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scooby-review · 1 month

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Scooby Doo Where are You? S1 E13-E17

13. Which Witch is Which?

This batch of five episodes is the greatest consistent run in the season! I love pretty much all of these!

This episode has maybe one of the most basic premises: the gang find a witch and a zombie in the swamp on their way home. Simple! Yet, this simple narrative works!

I love both the villains here, although, they’re really nothing too special! I think the witch is somewhat unique here, we haven’t seen this kind of character before, and she is your quintessential evil witch, with sickly green skin evocative of the Wicked Witch of the West, her robes a gorgeous purple, blending two of my favourite colours and making a design that is simply pleasing to me! She is the first female monster too! Although, the criminal underneath is a man, so… Still, she makes a mark from her voice and laugh, which is far less common in this series than silent stalking villains! Also, she’s voiced by Scooby voice actor Don Messick, which is just impressive to me!

The other villain is the zombie, again, the villain thrives because of how simple this design is, and how he juxtaposes the witch. Yet, he’s made distinctive through his goblin-like design, with his pointy ears and almond shaped face, the crimson eyes standing out brightly against the rest of his swampy green design. I also personally like him because I used to have, and probably still do somewhere, the Lego figure of him, he came in the Mystery Machine set! I believe that the only other set to feature Where are You? (season one at least) characters is the Mystery Mansion, containing the Black Night, Phantom and Dracula. I love this set so much but God is it expensive - I got all the cheapest ones, but I’d love the Haunted Lighthouse or Mansion now!

Regardless, this is the weakest of the following five episodes, I find it mostly coasts on how great and fun these villains are and how great their dynamic is! The Witch is smart, she can talk and laugh, while the Zombie struggles to understand Shaggy’s joke, he can only groan and trundle along. They make a perfect fit as a result, they are an evil mastermind and a stupid henchman.

They tie all of the ideas in together nicely, such as the setting of the swamp, the villains and themes of voodoo. All this works nicely together, but the episode feels like it’s coasting from beat to beat. There’s not really an interesting mystery to follow nor good enough gags!

Also, the mouse joke is swapped out for a squirrel joke, which is far less interesting to me personally!

This episode manages to be completely fine because of the strong villains! It’s an enjoyable watch for sure, but the pacing leaves something to be desired.

14. Go Away Ghost Ship

I think growing up, this was my favourite episode. There’s so much going on, it’s funny and creepy, it has the best of what the show has to offer! It’s kind of weird how a select few episodes are so good, while many others are serviceable and fine, but meandering and unfocused. This is a tight episode, it’s constantly doing something funny, and I love it.

Go Away Ghost Ship follows the gang learning about a ghost pirate hijacking cargo ships, and so, they leave to the ocean to investigate it.

I’ve watched this one a lot growing up, it was on the Creepiest Capers DVD I would watch loads! The three season one episodes in that compilation have all ended up in my top six episodes of the season, which could be a nostalgic bias, but I truly believe that these are some of the best episodes the series has to offer! I would highly recommend the compilation to all!

My notes for this episode were about double the length of most other episodes, it’s just so good.

Firstly, I really love the malt shop and beach as a wrap-around location, they use both a few times at the start or end of an episode, or sometimes both, and it really makes this world feel more alive to me! Plus the characters, I love watching them dance and chat together, it makes them feel like actual friends rather than characters. Here it’s not different! The mystery also takes a minute to set up, a cold open reveals the villain, but the gang don’t meet him until around a quarter of the way in, which isn’t much sure, but they set up the characters nicely! I love the gang pretending to be room service, this does give them a more meddling image, pushing through anything to solve mysteries even if they shouldn’t be posing as people they aren’t, or entering rooms they’re forbidden from. It’s such a great and fun way to characterise them, but it’s seldom done.

When they do arrive at the ship, it’s so much fun, they almost treat it like a haunted house in the way they bring it to life through a series of rooms, all building into gags, but the writing here feels way stronger, each gag has consequences, one action affects what happens next, the episode has stakes more so than any other.

I’ll use an example to explain what I mean! We see the gang quickly separated when the ghost ship sails right through their tiny boat, Scooby and Shaggy entering through the side of the boat while the others head to the top. Shaggy and Scooby are chased by a floating sword, leading to their capture with Redbeard, however rather than make them walk the plank, he forces them to cook for him, where they fill the stew with horrible ingredients (chains, cobwebs, soap and ashes). However, when he goes to eat it, he instead forces them to eat the stew, the soap in the ingredients makes them blow bubbles which they use to escape, however during their escape they encounter the pirate henchman, so, Shaggy uses his imitation ability to lure them away.

Every single joke here lands. I love the sequence of them cooking, the imitation where Shaggy, for some reason, must wear a pirate hat to do it, the skeleton head just talking, his delivery really funny to me, the shark that’s actually just a fin, Scooby cutting the fog and eating it (which always looked so tasty to me as a child) and the gay blade of course. Everything here is so great, I love this episode God! There’s so many more great moments too! Such as Shaggy’s dual where he fights with a sausage and also him coming up with a really out there password which just so happens to be the correct code.

But what’s a Where are You? episode without a villain? I like Redbeard, he’s a great pirate character, but I wouldn’t consider him a favourite villain! He’s good, but the show has better, which just goes to show how strong this episode is, not entirely dependent on its villain!

However, he is still good! His red design makes him feel like a typical pirate, but I think they made a great decision in making him ginger, it makes him so much more memorable and unique in contrast to any old pirate design! He doesn’t convey the ghost theming in the same way most other characters with ghost slapped at the end of their name don’t, however this isn’t too big a deal for the villains! He’s great, I don’t want to underplay him, his personality is very distinct, he feels cruel and unpredictable, asking for one thing then changing his mind, it makes him a scary character to live in the world with.

Wow, what a great episode! Although not my overall favourite of the season, it’s real close, it’s so very good. I think this is one I would be most likely to recommend to others to watch to get an idea what the best of the series looks like!

15. Spooky Space Kook

I love this episode so much. It’s not my favourite, not by a long shot, but it’s so comforting. It’s not as fun as episodes like Go Away Ghost Ship, but it is so vivid in its style, it’s creepy and everything about it is cool. It’s not always the most consistent or interesting episode, but it’s a marvel to watch.

Spooky Space Kook follows the gang searching an airfield haunted by an alien.

I think this episode is only so good because of the villain, I personally find aliens terrifying, they make me get depressingly existential and bubble with anxiety! The Space Kook is actually never named! The name simply comes from the episode's title, with the characters in the episode calling him things like “Ghost Man” and “Mr. Trouble”. No wonder those names didn’t take off!

The design is maybe perfect, he’s a skeletal astronaut, the glowing carmine surrounding his face contrasts perfectly with his navy suit and skull, which is always great to look at, the close ups rule. Yet, most interesting about his design is the way his suit grows luminous, it makes him stand out so much. We have never seen this effect before, therefore it really fuels this feeling of being otherworldly, he’s so different to the other villains in this aspect. Of course, he’s a hulking villain without any dialogue, but he makes this vivid mark on you when he appears, he’s not a funny character, he’s not from this world.

Of course, there’s also his cackling laugh. It’s perfect. There’s not much more that can be said about it, but wow it’s so good. From the moment he appears, you know him. Then you hear him, and he’s so never going to leave. I love this design, and characterisation for such a thinly layered character. Designs do the heavy lifting in this show, but the laugh really adds so much.

The episode doesn’t quite match the quality of this perfect villain, but there is a lot that I love about it! Mostly, the setting, which is an abandoned airfield. It’s ripe for the space connections, it’s eerie in a less overt way than many of the show's other gothic settings. It’s more than a feeling of isolation that it evokes, instead drawing forth the clashing feelings of being alone here, but the universe being vast with creatures we never can or will understand.

This episode aired a mere six months after the first human stepped onto the moon. It feels echoed in this feeling of the villain, of life being so expansive, space travel shook the world more than I need bother discussing. However that feeling is echoed throughout this episode, this fear of what happens next. As a species, we have evolved so far, so what follows? Who follows?

Tying into this, the villain strangely uses many ways people theorised the moon landing was fake as means to fake his disguise. These include, men on wires, no sound of an engine and camera projections feigning space travel. Specifically, we see a scene evolving a key, which is one of my favourites, however many have drawn parallels to the goofy nature of it and the “impossible” shots taken within the lunar lander. Also, the spaceman here is the villain, sure, he’s an alien, but his design is clear in being an astronaut, the name given on the character’s model sheet being Ghostly Spaceman, with no mentions of aliens. Likely, this is all a coincidence, or these theories helped influence how the writers made the character fake being a monster, however, with so few astronauts at the time, it’s a unique way of marking this important moment in history, painting them as the villain.

Unrelated, but I hate how the show insinuates that Shaggy is good at mechanics. They imply that Shaggy and Scooby, you know, the dog, would be far more capable of getting Fred down from a hook and wire than Daphne and Velma. I buy the idea that Velma wouldn’t know mechanics, sure, but it’s literally just a switch that needs to be pulled, she’s more than intelligent enough to see that! It’s just a way of getting all the characters back in a single location, but quickly, they split them again afterwards!

However, I do love the sequence of Scooby and Shaggy atop the watchtower as the Space Kook attempts to break in. I wouldn’t describe it as tense, it’s Scooby-Doo, but it’s well written, and I like it a lot! I also love the aforementioned key sequence!

This one is so great because of its villain, but the episode he’s inside is still enjoyable, and one I personally like a lot! Just a great time :)

16. A Night of Fright is no Delight

This is maybe the Scooby-Doo episode.

A Night of Fright is no Delight is an iconic episode for a reason. Not only is it the highest rated episode on IMDB, alongside being critically acclaimed, for a Scooby-Doo episode, but it also features some of the shows most iconic villains, has one of the most enjoyable mysteries in the first season and the episode used in the Supernatural crossover, which I hope to watch at some point for this blog! Also, Be Cool Scooby Doo reimagines this episode, alongside a handful of other season one Where are You? episodes.

The episode follows the gang heading to a haunted mansion after Scooby is listed in the will of a millionaire after saving him! However, soon we see the gang stalked by a pair of giggling green ghosts. Loosely, it’s an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Then There Were None.

Already, this premise is silly and out there, but I love it. The gang go to the house and are told that to get the fortune, they must stay overnight at the haunted mansion.

Following this, we get to see three fifths of the gang in pyjamas. I love all their pyjamas, and as you’ll see in the following episode, I love all costume changes for the characters. Shaggy’s are my favourite, his sleepy cap and gown is so perfect for his character, as are Scooby and Freds, the formers a dressing gown style set with slippers, while Fred wears a more relaxed blue shirt. I love this so much, and the way Fred always talks to Shaggy whenever they’re set to share a room.

Would you believe this episode is not the only time in the series we will see a member of the mystery gang go to a house for inheritance money, only to learn the house is “haunted”, where they must solve a mystery while staying there to earn their money from the housekeeper attempting to steal it. Also the money is from a man called Beauregard, who is a confederate. Because, as far as I’m aware, it happens at least once more in the Boo Brothers movie.

The villains here are so popular for a reason! The Giggling Green Ghosts are great, they appear like “sheet” ghosts, but not in the same way as The Phantom does. No, these characters look like they’re wearing robes, which of course, they are. However, these robes are a beautiful shade of green which only look better against their red faces. Not to mention how great the addition of the single shackle and chain is on their arms. I remember as a child I had these glow in the dark rubber handcuffs which I think were based on this episode? I loved them loads, but I’m not too sure why.

Plus, they have a second form, The Phantom Shadow, which is simply just when they are projecting themselves as shadows, but the transparency is definitely creepier for them, their edges feel more jagged and their appearance less human, like real ghosts. God it’s great!

We get to meet five others who are set to inherit the money, all of them becoming suspects, before we swiftly find them all locked away in coffins. Sure, this makes the mystery a whole lot smaller, reducing the options to two characters, however, it’s such a creepy image that it really doesn’t matter.

I love how the gang are split up in this one two, much like in Go Away Ghost Ship where both parties are in peril constantly which makes it feel like there’s a better reason for them to be split up, especially when one half has a lot more character than the other. Here I also love how they get split up, I enjoy how Velma bounces between the pair she’s stuck with, here she’s with Scooby and Shaggy, which I love, they get into way sillier antics and it allows for a more focused character like Velma to constantly bring them down to earth.

I love this one, it slowly drips the villains in, from the Phantom shadow to the green ghosts to two green ghosts. It’s great, constantly upping the stakes. Great stuff!

I really get why this one is loved so much, it’s such a great episode for a plethora of reasons” It’s so very great.

Also, the house is totally haunted. Like, not by the phoney ghosts, by actual ghosts, we see paranormal activity at the end of the episode, which is just brushed off, but still, it’s there!

17. That’s Snow Ghost

The finale!

When I saw this episode among the five, I was least excited for it. The villain was just the least interesting to me, everything about it felt kind of boring and bland to me, but honestly, I love this one so much!

I find snow like sand, although I prefer it a lot. For me, I will either love something set in the snow, or hate it, it depends how the snow is wielded. I love this!

To start with, what is unironically my favourite part of this episode: the outfit change. The winter outfits are just so much fun, I love episodes where an outfit that characters always wear are swapped out for new ones for the new setting or scenario. I think my least favourite outfit is Fred’s; his new coat is nice, but his entire outfit is now blue on blue on blue. However, it does fit the character well!

Velma’s is my third favourite, it’s pretty much just her usual outfit, but I love the scarf and the way it’s all tied together with the bobble hat!

I also love Shaggys! His coat runs the risk of falling into the same pattern as Velma and Fred’s outfits, however, the dark green stripe adds so much! And I adore the brown from his trousers used as fur on the coat, as well as the colour of his earmuffs - God, it’s great!

And finally, the best, is Daphne. Her coat is so cute, her colour scheme is already my favourite but it works so nicely using the softer purples for the fur here! Plus, her hat is so fun, I love this lots!

Beyond the new designs, I also enjoy how weird the side characters are here, like it’s because they’re the villains, but they are unapologetically strange! It’s so fun to watch, because usually the villain’s identity is obvious anyway! This way we at least get to see some more unique types of people. Although, this only works because it’s not an everyday thing, it’s just so strange seeing such weird characters here because of how grounded everyone usually is!

Beyond them, I love how they use this setting, showing the group sledding across hills in a fun little visual gag, exploring frozen caves and using snowmobiles. Ultimately, it’s just a fun time watching them go around this wildly different location!

This brings me to the villain! He’s fine. He’s definitely more interesting than a lot of the groaning, hulking villains, the snow ghosts design obviously evocative of a yeti, the design based on one we see in a flashback, I think. This gives the design a bulky look with white fur and striking yellow eyes, the long horn like eyebrows his most unique feature. However, he is enjoyable to watch! Why? Because he is so violent. It’s absurd.

This is the first villain we see attempt murder.

Sure, other villain’s have attempted to harm the gang before, but here we see the ghost tie Velma to a log on a conveyor belt, heading head first into a buzzsaw. That’s just the start of it though, because after he also captures shaggy he also… covers him in snow. Huh! Regardless, seeing the villain willing to murder the gang is funny! A villain attempting to harm the gang is used sparingly as is, but attempting murder to cover up a smuggling operation is so over the top and great.

Not to mention this episode ends in a perfect way! With a rodent themed gag :,)

What a finale to the season, even if being a finale to a season of an episodic show is pretty unimportant, but I’m glad I was proved wrong about this one! This is some of the most I’ve laughed at an episode because of how extreme some of it is, or just strange some of the decisions are! A very good way to end a very good season!

Episode Ranking:

Go Away Ghost Ship

That’s Snow Ghost

A Night of Fright is no Delight

Spooky Space Kook

Which Witch is Which?

Villain Ranking:

Space kook

Giggling Green Ghosts/ The Phantom Shadow

Witch

Ghost of Redbeard

Zombie

Snow Ghost

Next Review: SDWaY S1 Villain Ranking

Previous Review: SDWaY S1 E9-12

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