Velma (TV Series) The Brains of the Operation (2023) User Reviews

The end to Mindy Kaling's fan fiction of Scooby Doo

[boingyd · 3/10 · 9 February 2023]

This show started off the only like a fanfiction and it ended feeling like an even worse fan fiction. And I don't mean in the sense that it was a fan writing the series, but in the sense that it was written by someone who just wanted to control the Scooby-Doo characters and make them do whatever they wanted. None of the cast felt like anywhere near the original incarnations. They don't even feel like exaggerated versions of the original characters. They just appear to be completely different people wearing Scooby-Doo character costumes. I expected at some point that the show would come around and show how the original cast became, who they are in the series, but it never happens. They continue to be some of the most unlikable cast I have ever seen in a television series. The main character Velma is the worst of the bunch. She is a constant selfish, narcissistic, manipulative, and downright mean person throughout the entire series. She abuses the rest of the cast but always seems to have them coming back to her for no reason. This is why I call this show a fanfiction, not because you can't have sloppy writing in a show or because you can't reimagine characters, but because Velma specifically feels like someone wanted to be Velma but also act and do whatever they wanted while still having the cast. Love them for no reason. I won't entirely spoil the ending, but suffice to say Velma gets everything she ever wanted while the rest of the cast simply has to pick up the pieces of the mess she left behind.

There is no reason to watch this series even if you're a die hard fan of Scooby-Doo. The jokes were bad for every episode, be constant. Commentary about life is not funny. And no characters are likable. The mystery itself was even more plan then a original series episode and it took an entire season to get through. I personally kept watching just because I was amazed that something so bad got such good treatment in the animation department as well as funding while the rest of HBO seems to be tanking and they're getting rid of some of their best shows from the app. But I see no reason for this other than the fact that Mindy kaling must have had some connections to push this through. If you wanted an adult animated version of Scooby-Doo or you felt like having comedy that you could laugh at as an adult go elsewhere. Watch mystery Incorporated or any number of other shows. Do not even give HBO the money. Just to hate watch this thing. It seems to be what Warner Brothers is banking on with them celebrating the high numbers that Velma originally got. Now that we've given them the chance with an entire season, we cannot expect them to improve with a new one. Simply put, Warner Brothers should cancel their renewal for a second season, or at the very least you and I should not watch anymore of this garbage. This is not a mediocre show, it is a terrible one. It is well animated, as good voice casting, and all the technicals are there but just like with a high VFX budget movie. All of that doesn't matter so long has the story is bad and nothing in the series hooks the viewer into wanting to watch more. This series deserves the horribly bad score it has gotten, Even with all of the extra fan inspired hatred from people who probably didn't even watch the show. This is not just a mediocre adults retelling of Scooby-Doo, this is a bad show using Scooby-Doo to bring in eyeballs and watch their horrible writing.

The story started with plot holes and ended with the Grand Cannyon...

[julianmarku · 2/10 · 27 February 2023]

This whole 10 episodes could have been narrowed down to 3 episodes at most and the writers must have written the mystery on a fast food napkin because it is that simple and overly complicated.

So the mystery wraps up in like 5 to 7 minutes at the most and the motivation of the villain is extremely weak. So here it is: the villain is obviously someone white... and rich... because throughout the whole movie the ultimate enemy are white people who are rich, Mindy said that. So, because the story is about female empowerment then it has to be a woman so: rich white woman... aka Fred's mom.

So what is she doing? She used hypnosis to use Velma's mother to rebuild the lab to change brains because her father was the General leading the project. Why? She wanted to change her son's brain with a smart independent, brave woman because in her words: white men are privileged and have all the power in the world... so she wanted a smart girl's brain her son's body to take over her company which she married into from Fred's father and her son? I don't know. Die maybe? Live in jar for the rest of his life?

So instead of doing anything else that would have worked she came up with this ridiculous plan even though she has all the money, all the power, all the intelligence of the family? She couldn't do one of the following things?!

1) Find another capable girl and marry her into the family like she did?

2) Specify in the will that while Fred is the owner of the company, she can choose her own CEO? Or that Fred is not fit for the CEO position?

3) Disown Fred and adopt another child that she sees in her image?

4) Use hypnosis and control Fred from behind the scenes like she did with everyone else around her?

5) Actually spend time with her son, be a good parents and teach him to be a good manager?

No! The only solution she had: remove my son's brain!

The Mystery's finally sez THE END......or is It? Really?

[MikeZhou49 · 4/10 · 25 February 2023]

It tooks a long to make a show Close to the original scooby-doo show like Mentioning Meddling Kids,Unmask,Four Teenagers in a key role,and a Van,except Not having a scooby-doo Yet,It's all edgy and More Serial Killer Parody by scooby fan Kaling and Grandy of the Office than the Traditional Scooby-Doo,it's a origin story that even old and new executive like it in a very stupid way,almost good to fan,all Nonsense to them,Like mentioning nonsense and Meta-BAD Joke and such,however,i survived velma Series Finale,but about this series bein' good because it also mention a lot HB toons and scooby nostalgia,but i also hate it because nothing is Sacred and Family issues and most of all,GROSS!now on with the plot,it turns out Fred's mommy was related to Her biological all the time dad General Meeting whose related to Dr. Perdue (pronounce Purr-DOO*) (*is this MAD insane doctor granny of a shaggy ever related to his future dawg?),and His mother's goal is to break the Dr. Edna Purdue's promise and recreate the Project:Scoobi privately so he can find a Brain to make his son more like a wise CEO than a sassy and self-obssed Z-Gen kid,but thanks to a plot twist,Shaggy save the day by killing the "possessed" Mommy with a sword shielded technique and he never miss despict Fred's mommy Victoria think he's missed but not always with the rock Falls off from the top and kill her,and the whole mystery solves with a grand Finale,but is it really ended? Take a post-credit aftermath cliffhanger for instance,while Cogburn think it's all finished but oh no,he's scared off while picking the piece from the Diya File,and killed off,does it means A Another serial killer Will be here for a Another mystery,or is the mystery of Ends Purdue is just a beginning with a Another possession on a serial killer,only time will tell,if WB tell us for Season 2 of it,it gets awful enough unless they can make the show great if they bring the dwawg in,because the dawg is the terrible things to waste......

The show reaches its inevitable disappointing ending

[kurt-957-8127 · 1/10 · 19 February 2023]

I'm blown away that 2% of the viewers found this series redeemable.

It takes an entire season to deliver the same punch as the original did in a single episode. Were you hoping for character arcs converging on the character personalities you know? Well, you can abandon any hope of that.

A few funny sight-gags is really about all this episode (and honestly the series) really had going for it.

I watched it through just to see if the show was going to come even close to moving the character arcs forward and it really doesn't. So this begs the question: Why even use the Scooby Doo IP for this show? Could this not have been done with fully original characters? Or was that the only way it could get the green light? I'm really wondering how this show got made in the first place.

It's a shame because doing a new 'spin' on the franchise would be pretty good. Even an 'adult' version would be fine. This isn't it though. It's what a 12 year old _thinks_ is adult or edgy. There is no subtlety here.

slowly climb to a high point in the middle....and downhill harder than before.

[lj-55747 · 1/10 · 10 February 2023]

So , we learned about that "who didn't see that coming" plot twist at the end of ep.9.

And the part the Velma try to catch the real villain are actually give us some feeling of the OG Scooby-Doo feeling.

(Especailly the part of face reveal by pulling of the mask from tide up villain.) And the villain's reason of doing so are cartoonish enough (IMO) to works......and the reason why Velma is so "werido" are also explained.

(But appearly her personalty are still just amplified by the "reason" , not totally changed by it.) Norville finally get a bone and left to avoid Velma's toxic way are good.....but the part his dad suggest he starts to use a certain plant based product to ease the stress from the "result" of the end , are not good.

Shaggy is never a drug head , he just look like one......It's said on the wiki. So isn't make Norville became a drug head count as some kind of forcing a "stereotype" to a person? I think it counts.... In the end , non of the "main team" are getting more likeable or closer to the OG team.

(Also ,the ending of this episode really make me feel bad for Mr. Dinkly , and Sophie....and the baby......Because during the scene that Velma try to make the house back into the shape for 2 years ago , we can see how much better the living condition is now instead of two years ago.(beside Velma's sickly persistent on her missing mom and mystery solving.....Even the family pic look happier for both adults. Velma just don't want to face the truth that her parent's marriage is a miserable one , and the relationship was already failing apart , and the truth that her dad had moved on from this sad relationship to make a happier one.... Her dad think Diya run away.....because that's how the relationships between both of them are feeling like to do , or even had argued about it already , two years ago.)

The last episode was pretty good.

[marcelbee · 10/10 · 11 February 2023]

I'd say the show has it's high and low. But im the last episode all the characters fall into place and are redeemed. Velma get smart for real, Daphne is hot, Fred get strong and stop being a child (although hes still kind of stupid), and norwill uses ultra instinct to save the day and start smoking weed. The episode was wraped up in the old fashion where Velma explain what happened, remove the mask of the killer, and the killer could have got away if it wasn't for meddling kids.

I'd say the ending is well worth watching the show and each character start in a very rough spot but eventually get where they are supposed to be.

Instant Classic!

[podracer-92548 · 10/10 · 9 February 2023]

This adult version of Scooby-Doo has such a funny twist on the original! Velma and all the gang members have a very original origin story and it's very refreshing seeing something this new and entertaining. Seems like this has been a show I've always wanted to see and I never knew it. I must credit all the writers, producers and everyone else that was involved in creating this hilarious show. Was actually a show I played each new episode the day it aired. I look forward to seeing a new season on HBO max! I'll keep my HBO subscription just because of this new Velma show! Thanks Mindy and all other co-producers!