Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for the first two episodes of Velma.The Twisted Spinoff Show Velma changes the beloved characters of the classic Scooby Doo cartoons significantly. Most of these changes are unique to the Velma environment, such as: B. the characters’ backgrounds and parents, which differ from those in the classic Scooby-Doo cartoons that inspired them. However, some of the changes are significant, as the characters behave radically differently than their original incarnations.
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The adult HBO Max animated series Velma caused controversy immediately after its announcement. Most of the criticism came from fans of the original Scooby-Doo cartoons, who felt that an R-rated version of Scooby-Doo was a bad idea. While it’s debatable how effectively Velma parodies both Scooby-Doo and the idea of dark reboots in general (with the show explicitly calling out other series like Riverdale), there’s no denying that its core cast are recognizable as lopsided variants of the original Mysteries Inc .gang.
See Also: Everything We Know About Velma, the Adult Scooby-Doo Spinoff
Most of the gang were cast race-blind to Velma
Velma pilot Fred and Daphne in front of the police stationVisually, the most noticeable change to the Scooby gang in Velma is the diversified cast. Velma’s producers used race-blind casting, found the best actor for each role, and then altered the character’s physicality to reflect the actor. This resulted in a South Asian Velma, an Asian Daphne, and a black Shaggy, reflecting the respective racial backgrounds of actors Mindy Kaling, Constance Wu, and Sam Richardson. However, this doesn’t affect their characters or Velma’s story, aside from how Fred gets special treatment for being rich and white. However, this change from the original Scooby-Doo caused a racial backlash before the show’s release.
The Mysteries Inc. gang aren’t all friends…yet
As Velma begins, the characters aren’t the legendary puzzle-solving team they’re meant to become, although Velma’s opening narration speaks of them becoming “the greatest team of spooky puzzle-solvers ever”. Of the four main characters, only Velma and Norville have a friendly relationship. Fred has no idea Velma and Norville exist, and Daphne and Velma are former friends turned nemesis. Fred and Daphne are dating, but their relationship is more transactional than romantic as the two only date for the sake of appearances. It will take time for the cast of Velma to form the same strong friendship as the classic Scooby-Doo gang.
Velma has a drastically different personal life
While the teens’ personalities have remained constant throughout most iterations of Scooby-Doo, their backgrounds and those of their parents have varied greatly. For example in the reality of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Velma’s parents were Dale and Angie Dinkley, and they ran a museum. In Velma, her father is a lawyer named Aman Dinkley and her mother is a novelist named Diya Dibley. However, Velma’s life at home is far from happy, as her mother disappeared years earlier and her father began dating local malt shop owner Sophie. When Velma opens up, Sophie is pregnant and Aman focuses on her and the new baby, much to Velma’s annoyance.
Velma suffers from intense hallucinations
It’s ironic that Velma was famous in the classic Scooby-Doo for being virtually blind without her signature thick glasses, but she usually picked up the clues the other teens had missed and “saw” more than anyone else. The HBO Max’ Velma title character has a different vision problem and is plagued by nightmarish hallucinations when presented with a mystery to solve. This is due to Velma’s feelings of guilt that she was responsible for her mother’s disappearance when she disappeared while shopping for a Christmas present that would surprise Velma after the amateur detective accidentally found where all her presents were hidden.
See also: What Velma’s cast looks like in real life
Daphne was adopted by two cops
In most Scooby-Doo series, Daphne Blake comes from a wealthy, conservative family. Velma makes two major changes to Daphne’s background. The first is that she is adopted and has no idea who her birth parents are. The second is that her adoptive parents are a lesbian couple who are both detectives in the Crystal Cove Police Department.
Fred is the heir to an elite fashion empire
Fred Jones led the classic Scooby-Doo gang, although most of the previous Scooby-Doo series said little about his family and their history. The only exception was Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, where Fred’s parents, Judy and Brad, ran the original Mystery Incorporated team before producing a TV show, Sternum and Sternum, based on their adventures. In Velma, Fred’s parents are Victoria and William Jones, and they run a lucrative clothing empire based on high-end men’s accessories such as ascots. They also operate a women’s clothing line called Jones Gentlemen’s Accessories for Women.
Norville doesn’t go past Shaggy and is ambitious
Of all of Velma’s main cast, Shaggy has perhaps changed the most from his classic counterpart. The main difference is that Shaggy doesn’t call himself Shaggy, instead using Shaggy’s original birth name, Norville Rogers. Norville is also a high achiever, passionate about his work as editor of Crystal Cove High’s school newspaper, in marked contrast to Shaggy’s usual easy-going demeanor. This academic focus is not surprising, however, given that Norville’s mother is the principal of Crystal Cove High School and his father is the school’s counselor.
Fred is an Idiot Savant, minus The Savant
Most of Fred Jones’ incarnations in Scooby-Doo are portrayed as absent-minded but affable, with an innate talent for strategy, leadership, and improvising elaborate traps. Velma’s version of Fred Jones isn’t nearly as competent as the classic Fred. In fact, this variant was so spoiled by his wealthy parents that he can neither cut his own food nor dress himself without the help of a servant.
See also: Every live-action actor plays Velma from Scooby-Doo
Norville is a food snob
Aside from his easygoing demeanor and persistent rumors that he was a drug user, Scooby-Doo’s Shaggy has always been characterized by his indiscriminate appetite. Norville Rogers is very different, a foodie with exotic tastes, though he shares the classic Shaggy’s enthusiasm for the foods he likes and a penchant for flavor combinations that most would find disgusting. Velma Episode 2, “The Candy Man,” reveals that Norville hosts a streaming show where he talks about his obscure favorite foods, including Beijing-style shrimp chips and kiwi- and whitefish-flavored snacks.
Daphne and Velma are bisexual
Scooby-Doo fans joked about Velma being a lesbian for years, well before the 2022 film Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! confirmed that Velma was attracted to women. It has also been implied, although never confirmed, that Velma was a lesbian in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated series. James Gunn’s live-action Scooby-Doo film was also meant to validate Velma’s sexuality, but studio interference prevented that. Velma introduces a more complicated dynamic, with Scooby Doo The heroines Velma and Daphne share a kiss in the final moments Velma Episode 2, “The Candy Man”. This establishes that both characters are bisexual as they are also attracted to Fred Jones.
More: Velma’s Scooby-Doo controversy misses the real issue