Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E03 - Renn Scare - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Renn Scare

Season 2, Episode 3

Premiered December 21, 2017

Quickly

The gang goes to the Renaissance Faire.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

I've only been to one Renaissance Faire a long time ago while on a road trip. I got to shoot arrows and there was a lady with pet rats. Cool day. I still have the necklace I bought there.

The gang goes to the Renaissance Faire. Velma is especially excited because she consults on the Faire to make it accurate (and therefore not fun). The gang are quickly enlisted to investigate the court jester ghost...monster...guy. The man ruling over the faire assigns them all jobs to do while they investigate.

Daphne spends the day messing with Velma's pedantic devotion to accuracy by "inventing" things. I am completely on Daphne's side here. Renaissance Faires aren't fun because they are accurate. They're fun because they're romantic ideas of the past. The past wasn't romantic. Of course this results in her being a branded witch by the self important faire king.

There's a reference to "Bippy's Medical School Adventure" which is a call back to "The People Vs Fred Jones" where Daphne played "Bippy's Law School Adventure" and believed this made her a lawyer.

The Jester attacks during an important feast. The feast is destroyed. The king "imprisons" them. Velma explains why the accuracy of the faire is so important to her. She finds meaning in seeing how humanity used to live and how far they're come.

They have another feast and capture the jester. They unmask him to find the investor. He wanted to make the Renaissance Faire inauthentic and profitable.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E02 - There Wolf - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - There Wolf

Season 2, Episode 2

Premiered December 21, 2017

Quickly

Scooby goes to the hospital.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

Daphne's a mime. The gang isn't happy. I like mime. It's an artform. I'll never mime but I feel no aversion to them. 

Scooby feels ill. They take him to an animal hospital after he tells them he's not hungry. The lab tech at the front desk refuses to treat Scooby but Daphne uses mime to intimidate him. The doctor explains that there's a wild animal, possibly a werewolf loose in the hospital. He also tells them that his brother is a space pirate. The space pirate is played completely straight.  His sister is a fairy princess mermaid but that's a little less odd because mermaid is a career. I guess in a world where men constantly wear diving suits and clowns terrorize people while dressed up as a different clown, Space pirate could be a viable career path somehow.

While Shaggy accompanies Scooby, Daphne, Fred and Velma search for clues. Of course, the werewolf finds them.

Daphne, Velma and Fred discover an article referring to a local story about a werewolf that used to live in the house.  They run into a woman who wants to be with her cat while she gives birth. They also run into the werewolf. 

The werewolf is really well done. It's creepier than a lot of werewolf films I've seen.

The gang accidentally lets all of the patients go. While the cat lady and the veternarian are upset about everything, the gang hears the final clue thanks to Daphne. The vet tech created the story of the werewolf so he could steal one of the valuable kittens.

Also Scooby is fine. He was just full.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo - S02E01 - Some Fred Time - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo - Some Fred Time

Season 2, Episode 1

Premiered December 21, 2017

Quickly

Fred is the crazy one.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

Fred is going a little solve crazy. The episode opens with multiple unmaskings. We see the cameo return of Wayne. 

They decide to take Fred on a vacation. They go to Daphne's family's beach house.

They find out from the butler that a walking shark has been terrorizing the beach. They decide to keep this from Fred and solve the mystery while he rests. They investigate. They find Dorsalfoot and a paparazzo. The paparazzo is obsessively searching for a celebrity who lives on the beach.

Fred notices something odd is going on. But he's kept in his room.

Daphne is relatively subdued in this episode. She's a little fixated on abiding by her mother's rules. This was likely to balance the dynamic of the team because Fred is insane and paranoid throughout the episode.

Fred solves the mystery for everyone. The butler at the beach house was behind the shark. He was working with the paparazzo, selling him pictures of the celebrity.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E26 - The People Vs. Fred Jones - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - The People Vs. Fred Jones

Season 1, Episode 26

Premiered June 20, 2017

Quickly

Fred is put on trial.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

Fred is framed as the villain by the villain and must defend himself at trial. This is one of highest stakes for an episode. Aside from the multiple times people try to murder them throughout the series.

I'm not going to recap this because I don't want to. I think this episode works because it is both a familiar story form for the episode to take and a unique episode in Scooby-Doo history to the best of my recollection. There's a lot of Scooby-Doo. I've seen a lot of Scooby-Doo. I don't remember another trial episode. This show excels when it creates episodes that are unique and work within the Scooby-Doo formula like this one. It also makes sense in reality because a bunch of teenagers trespassing in a restricted area open themselves to legal charges.

There's a great sight gag when they show the jury is composed of previous villains from this series.

The monster reminds me of Toxie (The Toxic Avenger). It's a mutant created by the toxic waster in the town.

Majorly, I love Gus and his Snacks by Gus. Heavy and awesome. I love the creative artistic flourishes like the food designs.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E25 - The Norse Case Scenario - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - The Norse Case Scenario

Season 1, Episode 25

Premiered June 20, 2017

Quickly

The gang goes camping.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is camping in the woods. It's a traditional camping episode. Daphne's treating it as a chance to be a Nature Ranger. They meet the Park Ranger who warns them not to break the rules and that there's Norse Ghosts.

Shaggy and Scooby continue their tradition of meeting ghosts and bears. Three ghosts chase them out of the woods (meaning 3 culprits). 

Velma is oddly excited by the possibility of the Norse ghosts rewriting history books. She doesn't believe in ghosts. Why would the presence of 3 fake ghosts change history? It would make more sense for her to get excited by the archaeologists they meet later.

They meet a pair of bird watchers who direct them towards archaeologists. They don't find them immediately because they get lost and get chased by the Norse ghosts again. The archaeologists are a group of 3. They're struggling because their dig permit hasn't come through. The presence of a Tufted Hookbill proves their birdwatchers are either bad at their birdwatching or lied to them.

Shaggy and Scooby wander into the woods to find food and are about to eat mushrooms. This is really bad to even suggest. It is so easy to eat the wrong mushroom if you don't know what you are doing. Fortunately, the bear shows up again and eats them.

The gang meet up with the Park Ranger who gives them citations and detains them. He calls out the chase music as not being to his taste. While in Forest Jail they find the permit the archaeologists are waiting for.

This mystery is set up well. It's a fairly simple mystery but it makes sense. The permit clears the archaeologists and leaves three suspects.

This is one of more brutal traps. Velma calls Fred out for being insane.

The Ranger and the fake bird watchers were the Vikings. It was an illegal logging plot. Most surprising twist is Scooby making peace with the bear.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E24 - Into the Mouth of Madcap -Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Into the Mouth of Madcap

Season 1, Episode 24

Premiered June 20, 2017

Quickly

Daphne babysits.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is joined by Wayne on a trip to the boardwalk. Wayne is the son of Andrea. Daphne offered to babysit. 

The title of the episode is a reference to the John Carpenter film "In the Mouth of Madness" so that's foreboding.

The owner warns them to not mention clowns because a couple were recently attacked by Madcap. Madcap was a clown at the Loony Park. He eludes to a history of murder ("Madcap took the saying "Slaying them with laughter" a little too literally."). Fred is abandoned by Daphne for babysitting and Velma due to her Coulrophobia. Daphne takes Wayne on the most dangerous roller coaster ever constructed. There are no safety restraints. Not even a bar.

Shaggy and Scooby enjoy the park until they are attacked by Madcap, a cross between Ronald McDonald and IT with a giant mallet. Shaggy continues defending clowns after he and Scooby and Daphne and Velma are attacked by Madcap.

The capture Madcap and unmask another clown they saw throughout the episode, Oopsy. Wayne finally speaks up and somewhat rudely recaps the episode. The police tell them they don't know what to charge him with. Attempted murder, assault and and destruction of property would seem like good options to me but the issue is resolved by the Clown Police who have jurisdiction.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E23 - El Bandito - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - El Bandito

Season 1, Episode 23

Premiered June 20, 2017

Quickly

Fred tries to make himself a legend.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

Fred lies to Scooby and Shaggy to get them to agree to attend a Dia De Los Muertos festival. The decorations and costumes are fantastic. I am instantly in love with this episode.

The mayor of the town, Mayor Rogers, introduces herself and warns them about El Bandito. It's an odd choice to give the Mayor the last name Rogers considering Shaggy's name is Rogers. They never address it.

Daphne connects with her late great aunt Cookie by seeing signs. Velma tells her it's just chance. I've always heard about past relatives sending signs so it doesn't really feel like Daphne's being quirky. It feels pretty normal to me.

Fred is acting pretty weird. He's obsessed with establishing himself as a mythological figure like the skeleton Bandito. It's not new. It's an extension of the character trait he showed in "Giant Problems" when he dressed up as knight.

The Mayor kicks the gang out of town because she doesn't want them to interfere with the business of the festival. A motive that reminds me of Mystery Inc. The gang dresses up to stay in town. Shaggy and Scooby-Doo dress up as a bride and groom for the second time in two episodes.

El Bandito locks them in an air tight tomb. It's interesting how often the villains attempt to murder Mystery Inc. They are able to escape after some encouragement from Aunt Cookie.

They capture and unmask El Bandito to reveal Gustavo, a local El Bandito expert. Fred reveals El Bandito's treasure. And they are not arrested after the Mayor forgets about them upon setting eyes on the gold and jewels. 

Top tier episode for design and atmosphere.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E22 - I Scooby-Dooby Do - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - I Scooby-Dooby Do

Season 1, Episode 22

Premiered June 20, 2017

Quickly

The gang works to keep a ghost bride from derailing a wedding.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is at a wedding. Scooby is the officiant. Shaggy is the best man. Daphne and Velma are bridesmaids. The groom tells them a ghost attacked him the night before. A wedding party was previously killed in an accident. But for some reason the bride that wasn't killed is the ghost. This is a particularly large threat because the bride to be is very superstitious.

The ghost chases Daphne off the edge of a cliff. So we have a murderous ghost. 

The episode is a bit distracted from the mystery by Velma and Daphne trying to hide the ghost from the bride. The wedding ceremony is interrupted by the attack of the ghost bride.

Daphne's obsession with the wedding traditions fits perfectly with Daphne's character and doesn't feel random. This isn't my favorite obsession of Daphne's (Puppets!!!) but it is the one that feels the least random.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E21 - Eating Crow - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Eating Crow

Season 1, Episode 21

Premiered June 20,. 2017

Quickly

Fred tries to charm a girl with by solving the mystery of the scarecrow ruining her family farm's business.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is driving through ambiguously located farmland with no explanation for their trip. 

This episode has fantastic visual gags like the locals glaring at them. The gang meet a farmer and his nice daughter. They immediately set up the farmer as the culprit by establishing his three word vocabulary of "Yup", "Nope" and "Meddling". Why else would "Meddling" be in his vocabulary if he wasn't meant to be a suspect. The fact that his business is being negatively effected raises some questions but still "Meddling" is an important clue. The gang offers to investigate the scarecrow monster terrorizing their farm.

Daphne spends her time trying to bond with an animal in the way Scooby and Shaggy are bonded. Scooby and Shaggy try to protect the vegetables until they're chased by the Scarecrow Monster. Fred tries to impress the daughter of the farm owner. Velma is suffering progressively worse from allergies.

Shaggy and Scooby flees the Scarecrow with a Wizard of Oz bit. It's a fantastic bit.

Fred struggles with the investigation because the clues don't add up. He figures out the answer after Daphne calls him out for trying to impress Beth with his mystery solving talent.

Both Tom and the Farmer are the scarecrows. They knew about natural gas reserves beneath their land. They resolve the conflict by agreeing to amicably to work together because they're both going to be rich. Fred ruins his shot with Beth by telling the police to arrest her father.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E20 - Giant Problems - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Giant Problems

Season 1, Episode 20

Premiered March 12, 2016

Quickly

The gang investigates a Giant at Daphne's family's castle.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang visits a castle Daphne's family recently discovered they owned. They meet Colin McQuaid, a local historian who tells them the land is cursed by a giant. Shaggy and Scooby splits off into their own plot. They meet a chef who offers them a meal then sucks them into an Irish Green Eggs and Ham.

Daphne, Velma and Fred investigate. Fred walks around with a helmet, sword and shield. I appreciate the detail of the Mystery Machine emblazoned on the shield. Velma is rendered incapable of understanding Daphne when she affects an Irish accent.

This episode sets up the clues well. Scooby notes a scent of oil in the footprint of the giant. Velma notices the giant avoided entering the water. They repair to the library for research and discover a map of the area and a history detailing how the land was once inhabited by magical creatures.

Daphne and Fred find their way to the giant's sitting room. Velma, Shaggy and Scooby see Daphne and Fred fleeing from the giant as they drive back from investigating in town. This leads to a very strong chase scene with Velma driving.

They don't so much have a trap as a Kaiju fight. The gang throws down with the giant using the transformed Mystery Machine.

They unmask the historian that was working for a theme park developer. They lay out the mystery. The historian protests they were wrong but they ignore him.

This is one of the top episodes. It is great to see an episode where the bad guy's robot almost makes perfect sense.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E19 - Be Cold, Scooby-Doo! - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Be Cold, Scooby-Doo!

Season 1, Episode 19

Premiered March 5, 2016

Quickly

Shaggy sees snow for the first time.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang takes Shaggy on a ski trip to see snow for the first time. They are warned by a snowboarder about a Snow Monster. Shaggy and Scooby are not dismayed by the Snow Monster because they are determined to have fun. The episode leads to a lot of chasing and a few contentious run ins with snow boarders. Shaggy and Scooby ditch the Snow Monster with a Disney Princess style gag that is wonderfully weird. 

The gang find a weather station on the hill. The occupant claims to have created the Snow Monster. The owner of the ski lodge complains about the weather station interfering with his expansion and now a Snow Monster scaring away the tourists.

This is great episode. It has a lot of chase sequences but it also shows investigation and good gags. Also, it's nice to see Fred as the bait even if the trap didn't quite work correctly. After all, they trapped the still trapped the monster.

They unmask the monster and find Heidi Ho Swift, a professional snowboarder who was mad about the ski lodge becoming a popular tourist destination and the weather station interfering with her snowboarding. Solid episode, okay mystery.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E18 - Saga of the Swamp Beast - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Saga of the Swamp Beast

Season 1, Episode 18

Premiered February 27, 2016

Quickly

The gang hunts a Swamp Beast in a Louisiana Bayou.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

That gang are in Louisiana. Daphne is pretending to be a vampire in Interview with the Vampire style. Scooby and Shaggy have their own Hot Ones challenge. They volunteer to solve the mystery of the Swamp Monster for Bayou Pierre.

After running out into the swamp, Shaggy and Scooby are attacked by the Swamp Monster. The gang returns to the swamp to investigate Scooby and Shaggy's sighting. They are quickly attacked by the Swamp Monster. They are saved by Bayou Pierre. Bayou Pierre joins them in their investigation of the swamp.

They meet Hermit Hank. He tells them the Gentleman Bandit drove an armored truck into the swamp (possibly a reference to "Which Witch is Which?"). They get a ring from Chomps, a mystery solving alligator, with Kingston University (a reference to the premiere of the series).

I love the character design on the Swamp Monster. It's a unique design that looks like plant material draped over a body made of roots.

Chomps helps the gang capture Dwayne, the Gentleman Bandit. He gets all of the credit. Only Fred is bothered by this.

This is another really good episode. It possesses all of the best traits of this series. It's meta, strange, funny and it builds a mystery.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E17 - Sorcerer Snacks Scare - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Sorcerer Snacks Scare

Season 1, Episode 17

Premiered February 20, 2016

Quickly

We learn the origin of Scooby Snacks.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The episode opens with Sorcerer's Snacks (proto-Scooby Snacks) and a commercial that reminds me of Wilkin's Coffee. Then there's the Sorcerer attacks.

Shaggy and Scooby arrive at the factory to test the snack. They love it but it's been discontinued. Daphne sees a display of puppets. Unfortunately, Fred stops her.

Upon hearing the factory is getting terrorized by a wizard, they offer to investigate. Fred uses the last box of Sorcery Snacks to get them to investigate a scary room. Daphne questions how ethical it is to bribe Scooby and Shaggy and judges Velma for pondering applying the principles of operant conditioning to Shaggy and Scooby.

The gang is attacked by the Wizard and his magic staff. They escape him. During the investigation, they meet Piero (possibly a reference to Pietro the Puppet Master from Backstage Rage).

We see the return of the puppet gang! Best part of the episode.

They unmask Piero, the puppeteer behind the mascot. He created complex animatronics and used his staff to remote them. It's not my favorite kind of solution. He was smart enough that he could have done anything!! This is just my personal feeling. It doesn't 

This episode is just a new Scooby Snack backstory. I prefer the muddled history established in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. Still a fun episode.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E16 - Gremlin on a Plane - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Gremlin on a Plane

Season 1, Episode 16

Premiered February 13, 2016

Quickly

The gang takes a flight.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang joins Big Earl on a flight of the largest plane ever made. Daphne's fixated on planes but this is described as a long standing obsession (not a recently developed fixation). They are warned by Ed Johnson, the engineer, about a gremlin. Shaggy's comment about Earl's catch phrase indicates they all know Big Ed.

As soon as the plane reaches cruising altitude, they split up to search for clues to the gremlin. Scooby and Shaggy are attacked while "investigating" the food court.

The pilot is scared off by the gremlin. Fred insists on sitting in the pilot's seat. Fred selfishly fixates on how he should be in the driver's seat despite Daphne's expertise and it being her dream. Daphne finally gets to take her proper seat when Fred leaves to fix the sabotaged wing. While out on the wing, the Gremlin attacks him. The gang works together to save him. Eventually, Fred gets over his need to be in control, by controlling the situation and telling Daphne to fly.

With plots like these, there's not a ton of suspense. We know no one is going to die. I find episodes where the stakes are personal or reputation or legal consequences a little more suspenseful because we know they're not going to kill anyone. That all being said, what's the goal for the Gremlin? Is he actually trying to crash the plane?

This may be one of the longest prison terms for a Scooby-Doo villain. He crashed a plane and attempted to murder six people. We don't see the plane crash but it's in nose dive over farm land the last time we see it. Also, a plane of enormous proportions would cause devastation even in a sparsely populated area. Given that a piece of debris hit the Mystery Machine, a lot of property and possibly people were killed.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E15 - If You Can't Scooby-Doo the Time, Don't Scooby-Doo the Crime - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - If You Can't Scooby-Doo the Time, Don't Scooby-Doo the Crime

Season 1, Episode 15

February 6, 2016

Quickly

The ghost of a prisoner haunts the prison where he was mistreated.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is visiting a prison. Fred is especially excited because the Warden is a hero of his. He views the prison as a symbol of ultimate justice. I do not see prisons this way...especially prisons that indiscriminately kill birds. The prison is being haunted by the ghost of Stealin' Stan. The gang volunteer to investigate.

Wayne Bowman is psychotic and it's not a subtle build up. This is maybe the darkest episode I've ever seen. They show multiple references to torture and a reference to execution. Warden Bowman is kind of the worst. 

Fred is affected by the atmosphere of the Vault (the prison) and possessed with suspicion of Shaggy. 

The character design for the ghost of Stealin' Stan is great. They don't completely explain "Stealin Stan" like how he gained the nickname. Did he have a history of theft? "Once a thief, Always a thief"? Was he a thief? Or was he a completely innocent man? He lost years of his life to a false conviction and a corrupt warden. He stole Stealin' Stan's letters and hid the evidence of Stan's innocence. It's dark. It's really dark. Fred's even darker by association. Also, Fred didn't have any evidence of Shaggy's theft. He just accused him.

The best part of this episode is the twist at the end. 

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E14 - Scary Christmas - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Scary Christmas

Season 1, Episode 14

Premiered December 10, 2015

Quickly

The gang celebrates Christmas and Daphne's birthday with a pterodactyl mystery.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is celebrating Christmas in Rockwellville. Daphne insists the gang celebrate her birthday rather than Christmas. She refuses to celebrate Christmas because she wants to celebrate her birthday for once. Fred brought the gang to Rockwellville to find a Christmas related mystery. Why wouldn't Daphne have brought this up earlier? Why didn't the gang know her birthday?

They are attacked by a pterodactyl. Velma mentions an archaeological dig outside of town. Fred refuses to accept the mystery is not a Christmas themed mystery. He brings them to an orphanage. Velma insists they go to the dig to investigate the mystery. At the dig, they meet the head of the dig. He's working to dig out a nest of pterodactyl eggs buried in a cave in. 

The Mystery Machine is torn in half. Daphne and Scooby are abducted by the pterodactyl. They are able to rescue Daphne and Scooby but the pterodactyl causes significant damage. 

They also meet the artisan in charge of creating the star for the town tree. 

They realize that the non-Christmas mystery is about saving Christmas. The Pterodactyl wasn't trying to steal Christmas but he needed to steal Christmas to get a valuable thing. They recover the valuable pterodactyl egg and save the orphanage.

I really love Christmas and this was a great Christmas episode. Several elements were familiar like a character having a birthday on Christmas which has been done in shows like Happy Endings and the spontaneous visual parallels to Santa. But it works in the episode. They're cute, festive and well done.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E13 - Where There's a Will, There's a Wraith - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Where There's a Will, There's a Wraith

Season 1, Episode 13

Premiered October 28, 2015

Quickly

A reimagining of "A Night of Fright is No Delight".

Thoughts, Details and Recap

My first thought in the opening moments is "This reminds me of Clue."

This episode is a remake of "A Night of Fright is No Delight" where Scooby is a beneficiary in the will of a man Scooby saved. It's a different take on the plot.

The gang goes to a mansion to hear the reading of a will. To inherit from the estate, Scooby must stay at the mansion all night. The gang remains with him. The twin cousins are very "The Shining". Cousin Kenneth is a cat person...yeah, that. 

Fred assigns Shaggy and Scooby to stay in the room. They leave the room after a power outage and meet the green phantom. The phantom is a slight redesign. It's a hard thing to redesign an iconic monster like the Green Phantom. I think the original had a stronger silhouette but I like the boney hands.

The gang uses Velma as a ride. It's a moment that's fun for someone who is very familiar with the original series. This entire series respects the original series and regularly includes great references to it.

There's a big point made of Scooby being too cowardly or too selfish to save anyone else's life. I'm not a fan of this characterization. The earliest incarnation of Scooby had significant courageous moments like jumping onto a rope bridge to save Candy Mint.

The original episode was better. The original episode had the creepy moment of the coffins in the basement. This episode had Cousin Nathan. The conclusion made a little bit more sense in this episode but I'll never sacrifice the creepy for a more sensible mystery.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E12 - Area 51 Adjacent - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Area 51 Adjacent

Season 1, Episode 12

October 25, 2015

Quickly

The gang sees a UFO.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is driving through the desert. They start talking about extraterrestrials and nearly hit a guy screaming about aliens. 

The art of the desert landscapes is well rendered. It's a beautiful vista.

The gang search for the crashed UFO. They are attacked by a luminescent green extraterrestrial. Then they are arrested by the military under suspicion of being aliens. Scooby is muzzled. I find the dissonance of the talking and extremely anthropomorphized Scooby in a muzzle. They are transported to Area 53. They are interrogated. The interrogation goes about as well as can be expected.

The facility is attacked by the extraterrestrial. Daphne tries to communicate with the extraterrestrial. They flee with the help of General Stall's key card. They find a bunch of outdated equipment. Although given the highly secure nature of the facility, old computers could have legitimate value like the ones at nuclear facilities. They can't be hacked. But that's not the case in the facility, it's made clear they have been denied funding.

There's an alien craft and a highly destructive crash. Daphne's devastated by the fact that the alien is hostile because her dream of hanging out with aliens. Shaggy reassures Daphne that the life she imagined with aliens is exactly the life she has.

They capture the alien and unmask the General who wanted funding.

This is a really good episode. It has some great artistic touches, real stakes and an interesting motivation.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E11 - Me, Myself, and A.I. - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Me, Myself, and A.I.

Season 1, Episode 11

Premiered October 22, 2015

Quickly

The gang deals with a robot uprising.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang goes to Mannputer tech. This is not the episode for me. I don't like robots. 

This episode reminded me of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo's episode "The Computer Walks Among Us" and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'s episode "Foul Play in Funland". It's almost the obligatory robot episode. But there is some fun flair.

When they find out a robot became violent, they offer to help investigate the anomalous event. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy wander off in search of food. They spend time with the apparently artificially intelligent harrassy corporate mascot and tour guide.

Velma, Daphne and Fred investigate the creator of the robot who complains that all technology has recently turned on him. They find a sign of a remote receiver. They can't investigate any further because the robot is reactivated and attacks them.

Daphne's strange fixation is proving humanity is better than technology. Shaggy and Scooby tend towards Daphne's side but they do gain an appreciation for the virtual reality system. Velma waxes poetic about the value of technology over people. Fred gets obsessed with a stupid gadget.

The virtual reality room features one of the best chase sequences of this series. It changes the scenery like "Duck Amuck". They include a reference to the first episode of this series including Daphne's hand puppet. There's also a quick reference to Charlie the Robot from "Foul Play in Funland".

The episode gets so caught up in the action that the mystery is dropped. There are only three people in the episode (four if you include the creepy corporate mascot). Anyway, the bad guy is the personal assistant. The episode ends with a pro-technology message despite the fact that the technology was almost the weapon used to kill them.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E10 - Kitchen Frightmare - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Kitchen Frightmare

Season 1, Episode 10

Premiered October 21, 2015

Quickly

Shaggy and Scooby help their favorite chef save his restaurant.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

Shaggy and Scooby bring the gang to the brick and mortar restaurant of their favorite food truck chef. He's struggling to run his restaurant nearly alone. Nearly his entire staff has been scared off by a Yeti. The gang finds this significantly odd because there's no thematic connection to his restaurant and it's extremely hot out. Shaggy and Scooby volunteer to be his waitstaff while Fred, Velma and Daphne investigate.

Daphne is in the middle of a standup phase. Fred struggles to ignore her working on her tight five. One of her jokes draws attention to the fact that the freezer is warm. They never call out the fact that all of the food is probably ruined because the freezer has been off long enough to allow the butter to melt to the point of liquidity. Her obsession pays off at the end when she uses her material to keep the restaurant full.

They've done Yeti episodes before but this one sets itself apart by making the presence of a Yeti confounding enough to drive Velma to distraction. There's no connection between the cheese restaurant and the Yeti. Their investigation exposes a history of Yeti attacks on restaurants that previously inhabited the location. The Yeti attacks tear the restaurant apart. The gang offers the chef the use of the Mystery Machine kitchen. His final dish of the night captures the Yeti.

The motive of the villain is understandable and the mystery of the "Why a Yeti" ties in perfectly. He lives over the restaurant and wanted the restaurant gone. He'd been keeping up the act for years and at one point the Yeti costume made sense. The first restaurant he drove out of business was a Tibetan restaurant.

I love the Cheese Man!

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E09 - Screama Donna - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Screama Donna

Season 1, Episode 9

Premiered October 20, 2015

Quickly

The gang gets a gig as an opening act to Bones Malone.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

After the gang is unable to get concert tickets, Fred sees an opportunity to solve a mystery and see the concert. Fred offers the gang as an opening act for the show. This episode has a fantastic mislead. It seems like the gang is going to embarrass themselves on stage. Shaggy reveals himself to be a skilled guitarist and that he actually thought they were a band. Scooby demonstrates his talent on bass. Daphne explains she took piano for years. Fred has never played drums before but demonstrates an innate talent. Velma is left to be the lead singer but the local ghost scares them off stage before she is forced to rehearse.

They identify the wraith as the Primadonna, a singer that once performed on the stage. They split up to investigate. Shaggy and Scooby meet Bones Malone. Bones explains his manager is making up myths about him, controlling him creatively and causing him to be isolated. This is a distressing plot point.

The gang is unable to solve the mystery before the concert. They are forced to take the stage. Their performance is interrupted by the ghost and the trapping. They expose Bones Malone's manager. He was going to be fired. Velma is forced to sing the wrap up. 

This episode has solid music. Good episode, fun monster, great premise. The notion of the manager controlling Bones' behavior and artistic expression was heavy but at least he had the option of firing him.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E08 - Party Like It's 1899 - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Party Like It's 1899

Season 1, Episode 8

Premiere October 6, 2015

Quickly

The gang attends a party and solves two mysteries.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang goes to Wuthering Manor for a Murder Mystery Dinner Party. Daphne is assigned Queen Victoria. Fred is assigned the role of bumbling police officer. Velma is assigned the role of the scullery maid. Shaggy is a chimney sweep. Scooby is Lady Bethabeth. Fred is very unhappy with his role because he wants to solve the mystery and the party host insists he act like an idiot. Velma is incapable of not following the rules of the party strictly and cannot break from the role Flumsy even to talk to Fred.

While the mystery of the party is playing out, a second headless ghost is abducting the guests. Shaggy and Scooby investigate the party mystery. Freed of the fear that normally distracts them, they prove themselves to be capable investigators of fake mysteries.

Daphne teams up with Bradwick. He has solved the mystery for the last five years.

Fred discovers clues to the real mystery like missing guests and tossed rooms. He tries to warn others but the gang refuses to stop playing the game until the headless ghost tries to chop Daphne's head off. This leads to a chase scene that results in the party goers being abducted. The song is great. It's reminds me of the second era of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! 

Everyone gets abducted aside from Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, Scooby and Bradwick. Then Bradwick is abducted. Then Fred is abducted. Then Daphne is abducted.

Scooby and Shaggy solve the party mystery. Velma solves the real mystery. Velma trips the Headless Count when he attacks Scooby and Shaggy. It's Bradwick. He robbed all the guests.

The Headless Count resembles the Headless Specter from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! The murder mystery party is a fun premise. It makes sense that they would be there. 

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E07 - Be Quiet, Scooby-Doo!

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Be Quiet, Scooby-Doo!

Season 1, Episode 7

Premiered October 15, 2015

Quickly

The gang can't keep quiet.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is arguing while on the road to the Crystal Canopy. Daphne's fixated on the possibility of enhancing psychic abilities. Velma was invited her old professor. Her old professor tells Velma she can't allow her in the caves. They also learn about the Crystal Crawler.

The gang has an arc about arguing and not listening to each other. It's fun. The arguing is never real enough to be annoying.

Velma becomes obsessed with the beauty of the Crystal Canopy. She decides to act as the Crystal Crawler to chase them away and protect the caves. Her inability to climb around the cave like the Crystal Crawler solves the mystery.

The mystery is well thought out and makes perfect sense. The guy who wanted to make a living off conducting tours of the cave acted as the Crystal Crawler to scare away the scientists working to prove the caves should be closed. It's not clear how this plan would have worked.

Why didn't they make any effort to protect the crystals? They were just assuming they wouldn't get destroyed. Dampen the crystals with some kind vibration absorbing padding.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S01E06 - Trading Chases - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Trading Chases

Season 1, Episode 6

Premiered October 12, 2015

Quickly

Fred leads a team of kids while a museum tour guide takes the lead over the gang.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang goes to the museum to see a tour about the history of mystery solving. It turns out the tour is targeted towards children. The tour guide informs Fred of the the recent attack by the god Sobek. To prove his skill and knowledge, he switches with the tour guide.

While working with their new temporary leader, they meet the museum's competing Egyptologists and they discover a second Sobek statue and meet Sobek. The gang enjoys their time with Jeff. Fred begins assigning roles to the kids he's leading through the museum based on the gang and leads them in their own investigation.

There's a very subtle Jurassic Park reference when Sobek lands on top of a dinosaur skeleton and a banner drops from the ceiling.

After Fred confesses his jealousy, the gang and kid gang team up to catch Sobek. The trap goes off without a hitch.

One of the Egyptologists is in the Sobek costume. Jeff gives the summation and it doesn't go well. He proves to be dangerously delusional. There was a valuable statue in the sarcophagus that she wanted to sell. Jeff decides to solve mysteries with the kids. He steals the Mystery Machine.

Not a stand out episode. But a very solid episode with some really cool gags.