Velma: An Unwatchable Mess

Review by La’sha Green. Photo courtesy of HBO Max.

On January 12, 2023, HBO Max dropped Velma, a spin-off of the well known Scooby-Doo franchise. The show starts off with a voice over by Velma claiming that she started Mystery Inc. and that Fred, who is the original leader of the Scooby Doo gang, only got credit because he is a white man. We then discover that Velma has trauma-induced hallucinations every time she tries to solve a mystery due to her mother’s disappearance. When a murderer goes on the loose, killing people and taking their brains, it’s up to Velma to solve the mystery. 

That’s some spoiler-free background on the show. Now the main question…Is the show really worth the watch? I think it’s not. I hate when shows try to be progressive but instead end up making a mockery of being inclusive. I was expecting so much more from this show. I was looking forward to an adult version of the Scooby-Doo gang. This show had the potential to explore mature themes, but every time we got close to a mature theme, they covered it up with a joke. I was also looking forward to a proper back story for our beloved Velma, the brains of the whole operation.

Personally, I love when shows add diversity to their cast, but this show feels like they're making a joke out of it. Every character has a new race, but their representation of different races is somewhat offensive and mediocre. While they changed the characters' race, they never addressed culture and the role it plays. When the show played on the culture of each character, it fed racial stereotypes. It was like Velma tried to justify her racist comment toward white men due to her race.There were so many important topics that the show could have dived into but  failed. Velma’s overall trauma and the pressure put on her by men to be more masculine was never discussed.

Finally, Velma was a terrible main character with little to no character development. The show could’ve tapped into so many story lines, like Velma exploring her sexuality, but instead they turned her sexuality into a joke. That can be traumatizing for young teens struggling to come out or exploring their sexuality. I get it’s supposed to be satire, but I feel like a group of high school students could write a show with a stronger and more compelling plot.. 

The only good thing about the show was its animation. I rate this show a 1/10. It was terrible and I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy.

La’sha Green is a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.