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Zoinks!


It is no secret that Hollywood is out of ideas. For all the money exchanging hands out west, we are still presented with reality shows involving Vanilla Ice and Amish people. You'll have to search for that yourself as I refused to do that to my search engine. 

But I am actually okay with this when it means that a classic gets remade into something genuinely awesome. Of course, being who I am, I didn't discover this while it was actually happening. But back in 2010 a new version of Scooby Doo was being made. 

Scooby doo mystery incorporated poster.jpg
My kids just recently discovered Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated, a series that takes what was most laughable from the 70's version and combines it into something that is actually watchable. This version gives us a lot more information about Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby, perhaps more than we ever wanted to know. Instead of each show being a stand-alone, this series connects and has overarching themes and plots. 

And the villains seem to be mysteriously attracted to Crystal Cove, where the gang resides. In fact, we were about 10 episodes in when I noticed something I probably should have noticed 30 years ago. First, every Crystal Cove villain seems to have found good sales on ghost costumes and zip line equipment. Seriously, every ghost in town can fly and looks creepy. 

But every villain is also easily caught by this ragtag group of sleuths. And immediately upon being unmasked, they all seem very eager to tell why they did it. Each one has their own back story and they all have to do with some past hurt, real or perceived, significant or ridiculous. 

It struck me that if anyone in Crystal Cove had listened to their pastor and reconciled with their neighbors, the Mystery Incorporated gang would have had a lot more time on their hands. If each character had practiced open communication with a heart towards being reconciled, the crew would have had better things to do in the Mystery Machine, like eat more Scooby Snacks.

In case you're wondering, yes I did make Scooby-Doo a teachable moment with my kids. The fact is each villain just wanted to be heard. Their plots were ill-conceived and easily foiled, though they probably would have gotten away with it...if it hadn't been for those meddling teenagers. 
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