Plot: The origin story of Velma, a member from Mystery Inc.
Which millennial has not grown up watching Scooby Doo? It was part of a staple diet of cartoons we got to watch on our holidays.
The show may be about Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby, but I always enjoyed the bits with Shaggy and Scooby.
Their friendship was endearing because in spite of facing difficult and often scary situations, they were there for each other and never abandoned one another even when the monster was a hair breaths away.
Daphne and Fred would be discussing the case while Velma would be the one to solve the case.
Velma was always the level-headed member who kept the group together.
Over the years, there have been plenty of variations of the series. New mysteries were adapted for the newer generation, and the designs went through updates, too.
And then came Be Cool Scooby Doo that aired on Cartoon Network, and it provided a twist on relationships.
Daphne and Fred were a couple. Velma and Shaggy were a couple. Scooby had to understand that his best friend needed to spend time with his girlfriend.
The five, who were once friends, were caught up in relationship drama, but they still came together to solve mysteries. Friendship was always the core element of the show.
And then another variation came along, and finally, a spin-off VELMA was announced.
The smartest girl in the group gets her own show. Yay! Right?
Except the show isn't about Velma being the calm, level-headed, logical person we knew.
Velma is now of a different race. Okay. That shouldn't change her characteristics, right?
Whether or not it does, remains to be seen, but what became obvious was that this Velma is snarky, narcissistic, and condescending. She may be portrayed as an outcast with an oversized sweater and all, but that doesn't mean she has low self-confidence. If anything, she thinks she is too cool to be with anyone like Norville (Shaggy's real name). When he tells her about his feelings, she actually laughs at him.
This Velma has a bit of a crush on Fred, envious of Daphne, who had become popular and throws a lot of attitude to her father.
Her biggest mystery is that her mother Diya left, and she believes it may be her fault. She did use her detective skills to find Christmas presents and threw a tantrum that prompted Diya to go to the store to get her an unwrapped present. And then she never returned.
Wracked with guilt, she hallucinates green, bony arms coming after her.
While the show could also be about Velma dealing with mental issues that came because of her guilt, it tends to make light of that too.
Velma's indifference can be a turn-off at times, especially since comparisons with the earlier versions of the character are inevitable.
Now, supposing this wasn't THE Velma from Scooby Doo. Would the show still receive that kind of backlash?
The fact that they changed Velma's character is the biggest crime to the childhood memory of every Millennial.
We can deal with the relationship drama, but showing Velma not caring about anyone can ge a bit discouraging. As a viewer, you want to turn into a show every week to make sure the character you are rooting for gets a win.
The show has some intriguing mysteries.
Just who is killing off all the popular girls?
And...
What happened to Velma's mother?
And...
What is in that wrapped present from Diya? A clue to her whereabouts?
Velma needs to open that present soon.
The show isn't terrible. The fact that it is based on a character that, despite the years, sustained her good qualities only to be tarnished in this version, that part is terrible.
It is too soon to completely turn your back on a show that may eventually correct the mistakes it made.
These are teens and the Mystery Inc. has not formed yet. That means even though there is no Scooby now, perhaps he will be adopted later on.
The group may come together after all, just like the show.
But yes, was the show not about the Velma we all grew up liking, it wouldn't have received so much hate.
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