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brendalaI've spent a lot of time ranting about Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated (or, as I like to call it, "the-show-that-shall-not-be-named") and why I think it's awful, sexist, and poorly written. So I think it's only fair that I offer up my ideas on how I'd craft a reboot and add romance and drama to these characters without shoving any girls into fridges, making the gang act like hateful and heartless jerks, or turning any of the leading men into GODDAM DATE RAPISTS!!!!!!!
The Girls
One of the MANY galling aspects of Mystery Incorporated is how it dropped the ball when characterizing Velma and Daphne. The MI versions of the Scooby Girls are textbook examples of why The Bechdel Test exists. For those who don't know, the rules of the Bechdel Test are as follows:
A story must have...
1) at least two [named] women in it
2) who talk to each other
3) about something besides a man
Despite having two women as active main characters who regularly interact; Mystery Incorporated fails this test more epically than ANY other show in recent memory. Literally, the MI versions of these characters do nothing but chase penises (penii?) for the entirety of season one and, on the few occasions when they interact one-on-one, all they do is talk about boys and bitch about their romantic woes.
In short, they are not believable as actual gal pals (ESPECIALLY after Daphne threw Velma's ass under the bus at the end of season one and never apologized for it). This is unforgivable. Contrary to what the media, Twilight novels, and Mystery Incorporated writers try to tell us; the majority of teenage girls are NOT irrational, catty shrews who put the pursuit of a boyfriend over EVERYTHING ELSE IN THEIR LIVES!!! And, more importantly, the classic versions of the girls were never like this.
What I would have done with Daphne and Velma is give them some cool, girly thing that they could do together. Since Daphne has consistently been portrayed as being into beauty and fashion; I think it would be cool if Velma asked her to make cosplay outfits (and Daphne agreed to do it because she wants to be a fashion designer, she thinks cosplay would be a good challenge, and she thinks Velma is a cute model).
The cosplay idea came to me because the MI creators lied by promising the viewers that MI-Velma would be a "comic con girl" (either they lied, or they never actually met a real "Comic Con Girl" and learned all they know about us from interviewing neckbeards and "Nice Guys"). If it had been up to me, Velma would have been a REAL comic con nerd (translation: her interests would be more varied than chasing hippie penis)!
As far as individual personalities go...
Most people don't realize that Velma is actually the youngest member of the group. But every official biography states that she's 1 or 2 years younger than her friends (and the original series implies that she even goes to a different school than they do). And I think that her age coupled with her short stature would result in her developing a complex about being treated like a little kid and not being respected by her peers despite being smarter than all of them. And she would often over-compensate by being a snarky little know-it-all.
However, since she is still a kid, I think she'd occasionally do bratty things like pout and whine to get her way with people (this character trait was adorable in A Pup Named Scooby Doo and it makes for an interesting character flaw). And she'd see Daphne as the big sister she never had (and someone "cool" who can help her learn to fit in with all the older teens in their grade).
As for Daphne, she would definitely be the Team Mom type. She'd take it upon herself to "adopt" Velma as a surrogate baby sister. She'd help Velma with her cosplay hobby (sometimes having slumber parties where she makes an entire outfit in one night). Once in a while, she'd try to encourage Velma to wear something more "normal" (and this will almost always fail).
Daphne would also take it upon herself to help out her misfit friends (without realizing that she's just as much of a weirdo as they are)
And Velma will occasionally drag Daphne to cons in silly BFF cosplay attire because it's funny. And Daphne will reluctantly do it because it's a great way to show off her mad clothing making skillz to the public.
===
The Boys
Since MI fancies itself a successor to the original Scooby Doo: Where Are You series, I would bring back some of the character traits that have been lost in subsequent reboots. Specifically, Shaggy's athletic prowess (in the original series, it was stated that he was an expert gymnast and the star of the school's track team). I'd also restore some of the IQ points he's lost over the years. I think little things like this would go a LONG way in fleshing him out beyond "the hungry coward who loves dogs and might be a pothead" .
I also think that athletics would be a good thing for Shaggy and Fred to bond over (naturally, Fred would be a football player XD). Unfortunately, most Scooby shows give off the impression that Shaggy and Fred have nothing in common and probably wouldn't be friends if the girls weren't around. So I'd like to give them something they have in common that they don't have with the girls.
Here's a stupid doodle I did to illustrate this (and Daphne pops in to have a "Rarity moment" XD).
As for Fred, I'd like him to retain the personality he had in What's New Scooby Doo. That show succeeded in making him a goofball without making him come across like a crazier version of Rain Man. Basically, he thinks mysteries are badass and he loves bonding with his friends over them (and maybe he'd be a Sherlock Holmes and/or Hardy Boys fanboy, too).
The Relationships
Canon romantic relationships within the gang was the one thing that was supposed to set Mystery Incorporated apart from other Scooby shows (up until the Curse of the Lake Monster movie did it better ^_~). But, sadly, the romance in Mystery Incorporated was handled by a team of male writers who make Stephanie Meyer look like William Shakespeare by comparison.
If I had been in charge, this is how I would have done it.
Shaggy&Velma
Note: The text in the picture is hard to read (and filled with mis-spellings because I scribbled it at work :P). So all the text is transcribed underneath it
==
-"Velma is Shaggy's tutor in academics and he helps her with driving and gym"
This could be how they end up forming an attraction to one another and eventually becoming an item. And I just like the idea of Shaggy teaching her how to drive and being scared sh!tless by her amateur driving.
Also, I could see Velma trying to be a creative tutor by, say, using D&D to show how math can be fun or whatever
-"They love video games, comics, and shlocky horror films. Their first date is at a convention."
-"Scooby is included in the fun. Velma insists on this because she loves him, he loves her, and NEITHER OF THEM ARE ASSHOLES!!!!"
I think this one is self-explanatory.
-"There will be an episode where Shaggy and Velma have a fight and Scooby sides with Velma. Just because f**k Mystery Incorporated, that's why!"
==
As for how they interact as a couple; they would pretty much act like any nerdy couple would (sweet, affectionate, and a bit snarky). They would be chill and stable as an item to contrast with.....
Fred&Daphne
The problem with shipping Fred&Daphne is that it's the same as shipping Barbie&Ken. There's nothing wrong with it and you can't deny that it makes sense. However, it's just boring. There's no real spark there to keep you interested and most people who have shipped them from the beginning only did so because they were the two prettiest members of the cast and they spent a lot of time alone together. Mystery Incorporated tried to remedy this by manufacturing soap opera level ~*drama*~ and making Daphne a twitterpated bimbo and Fred a dangerous mental case. Needless to say, all they accomplished was making Daphne's modern characterization more sexist and one-dimensional than her 1969 characterization.
So here's my personal vision of how to make a Fred/Daphne relationship dramatic and interesting without assassinating either of their characters (again, text from the picture is hard to read and will be transcribed below):
-"I'd keep the conflict about Fred's fear that romance will hurt their friendship. That was a good plot point before MI ruined it"
It makes sense that a guy who fancies himself a "Team Leader" would put the group's stability ahead of things like teenage crushes. So I would keep the conflict about Fred valuing Daphne's friendship too much to risk potentially changing/ruining it with a fling and possibly losing her forever. This conflict would create drama and romantic tension without making either of them come across as unreasonable jerks.
-"Fred confides in Daphne that he doesn't like Shaggy&Velma dating and he thinks it'll just make things awkward for everyone when they eventually break up. This makes Daphne resentful toward him (both for disrespecting Shaggy&Velma AND for not noticing how she feels) and reluctant to confess her feelings"
-"I'm not sure what will prompt them to hook up. But I know it will not involve Daphne dressing up like a goth prostitute and singing a bad pop song about traps"
-"Their first kiss/confession likely happens in the heat of the moment when they both believe they're about to die. Daphne probably initiates it. And things are REALLY awkward for a while after that"
The Crystal Cove Storyline
I don't think that the kids needed to all have messed up families and home lives in order for an on-going plot to work. As it stands, the actual plot of MI is full of holes, inconsistencies, and nonsense (and stuff like the awful Scooby/Shaggy/Velma love triangle ended up having no bearing on the overall storyline). So I would scrap it entirely and either make the show episodic and silly to keep focus on the characters or hire someone who is actually competent at writing a 50-episode spanning mystery. Because, unlike the MI writers, I'm smart enough to know my limitations.
tl;dr: I did this so that no one can accuse me of being an armchair quarterback next time I unleash my feminist/fangirl rage at this show (and so I could show off my nifty doodles ^_^). Let me know what you think!
The Girls
One of the MANY galling aspects of Mystery Incorporated is how it dropped the ball when characterizing Velma and Daphne. The MI versions of the Scooby Girls are textbook examples of why The Bechdel Test exists. For those who don't know, the rules of the Bechdel Test are as follows:
A story must have...
1) at least two [named] women in it
2) who talk to each other
3) about something besides a man
Despite having two women as active main characters who regularly interact; Mystery Incorporated fails this test more epically than ANY other show in recent memory. Literally, the MI versions of these characters do nothing but chase penises (penii?) for the entirety of season one and, on the few occasions when they interact one-on-one, all they do is talk about boys and bitch about their romantic woes.
In short, they are not believable as actual gal pals (ESPECIALLY after Daphne threw Velma's ass under the bus at the end of season one and never apologized for it). This is unforgivable. Contrary to what the media, Twilight novels, and Mystery Incorporated writers try to tell us; the majority of teenage girls are NOT irrational, catty shrews who put the pursuit of a boyfriend over EVERYTHING ELSE IN THEIR LIVES!!! And, more importantly, the classic versions of the girls were never like this.
What I would have done with Daphne and Velma is give them some cool, girly thing that they could do together. Since Daphne has consistently been portrayed as being into beauty and fashion; I think it would be cool if Velma asked her to make cosplay outfits (and Daphne agreed to do it because she wants to be a fashion designer, she thinks cosplay would be a good challenge, and she thinks Velma is a cute model).
The cosplay idea came to me because the MI creators lied by promising the viewers that MI-Velma would be a "comic con girl" (either they lied, or they never actually met a real "Comic Con Girl" and learned all they know about us from interviewing neckbeards and "Nice Guys"). If it had been up to me, Velma would have been a REAL comic con nerd (translation: her interests would be more varied than chasing hippie penis)!
As far as individual personalities go...
Most people don't realize that Velma is actually the youngest member of the group. But every official biography states that she's 1 or 2 years younger than her friends (and the original series implies that she even goes to a different school than they do). And I think that her age coupled with her short stature would result in her developing a complex about being treated like a little kid and not being respected by her peers despite being smarter than all of them. And she would often over-compensate by being a snarky little know-it-all.
However, since she is still a kid, I think she'd occasionally do bratty things like pout and whine to get her way with people (this character trait was adorable in A Pup Named Scooby Doo and it makes for an interesting character flaw). And she'd see Daphne as the big sister she never had (and someone "cool" who can help her learn to fit in with all the older teens in their grade).
As for Daphne, she would definitely be the Team Mom type. She'd take it upon herself to "adopt" Velma as a surrogate baby sister. She'd help Velma with her cosplay hobby (sometimes having slumber parties where she makes an entire outfit in one night). Once in a while, she'd try to encourage Velma to wear something more "normal" (and this will almost always fail).
Daphne would also take it upon herself to help out her misfit friends (without realizing that she's just as much of a weirdo as they are)
And Velma will occasionally drag Daphne to cons in silly BFF cosplay attire because it's funny. And Daphne will reluctantly do it because it's a great way to show off her mad clothing making skillz to the public.
===
The Boys
Since MI fancies itself a successor to the original Scooby Doo: Where Are You series, I would bring back some of the character traits that have been lost in subsequent reboots. Specifically, Shaggy's athletic prowess (in the original series, it was stated that he was an expert gymnast and the star of the school's track team). I'd also restore some of the IQ points he's lost over the years. I think little things like this would go a LONG way in fleshing him out beyond "the hungry coward who loves dogs and might be a pothead" .
I also think that athletics would be a good thing for Shaggy and Fred to bond over (naturally, Fred would be a football player XD). Unfortunately, most Scooby shows give off the impression that Shaggy and Fred have nothing in common and probably wouldn't be friends if the girls weren't around. So I'd like to give them something they have in common that they don't have with the girls.
Here's a stupid doodle I did to illustrate this (and Daphne pops in to have a "Rarity moment" XD).
As for Fred, I'd like him to retain the personality he had in What's New Scooby Doo. That show succeeded in making him a goofball without making him come across like a crazier version of Rain Man. Basically, he thinks mysteries are badass and he loves bonding with his friends over them (and maybe he'd be a Sherlock Holmes and/or Hardy Boys fanboy, too).
The Relationships
Canon romantic relationships within the gang was the one thing that was supposed to set Mystery Incorporated apart from other Scooby shows (up until the Curse of the Lake Monster movie did it better ^_~). But, sadly, the romance in Mystery Incorporated was handled by a team of male writers who make Stephanie Meyer look like William Shakespeare by comparison.
If I had been in charge, this is how I would have done it.
Shaggy&Velma
Note: The text in the picture is hard to read (and filled with mis-spellings because I scribbled it at work :P). So all the text is transcribed underneath it
==
-"Velma is Shaggy's tutor in academics and he helps her with driving and gym"
This could be how they end up forming an attraction to one another and eventually becoming an item. And I just like the idea of Shaggy teaching her how to drive and being scared sh!tless by her amateur driving.
Also, I could see Velma trying to be a creative tutor by, say, using D&D to show how math can be fun or whatever
-"They love video games, comics, and shlocky horror films. Their first date is at a convention."
-"Scooby is included in the fun. Velma insists on this because she loves him, he loves her, and NEITHER OF THEM ARE ASSHOLES!!!!"
I think this one is self-explanatory.
-"There will be an episode where Shaggy and Velma have a fight and Scooby sides with Velma. Just because f**k Mystery Incorporated, that's why!"
==
As for how they interact as a couple; they would pretty much act like any nerdy couple would (sweet, affectionate, and a bit snarky). They would be chill and stable as an item to contrast with.....
Fred&Daphne
The problem with shipping Fred&Daphne is that it's the same as shipping Barbie&Ken. There's nothing wrong with it and you can't deny that it makes sense. However, it's just boring. There's no real spark there to keep you interested and most people who have shipped them from the beginning only did so because they were the two prettiest members of the cast and they spent a lot of time alone together. Mystery Incorporated tried to remedy this by manufacturing soap opera level ~*drama*~ and making Daphne a twitterpated bimbo and Fred a dangerous mental case. Needless to say, all they accomplished was making Daphne's modern characterization more sexist and one-dimensional than her 1969 characterization.
So here's my personal vision of how to make a Fred/Daphne relationship dramatic and interesting without assassinating either of their characters (again, text from the picture is hard to read and will be transcribed below):
-"I'd keep the conflict about Fred's fear that romance will hurt their friendship. That was a good plot point before MI ruined it"
It makes sense that a guy who fancies himself a "Team Leader" would put the group's stability ahead of things like teenage crushes. So I would keep the conflict about Fred valuing Daphne's friendship too much to risk potentially changing/ruining it with a fling and possibly losing her forever. This conflict would create drama and romantic tension without making either of them come across as unreasonable jerks.
-"Fred confides in Daphne that he doesn't like Shaggy&Velma dating and he thinks it'll just make things awkward for everyone when they eventually break up. This makes Daphne resentful toward him (both for disrespecting Shaggy&Velma AND for not noticing how she feels) and reluctant to confess her feelings"
-"I'm not sure what will prompt them to hook up. But I know it will not involve Daphne dressing up like a goth prostitute and singing a bad pop song about traps"
-"Their first kiss/confession likely happens in the heat of the moment when they both believe they're about to die. Daphne probably initiates it. And things are REALLY awkward for a while after that"
The Crystal Cove Storyline
I don't think that the kids needed to all have messed up families and home lives in order for an on-going plot to work. As it stands, the actual plot of MI is full of holes, inconsistencies, and nonsense (and stuff like the awful Scooby/Shaggy/Velma love triangle ended up having no bearing on the overall storyline). So I would scrap it entirely and either make the show episodic and silly to keep focus on the characters or hire someone who is actually competent at writing a 50-episode spanning mystery. Because, unlike the MI writers, I'm smart enough to know my limitations.
tl;dr: I did this so that no one can accuse me of being an armchair quarterback next time I unleash my feminist/fangirl rage at this show (and so I could show off my nifty doodles ^_^). Let me know what you think!
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no subject
Date: 2012-11-24 06:12 am (UTC)I didn't even consider Daphne having a 'Rarity' moment. That makes so much sense. =O
Meh,I for one never really cared for the relationships in the series. I just enjoyed watching the gang solve mysteries and meeting celebrities and junk.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-24 06:26 am (UTC)The one exception was the recent live-action movie. It actually did a great job of balancing a romantic subplot with Shaggy/Velma and Fred/Daphne in a way that didn't hurt the mystery or the characters. It was so good that the unusual casting choices (like Brunette-Fred and Skinny-Asian-Velma) didn't bug me that much.
Basically, I just wanted to put out my ideas for how it could be done right to balance out all the complaining I've done. LOL
no subject
Date: 2012-11-24 06:32 am (UTC)Wow, so many English errors. This is what I get for not showering first thing in the morning. c.c
no subject
Date: 2012-11-24 06:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-24 06:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-24 06:32 am (UTC)I'm dying to know...what was your favorite part? :)
no subject
Date: 2012-11-25 01:40 am (UTC)There was so much potential for Mystery Incorporated. Who knows, maybe a few years for now there will be another/better attempt at doing a new Scooby series.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-27 01:19 pm (UTC)I thought you'd get a kick out of that. :)
There was so much potential for Mystery Incorporated. Who knows, maybe a few years for now there will be another/better attempt at doing a new Scooby series.
Well, the recent DTV movies have been mostly good. And it looks like none of MI's canon is seeping into other projects. So I'm sure the next show that gets made will be better (it certainly couldn't be worse that the show that made date rape part of Shaggy's canon >_< )
no subject
Date: 2012-12-02 03:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-05 12:24 am (UTC)I agree completely about the girls. Velma needed an attitude adjustment and better, more relatable issues to angst over. And Daphne (whose "bimbo" personality I'm fine with) just needs to get over Fred and get a goddamn hobby! And the two of them together...for God's sake, Korra and Asami at least had that race together!
The guys are more complicated. I agree with your reworking of Shaggy, not so much Fred. With Fred, all I'd do is tone down the trap obsession a bit, and tone down the Daphne obsession in Season 2 ALOT. Everything else about him I'd keep, 'cause overall he's my favorite version of the character, sorry. Really, I'm surprised you barely mentioned Scooby himself. I liked the direction MI has taken with him AFTER they were done making him a raging psychopathic Yandere dog for Shaggy during that dumbass Shaggy/Scooby/Velma triangle subplot!
I could've summed up the relationship problems with three words: AXE THE ROMANCE! Ship teases are alright, but if you can't write real romance well, then DON'T BOTHER. Especially in a franchise where romance isn't meant to be a big aspect anyway. And if bad writing for romance also derails the characters involved. Like Shaggy, Scooby, and Velma...yeah, have you figured out I wish that subplot had never happened yet?
The last one is, of course, where I disagree the most. It actually kind of ticks me off to see "scrap the storyline and make it episodic and silly" suggested, 'cause it reeks of fan suggestion that such things are "too weird for Scooby" and the franchise is better off remaining stagnent. For me, the story, more than the romance, is what sets MI apart from other Scooby shows. I liked "Where Are You?", "A Pup Named" and "What's New" just fine, but even I get tired of all Scooby shows being episodic fares with repeated gags, chase scenes, lame costumed creeps with lame motives, unmaskings, and ending on "Scooby Dooby Dooooo!"s. Which is why I welcome the ongoing story, warts and all. At least it's something different and honestly something interesting.
As for the messed-up family/home life thing, only Fred's was really relevent to the story, wasn't it?
Maybe MI is like the "Best Wishes" (Pokemon reference) of the Scooby franchise. I like it for breaking the mold even if I abhor some particular choices the writers and director makes on it, but fans who prefered the way things were just hate it with every fiber of their being. XD
no subject
Date: 2012-12-07 07:44 am (UTC)You expected different from me? LOL
Believe it or not, opinions on MI seem to be just as divided among "old school" fans as they are among people who stopped following the franchise after grade school. The old school fans either REALLY love it or REALLY hate it (and some of them hate it even more than I do!!)
Everything else about him [Fred] I'd keep, 'cause overall he's my favorite version of the character, sorry.
No need to apologize. Different strokes and all that.
I think the MI version of Fred would be more palatable if the tone of the show wasn't so deathly serious at times. After all, Fred's characterization in A Pup Named Scooby Doo is WAY more insane (he straight up stalks some poor kid and blames him for crimes just because he doesn't like him); but it's funny because Pup never asks you to take it seriously and it never tries to say that Fred's issues are the result of psychological abuse by a parent and/or some form of mental illness.
Really, I'm surprised you barely mentioned Scooby himself. I liked the direction MI has taken with him AFTER they were done making him a raging psychopathic Yandere dog for Shaggy during that dumbass Shaggy/Scooby/Velma triangle subplot!
You're right. I should have gone into more detail with Scooby (even though my focus was on fixing the romance angle). So here goes:
I'd basically make him a hodgepodge of his characterization in the original series, the 70s comics, and Pup.
In the original series and the comics, he was more "dog-like" (FUN FACT: in the old comics, he couldn't speak at all) and he didn't act like a surly man in a dogsuit. Basically, he likes humans, but he doesn't "get them" a lot of the time.
In the comics, he wasn't afraid to show aggression when someone threatened him or his friends (and he'd do dumb things like chase a cat just because it's there). And it would be cool to show him standing up to monsters and crooks instead of threatening helpless, crying women like the vile piece of shit that is MI-Scooby
And in Pup, he's shown to have a life and personality that isn't 100% attached to Shaggy (i.e. having a family and being super chummy with Velma). Obviously, I wouldn't bring back the extended Doo family and their opulent Dog-Mansion because that would be silly. But I'd show him doing stuff on his own once in a while and occasionally choosing to be in someone else's company besides Shaggy.
I could've summed up the relationship problems with three words: AXE THE ROMANCE!
Agreed. MI just should not have done it because they clearly have no idea how to weave a romance into an ongoing plot (as evidenced by the way Shaggy, Velma, the rest of the cast, and the writers currently like to pretend that the icky girl/boy/dog triangle never happened).
no subject
Date: 2012-12-07 11:14 pm (UTC)I wish there was a middle ground (like I'm usually on), but that might be a bit too much to ask.
See, I actually LIKE that some of his behaviour is the result of psychological issues 'cause that at least gives an EXPLANATION for why he can be a jerk sometimes, unlike Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby, where it just comes out of left field whenever they act jerky. Granted, I think it's stupid to chalk his trap obsession up to psychological illness, but his trap obsession is exaggerated to begin with.
The one thing I really do like about MI Scooby (past that dumbass love triangle subplot) is that they treat him as more than just the team pet/mascot who's there to do repetitive things and shout out his name as a catchphrase. Since the franchise title is his name, I think that's appopriate. I just wish they'd tone down how..."human" they make him.
Yes, WORD on what you say about the romance.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-07 08:19 am (UTC)I LOVE the idea of a Scooby series having an on-going plot. And having an on-going plot does not mean the series has to lose any of it's camp and humor (IMO, MI's attempt to integrate camp into the heavy angst just made the show feel schizophrenic). A show with an on-going plot can still be silly and, inversely, an episodic show can also be angsty and serious.
Anyhoo, I didn't try to do my version of the Crystal Cove curse mystery because, obviously, I have no idea how it will end. So I didn't feel comfortable attempting to re-imagine it my way (and the fact that I'm not a terrific writer didn't help). But, since you brought it up, I'll give it a shot....
Early on, most fans believed that the original Mystery Incorporated group had no connection to the current kids (aside from Angel being either Cassidy or Cassidy's sister). I think it would have worked better if Angel and Cassidy weren't the same person because having Angel (and all her old friends, for that matter) be around for the last 20 years just makes the old gang look incompetent for not being able to solve this themselves after 20 years.
So, basically, the current MI gang discovers that a group of kids just like them disappeared under mysterious circumstances 20 years ago and they get freaked out when they discover that they have WAY too much in common with the missing group of kids (ie similar personality dynamics, similar romantic entanglements, etc). This leads to Shaggy and Scooby trying to convince Fred to just let this go and stop doing this dangerous dangerous hobby before history repeats itself. And maybe he and Velma break up because her natural curiosity wont allow her to just "let it go" and Shaggy angrily gives her a "it's the mystery or me" ultimatum. And Daphne is conflicted because she doesn't want to lose Fred OR Velma; but she also sees Shaggy's point (so, basically, she's the one most stuck in the middle).
As for the messed-up family/home life thing, only Fred's was really relevent to the story, wasn't it?
True. But I'd just make Brad and Judy a pair of unlucky kids and give Fred a normal home life. Because the way they are in MI just doesn't make sense as it is (unless they're both possessed and/or heartless pricks).
Maybe MI is like the "Best Wishes" (Pokemon reference) of the Scooby franchise. I like it for breaking the mold even if I abhor some particular choices the writers and director makes on it, but fans who prefered the way things were just hate it with every fiber of their being. XD
I don't get the "Best Wishes" reference because, the last time I played a Pokemon game, there were only 150 of them in the PokeDex. Mind explaining it to me? ^_^;
no subject
Date: 2012-12-08 02:13 am (UTC)About the old MI being "incompetent" for not solving the mystery for 20 years...they DID solve it. At least Brad and Judy did, and I think Ricky might've too. Angel/Cassidy is the only one I was never clear on. But Brad and Judy DID explain that some time after they'd left their baby with Fred Jones, they solved the mystery and realized that he was the Freak. So when they came back looking for evidence to incriminate him, Jones threatened to do bodily harm to young Fred UNLESS Brad and Judy stayed away from Crystal Cove. And since they loved their baby, that's what they did. And that's why only now they've come back to Crystal Cove, and unfortunately have changed into worse people over the years. That's also (at least partially) why Jones/the Freak saved Fred's life in the first season finale. If Fred had died, he'd have no more leverage and a PISSED OFF Brad and Judy would come back to Crystal Cove to incriminate him in his crimes as the Freak.
Your idea has merit, but I don't know where that would work in things like the Freak, Professor Pericles, the planispheric disc, the treasure of the conquistidors, and the curse of "Nibiru". 'Cause I really love that stuff.
Brad and Judy, like I said, became pricks over the years they spent together KNOWING that their son was back at Crystal Cove but they could do nothing about it'd be risking his safety. They really DO love their kid but since he was taken away from them, they never learned how to be proper loving parents. As they currently are, they still love Fred and delude themselves into thinking they're doing these bad things for his own good, when really they're just being twits who are folding into Ricky's "peer pressure" and wanting to help the old gang solve the mystery they could never finish. I'm pretty sure they'll come around eventually and become good parents for real. That'd be better then that prick Mayor Jones becoming Fred's dad again (which had BETTER NOT HAPPEN.)
"Best Wishes" is the Japanese name for the current season/series of the Pokemon anime, based on the "Black and White" games. (Black/White, Best Wishes, BW. Get it?) It's been trying radically different things for the show that's been formulamatic since Johto. Most notably ditching Brock and having Ash's female companion not be a Gym Leader or Coordinator, dumbing Ash down again so that he makes amateur mistakes, including a variety of new rivals and tournaments, making wild pokemon more antagonistic than before, and (and this is the biggest one) making Team Rocket (THAT Team Rocket) into menacing, COMPETENT villains who are NOT goofy, clumsy idiots, they barely ever joke around, take their work dead seriously, take orders from higher-ups (from either Giovanni or Dr Zager), partake in actual criminal activity, have "missions" that become episode-spanning subplots, carry high-tech gear, do NOT get sent "blasting off again" (they usually blast themselves off using jetpacks), and don't appear in every single episode. In fact, there have been a few stretches of episodes without them! So yeah...the fandom either loves it or hates it.