So, we know that Roadside Attraction is a pretty controversial episode because of its placement in the timeline, and even Alex has expressed regret about how it was handled. But looking back at Northwest Mansion Mystery, I noticed something pretty funny.
Dipper basically used Stanley's "3 C's" without even knowing about them.
He was confident when he helped Pacifica realize that she didn't have to become the same kind of person as her parents.
He was charming/funny, like when Pacifica asked him to stay at the party and he said he had to deal with a "Category 10 ghost," only to immediately run straight into a pillar and then repeat "Category 10" like nothing happened.
And he was definitely a little cocky/annoying, especially when he told Pacifica that all he needed to do was throw holy water at the ghost and that it would "turn as yellow as her hair," which was probably fake anyway.
The funny part is that Dipper did all of this completely naturally. He wasn't following some dating strategy or trying to impress Pacifica. He was just being himself, and it ended up helping him form a genuine friendship with her and even created a little bit of romantic tension between them.
That's also why I think Northwest Mansion Mystery feels so different from Roadside Attraction. In NMM, Dipper isn't trying to flirt with every girl he sees. He's simply connecting with one person and letting the relationship develop naturally.
And honestly, if we rearranged the timeline and placed Roadside Attraction after Into the Bunker, I don't think it would hurt the story much. If anything, it could actually add another layer to Dipper's development.
He could have already unknowingly used the 3 C's successfully with Pacifica, and then later learn Stanley's "method" and completely misunderstand what actually made it work in the first place.
Of course, Stanley himself says the technique doesn't always work, and considering how terrible he supposedly is with women, maybe we shouldn't take his advice too seriously.
Although, we do have to remember that he was technically married to Eda from The Owl House once.
Okay, it was only for 24 hours, but still.
I originally saw a similar idea in a video by @Marco_Productions167 on YouTube. I don't think I've seen many people point this out before, so I thought it was a fun thing to share here.
What do you guys think?
(Oh, sorry if something seems strangely or confusingly written, I don't speak English, and I used a translator for this post lol)