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Fred does not know how to handle flirting

Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders - 2000

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I know Daphne’s performance with the hex girls was incredible, but Velma has had some stage time too.

Scooby-Doo And The Legend Of The Vampire 2003

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Be Cool! Scooby Doo

I’m not seeing enough love for this series in the wake of Velma. While it doesn’t present the same character growth and insight into the characters dynamics that Mystery Incorporated does, it is a comedic and sometimes cynical evolution of the gang that is a few curse words away from being an edgy adult cartoon. It has the syntax and flow of Seth Macfarlane comedies without the offensive shit. The characters ring true with their cannon past, but are also evolved in some really engaging ways.

We have Fred: he has the confidence and knowledge his character has had since its origin, but with some of his “well-meaning but oblivious” ways that defines his character in Mystery Inc, without it being as over-the-top. He remains the leader, but the gang and audience are more inclined to question it.

Velma: now voiced by Linda Cardellini Kate Micucci (“Marcy” Hotdog Water in Mystery Inc), we lose some of the bite the Mindy Cohn put into the character, but see a more awkward and vulnerable side of her. Still badass, just in a new way.

Shaggy: He is a little less oblivious, still food-obsessed and scared but a little more present. Same goes for Scooby.

Then we have Daphne: This is my absolute favorite evolution of Daphne. She’s annoying. Like, just sort of obnoxious because she keeps on picking up these hobbies and unabashedly engages with them in front of the group who are a little sick of her shit but also can’t hate her for making socks puppets of them, or having a falcon, or acting like it’s a middle-school sleepover when they’re forced to spend the night in a haunted house. She’s such a weird person, and turns a character that has mostly been framed as “cheerleader popular girl” into a very ADHD theater kid and I love it.

I can see why fandom has not clutched onto this show, it’s not very plot heavy, but it rings true to Scooby Doo’s origins as an amusing light hearted comedy with funky mysteries, but replaces a lot of the slap-stick with wit and gags.

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They’re best friends

Scooby-Doo! In Where’s My Mummy?

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The moment Shaggy discovered Scooby Snacks

Scooby-Doo Where Are You? “Decoy For a Dognapper” 1969

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I like the idea of each individual in the gang being a different form of “that weird mystery kid”. Sure they’d still be best friends even if they never solve another mystery, but this common factor is part of what made them hit it off.

Fred’s parents couldn’t afford to replace items if they went missing, so he got really good at finding stuff at a young age, which led to a lot of make believe play to fill the time when his parents weren’t home, combined with Boy Scout skills he’d spend hours “solving mysteries” in the forest, like finding who’s stealing from Mr Squirrel’s stash of nuts, and trapping the bastard in a cage made of sticks.

Daphne’s secret pleasure was reading mystery novels like Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christy, in between all of the activities her parents signed her up for. They didn’t think it was appropriate for a nice young girl to read such things so she got good at hiding it, and wasn’t very vocal about her interest with the rest of the gang, even if she was jumping up and down in her head when she got involved.

Velma was not actually into mysteries before she met the gang, she was just super into science and history, but as soon as she got pulled in she became obsessed and was more vocal about her interest, overshadowing the others in terms of reputation.

Shaggy once played a detective in a school play and the reputation sort of stuck. The others didn’t register his protests at first, and by the time they did Shaggy realized he was having a good time, especially since it gave him the opportunity to do some improv.

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Shaggy’s deadpan sass

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This just amuses me

Be Cool! Scooby-Doo s4e3 “American Goth”

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Some ghoul-old puns

Scooby-Doo Where Are You? S2e1 “Go Away Ghost Ship”