Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E24 - Professor Huh? Part 1 and 6 3/4 - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Professor Huh? Part 1 and 6 3/4

Season 2, Episode 24

Premiered March 16, 2018

Quickly

Fred reunites with his father and his former childhood friend.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is invited to a bank but find out they haven't been asked to investigate. They were invited there by Fred's other old friend and rival. Rose reveals Fred's father, a supervillain, has escaped prison. This is a tragic backstory for Fred.

I like Fred's dad. I wish Rose wasn't involved in the story. I understand her purpose but I'm not interested in her. She's just an obvious villain. 

Professor Huh? is a fun villain. It was fun to see Scooby and Shaggy's gag get turned around on them. I love the hand puppet. He's still a very tragic figure in the sense that he seems like he's suffering from a compulsion. The show never touches on a motivation for Professor Huh?'s crimes that would shed light on the events that seemingly destroyed Fred's family. They also never discuss Fred's mother.

The Mystery Machine modifications are some of the best. The split up and the bottom feeder modifications are really fun.

They pulled in a lot of references to prior episodes that add to the episode. There's Daphne's feud with sea creatures, Fred's childhood friends, the puppets and more.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E23 - World of Witchcraft - Toonstalgia

Season 2, Episode 23

Premiered March 15, 2018

Quickly

There's a witch trial..

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang arrive in Salem, Massachusetts for a really creepy celebration established to white wash the history of Salem's witch trials to find the situation is even worse than that. The town has gone witch crazy. Daphne stands up to the town mayor, a descendant of a judge from the trials. She's soon accused of being a witch because of course she is. The situation gets pretty serious quickly with Daphne tied to a stake and the gang put on trial.

It was nice to hear Lewis Black in the roll of the angry mayor but it was hard to not think "Hey, It's Lewis Black."

It's odd for the show to paint the town of Salem as vicious towards witches when Salem is actually home to several witch and metaphysical shops.

Overall, this is a very strong episode despite the witch hysteria.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E22 - Protein Titans 2 - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Protein Titans 2

Season 2, Episode 22

Premiered March 14, 2018

Quickly

The gang investigate a "ghost" in Silicon Valley.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang join Velma when she visits a software company that is interested in purchasing a code she wrote. Velma finds the owner of the company off-putting because he's a nasty, entitled little tech bro brat. 

They walk into a mystery. There's a ghost chef or there's a video game character that escaped the game. 

Also Fred has a very early midlife crisis.

This isn't the first chef in a Scooby series. It's more like the fourth. There's Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost's villain, Chef Maras from The New Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show and Ghost of Chef Pierre Goulash from A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. I'd put Chef Pierre Goulash on the top of the list. A Pup Named Scooby-Doo has great monsters.

The episode touches on an interesting idea of intellectual property ownership but it's just kind of a motive.

This is one of those episodes that I'm just not the audience. I spent the whole episode just hating on the kid and wishing the ghost would get away with it. It's a little better than the robot episodes. I'm really wondering what she got charged with.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo - S02E21 - Junkyard Dogs - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo - Junkyard Dogs

Season 2, Episode 21

Premiered March 13, 2018

Quickly

The gang solve a dump mystery.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is taking a pitstop on their endless road trip to solve mysteries. Daphne is dressed up as Fred and Fred is into it. Fred takes them to a dump to search for a car part. Daphne questions this and Fred gives the best answer possible. Daphne: "Aren't we trying to find a mystery?" Fred: "Nope, they find us."

Scooby runs into his former kennel mate, Axel. Axel is an egotistical police dog. The gang also runs into a giant trash monster. Fred quickly tires of a second him. 

There's a really funny lantern hung on the fact that when they split up the monster always chases Shaggy and Scooby.

The setting of the (not a) garbage dump is well used. Despite it primarily being brown, there's an interesting diversity to the landscape.

I absolutely loved the motive of the villain.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E20 - Night of Upsetting Shorts - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Night of Upsetting Shorts

Season 2, Episode 20

Premiered March 12, 2018

Quickly

An ape man terrorizes a retirement community in Florida.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang travels to Florida to visit Shaggy's grandmother. Shaggy's grandmother's retirement home is having an issue with an ape man. This is not the first ape man the gang has faced. The first ape man was a part of the Scooby-Doo, Where are you episode!, Never Ape an Ape Man.

The storyline about Shaggy lying to his grandmother because he wants her to be able to brag to her friends is good but not new. There's a running gag about Fred's shorts and Velma acting like a resident that gives them something to do without drawing time away from Shaggy. 

The episode sets up a good mystery. There are enough clues to allow the viewer to solve the mystery. Shaggy references the fact that nothing illegal was actually done which satisfied my curiosity about what the "monster" would actually get charged with.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E19 - Naughty or Ice - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Naughty or Ice

Season 2, Episode 19

Premiered March 11, 2018

Quickly

An ice man tries to rob an ice hotel

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang are at Daphne's family's ice hotel. Daphne has an ulterior motive. She wants to steal her necklace from the exhibit. There's a prehistoric exhibit and a revived prehistoric man. 

The episode lays out the clues quickly. This episode has suspects, a monster and Daphne. There's a lot to cover in the 22 minutes and this episode doesn't waste any time. This makes for a really good episode. They hit the usual notes like chase scenes and running gags. There are twists in the mystery.

The Ice Man in this episode appears to be a reference to the Scooby-Doo, Where are you!, Scooby's Night for a Frozen Fright. It also has an Ice Man frozen in a block of ice who is apparently revived after the block is melted. This is the better of the two episodes in my opinion.

This is a really good episode of Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo - S02E18 - Ghost in the Mystery Machine - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo - Ghost in the Mystery Machine

Season 2, Episode 18

Premiered March 10, 2018

Quickly

The Mystery Machine tries to kill the gang.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang go to Velasco where they have previously solved a mystery. We never saw this mystery. It's a noodle story about a broccoli monster. I feel like that was a missed opportunity to either tie the episode into a previous episode or drop in an Easter egg for a different series.

They discover a new mystery in the town and a detective invites them to solve it for him. They are told an evil force was released from a lab. This appears to be true when the Mystery Machine goes haywire.

After the Mystery Machine pursues them to kill them, they flee the Mystery Machin in Daphne's mother's racing car while Velma furiously searches for an incantation to bind the spirit inhabiting the Mystery Machine. The Mystery Machine succeeds in destroying the book. Fred realizes that it doesn't make sense for the Mystery Machine to be possessed or them to be in a dream (like Daphne assumes). He gets into the Mystery and retrieves the thing controlling the Mystery Machine. 

They unmask the guy using the Ogdimora legend to scare everyone.

The ending does a pretty good job introducing the big mystery at the end. Not the most mysterious mystery. There's a lot of car chasing. It's a decent episode.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E17 - Omelettes Are Forever - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Omelettes Are Forever

Season 2, Episode 17

Premiered March 9, 2018

Quickly

The gang do a spy caper.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang is headed to C.R.U.S.T. labs at Shaggy and Scooby's behest. They want to learn the secret of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Their visit is prevented by a British Secret Service agent falling on the Mystery Machine. Jenny Vex recruits them to help her stop Bubby from destroying breakfast. There's a chase and an aerial battle.

Jenny gets captured. The gang dive into the case to save Jenny and breakfast using Jenny's compact and mission information.

There's so much about this episode that works like Shaggy and Scooby coming up with a plan to trick a henchman using one of their usual bits.

Shaggy and Scooby had some fun one liners. The episode has some fun moments. They even sneak in a surprising unmasking. Really good episode. It ends on a good laugh.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E16 - American Goth - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - American Goth

Season 2, Episode 16

Premiered March 8, 2018

Quickly

A plant monster attacks the haunted hospital where Shaggy's old friend hangs out with her goth clique.

Thoughts, Details, Recap

The gang visits Shaggy's old friend. He discovers she's a goth with a group of friends who hang out at an abandoned hospital. Shaggy's not surprised because he knows her parents who are also goths. They get along very well. Shaggy starts trying to prove he's changed. Fred and the rest of the gang start investigating the plant monster roaming the hospital. But not as much Shaggy, he's just trying to hang out with his friend.

Scooby encourages Shaggy to be himself and to stop trying to impress Amelia. It's good advice. Plus Amelia already liked Shaggy. Shaggy and the gang get in deeper into the culture and the mystery. While completing the "darkest union ritual", they are attacked by the plant monster and destroy the Night Shadows party decorations.

It's a really cute episode. The relationship between Shaggy and Amelia is really sweet. They leave it on a really nice note. The motivation of the monster is very good. It makes perfect sense.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo - S02E15 - Greece is the Word - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo - Greece is the Word

Season 2, Episode 15

Premiered November 23, 2017

Quickly

The gang go to Greece.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

Mystery Inc has gone to Greece many times in the different series to varying results. This is a pretty good one.

The episode opens mid mystery. A death trap leads to a scroll and story time because the best time to tell a long story is while you're about to get crushed to death. Each member of the gang takes on a roll in the story. Daphne's a talkative servant, Velma's a progressive princess, Shaggy is a well fed philosopher, Fred's Fred and Scooby is an oracle in the tradition of the Wizard of Oz. The Grecian version of the gang solves the mystery of the Arachne attacks.

I don't love the conceit of it's just the Scooby gang but in Greece. It works with the series because the characters are cartoonish and exaggerated. It's like a Bugs Bunny cartoon where he's dropped into a different era or location.

They never really follow up on the Harpy but the past them solved their mythtery.

Not a top tier episode but entertaining and a very good Greece episode.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E14 - Fright of Hand - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Fright of Hand

Season 2, Episode 14

Premiered November 22, 2017

Quickly

Fred dreams of being a magician.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang go to the Hocus Pocus Palace. It's one of Fred's dreams come true. Fred is there to audition. This episode reveals Fred's previously unmentioned obsession with prestidigitation.

There are some interesting character details in this episode. Daphne apparently has a check list of things she wants to do or learn. While dining, Shaggy mentions the "usual complaints" he and Scooby get about their eating. Shaggy and Scooby attempt to negotiate the chase with the gang to avoid being the group chased by the monster.

Anyway, there's a rabbit monster disrupting Fred's effort to audition for the Hocus Pocus Palace as "Freddy or Not". Everything goes wrong for everyone except Shaggy and Scooby. Velma, Daphne and Fred are bummed. Shaggy and Scooby are cool.

This is a fun episode. The ending is not hard to guess. It's really nice that this episode has a mystery that can be solved by the audience paying attention to the clues. I would love to know what crime the bad guy committed.

There was a similarly magic themed episode released about two years after this in Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? featuring Penn and Teller with a giant bunny monster. Both episodes are pretty solid. I don't think there's meant to be a connection. It seems coincidental. They almost have the same monster because they are both drawing from the magic tradition of the white rabbit.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E13 - Silver Scream - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Silver Scream

Season 2, Episode 13

Premiered November 22, 2017

Quickly

The ghost of a famous actor-director returns to protect the legacy of his last film.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

The gang are touring the Fletcher film studio. The tour guide tells them the story of the recent ghost attack by late actor-director Archie Barnes. Archie Barnes is a Harold Lloyd type. The ghost looking like he had just stepped out of the film is fantastic. It includes a flickering and the sound of sprockets. Not the most expressive monster but a really fantastic visual gimmick.

Scooby and Shaggy insist on eating snacks during any film they watch. At one point, they mention it's in their contract. I wonder if they're referring to the contract Fred made them sign at the end of "How to Train your Coward".

The chase reminds me of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and I'm always happy to be reminded of that. It's a top tier chase.

The plot is pretty good. A lost Archie Barnes film is discovered and going to be finished by Fletcher Studio in a tragic and terrible way with robots and blegh. So the ghost of Archie Barnes terrorizes the studio to prevent the film from being released. The Scooby gang does their thing and unmasks the ghost to reveal it's someone who doesn't want the film ruined. Solid motive.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E12 - Doo Not Disturb - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Doo Not Disturb

Season 2, Episode 12

Premiered December 22, 2017

Quickly

The Scooby gang spends the night in a creepy hotel.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

I love this episode. It's got a great creep factor. There's a Shining vibe, a Psycho vibe and the name of the hotel makes me think of the film "The Good Son". I don't think I ever saw "The Good Son" but the trailer always stuck with me and not in the cheerful way.

They stop at the Good Son Hotel. We meet a Shining reference in the form of Mr. Stanley. The hotel is filled with plaques explaining the rules of the hotel. Scooby and Shaggy are the first ones to disregard the rules. The ghost disregards their attempt to distract her with a sketch.

Early in the episode Fred promises not to tell them what to do. Daphne and Velma take advantage of Fred's promise to not tell them what to do by doing what they want. Daphne's fixation with Feng Shui and an apparent lack of understanding of Feng Shui actually puts them in danger. Of course, Daphne's fixation helps them solve the mystery later.

The cellar has a plaque and creepy dolls. Neither of which creep me out but that's probably because I keep my creepy dolls in the living room. The cellar is a great touch. The episode is composed of parts that would make a classic horror film (aside from the soundtrack).

They capture and unmask Mother. Then they have a twist end that's perfect. This is one of the best episodes of the series.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E11 - Space - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Space

Season 2, Episode 11

Premiered December 22, 2017

Quickly

It's Scooby in space!

Thoughts, Details and Recap

It's the Spooky Space Kook!

This episode is Spooky Space Kook meets the Thing.

The gang is in the the space shuttle because Fred accidentally parked on the shuttle. The astronauts are fine with that. They arrive at the space station to find something amiss.

Scooby and Shaggy go with one of the astronauts to investigate the food stocks. The astronaut is replaced by the Spooky Space Kook. The rest of the gang search for the other astronauts. Shaggy and Scooby rejoin the rest of the gang. The Spooky Space Kook attacks again. Shaggy and Scooby flee into an unstable wormhole and take a brief tour of their recent past. The gang finds one of the missing astronauts in a pillow fort.

Velma assesses the situation as being...like the Thing. Daphne is replaced by the Spooky Space Kook then ejects the gang from the space station. So...murder attempt. We got a murderous villain. Fred saves them with the van and fireworks.

They get back on board. They come up with an alien test and decide none of them are the alien. Fred and Velma are inspired to the answer by a gold star. They catch the Spooky Space Kook. One of the scientists found gold, so it's kind of the same plot as Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders. Both this episode and the movie featured an attempted murder.

The only thing I didn't like was the lack of the laugh. I love the Spooky Space Kook laugh.

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - S02E10 - Scroogey Doo - Toonstalgia

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! - Scroogey Doo

Season 2, Episode 10

Premiered November 30, 2017

Quickly

It's a Scooby-Doo Christmas Carol.

Thoughts, Details and Recap

This is kind of a bummer episode. It was one of the first ones I saw on Boomerang. I didn't enjoy the epilogue. It was a little too cynical. 

Multiple shows have taken on A Christmas Carol. One of the best in my opinion was Ducktales which shows the three ghosts having a friendship with the Scrooge McDuck. It was a nice notion.

The gang are versions of themselves that lived in 1843 (Or they're immortal). They've traveled to England. The ghost tries to show Velma how the gang is holding her back to disrupt the gang's mystery solving. They solve the mystery and unmask Scrooge's doctor.

It's not a new story for Velma's character. They've touched on her aspirations conflicting with the joy she feels as part of Mystery Inc. a couple times. This series made a point of developing the internal lives of the characters and developing them. It's something I really appreciate about this series.