1x01 Velma

I went in with somewhat high expectations, since looking at the cast and the fact that HBO picked this show up made it look like something that could be good. They do very little correct here. Just because a character makes meta commentary about what makes a show good, it doesn’t actually make the show good. This kind of just feels like a cash grab, making money from those who somehow somehow like it, and people who are sticking around to see how it goes. I did catch some things that I do like though. One major point towards the Velma show here, is her parents don’t have silly stereotypical jobs/accents. That is pretty huge. This is overshadowed by the other jokes about race though, so idk if this is really redeeming. Other than that, Noreville is tolerable. I like his running joke that he is against drugs, which I have a feeling will be constantly reiterated throughout the show. Maybe it won’t be though. Time will tell. The dialogue isn’t great, nobody really talks like any of these characters. They make all of the characters unlovable, but I’m willing to stick around to see if there are any good character arcs implemented to see them flourish, since I do have some faith in Mindy and the team. If this isn’t the case, then idk what’s going on over there at HBO. Also for those who are expecting a decent murder mystery, this is a pilot, but every part of this episode was pretty predictable. Also this show is grossly raunchy. It’s silly since there are other shows that are far more raunchy, like Rick and Morty, but it think the difference is that R&M knows what it is, is properly self aware, and can land its marks a decent bit better. Velma has trouble with this and the raunchy bits feel forced. Maybe it’s like that since I wasn’t necessarily expecting how brain dead the humour could get, but maybe I’ll be ready for it in the next episodes. The Velma show did make sure to tell the audience what it was though in the first few minutes, when we got a goofy monologue and roaches fornicating before selling sex incredibly hard, so it’s my fault if I expect anything else in the coming episodes and get disappointed. I should know what to expect. Also, scooby-doo fans looking to have a well done adult scooby-doo show, such as an adult mystery inc. or something, be ready to be disappointed, since this is nothing like any of the source material. This is a completely different retelling. None of the characters are the same, and the source material is thrown in the garbage.

Also I don’t appreciate the body weight jokes, they are disappointing, cheap, and poorly done.

I should drop this show, but I want to stay optimistic in case this show gets better. But as a pilot, Velma does way too much, and so much of it wrong. The only reason why it seems to be gaining any popularity, is because it holds the scooby-doo name. But hey, what do I know, I’m not a writer or producer. Grumble grumble.

Well, I tried to play Devil's Advocate and walk in while saying, "Try not to go in hating it". I gave it a chance and it's weird, and almost constantly trying to push an angle of woke politics. Like, this is just the first episode and besides the change of making Shaggy and Velma black, now Shaggy acts a bit more whiny and annoying than his former counterpart, as he totally has a full on crush on Velma for some reason. And Daphne seems either bisexual or trying to be straight now, with how she also has feelings for Velma, but tries to stay distant. And then there's Fred, whose been completely changed in personality. It's like, wtf? I didn't expect him to be that much changed? They made him into a typical rich narcissistic teen archetype, who is just ignorant to the feelings of others and acts like a pig to women. And I feel they made him that way, just to turn him into a straw man. And it's like, "Wtf"? Why? I remember Fred being so sweet or just a decent guy and then you completely 180'd him and it's not even a funny twist. And later on, Fred reads a book on feminism and, surprise, now the whole gang has a crush on Velma? Was this written by a middle schooler who self-inserted as Velma or something?

But screw it, let's just say maybe these characters can work. What else does the show have? A few times, I cracked a chuckle, but through most of it, it felt kinda cringe man. Like, the whole time they wouldn't shutup about gender politics (mainly talks about patriarchy and misogyny) and obvious straw men characters being in the wrong and having characters act stupid for the sake of being a straw man to show off more lessons on gender politics. Let me tell you the real problem with this show, it's too much "wokeness". I'm not saying "don't be woke", I'm saying, "If you come off as too preachy, you actually lessen your message more and people will begin to ignore you". That's why I say it's, "too much wokeness". It over preaches to the point it ruins it's message, and ontop of that, it's not even that funny, the first episode made me cringe almost throughout it and, finally, it disrespects Scooby Doo. Like, okay, you wanted to make a show like this, sure, but why you gotta use the IP? Clearly you weren't confident enough to go along with an original idea, so you just sailed this through an existing IP to sell us this... crap. And, ontop of it, you axed off the gang's dog, Scooby. Not cool. Anyway, that's it.