippers - the people that he's argued against, and who others say are the ones who failed to learn the lesson the show was trying to teach - have been the ones to make her her own person.
They've built up on the hints and tidbits seen in the show and other material. They made her a character. To Wendippers, Wendy is more than Dipper's crush. She's his best friend, his confidante, his fellow adventurer. More than that, she's her own person with a life outside of his. A sole girl from a family of boys, a big sister and an only daughter. A friend and a prankster, a teen struggling through life, and a hero who helped take down a multiversal threat. She has dreams and wants and fears and insecurities. She's a fully developed character.
Do I wish there had been more stories about Wendy that didn't feature the crush, and focused on Dipper and Wendy's friendship without needing to turn it romantic? Yes. Definitely. Absolutely. But while there are some out there - and some of them are fantastic, let me say - there's not as much as I think there should be. So Wendip filled the Wendy shaped hole I had left over when i finished the show.
And I cannot express how grateful I am to the Wendip community for doing that for her.
Writing these essays has made me realise something: as much as I loved Gravity Falls from watching it and reading Journal 3, it was the fandom that really made this one of my favourite shows. They kept the story going and gave the characters the attention they deserved. In the same way that I wouldn't have started to like Pacifica if Dipcifica fans hadn't given her the development she needed after NWMM, my love for Wendy wouldn't have soared to its current heights if the Wendippers hadn't given her the attention she deserves.
Wendip continues to endure.
And I hope it lasts forever considering everything they've done for her.
@localcelestialcreature62
