Ryan Vacation

Finally got to watch the infamous Velma. I had low expectations, but I was done with the show after three episodes. First, why make a Scooby-Doo show without the most interesting and iconic character of the series, Scooby-Doo? That alone alienates a big chunk of your target audience. Many people bashing this show cite its wokeness as a downside of the show. I don't mind progressive themes in a show. The Boys and the Harley Quinn TV animated series are very good shows with progressive themes. Velma is a poorly done show because the writer did not respect the essence of the show's main characters. The writer completely changed the characters of the Scooby Doo gang to the point that I could not recognize them anymore if not for their visual clues. A good reimagining of characters changes certain things about characters, like their background or ethnicity (if their race is not an essential part of their character, like in Black Panther). However, their essence usually remains the same so that fans can still recognize that character and make a connection. A few good examples of good reimagined characters that maintained their essence are Marvel's Rick Fury and DCEU's Aquaman. None of the Mystery Machine gang retained their essence, making them completely different characters with no connection with the source material. With the essence of all the characters gone, what is the point? It's a Scooby Doo show that is only Scooby Doo in name only. Might as well develop a new IP with original characters.