By Jack Kroll a student submission
HBO Max recently released an original adult animated TV series called “Velma.” The first season consists of ten twenty-minute episodes. “Velma” is another incarnation of the beloved “Scooby-Doo” series and has received plenty of media attention following its release.
“Velma” covers the story of how Daphne, Fred, Velma, and Norville, otherwise known as Shaggy, formed the famous mystery-solving group. The show mainly surrounds Velma in high school in the fictional town of Crystal Cove working to solve the mysteries behind her missing mother and murders that occur throughout the show.
The show has been met with plenty of negative reviews following its release, but what makes the show displeasing to many viewers? “Velma” falls victim to several issues including following the same tropes the show mocks such as having a poorly developed main character, and poorly conveying good messages and themes, making “Velma” unappealing to watch.
“Velma’s” first blunder is that the show frequently mocks tired plot elements that are then incorporated into the show. The writers often make jokes about typical young adult tropes, such as the overused love triangle trope.
However, much of “Velma” consists of the same tropes that the show mocks. For example, while the writers mock the “love triangle” situation prominent in many young adult romance stories, they then construct a love triangle between characters in the show.
This makes the show feel too self-aware, making certain moments of the show unenjoyable.
“Velma’s” second mistake arises because the writers poorly develop Velma’s character. Velma could be defined as judgmental, self-conscious, and manipulative. Dialogue between Velma and other characters blatantly vocalizes these flaws for comedic effect, but the writers do nothing with Velma’s personality.
Velma continually exhibits her flaws throughout the show, and instead of developing her into a more likable character that the viewers can relate to, the writers keep her flawed personality. This contributes to the unenjoyable experience of the series by making the character with the most screen time the least likable.
Lastly, “Velma” poorly conveys the underlying messages of the show regarding the effects of negative stereotypes and the over-sexualization of women in American media. For example, the writers included many jokes that point out the over-sexualization of women in American media and culture. However, the writers and animators add numerous scenes and animations that are overtly sexualized, making “Velma” feel contradictory to the messages it is trying to convey. The other messages and themes of the show also fall victim to this issue, leaving the viewer with a poorer experience overall.
While “Velma” has plenty of issues that make the show unenjoyable for many audiences, some may find amusement in the show. The style of “Velma” and the tropes of the story are similar to other teen dramas such as “Riverdale”, and fans of teen drama may find “Velma” entertaining. However, for most audiences, “Velma” will likely provide a displeasing viewing experience due to the show being too self-aware, having a flawed main character, and poorly communicating the show’s positive messages and themes.