The Untapped Potential of Wendy Corduroy
A couple of years ago, I posted an small essay - more of a vent - about Wendy Corduroy and my disappointment and suspicions regarding how little attention she's received and the way she's been written. My opinions on some things have changed since then, but overall I stand by what I said. But at the end I also said I would follow it up soon with a guide on how to write Wendy.
That was over two years ago and I never did it. Why not? Lots of reasons.
It became a much bigger job than anticipated and events kept happening and have continued to happen that disrupts my writing process. I was also scared I couldn't do her justice or would just write about my own interpretation of Wendy. And I absolutely hate it when others try to force characters into their own mindset or act like they have an complete understanding of characters when I don't believe their creators have that that level of control, let alone a simple fan. I was also worried because Wendy was what got me into reading and eventually writing fanfiction, and my waning interest and growing frustration with certain aspects of Gravity Falls has left me feeling a little empty in recent years. And it's scary to put your feelings about a character you love so much out there, especially if you wonder if you're really as good as some people say you are, or know that some people will ignore everything you say anyway, leaving your efforts feeling like a waste.
That and I'm lazy bugger and a notorious procrastinator.
But there comes a time when you have to grit your teeth and dig down deep, forcing yourself to put yourself out there and do what you promised, even if it's too late and you don't want to. So, here it is. My special guide for helping people write Wendy Corduroy:
Have her say "dude" a lot.
Huh, that was easy. Don't know what took me so long.
But in all seriousness, I'm still hesitant to write a proper Wendy writing guide. While I've been told repeatedly - and now even believe - that I'm great at writing Wendy, it was something that took a lot of time and effort, and I made many mistakes along the way.
And what even makes someone a good character writer? I'd say they have to understand and accept the character for all their pros and cons, and is willing listen to several opinions or interpretations while they do their research, even if they conflict with what you believe.
Which is a bit harder to do for Wendy considering she receives less attention than the rest of the main cast, and is the only member of the main cast to not have her own episode. Which means a big part of why some people struggle to write her is because they don't know as much about her as I do. Understandable. Most people aren't the Wendy super-fan I am. They aren't as passionate about her, haven't poured over everything they could find no matter how inconsequential, or spent hours upon hours coming through episodes, videos, commentaries, fanfics, conversations, videos, essays, etc.
So, instead of telling people how to write Wendy, maybe I should start by going over what we know about her. Offer different opinions and suggestions, see which ones you like or don't. And maybe, just maybe, you'll be encouraged to try giving her a little attention yourself. Or at least seek out those of us that have decided she's worth getting more attention.
Wether it's a fanfic, fanart, a post, or something else, it's always nice to let a someone know that you appreciate them for doing something for her. Take it from me, it can be hard to be a Wendy fan. So a repost, like, kudos, comment, or a simple thumbs up emoji can go a long way to making that struggle a little easier. And lets us know that someone is glad we're fighting for her.
So where to begin talking about Wendy? How about her family.
Wendy's family has lived in Gravity Falls for generations, since at least the 1800s and possibly since it's founding by Trembley. In fact, her ancestor was part of the team that built Northwest Manor. So the Corduroys are a part of the town's history even if they don't get much attention for it. But as lumberjacks and builders, it's likely they helped clear the valley of trees and made space for the residents and buildings that would become the town itself. If this is true, it means the Corduroys literally helped build Gravity Falls. And may have participated in or at least been aware of the Northwest Cover-up that rewrote history so that Nathaniel Northwest was painted as the town's founder, not Trembly.
But they were definitely involved in another piece of Gravity Falls history: the Great Flood of 1863. This happened when Nathaniel broke his promise to the lumberjacks who built the Manor and let them drown rather than attend the party, leading to the death of many. Including Wendy's ancestor, Archibald Corduroy, who would later return to haunt the Northwests as a vengeful spirit. But that's not the only connection between Corduroys and the undead. In fact, it seems to be a recurring theme among the family.
Archibald wasn't the only one to rise again after dying in the flood, though the others did so in a different form. Several others, likely including his friends and perhaps family who died with him became zombies, and dragged themselves out of their graves. Every month they rise, biting and infecting others so their numbers have grown over the centuries. These are the same zombies that Dipper summoned in Scary-oke, and this monthly awakening is how so many attacked that Shack that night. Ford feared in Journal 3 that their numbers would eventually make them unstoppable until he discovered their weakness to three part harmonies, otherwise there would likely have been even more.
And long before Wendy was born, let alone had her own encounter in the Dusk 2 Dawn, her family had been haunted by ghosts, and even had to give up living in a remote cabin in the woods that Ford described as 'majestic'. Generations later, a younger Dan would warn Ford about staying there, and for good reason considering he was haunted by so many. Then again, Ford did perform a seance that accidentally summoned more of them, so maybe the Corduroys didn't suffer as much as he did before they chose to move out.
(Seriously, what is it with Ford and accidentally summoning dangerous beings? You'd think he'd learn at some point!)
Anyway, Wendy never encountered Archibald's ghost, so it's unknown what they would think of each other. She might think it's cool to have a vengeful spirit as an ancestor, or she might be very critical considering he turned Dipper and Mabel into wood over a vendetta with people long dead. Or maybe her previous interactions with ghosts have left her a bit wary of any further interactions with any form of spectre, relative or not.
In truth, we barely see Wendy interact with her living family, let alone dead ones. So we have to take a deeper look at what little there is to see how they might influence her.
WENDY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HER FATHER
Wendy is the oldest child and only daughter of local lumberjack 'Manly' Dan Corduroy. Her brothers, from oldest to youngest, are Marcus, Kevin, and Gus. Her mother is a mystery that has yet to and likely never will be explored in canon. The scenes she shares with her dad and brothers are almost always in the background. Seeing them at the Mystery Fair, going camping with them, eating breakfast with her father in Greasy's Diner, etc. By Wendy's own admission she is stressed out constantly and lays most of the blame on her family. And though we almost never see them interacting directly, it's not hard to see why.
Of all her family, Dan is the one we see the most. And he's not a very calm person.
His standard voice level is 'shout', he has a perpetual scowl that's visible even under his impressive beard, and almost every scene he's in involves him destroying something, usually with bare hands that are capable of ripping a mailbox in half. He's a one-man wrecking crew who lashes out at the slightest provocation. In fact, he doesn't even need to be angry to break things since his massive frame is a bit too big for his own home, and he frequently breaks things just by walking inside. Which leads to frequent repairs that Wendy describes as "cleaning up after my Dad." So it's not hard to see why she finds living with him stressful.
But despite all that, they do seem to care about each other and even spend time together outside of home. They go camping as a family, and in one scene she's even having breakfast with him at Greasy's. And in those scenes, Wendy isn't shown to be unhappy. She doesn't complain about going camping, just mentions it casually as if it's something they do every now and then. And if she doesn't complain too much about spending at least a night out with only them for company in the woods, it shows she can't have issues with them all of the time. And she's even shown to be smiling at her dad as he wolfs down his breakfast. So while there's clearly some tension, that's not all there is to their relationship.
But while we never directly see what issues Wendy has with her family in the show, it was explored a bit in at least two cancelled story lines. The most well known of these is the one where Stan and Wendy team up to steal a jewel from the Gravity Falls Museum after he is impressed by her ability to shoplift from the Shack. Which she only started doing as a way of acting out against her dad, whom she had an argument with earlier.
Dan was unhappy with the company she keeps and the trouble she gets into. Which is understandable. Wendy and her friends aren't just prankster, they're lawbreakers. Her friends are often seen spray-painting buildings around town, they break into a convenience store and cause havoc for fun, and once even stole a cop car. It's no wonder Dan doesn't like them, or want her associating with them.
He thinks she should put her talent and energy into something more practical and less problematic. And although that story never aired and there didn't seem to be a concrete conclusion on what Wendy eventually decided to do instead of continue her life of crime, I think it does say something that Dan wanted her to do more with her life. No parent wants their child to go down a bad path, or see them fail to reach their potential. Maybe he went about it the wrong way, but Dan had good intentions when he was criticising Wendy and wanted what was best for her. It's not an uncommon argument between parent and child, especially when one's a teen.
But another, lesser known Wendy story was an un-produced episode called Wendy's On the Road. It begins with a flashback that shows us what Dan and Wendy's relationship used to be like when she was younger. Talented at chopping tress from an early age, Dan was proud of young Wendy. He called her 'Axe Child' and ran around with her on his shoulders, laughing and playing with her. A warm happy relationship between father and daughter. Cut to the summer of 2012 and Wendy getting in trouble for playing a prank on a convenience store. This leads to an argument with Dan who criticises her for her behaviour. Wendy decides she's had enough and, inspired by a book, joins the twins and others for a road trip to get away from her family for a while.
Of course, it being Gravity falls, supernatural shenanigans occur. But along the way, Wendy hears her friends discussing their relationships with their families and it makes her reflect on how things used to be with her Dad. And unlike the more famous story involving her and Stan, this one had a conclusion that shows how Wendy is changed by then end of it. She eventually goes home to greet her moody father, offering to help him cut trees. And again, just like it used to be, Wendy shows her talent and Dan is shown to be proud of her; calling her Axe Child again and they enjoy each other's company just like they used to when she was little.
As fun as the Stan-Wendy team up episode might have been, this is the Wendy story I wish we'd gotten. We see more details into how Dan and Wendy's relationship is and how it used to be, and how it could be again. We see why Dan is frustrated with her and why she's frustrated with him and why things can be tense between them. But also that the love is still there, and there is hope that, if they're both willing to reach out, they can be happy with each other again.
Because Wendy and Dan also have a lot more in common than people think. This is somewhat addressed in their fight at the start of Wendy's On the Road, where Dan criticises her for being spontaneous and Wendy retorts that he's the most spontaneous person she knows. But there are other moments. Both are seen eating frequently, even if Wendy seems to be more of a constant snacker than her hefty meal devourer like her father, and both love their flannel, their axes, and display incredible physical abilities. Dan is the largest man in town, and at fifteen Wendy is described as "being as tall as a full-grown woman," yet might not have reached her full height quite yet.
And while Wendy doesn't quite have her father's superhuman strength, she's still far stronger than a normal teen girl, capable of consecutively beating Stan at arm wrestling; no mean feat considering his impressive strength despite his age. She also beats her brothers at it every time they have a disagreement at home and it says something that not even the burly Marcus can best her, despite both sharing the 'freaky lumberjack genes' that is quoted as being the source of the family's incredible stature and brawn. And even without her strength, she shows impressive agility; excelling at Lumberjack games when she was younger, capable of jumping from tree to tree when descending from the roof of the Shack, disabling Ghost-Eyes with ease, and jumping on an Eye-Bat and even using it to harm a Henchmaniac before leaping from it and through a window into the relative safety of the Shacktron.
But they share each other's flaws too. Despite her supposedly laid-back personality, Wendy can also get aggressive when frustrated. We see this when she pulls at her own hair after hearing Tambry was dating Robbie and refusing to go to the Woodstick Festival with any of her friends just because she was angry at one of them, or when she pushes Tambry off her bike when they were kids, or when she punched a tree during her angry speech in The Last Mabelcorn, a very Dan-like thing to do.
There was also that time she threw Soos' CD out the window. And all because she was sick of hearing his favourite song. Ironically, this is exactly what Dan did to her in the 3DS game, Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets. Now, while this game isn't canon it does have some interesting trivia and extra information. It's in this game that Stan told the story of being there for Dipper and Mabel's birth, how Mabel punched the doctor and how worried they were when Dipper came out struggling to breathe from the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, and Stan wouldn't let them go, not even so Shermie could hold them. And if these can be accepted as canon by most of the fanbase, why not other minor lore drops from the game?
Wendy's side quest is for the twins to collect all of her cassette tapes after her father got so tired of listening to her awful music (an opinion Dipper might share since one of his unused internet searches in a prototype page for The Book of Bill was about the girl you liked having terrible taste in music) that he threw them out the window, scattering them all over the game levels. And another interesting little piece of trivia that shows Dan and Wendy have more in common than most think lies in her list of songs, which are mainly indie and alternative rock.
I'm not a music person so I’ll leave it up to more knowledgeable or at least creative people to decide what these might sound like or if they could be parodies of specific bands, artists, or songs. But the list Wendy gives the twins after they complete her mission is:
Splinter in My Soul by Woodgrain on Everything.
My Heart Is Like a Scarf by Scarves Indoors.
Avoid Eye Contact by Bad 1st Impressions.
Dawg, You’re My Dawg, Dawg by Lil Big Dawg. (I guess she doesn’t hate all his songs.)
Lumber Jack Girl by Flannel Animals.
AND…Cray Cray by Sev’ral Timez.
Yes, the clone boy band that she criticises in Boyz Crazy as being "a manufactured product of the bloated corporate music industry." The same one that her father is a huge fan of. Though Dan is very open about his love for the band, while an embarrassed Wendy asks the twins to pretend they never heard it being mentioned among her other songs.
And in one blink and you'll miss it scene of Dan building the Shack in A Tale of Two Stans, you can see Dan wearing the hat that Wendy wears so often. There's no evidence this is exactly the same hat, and even if it is, whatever emotional significance you want to put on this is up to you. But iconic hats are often depicted as also being important to their characters, and almost all of the main cast have a distinctive piece of headgear associated with them. And this is also the same hat that she swapped with Dipper at the end of the series, a gesture that was supposed to represent their continuing and close friendship. So I like to think it's sweet that, despite their issues, Wendy still caries around her dad's old hat. And that he passed it on to her and not one of her brothers.
Speaking of her brothers, Wendy's relationship with them isn't as clear. They obviously stress her out too since she mentions that her whole family and not just Dan when she admits she's not laid-back. Unfortunately, it's harder to discuss them because they barely feature in the show. We didn't even find out their names until after the show finished and fans got to see some behind-the-scenes material. So the only time Wendy interacts with them directly is during the group photo in Mabel's Guide to Colour (where the Corduroys say it's flannel, despite flannel being a type of fabric and not a colour) and the group hug when they're reunited after being rescued from Bill's throne. But from what we do see of them, they take after their father, although it's up to the viewer to decide to what extent.
In fact, almost every scene the Corduroy Boys are in features their father. So it might be that Dan is closer to his sons than his daughter, at least since he and Wendy started drifting apart. And their shared tendency for violence and destruction might make it easier for them all to get along. Because the brothers are never shown far from each other, despite being three separate ages and Marcus looking like he might be a teen too. (Although it's hard to guess ages from the designs of the normal cast, let alone the Corduroy family.) Either way, they're always together, whether at home or not.
They play games, go camping, join their father fishing, and cheer him on when he teaches them to "fish like a man", i.e. grab the fish from the water and punch it to death. Dan also doesn't give them too much trouble for cutting down a tree that falls on and destroys a nearby building and is more upset that they're interrupting him while he's on camera, but that could be because he hasn't noticed yet. He also protectively wraps his arms around them when Bill descends on the town. So it could be argued that Dan shows more affection towards his sons than his daughter. At least, that's what we see without the context of the unproduced episodes.
Or it might be that he just finds it easier to relate to his boys, especially if they're younger and haven't quite entered the rebellious teen phase that Wendy has. Which could be the case since she said she thought Dipper at twelve was too old for Trick or Treat, yet all three of her brothers join their father in going door to door, dressed as Vikings and a Valkyrie, respectively.
Which I find quite an interesting costume for Dan to choose. His nickname is 'Manly', he can overload a Manliness Tester with a nudge from his little finger, he acts out violently at the slightest thing, and is adamant that he wouldn't wield a left-handed axe because he thinks it's too girly…and yet he dressed as a woman when he took his boys out for Summerween, openly loves a boy band genetically engineered to appeal to as many girls as possible, and seems to be best friends with Tyler Cutebiker, who is as masculine as his surname implies. If it wasn't for those last couple of things, I would have said that Dan's overabundance of testosterone reeks of insecurity. But maybe the man just knows what he likes?
Then again, if his original nickname was 'Boyish' Dan, maybe he doesn't want people to forget that he's changed since then. And if he can wrestle a bear with his own hands and was willing to run a car off the road just because a little girl criticised his favourite band, who's going to comment about it?
So there's a few ways to think about Wendy's relationship with her family. Yes, they stress her out. But the how and to what extent is left open, especially if you disregard the dropped story lines.
Some people think that Wendy has become the 'mother' of her family, taking on the role of doing the majority of the housework since stereotypically 'manly' men might shirk those responsibilities or see them as 'women's work'. And that this is a big part of why Wendy is so stressed around them and spends so little time with her family. But at the same time, there's so little interaction between them that there's not much to support this theory either. And from what little we've seen of the Corduroy family, I'd say that there's still plenty to get stressed out about without adding chores to the mix. So you can go either way.
Personally, I lean towards Wendy not being forced into doing the housework. I don't doubt the Corduroy cabin is a messy place, especially if Dan's mere movement can break rafters. But I don't think he's that bad of a parent. Especially since he's a survivalist since a big part of that is organisation, sanitation, preparation, and independence. And he's clearly taught his children well considering how easily Wendy takes charge in Scary-oke when she mistakes the zombie attack for an earthquake, and how well she handled herself during Weirdmageddon, outlasting the rest of her family.
And if he's so committed to it that he takes his children Apocalypse Training instead of celebrating Christmas with them, it would be vital that all of his kids how to prepare, cook, clean, and not leave it up to others to do the work for them, least of all the only woman in the group. Besides, while they're not canon, I admire the lost episodes for what they tried to do for Wendy and Dan's relationship, and showing that they do care about each other, even if they don't get along.
But I also don't personally see Wendy embracing the role of 'mother'. 'Big Sister', sure. We see that all the time in her interactions with Dipper and Mabel. But considering the state of her room and how lazy she is, I can't see her cleaning up after her whole family. I mean, she didn't bother taking her picking her underwear off the bed, despite knowing she and Dipper were going to use it for Movie Night. Maybe she'd put int the effort at times when it's needed, like after Dan's destroyed the roof, but even that I would see as a family chore. So while I can believe her ordering her brothers to clean up after themselves, or maybe making the most effort to repair the cabin, I don't see it as a role she was pressured into.
Look, I'm an older brother. The oldest of all my cousins on one side of the family, in fact. Which means you're expected to take responsibility for your younger relatives and sometimes that means doing things you don't want to do, or trying to help or instruct people who ignore you. And that's tough and frustrating and sometimes isn't fair. But that's just the way families are sometimes. Sometimes you have to be the responsible one, even if you don't want to be.
Besides, Wendy isn't shown to have any significant resentment towards her family. Yes, they argue, and even cause her so much grief that it's her final confession before she thinks she's going to get her mind wiped in Society of the Blind Eye, but there are also a couple of times where she's seen with them and doesn't complain about it. She's even been shown to have fun with them. She's smiling in the scenes where they've been camping, or having a family photo, or having breakfast with her dad. She might not always like them, but that doesn't mean she resents them.
But it is likely that her home life has had a huge impact on the rest of her life. Wendy is the one who spends the least time with any of her relatives and talks about them less than any other character. That's likely both due to and a cause of some tension between them. And in Dipper's and Mabel's Guide to Mystery and Nonstop Fun! a code reveals she wishes to leave Gravity Falls and move to Portland. In fact, in the 3DS game she goes so far as to ask Dipper and Mabel to throw her in the Bottomless Pit if she's still in town by the time she's twenty-five. So maybe she does want to leave her family behind; get away from her rowdy brothers and her thunderous father. But chances are there's more to it than that. After all, she's not the first small town girl who's wanted to move to the big city.
She might want to leave because - thanks to the Blind Eye Society - she doesn't remember any of the excitement or weirdness she encountered before the Summer of 2012 and thinks Gravity Falls is just a boring town with nothing to do. Maybe she has dreams but Gravity Falls doesn't have what she needs to achieve them. Maybe she wants to further educate herself, or explore the world a bit. Try something new, and Oregon's as good a place as any to start. See what city life is like, or just get out and start somewhere fresh. There's plenty of reasons why people leave their homes, and one is as good as any if you decide to write Wendy.
To be honest…I never quite got into the idea of Wendy wanting to leave. At least, not permanently, or going too far. I can understand it before Dipper and Mabel came along, when she thought she could achieve so much more outside of it. But that was back when she probably thought it was a boring town with nothing interesting to do, where she and her friends had to create their own excitement, even if it got them into trouble.
However, Dipper and Mabel showed her that there was so much more to it. In one summer, she encountered ghosts, an alien, an eldritch entity, and survived an inter-dimensional invasion. That showed there was plenty of adventure to be had in Gravity falls, you only had to look hard enough and put in the effort to find it.
Or, you know, spend more time with Dipper. Kid's a magnet for Weirdness. He found Journal 3, the Manotaurs, ghosts, Rumble, a cloning machine, and more by accident. She already loves hanging out with him, just let him do his nerd thing and there will be plenty of monsters for her to swing an axe at.
But before the Mystery Twins came along, Wendy had to find other people to hang out with, and less dangerous ways to spice up her life. So she gathered a group of friends consisting of Tambry, Robbie, Lee, Nate, and Thompson.
She's known Tambry since she was at least five years old and it's generally believed by the fans that the two are best friends. But there's not much to say about each other. They have played with each other since they were kids, riding through town on their trikes, so are probably very close. But the Tambry we see is the stereotypical moody teen glued to her phone, who barely looks up from it even when out with her friends and doing activities together. That makes it harder to asses their relationship or delve deeper into it since Tambry's not well know for her expressiveness, and her key character trait is really a lack of interaction. But we can guess they've had their issues over the years.
When Wendy learns that Tambry has started dating Robbie, she gets frustrated and says that it's just like her to date an ex behind her back, and even threatens to tear her highlights out. This implies that it's happened before, and has led to previous arguments. What this says about Tambry dating Wendy's exes behind her back could have layers for both of them. On one hand, it could be seen as a bit underhanded for Tambry to date someone Wendy has history with, and to do it more than once. Especially if she's not admitting it to Wendy. Perhaps Wendy would be fine if she came out and said it, or perhaps not.
Then again, as already discussed, Wendy has her own moments of anger, so maybe Tambry just wanted to avoid facing Wendy's wrath. And considering how many boys Wendy's dated and how indifferent she is regarding the majority of those relationships (more on that in a minute), it could be that Tambry just didn't think it was a big deal or might not have clicked that Wendy would care until it was too late. We can't even call Tambry out for doing it in The Love God since she was under the effect of a magic potion and couldn't exactly check if Wendy was okay with it first.
But whatever issues this is likely to have caused between the before, another important thing to note is that they've also made amends. More than once. She's still friends with Tambry before the events of The Love God, and they reconcile at the end of it. Forgiving a friend for something is one thing, but forgiving them for repeating the same mistake is usually a sign of true bond.
We also know that Wendy has known Robbie for several years too. They first met at a birthday party in the 5th Grade (around 10-11 years of age for those of us who are unfamiliar with the American education system) where Robbie pulled her pigtails and she responded by punching him so hard that she chipped his tooth. This is an incident that Robbie remembers and Wendy doesn't. It might also be the start of his feelings for her as sometimes young kids tease their crushes as a way of getting their attention, or it might have just been Robbie being a pest. Either way, it shows Wendy knew how to handle herself from an early age and didn't take other people's crap.
We're not quite sure how long after this they became friends (probably at least as long as it took for him to get his tooth fixed) but they are shown to care about each other even before they start officially dating. He is part of her friend group after all, and they do have plenty of fun together. She's shown to be impressed with his ability to play guitar, and laughs at a joke he makes in Double Dipper. He's even shown to be a bit sensitive in some of his actions towards her, like when he treats her black eye with a snow-cone in The Time Traveller's Pig. And after they start dating, they are frequently shown together, often with their arms wrapped around one another and gazing at each other, and she has kissed him on the cheek in scenes. And in The Love God we see that Robbie has a collection of photos of her on his wall, keeping them close to his bed. The two clearly had good times while they were dating and enjoyed each other's company.
But it wasn't enough for their relationship to survive the bad times, or Robbie's behaviour. She ends up dumping him for standing her up and not apologising for it. And even when she later decides to give him another chance after listening to a song he said he wrote for her, it doesn't last long because he's called out in another lie later that night and she angrily dumps him for good this time.
Now, the episode commentaries reveal that there was no mind control here and that Wendy gave him another chance of her own accord, but it's up to you if you want take particular Word of God as canon or not. I offer no argument if you don't, it genuinely looks like brainwashing to me, and I only chose to accept it myself for personal and practical reasons. But I'm saving that discussion for an essay about Robbie.
However, if you do decide to believe that the CD had no effect on her, then that does say how much Wendy cared about Robbie. To still give him a second chance after he stood her up and treated her so poorly. Some people like to go down the route that some girls - especially teenagers - are weak to musicians, so that's why she did it. personally, I think that's a bit of a cliche. And sexist. No, I'd rather believe that it shows Wendy really did care about him and that she appreciates sweet gestures, like when he helped her with her black eye.
But sometimes when you really do care about someone, that makes it even worse when they do hurt you. And Robbie did that. Not once, but twice, and on the same day, after she decided to give him a second chance. And while she and Robbie exchange smiles at the end of The Love God, implying that they have moved on from their feelings and issues, that might not be the full story.
Robbie is the only one of their friend group who is absent when Bill tries to tempt her in Mabeland. This implies that, despite everything, she might not have fully forgiven him. At least not subconsciously. This could be because as far as we know he never outright apologises for his behaviour, or it might be that Wendy struggles to move on from some things. And considering what we see of them and how things ended, either or both work.
The three remaining members of Wendy's gang are Lee, Nate, and Thompson.
Lee and Nate are almost always seen together, and they describe themselves as best friends in The Love God. Like Wendy, they are frequent pranksters and are usually doing something that would get them into trouble. They reorganise the letters to the board outside the high school, frequently make graffiti, and are the ones who spray painted McGucket's home in the dump. They are also the ones who helped Wendy steal Blubs and Durland's patrol car, donning their unguarded uniforms while the sherif and deputy are distracted making a video.
There's not much to be said for them apart from that Wendy probably gets along with them well considering they all enjoy making pranks and even helped each other steal a cop car of all things. So if Wendy needs some help to perform an especially risky or difficult prank then she knows who to call. But a little thing to note is that while Nate was the one who gave Dipper the nickname of Dr Funtimes, it's Lee who shows a particular fondness for Dipper, often putting him on his shoulders and complimenting him. So Wendy isn't the only person in the gang who has a soft spot for Dipper.
They both also work at the Royal Ragtime Theatre in town where Thompson is the manager and thus their superior. In an interesting reversal, Thompson is clearly at the bottom of the gang's totem pole when outside of work and often acts as the group's Butt Monkey. But inside the theatre he seems quite dedicated to his job. Lee and Nate even follow his orders without argument or comment. But the rest of the time…
I was debating writing an essay about this too, but I don't know if I'm up for it. So I'll just say it here: Thompson's treated like crap by his friends. And that's not fair. Yes, Lee and Nate seem to respect him at work, but that's different. If they want to get paid, they have to. And yes, the gang frequently chants his name and seem to praise him whenever he does something, but they also put a lot of pressure on him and ignore and tease him too.
He's teased and mocked from the moment of his introduction where Wendy immediately tells the twins he ate a run over waffle for fifty cents, they ignore his request that they stop punching the roof of his mum's car (his mum's and the one that he drives them in, no less!), posts embarrassing pictures of him online despite his protestations, and laugh at his expense throughout the show.
When Dipper, a twelve year old and newest member of the group, orders him to investigate the strange sounds coming from a grave in The Love God, he does it. Despite being obviously scared and potentially still traumatised after his last encounter with dead people in The Inconveniencing.
And in later on in that same episode, it's revealed that the reason why he puts up with all of this is because they are the only friends he has. By his own admission he is desperate for his friends approval and willing to embarrass or even hurt himself to get it. Because he'd rather put up with whatever abuse they give him than be alone again, even if it means he has to put himself in harm's way to keep them together. Which, honestly, is a pretty bad sign about the condition of the friend group and Thompson's state of mind if that's what is needed to keep them all together.
Some people have dismissed this as the gang just 'having a laugh' and actually respecting Thompson despite it all, that they do care and value him and that he's content with his lot in life despite his complaints. I disagree. It's not the first time I've seen someone make themselves miserable just to feel validated. I've done it myself.
There's a certain psychological defence in making yourself the clown. Because if they're laughing at you because you did something embarrassing or stupid, then at least they're not laughing at you for being you.
Now, I don't think Wendy or her gang are fully aware of what they put Thompson through or his exact reason for putting up with it. They might just see it as a game or how their friend group works. But that doesn't make it okay. And there are signs that Thompson isn't happy about it, either.
He does protests when Wendy reveals the waffle incident to the kids and when Tambry takes a picture of him embarrassing himself at the Shack's re-opening party. Weakly, but protest he does. And in a short story on Thisisnotawebsite.com, where he and Robbie are texting each other and Robbie is giving him insults and orders, it shows that Thompson starts writing angry messages at first but then deletes them before sending something more timid. This shows that under the surface he isn't happy with the way he's treated. He's just desperate.
The late, great Robin Williams once said; "I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone."
I was once the Thompson of a group. I put up with frequent mockery, being ignored, having my opinions dismissed, etc. And yet I chose to suck it up and shrug it off, praised them, and even on the final day with that group, I was the one who apologised to one of them for treating me like crap.
Because I was convinced it was better than being friendless. I was wrong. I'm lucky I had other people who cared about me and helped give me the courage to step away from people who called themselves my friends and made me feel like dirt.
And I really hope Thompson does the same. Or at least confronts Wendy and the rest for treating him like that. Stands up for himself. Or maybe one day they'll push him too far and he'll break down and snap and they'll see they messed up. Or maybe he'll just go quietly like I did, cutting off all communication rather than risk hearing an apology and risk being gullible enough to fall for any excuses or defences.
Wendy's friend group almost completely fell apart during the events of one episode. And for all the complaints that The Love God rightfully receives for the love potion storyline, it's not its only issue. It shows how frail that group is if a problem with two members is enough to make everyone angry at everyone. And it only came together again through the sacrifice of one of them, and without Thompson getting any credit for it. I don't think that's right.
But maybe you disagree. Maybe I'm letting my unpleasant personal experience influence my opinion of Wendy's gang and Thompson's role. Maybe you have a friend group like Wendy's or may even be a Thompson yourself and don't suffer like I did. Maybe you think Wendy's group is fine as it is and that they'll remain close forever, or at least keep in touch. Or maybe it's a friendship that won't survive high school, or they'll go their separate ways as time goes on. Sad as it can be, that's what usually happens in life. And that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. It is what it is.
But while Wendy currently seems content with her friend group and its status quo, home isn't the only place she feels stressed.
Wendy expresses nothing but frustration for her time at high school. It makes a lot of sense that someone as lazy as she is and who has such little regard to authority would hate school. To her it probably feels like a prison that prevents her from having fun and living life to the fullest. Considering her penchant for pranks and causing trouble - as well as her occasional outbursts and willingness to throw a punch if needed - I doubt the teachers are exactly thrilled by her presence either.
But when we see her warning Mabel about the reality of High School compared to how it's portrayed on television, her biggest complaint is how students hate each other, and when the teacher in charge of the registration gets her name wrong, all the other students laugh and one even throws a piece of paper at her. It's possible that, as cool as she's perceived to be by the twins, that might not be how her peers see her. She and her gang are often depicted as being outsiders by a lot of fanfics, a group of people considered losers by other students, but who find some solace in each other's company. Which could make for some interesting struggles in her life.
Because while she can take on full grown men, aliens, and monsters, there's little she can do against peer pressure and student harassment. And it might make her bond with her friends and the twins stronger for it; finding people who treat her right. Or maybe that's of little solace when you only want the freedom to be yourself but it feels like the staff and the students are against you.
She also complains about the difficulty of classes, which makes sense because she's probably not very interested in studying. Now I don't think Wendy is unintelligent in any way, I just don't think she has the patience or attitude needed to pay attention in class, let alone study at home.
In fact there's several times she proves that she can be quite perceptive and came up with crafty solutions to several of the problems the group faces. She's the one who noticed the fake branch that opened the stairway to the Bunker, and discovered the passage hidden behind the map that led further in. She was also the one who realised the Shapeshifter was disguised as the mascot on the bean can, and appears to be the one who came up with the plan to blast him with the water from the pipe. She was also the one who came up with the plan to get to Mabel's Bubble during Weirdmageddon. We even see some of her intelligence in her fight scenes, when she uses her agility and the environment against physically superior foes like the Shapeshifter and 8 Ball. So even if I don't think Wendy is book-smart, I definitely think she's streetwise and very practical, as well as able to think on her feet.
Now, being raised and trained by a survivalist lumberjack probably means she does have plenty of knowledge and might know a lot more than her peers in some areas. She likely knows a great deal about biology, for example, and probably geography too. But that doesn't mean that what's been drilled into her from listening to her father is necessarily covered in class.
For example, she could have incredible knowledge on all forms of plants, animals, and ecosystems, but struggles to recall the scientific method. Other areas that she's likely to be good at are P.E (of course), shop, and maybe chemistry. But I can't see her being a whizz kid at maths or social sciences. Her room has a few books in it (although we can't see the covers) and she does read plenty of magazines and the cancelled Wendy's On The Road episode had her inspired by a book, so maybe she does enjoy reading, albeit whatever stories interest her. I doubt she's keen on having to study Shakespeare, unless it's perhaps MacBeth.
So I think that being a prankster wasn't the only reason that trashing the school was part of her Greatest Temptation in Mabeland.
WENDY, HER APPEARENCE, AND FEMININITY
Wendy also complains about how her body has "declared war" on her, and yeah, puberty sucks. Especially if you're a girl. And it might be something made even worse by her lumberjack genes. because while being incredibly strong and agile is fantastic, it's possible her impressive height and red hair has caused her some issues over the years.
In Double Dipper, Wendy reveals that she didn't always look the way she does now. She shows Dipper a picture of herself and her brothers when they were younger, and she is already incredibly tall, appearing more gangly, with braces and pigtails that make her look very different from the attractive teen she becomes. Dipper even calls her a "freak", and she agrees.
It's not quite clear how old she is when this photo was taken, but considering how small her brothers are, it's likely she was a pre-teen at the time it was taken, maybe around Dipper and Mabel's age. Wendy clearly grew into her good looks, and this might have made an impact on her.
For one thing, it probably means she was teased a lot growing up. Kids can be cruel. And if her incredible fighting talents can't stop teenagers from mocking her at high school registration, I doubt they could fully stop kids calling her names growing up. Which is probably why she's also so kind to Dipper an Mabel, who are both outcasts in their own way. She knows what it's like to be the freak, and how much words can hurt. How important it is to have someone help and support you when you feel down, and how important it is to feel comfortable being yourself.
But over the years her physical awkwardness seems to have passed and Wendy's grown into her looks. In fact , she even seems to take some care of them now. She gave up the pigtails and grew her hair long, and is even seen brushing it in one episode, so she must take care of it at least sometimes.
In fact, despite her tomboy appearance and behaviour, Wendy can be quite feminine at times. She has a soft spot for cute things, as seen by the stuffed animals she keeps in her room. And she is desperate to get the stuffed panda-duck hybrid at the Mystery Fair, reacting with utter joy in the timeline where Dipper successfully wins it for her. And the transcript for The Inconveniencing reveals that she thought the Lamby Dance was the cutest thing she ever saw, if the way her face lit up when Dipper started dancing wasn't evidence enough.
So that's another thing people could consider about Wendy. How much does she struggle with her femininity? While she happily wears jeans, flannel, and boots, wields an axe, and uses arm-wrestling to settle disputes, has she fully embraced who she is now? Does she want to be more feminine or let a more girly side out? Or is this as far as it goes, in the same way her father's comfortable enough with his masculinity that he'll put on a skirt and a pig-tailed helmet during Summerween and goes to boy band concerts? Does she feel she has to keep it under wraps, or does she not care?
Personally, I like to think that is the case for Wendy. That growing up in a house full of boys meant that nurture had quite the effect on her but didn't completely suppress her feminine side. She's not a complete tomboy, and loves the cuter things in life, so she's happy with who she is. But that's not to say it wasn't quite the journey for her to reach that level of self-acceptance. Sure, maybe sometimes she wishes she could be a little more girly, but other times is very glad she isn't.
I'm reminded of two scenes involving Wendy. The first is her angry speech in The Last Mabelcorn:
"Look, it's time we stop trying to be so 'perfect' and be who we really are. We're crazed, angry, sweaty animals! We're not unicorns, we're WOMEN! AND WE TAKE WHAT WE WANT!"
Then she punches a tree for good measure.
Counter this with a scene from Boyz Crazy, where Dipper's response to Mabel's boy band obsession is to roll his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh of "Girls!"
To which Wendy immediately replies, "I know, right?"
To me, she probably considers herself to be both one of the boys and one of the girls. And doesn't think too hard about it most of the time, except when people try to push her towards one or the other.
But whatever her attitude or journey was, she eventually grew into her looks and seems to be very content with them now, and even admires herself in a deleted scene from Weirdmageddon when she and Dipper turn into their voice actors when they drive through the Weirdness bubbles.
(Then again, it helps that her VA is Linda Cardellini, who I still remember as being a gorgeous Velma Dinkley.)
WENDY'S POTENTIALLY COMPLICATED ROMANTIC HISTORY
Anyhoo, Wendy's attractiveness is also a likely reason as to why she's ended up with so many boyfriends at such a young age. At least eight of them according to her list in The Hand That Rocks The Mabel, and that was before Robbie. Though it could be more considering how slowly she's going through the list and is struggling to recall them all, not even remembering all of their names. And it's specifically the ones she broke up with, so there may be others who broke up with her or that ended mutually. Though I get the impression that Wendy's always been the dump-er and never the dump-ee.
That sounds a lot better than how it looks on screen. You know what I mean!
Anyway, I have some issues with Wendy in this scene. I think it's another example of her being hypocritical and self-centred. And I'm not just talking about the way she gets so focused on her list of exes that she forgets Mabel was asking her for advice. I'm talking about her attitude towards her exes.
Now, there's nothing wrong with having that many boyfriends. Nor is there necessarily something wrong with her disinterest in these boys. Wendy's still young, and if she grew into her looks fairly recently then she was probably quite eager to at least try dating after being teased for her appearance beforehand.
And we don't know what these relationships were like apart from Hirsch tweeting something along the lines of her having bad luck with men. So if they were half as bad as Robbie then it's no wonder she wanted to forget them. Or maybe they were just very casual. Considering the informal way she agrees to date Robbie despite being close friends with him for a while, that's probably the case. And again, that's fine. Dating doesn't have to be important to her. She might just agree to a date and then decide if there's anything romantic. That's the way some people do it.
No, what I have issue with is what she does with the last name on her list: Mark Epston. After she says his name she realises that she never actually broke up with him and starts to realise that's the reason he keeps texting her. And a few seconds later, she goes on to ignore another text that's implied to have come from Mark.
It is one of the many scenes in the show that was supposed to be funny at the time but to me has become less so. And yes, I did laugh the first time I watched it, and probably during most re-watches too. But over the years, I learned more about ghosting and as a result this moment has soured on me.
I've never been ghosted. But I know it would hurt if I were. To have someone agree to a date, maybe go out a few times, and then stop all contact and ignore my messages? I would feel beyond terrible. I'd spend ages wondering where I messed up. If it was something I said or did, something stupid or by accident, something I could fix or just me in general. That seems to be the way most people who have been ghosted feel; worse than a break up by text because at least that's an acknowledgement.
And while we don't know anything about Mark Epstein, I'm not certain he deserves that. Maybe he was a bad boyfriend. Maybe he was rude or annoying, or was only after Wendy for her looks and wanted to change her. But maybe he wasn't. Maybe he nice but was boring, or had an annoying laugh, or they just didn't have much in common. Again, considering how casual she is about it, I'm inclined towards one of the latter. And if so, that says a lot more about Wendy than it does him.
There can be a million reasons why people Ghost. Sometimes they do it to avoid confrontation and find it easier to just stop contact entirely. That way, they don't have to deal with the emotional awkwardness of explaining you don't want any further contact.
Ghosting is also tied to emotional immaturity. It's usually done by people who struggle to express themselves or set boundaries, where simply walking away feels a lot easier than coming clean about a lack of interest.
But in Wendy's case, I think it's the other most common reason: a quick sense of relief. Because to them the job is done and the relationship is fully over. Some people are aware that this can still cause the other person to suffer, others don't care.
I like to think that Wendy is unaware of it, but again, considering her indifference, I can't say for certain that she just doesn't care. Either way, whatever her reason, I believe she should be called out for it and be held accountable.
Just like I do for her treatment of Thompson, or that time she manipulated Mabel in Boss Mabel, despite her young friend only trying to make her job more enjoyable, or all those pranks she's pulled that have no doubt resulted in someone else paying a price.
I'm not saying these things to make people dislike Wendy. I'm fully aware of her faults and I still love her. But her worst moments are just as important as her best. They all come together to make her who she is, and add layers to her character. She's a great friend and a bad one. A girl who deserves a good boyfriend, and a bad girlfriend sometimes. A person who stands up and helps others she thinks needs a hand, and someone who takes advantage of others when it suits her. She's complicated. She's not perfect and that's great.
Because a characters imperfections are the best thing possible to explore. Having them confront, accept, and overcome their issues can make for the greatest of stories. Have her be called out for or realise her hypocrisy and selfishness. Make her see that her lazy, irresponsible actions have consequences. A friend, a stranger, even an enemy can help you grow.
Look at Pacifica Northwest, the selfish brat who eventually resisted her abusive parents and helped others for once.
Look at Gideon Gleeful. A boy whose obsession with Mabel almost led him to commit murder. A boy who - at the end of the world - was called out by his enemy and convinced to finally do something good for the girl he liked, even if it might cost him his life.
Wendy’s good qualities far outweigh her bad ones. But that doesn’t mean they should be swept under the rug. And finally seeing how the Queen of Cool deals with and grows afterwards is the best thing possible for her.
Besides, she's not the only flawed character in the show.
Dipper’s an awkward, anxious wreck who tends to get in over his head and puts himself and others in danger to prove himself. He also stands up to anyone who threaten others, like Preston, Rumble, Leaderaur, and even Bill.
Mabel’s a self-centred little diva who sometimes fails to see how her actions and positivity can impact others. She also tries her hardest to help anyone and everyone, including her rival Pacifica,and trusted Stan in his most desperate moment.
Stan, the most flawed flawed character of the show, is an irresponsible guardian who commits crimes on a daily basis and has no respect for any rules, even those that are valid. He also spent thirty years working on a lost cause to bring back the brother who’d rejected him twice, and was happy to give his life to save his family.
Wendy’s many flaws shouldn’t be ignored or dismissed, they should be faced and even embraced. It’s only by admitting our mistakes that we can stop ourselves repeating them. It’s only when we accept them that we can move past them and focus on our achievements. It’s only by confronting them that we grow as people. And with good friends an allies beside, her I'm sure she can.
Speaking of, let's finally get into Wendy's relationship with the rest of the Mystery Shack Crew.
WENDY AND STAN - MORE THAN EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE
Stan's her boss, but that's not all there is to it. It can't be. Otherwise he would have fired her ages ago.
I mean look at her: she's lazy, rude, and disrespectful. In the 3DS games she even says she sometimes throws pennies at Stan's bald spot when he removes his fez, and when she was the pool lifeguard she abused her authority to punish him. She barley does her job and rolls her eyes at half of Stan's instructions and outright refuses to do the other half. We even saw this in Wendy's very first scene, when Stan tells her to go hang up some signs in the woods and she doesn't bother moving from the counter as she sits with her feet up and a magazine out, acting as if it's out of reach. Her indifference to her job and his orders continue throughout the show, only slightly becoming more willing to work as it progresses. It's actually a minor case of character development for Wendy since she complains and refuses less as time goes on. But less doesn't mean stop.
In fact, Wendy tends to avoid work so much that in an radio short where Hirsch played Stan being interviewed (the same one where he describes her as being as tall as a fully grown woman) he commented that she sometimes disappears at work. This is most likely to the Shack's roof, where she has set up a chair, parasol, and even a cooler for drinks and said she sneaks up to it every day when she should be working. She even put a target on the totem pole so she could amuse herself by throwing pine cones at it. Journal 3 reveals she also frequently sneaks ice cream sandwiches to the twins behind Stan's back, and more than likely treats herself to them too, and probably more if she's making full use of that cooler. Which is outright stealing from her boss.
And despite what she might think, Stan clearly knows about all of this. He's not an idiot, and it's hard to get one past an experienced con artist like him. He's even been up there himself at least once, as it's the same place where he and the twins launch the fireworks at the start of Not What He Seems, and Stan makes full use of the chair while Dipper takes an ice cream from the cooler.
So why would a grumpy cheapskate like Stan keep around someone who barely does her job, gives him attitude, and even steals from him? It's the exact opposite of his working relationship with Soos. And it's not as if he hasn't fired people before, since he threw Durland out of the Shack when he was a teenager. And why did Wendy even apply at the Shack if she's clearly reluctant to do any work?
Well, I think these two things are tied together.
The main one for Wendy is the same reason almost everyone works, even if they hate their job: money. Wendy's a teenager and pickings are probably slim, especially with her attitude. She even takes up a second job at the pool at one point, though she said that was because she heard the lifeguards got free snack privileges. Further evidence that Wendy shares an appetite with her dad, although she doesn't always go for meat like he does. However, she was quickly fired for abusing these privileges, which is typical of her. But it also shows that her disrespectful attitude isn't just limited to Stan. It's never stated if she had other jobs before or during her time at the Shack, but if she did then chances are that behaviour is why she no longer has them.
And if we consider the Corduroy Cabin we can see that it's not in the best of shape. In fact it seems to be a far cry from the majestic ancestral home that Ford stayed in years ago. It's too small for Dan to stand up in properly, and the outside - seen briefly at the start of Into The Bunker - looks a little run down, with moss and grass growing everywhere, including on the porch, roof, and even on an RV that looks like it hasn't used been used in years judging by all the plant life growing on it. I'm not sure how much a lumberjack makes, but as a single father of four with at least one being a teenager, it's not hard to believe that Dan might not have much spare cash to give his kids a decent allowance. Especially not if the whole family shares his and Wendy's appetite. And who knows how much with all the money they need to spend on repairs both inside and outside the house from the family's destructive tendencies? So it's more than likely that getting a job is Wendy's only way of getting an income, especially since her behaviour means any allowance she would have received was probably cut off years ago.
But she might not have started working at the Shack by choice. Because she mentions in Dreamscaperes that Dan is threatening to send her upstate to work at her cousin's logging camp if she can't find another job. Maybe this is his way of trying to control Wendy, or push some responsibility on her, or keep her out of trouble, or to try and make her learn about responsibility, or maybe just make sure she earns her own money. It's never specified. But it does show why she keeps working there: she has no choice. And even if she found a job somewhere else, how long is she likely to last if she keeps behaving the way she did at the Shack and at the Pool?
So why does Stan keep her around?
There's lots of potential reasons. Maybe Stan just needs a cashier and for all her flaws Wendy was the best of a bad bunch. Wendy might not be as loyal or committed as Soos is, but she still does some of the work. And Stan's often depicted as being a bit of a ruthless boss himself. He yells, barks orders, isn't shy with insults, has stolen Soos' ideas and claimed them for himself, and once tried to cut Soos' salary with several flimsy excuses but most likely did it because he knew he could have gotten away with it if Waddles didn't happen to be in Soos' body at the time.
Wendy's a bad worker, but she doesn't quit either. So maybe, in the same way that the Shack is the last place she has left, Wendy is Stan's last option too.
Or maybe he's worried Dan will tear his arms off if he fires her. But if that ever were the reason, I doubt it's the case now. In the dropped story where Wendy and Stan team up to steal the jewel, Wendy begs Stan not to fire her for stealing from the Shack, or telling her dad she was involved in the crime. So Wendy knows the Shack is her last chance and she has to at least try and stick it out, despite all her complaints about it.
But it's not just a place where she works. The Mystery Shack is also a place where Wendy can be herself.
Despite her many complaints about the job, she visits the Shack often, outside of work and the regular movie nights with Dipper. She’s playing Nerf darts with Dipper while Stan’s watching his western in Dreamscaperers, and she's there for Stan's bonfire story during the intro. She joins them at the Petting Zoo, and in laughing at Ford’s embarrassments in The Book of Bill, and is included in several group photos.
Wendy feels at home at the Shack and with the people who work and live there. Despite looking bored on a regular basis and occupying herself with teen magazines or her phone, she is also shown to repeatedly enjoy herself when the right company is there to help her through the working day.
And Stan knows that without her job at the Mystery Shack, Dan will make Wendy work at her cousins lumberyard for the rest of the summer. And he also knows only too well what it’s like to have a father who won't listen, who thinks you've squandered all your chances, and will push you out of the door no matter how much you plead.
Stan grew up feeling like a disappointment to his father, unable to impress him and doubting he loved or even liked him. This is one of the reasons he acted out so often, getting into trouble in and out of school, where he struggled academically. He wasn't popular and felt like an outcast. Yet he remained fiercely loyal and protective to those he cared about.
I think Stan sees a lot of himself in Wendy. The attitude, the disrespect towards authority, the disregard for laws, and so many other flaws. But also the commitment to help those close to them, the dedication protect them no matter what, and stand up for them when needed, even if you could sometimes treat them better.
And maybe, just maybe, if someone had given him the chance when people thought the worst of him, his life could have turned out differently.
For all his flaws, Stan does care about people. So I bet he’s willing to let her attitude and laziness slide if it saves her having to suffer even a taste of what he endured.
Stan and Wendy aren't just boss and worker. The unaired story of them robbing the museum shows that. It was all about Stan seeing Wendy's potential and giving her an outlet for her frustrations, complimenting her and motivating her. Admiring her talents while she felt glad to finally have someone encourage and accept her. It ended with the heist failing and Stan taking the fall for Wendy. He warns her not to go down the path he did tells her to avoid his mistakes and do something constructive with her life and be a better person. He was willing to sacrifice himself for a kid in need, and she got an adult who told her that he believed in her. It would have been a great story to see. But just because it didn't air doesn't mean that can't be the way it is in our hearts.
And we see other tidbits of how much they care too.
Wendy shows concern for his behaviour in Soos and the Real Girl, and even asks him if he needs to talk when he starts acting especially obsessive, then offers to get his back pillow despite ignoring her offer and thinking what he was doing was crazy. She . In the 3DS game it's even revealed that Stan was the one who taught her how to hot-wire a car, something she put to good use when she stole the cop car both in the TV short and during Weirdmageddon. Wendy once beat Stan three times at arm-wrestling to make sure she never did overtime. And yet how often is she there in what must be out of hours? She spends time at the place she hates when she could be with her friends, and he welcomes her into his home despite the grief she gives him.
Hell, we see it in every episode where Wendy plays round or avoids work yet remains an employee. And in the final part of the Weirdmageddon trilogy, when Stan is reunited with Soos and the kids for one big group hug, Wendy joins in, tells him she missed him, and even wipes a tear from her eye when she steps back.
A tear from Wendy Corduroy. That's how you know he means something to her.
WENDY AND SOOS - NOT JUST CO-WORKERS
And what of Soos, the other Shack employee? It's unclear how long Wendy's been working at the Shack exactly - it could have been weeks, months, maybe a year, or maybe she just started that summer. However long it is, she and Soos seem to have gotten along well for as long as Dipper and Mabel have known them, since it's mentioned in J3 that they gossip to each other all day, suggesting that they know each other well.
I'm inclined to believe that Wendy's actually been working at the Shack longer than just that summer, perhaps even a year beforehand. It would explain why Stan's so tolerant of her behaviour: it's because he's used to it. And in Blendin's Game, Wendy was already fully aware that Soos hated his birthday. She even mentions that she and Stan have tried everything they could think of to help him get through it, which suggests to me she's known him at least a year. I suppose it could mean Stan told her, asked for her help, and they were unsuccessful in getting him to open up. But even that implies she's been at the Shack longer than that summer if Stan trusted her enough to ask for her help.
Either way, she freaked out a little when she saw the twin had thrown him a suprise birthday party, knowing how much it would upset him, and has done her best to help him move on from his trauma. And that's not the only example of her looking out for him. She also came to his defence in Soos and the Real Girl, when Stan said he didn't like Soos' chances of getting a date unless he lied about being rich. Wendy dismissed Stan's comments and tried to encourage him, telling Soos he was a sweet guy with a pickup truck and a steady job. Admittedly, she also refused to answer and avoided eye contact when Stan asked if she would date him, but honestly Soos can do so much better than Wendy. I mean, she dated Robbie. Willingly. And then took him back. She's got terrible taste in men, what does she know about dating good guys?
Anyway, while Wendy's relationship with Soos doesn't have the same depth to as the one she has with Stan, she has helped him and praised him. Despite their polar opposite work ethic, they still work together at the Shack and never get in each other's way at work.
He never tells Stan about her avoiding work or her spot on the Roof, and she doesn't mock him for his loyalty of dedication. She looks out for him when she can but overall he doesn't need it the same way Dipper and Mabel do. And while she's not above teasing him, or him confusing her, they rarely have issues with one another.
Sure, there was that time she snapped at him for making fun of Lazy Susan's mascara, and that time she threw his CD out the window, and that time she's shown glaring at him after he accidentally punched her in his desperation to get the bouquet at Waddles and Gomper's wedding, but that's it. Overall, they get along well and have fun together, despite their many differences.
But in the final credits we see that Melody is working at the counter when Soos takes over, not Wendy. We don't know what that would be like if Wendy continues working there, or if she's had to leave the Shack now that high school is back on. Personally, I like to think that after everything they've been through, and all the support she's given him, Wendy will always have a position available at the Shack. But that doesn't mean it will be the same.
Soos is a much nicer person than Stan is. He'd no doubt be a better boss and probably be willing to increase her wages, unlike Stan, who'd probably laugh in her face if she asked. And I like to think Wendy has matured from the girl we saw in Boss Mabel, and learned that you shouldn't manipulate people to get your own way, especially if they're trying to help you. Besides, I don't think she could get away with it again. Not with Melody and Abuelita now working/living there.
Melody has a pretty good head on her shoulders and is a much more levelled person than most of Gravity Falls' residents. While I don't see Wendy giving Soos the same kind of attitude she gave Stan considering how nice she was to him throughout the show, I can still see her trying to shirk work whenever she can, only to find it much harder to do under Melody's watch. I'm also pretty confident Abuelita wouldn't tolerate someone manipulating or taking advantage of her grandson. And even if Soos won't fire her, that doesn't mean both women can't make her life very difficult if she doesn't behave herself.
Worst comes to worst, they can always threaten to put Mabel back in charge. That would really put Wendy in her place.
WENDY AND MABEL - FRIENDS AND SURROGATE SISTERS
Speaking of Mabel, while Wendy doesn't interact with her as often as she does Dipper, they still spend plenty of time together. As a wild little bundle of laughter and chaotic energy, it's no surprise that Wendy and Mabel get along so well. Both are always down to have a good time, don't always play by the rules or society's expectations, and both are willing to try new things even if they probably shouldn't.
For example, I bet Wendy would have loved to try Smile Dip if Mabel had offered.
And we see that Wendy is happy to engage in Mabel's wilder or more childish antics. She participates in everything from her Random Dance Parties For No Reason to the more complicated affairs. Wendy's there for Waddles and Gomper's wedding, and is shown to be directly helping her young friend in several of her more elaborate plans. Like when she assists Mabel in trying to make Stan more datable in Dipper Vs Manliness and also helps her set up her play in Sock Opera. And throughout all of these events, Wendy is shown to be having fun, appearing amused by Mabel's antics. And considering not even Dipper is always involved in or even interested in them, I think it says a lot about how much the girls enjoy each other's company.
Wendy doesn't have to stay at the Shack after her shift ends, yet chooses to spend her free time assisting a friend when required. What's more, she even enjoys it. As she says in Sock Opera: "You just gotta roll with Mabel's craziness. It's what makes life worth living."
And Mabel spends time with the rest of Wendy's gang too. They enjoy her company during The Inconveniencing and she after that she basically becomes a new member. They hang out at the cemetery watching clouds and plan to go to the Woodstick Festival together. Even when she accidentally breaks up the group by putting Robbie and Tambry together, Thompson is the only one of them who's angry at or blame her, but he's the one with the most to lose and has no one else to get angry at. I think this shows she's not just Wendy's friend, but has been welcomed by the whole group into being part of their gang.
In many ways, Wendy takes on a Big Sister role to Mabel while she's in Gravity Falls. As much as she likes spending time with her and engaging in antics, she also looks out for her. Dipper wrote in Journal 3 that Wendy tries to give her advice about not getting so many crushes, which he appreciates. It didn't come to much, but at least she tried.
And Wendy giving Mabel love advice is something of a recurring theme. When Mabel is feeling down about Gideon in The Hand That Rocks the Mabel, Wendy asks her how she is and looks to be trying to offer her some advice before she gets lost trying to remember all of her exes. And she tries to help her again in The Love God by warning her that some people are hopeless cases and suggests she not get involved with Robbie's love life, and again when Mabel is struggling in Society of the Blind Eye.
Now, this in particular is a sweet scene between them. Mabel is feeling depressed because Mermando has become engaged and she thinks that all of her summer romances have all ended in failure. And unlike her previous attempt in The Hand That Rocks The Mabel, Wendy gives her her full attention, which I think shows how far their relationship has come. Because the first scene occurred before The Inconveniencing, the episode where Wendy first truly starts hanging out with the twins. They've become much closer since then and it shows in how she gives Mabel her full focus.
They're alone together in the chamber and Mabel is even wearing Wendy's hat, which is cute. So when Mabel complains about her failed romances, Wendy advises her not to get to worked up about it and says boys are the worst. Mabel still laments and wonders if she comes on too strong, so Wendy asks to hear how she approaches boys and pretends to be one; tying her hair under her hat except for one strand that she uses to cover her lip like a moustache.
Mabel shouts "HI! I'M MABEL! I'M TWELVE AND OWN A PIG! WANT TO GET MARRIED?!"
To which Wendy chuckles and tells her that it was perfect, repeating her advice that she should just forget about boys.
Now, Wendy's clearly lying here since her eyes even widen a little when Mabel shouts this at her, but she's still amused and wants to make her friend feel better. Honestly, I think this scenes says a lot about them.
Wendy's not had the best of relationships herself but Mabel still seeks her advice. And Wendy does try to help her friend as much as she can, giving her her full attention, unlike when she was struggling to break up with Gideon. She pretends to be a boy in a comedic, exaggerated way from giving herself a moustache and deepening her voice and never criticises her, despite Mabel clearly coming on too strong. She doesn't want to hurt her, but still wants to help her and suggests she should just move on. Which is still some helpful advice because moving on is the best thing for Mabel to do.
It's also something Wendy finds easy to do, so that might be part of why she's suggesting it. To her, when a relationship is over, it's over. She moved on from even Robbie relatively quickly and, as discussed above, she easily forgot about a lot of her exes. To her, it's the easiest, simplest solution, and she thinks it's what's best for Mabel. And to an extent Mabel does follow it, and seems to take it to heart as it's the advice she gives to Dipper in Roadside Attraction, ironically when he's still struggling with feelings for Wendy.
While Mabel can find moving on easier than her brother, she can't quite manage it as easily as Wendy can. But maybe that's something for them to deal with in the future.
There can be situations where Wendy's advice is the best thing to do, but other times where it's not that simple. To be honest, both girls have some serious issues with how they engage in romance, although Mabel's' seems to be starting it while Wendy's is ending it. Perhaps one day they can meet in the middle and give each other the advice they need to stop making the same mistakes, for the sake of others and themselves.
And Wendy's Big Sister attitude towards Mabel persists in The Last Mabelcorn. Here, when Mabel's tasked to find the unicorns, she invites Wendy to join her, Candy, and Grenda; her two BFFs. Which is quite the privilege considering how close those three are. And Wendy does go, despite not believing in unicorns. She only joins them to keep the girls safe, worried that they might hurt themselves by venturing deeper into the woods.
Now this is a pretty good Mabel and Wendy bonding episode, it shows a great dynamic between them. That they are close and respect each other since not Wendy gets to hang out with Mabel's friendship trio, and it shows Dipper isn't the only Pines twin that Wendy likes spending time with. And again, Wendy constantly supports Mabel throughout this episode. Despite not liking the unicorns and being distrustful from the start, Wendy still helps Mabel with her good deed list. Which is yet another example of her helping Mabel with her projects, despite not being very impressed by some of their methods, judging by some of her facial expressions during the good deed montage.
She even calls out Celestabellebethabelle for still not accepting that Mabel is pure of heart and even calls Mabel a saint (cringe, I know, but blame the writer) emphasising how highly she thinks of the younger girl. And when the unicorn still claims Mabel isn't good enough and she becomes emotionally devastated, Wendy decides to take matters into her own hands.
It's here she gives her angry speech about women not being perfect, before leading Candy and Grenda into taking matters into their own hands: threatening gnomes for information on unicorns, performing a sting operation with corrupt gnome police, and finally engaging in a covert operation to knock out Celestabellebethabelle and take her hair by force.
See! This is what Wendy can do! My girl gets things DONE!
Anyway, even though Mabel interrupts and is at first angry at Wendy for taking matters into her own hands, Wendy did it because she saw her friend was upset and tried to help her in her own way, and didn't include her becasue she didn't want to involve her in something underhanded while she was obsessing over being a good person. Again, protecting her while doing what needed to be doen. And when Mabel snaps after she realises that she's been played by the unicorns, and punches Celestabellebethabelle in the face, it brings Wendy much joy, continuing to cheer her friend on and support her. And together, all four girls charge at the unicorns, eventually defeating the before returning to the Shack, battered and bruised and covered in unicorn…tears.
This episode is brilliant for showing how well they work together and how much they mean to each other. Mabel immediately inviting Wendy along on the same adventure as her BFFs, and on the same call no less. (Not sure how that worked but there's also horns that play rave music, it's not the weirdest thing here.) And despite Wendy not expecting the trip to come to anything, she still joins them and wants to keep them safe. She doubts everything about the unicorns, but never once doubts Mabel's purity of heart. She not only defends her but gets angry at those who claim otherwise.
Despite their differences, they work really well together, and Wendy is always supportive of Mabel, wether that's at the start of a quest she doesn't believe in, during the good dead montage she seems to have at least some concerns about, and in the final battle where she cheers her on for finally taking enough crap and punching a liar in the face.
And in a page from Don't Colour This Book! It's Cursed! we see an image of Wendy lying on the grass with Mabel, Candy, and Grenda. Lying in a circle with their heads together, relaxing and laughing. And considering the injuries they sustained from their battle with the unicorns, and their healthy appearance in this image, that implies that this happened some time before or after that episode. Which means this episode wasn't a one off, and the girls don't need a mission to enjoy each other's company.
So there's plenty to look into and write about Wendy's relationship with Mabel. Both are the only girls surrounded by boys at home, even if it's only during the summer for Mabel. Indeed, Both are untameable, wild, and carefree. They help out where they can, like each other's company, and engage in some, er, interesting extracurricular activities that a lot of people don't always appreciate. They're playful and not always very serious, but do have a sensitive side and even enjoy some of the same things, like Sev'ral Timez (if Wendy can learn to admit it) and cute stuffed animals.
People tend to underestimate them both and not give them enough credit. Both are technically big sisters (which would likely infuriate Dipper, much to their amusement) and are a bit different from even their already strange families. They like the outdoors and nature, and can learn a lot from each other.
And on the more serious side of thing, both have issues the other can help with. If Wendy struggles with things at home, then maybe having someone like Mabel in her life is the closest she's come to having a little sister, and Mabel might likewise start to see Wendy as an older sister. If Mabel continues to be worried about boys, and starts to worry about things like high school and puberty, Wendy can always help her out, giver her the advice she wish she received, and offer support where she can.
While Grenda and Candy are Mabel's' BFFs, Wendy is still her good friend. But they have the potential to become as close as sisters and strike a bond that would last a lifetime. The foundation is already there; they've helped each other through thick in fin, and fought and bled for each other. And in the 3DS game Wendy says that she'll miss the twins so much that she wants to drive to California to see them again.
That's a damn good start to a potential story if you ask me.
WENDY AND FORD - A FAMILY CONNECTION
But while there's so much to say about Wendy and Mabel, there's not as much that can be said about her and Ford. Their only documented conversation was one line in Journal 3, where she refers to him as 'Stan Two'. A name I'm not sure Ford appreciated, but one I bet Stan found hilarious, especially as the younger and least favourite son. But while there's not much confirmed interaction between them, there is plenty of potential.
For one thing, Ford knows quite a lot about her family and has had several interactions with her father over the years since, including paying him to build the Mystery Shack. They can discuss that and what Dan used to be like when he was younger. Did she know he used to be called 'Boyish' Dan, or is it something her father doesn't like to talk about? If Ford spent time at her family's abandoned cabin, is she curious about it, or maybe she might want to remove the ghosts and take it back so she or her family can finally have a place to stay where Dan can stand up straight?
Could he be curious about her family and why they seem to be magnets for ghosts, or their incredible physical prowess? Is there a scientific reason for it, or did one of them marry a Sasquatch several generations ago?
Both of them have a special relationship with Dipper, does that mean they'd frequently engage with each other because he wants to spend time with both of them? Does that mean they'd team up and Wendy would finally get to go on more exciting adventures, and Ford can have a partner who's eager to face danger and more than capable of handling herself, but far more spry than Stanley? After Weirdmageddon, is Ford still worried about rifts to the Nightmare realm and think she'd be perfect for finding and containing any remaining Eye-Bats or other creatures and anomalies?
It took me a long time to fully understand why so many people struggle to write Wendy. To me, she's the second easiest person to write after Dipper, my favourite character and the one I relate to the most. And as easy as I might find writing her, a lot of people would struggle to get into the mindset of a character who gets so much less attention than someone like Soos or Ford. Especially when it's so much harder to find out more about her. All of the information I gathered here took months of time and dedication. Hell, I specifically bought a 3DS just so I could comb the game for Wendy info! That's how much she means to me.
But most people don't have that kind of time or energy or passion. I don't even have it anymore.
So I hope this helps others get a grasp of her, and gives you some ideas. Helps you see how much potential she really has. Because there is so much more to her than what most people see.
I mean, look at all I've written - that proves it! And there's so much more I could say too! But there's only so much information you can put into an essay and keep it all relevant and structured.
But another piece of proof is how consistently Wendy's been written by those who are willing to understand her. She might appear in fewer stories, and she's not always the same, and her relationships with her family in particular can vary, but at her core, Wendy is still Wendy for most of them. And if it's a lot easier to tell if Wendy is straying from the person we saw in the show than it is for other characters who did get their own episodes, then I think that says the fanbase does have a good understanding of Wendy and who she is, even if they're lacking some of the minor details that help flesh her out.
They know who she is and all the layers there are to her. The loyal friend who will fight to protect those she loves. The lazy slacker. The kind person who looks after others. The prankster with a minor criminal record. The brave warrior. The selfish teen with an issue towards authority. The struggling girl who's scared to let even her friends see how worried she is. The person who has come to the aid of every member of the Mystery Shack Crew. The woman who found Dipper in his darkest moment and gave him the encouragement and assistance he needed to find his sister. Someone who at the end of the world helped build the resistance and the Shacktron, jumped on an Eye-Bat and used it to disable a Henchmaniac, who stood up to Bill Cipher himself when he threatened her friends, drawing an axe against a god of chaos.
That is the Wendy Corduroy I know and love. And that's just what I see in her. There is still so much more untapped potential that is just waiting to be explored.
What's life like after Weirdmageddon? Did it scar her or did she shrug it off? If it did leave an impact, does she show it or is it another stressor she hides from everyone else? How does she deal with the Never Mind All That Act? Is she tazed regularly for refusing to pretend nothing happened, or does she obey the law for once to avoid reminding people of their trauma? Does she consider it to be the highlight of her life, seeing action and adventure and danger, proving herself to be a true survivor and hero in a world without authority or order? Does she feel survivor's guilt for thriving and even having a little fun while her town burned and her friends and family were captured?
What's it like working at the Shack now that Melody's there and Soos is in charge? Will they have kids and how will Wendy react to them? She's might have good big sister instincts and might have some experience raising her younger brothers, but does that mean she'd be a good babysitter, or will she show a more maternal or at least sensitive side to her?
How often is she communicating with Dipper and Mabel now that they're in California? Is she giving them advice and is she giving some in return? Do she and Dipper continue Movie Nights online or over the phone, is Mabel asking her for dating advice, is she warning them how to survive high school when the time comes? Do they talk about everything they've endured and what they'll do when they see each again? Does she do what she said in the 3DS game and take a car to see them, and what do they do? What are her interactions with their parents like?
What's school like? Does she decide to focus more on her education does she not care? If she decides she needs to improve her grades, why and how? Does she ask Dipper to tutor her, or seek advice from smarter or wiser people like Ford or Melody? If she does decide to continue her education, what in and how? Does she go to college or study online? Will she decide enough is enough and a high school diploma is all she needs? How will her decision impact her career and life choices later?
Does she decide that, actually, Gravity Falls isn't so bad and decide to stay? And what if she does move out of town? Will she excel or stumble? Is the normal world a cakewalk compared to growing up in The Weirdest Town on Earth, or has it left her unprepared for the seriousness of city life? If she loves excitement, does she continue seeking it on the outside, becoming an adventurer or demon hunter? Or does she decide the mundane life is fine for her after all, outgrowing the rebellious, adrenaline junkie antics of her youth? How hard is it for her to stay in contact with her family and friends, and how often does she visit them or they visit her?
Hell, if you want a potentially infinite source of stories featuring Wendy, look no further than her mother.
As little as we know about her brothers, we know even less about Mrs Corduroy. In fact, you can argue it's one of the biggest mysteries of the show. Hirsch has been nothing but vague about her, to the point we still don't know if she's alive or not. All we do know is that she and Dan were married and she's had at least one encounter with the Blind Eye Society since we see a tube with 'Mrs Corduroy' scrawled on it in the Crawlspace.
In Lost Legends there's a coded message on Shmebulock's board that asked if she was in another dimension, but that's only his theory and there's no evidence to support or deny it. And considering how weird and wild the multiverse is, that can still mean anything. If she is in the multiverse, is she having adventures to rival Ford's; desperately searching for a way back home and to her family? How long has she been gone and does time move differently across the universes? Maybe she's trapped between realities, stuck in time.
The Book of Bill says Wendy dreams about her mother most nights, but that was written by one of the multiverse's biggest liars. And even if it is true, it's again so vague it can mean nothing or everything about her and Wendy's relationship.
Are these memories? Nightmares? Happy dreams? Does she even truly remember her or are these dreams as fake as the father Soos made for himself in Mabeland? Is she dead? If she is, how? Was it natural, an accident, a tragedy, the supernatural, or a mixture? If she is dead, would Wendy consider a way to contact her since she now knows ghosts are real and her family seems to have a connection with them?
Or did she and Dan divorce? Is she living in Portland, hence part of why Wendy wants to move there? Do she and Dan take turns with the kids, or did Dan get full custody? Does Wendy even miss her or is Dan - despite everything between them - still the better parent?
Who knows? Your guess is as good as mine. But it is a fantastic starting point for anyone who wants to explore Wendy's character on a more personal level or enjoys family drama or mystery. After a decade of vagueness, I'm confident we won't get anything concrete about the woman, so she and Wendy's relationship is whatever you want it to be.
This essay isn't just meant to be a guide for writing Wendy and exploring how she interacts with the other main characters and spreading the knowledge I've accumulated. It's a call to arms, an ask for others to think of her as more than just the crush or the main character who's treated like a side character. Because for all I've written here there's still plenty I haven't; little tidbits and trivia collected over the years that have likely been forgotten by the show-makers themselves. And even more that neither they nor I have even thought of yet.
Look, we're never going to get a Wendy story, no matter what Hirsch says. Every time some new Gravity Falls content is released, she features less and less. It's been that way since season one and I don't see that changing. So it's up to us. To make the stories for her and prove she's more than what he thinks. That just because he couldn't figure out a way to write her, that doesn't mean we can't. In fact I know that we have because, despite how little we apparently got, I also think of how many great stories are out there.
Truth be told, those fanfics and comics are no small part of the reason I love Wendy as much as I do today. As much as I cared about her after the show ended, it pales in comparison to how much I love her after reading other people's effort in exploring her further.
Because people saw what she could do and chose to write about and draw it. They spent the time and effort to fan the flames of the show. And that's what's great about fandoms: they pick up the slack when the creators don't put in the effort. And in so many ways, they have surpassed the show by doing it.
I didn't use to like Pacifica, or Thompson, or Lazy Susan. Now I think they are all great and will defend them heartily. The Gravity Falls TV show didn't do that, it only introduced them to me. It was the fans, the ones who made these characters fully fleshed out and showed me just how much to them there could be, who finally made me appreciate them.
Wendy Week is almost over. I should have done more. I even took some days off to get this out in time because, unfortunately, life happens. But I still think I should have done more. In fact, I will do more. Because some of you may have noticed that, for all I've said here, I've barley covered another crucial part to Wendy's character:
Her relationship with Dipper.
There are two reasons for that. One is that I have so much to say that it's worth a whole essay on it's own. My two favourite characters and their friendship, my second favourite relationship of the entire show. I'm really looking forward to that. But the other reason is that for all she's put alongside Dipper, and as much as I love that, Wendy doesn't have to be associated with Dipper to have a story. If you don't want to write about them, you don't have to. There's still plenty to say.
I'm not going to get the Dipper and Wendy essay out in time for Wendy Week. I have too much to say and not enough time. And that's a real shame. To fail to meet my goal despite how much I love her and want to give her more attention. To run out of time even though I took two days off work to make up for the days lost when my internet was down or I had to help my family.
But you know what? It says something too. That it doesn't matter if it takes longer than expected, or that life keeps getting in the way. If you care about something - or someone - you can still do it. It doesn't matter how long it takes.
Some people are worth the wait.
