I mentioned this yesterday, but the gang in MI felt poorly written. It really affected my likelihood to rewatch the series, even if the main mystery/plot was fantastic. I feel like certain decisions made were either poorly conceived or poorly executed, and I think a lot of it could've been salvaged by exploring the gang's relationships with their families--but like most shows, the parents are only involved when relevant to the A-plot. Missed opportunity, and I have my thoughts. I don't remember everything perfectly, so be patient if I missed something or got some info wrong!

1. Fred isn't as clever or emotionally perceptive, instead being flanderized by having an obsession with traps and ignoring Daphne's feelings for him since "guys don't have feelings." THAT SAID, this could work if they allowed him to develop and expand on this. Him acknowledging his purposeful ignorance of emotions is contained to one episode, even though he seemingly continues to ignore social cues beyond that (though if he's genuinely oblivious at this point, it's confusing to give him both qualities, not to mention contradictory to who Fred is traditionally as a character; we may not have much canon, but there are some things that have been largely consistent). However, when we look at Mayor Jones, it makes sense. He's always absent and prioritizes the monster situations in order to get more attention for the city. Thus, Fred has not only copied his dad's emotional distance, but may even subconsciously be interested in solving mysteries specifically BECAUSE it's a way of getting his dad's attention--even if that attention just comes in the form of brief annoyance. Given what we know about Mayor Jones, I really wish we could've seen more into his past and psyche; we could've heard about his youth before the big reveal at season 1, and have an "aha" moment when it occurs, allowing us to see that he does love and care for Fred, but perhaps he was an outcast and that led him to being antisocial. Raising Fred was originally a means to an end, but he did develop affection for him, and I could've seen "In Fear of the Phantom" being the episode where their dynamic changes and they grow closer--not to say Mayor Jones still isn't obsessed with the tourism of the town and Fred's still trying to capture the monsters, but the trajectory is different, as Fred is just too deep in the new mystery to NOT investigate, and becomes concerned for his dad's safety. Perhaps Peracles could threaten Fred with his father being in danger a bit before revealing their past together. In any case, he's no longer hyperfixated on traps, though he does grow more curious about his mom as he and his dad open up to each other. Oh, and I'd probably nix the whole "planespheric disk fundamentally altered the world and corrupted everyone." It'd be one thing if it corrupted everyone who held onto a piece for a long time, but I had a hard time swallowing that pretty much all the mysteries the gang solved in the series were retconned as a result of it. It'd be fun seeing Mayor Jones wrestle between his love for Fred and his desire to unite the pieces of the puzzle.

2. Daphne isn't bad per se, but she isn't done any favors, since her arc is mainly around Fred, which I don't really get. I didn't feel chemistry between them, and it felt more like she liked him because her parents didn't approve--which even without my rewrite is slightly odd, considering how being the Mayor's son should be seen as prestigious in some way (but I guess since it's a temporary position, maybe not). In any case, Daphne's focus should've been a commentary on her evolution throughout the franchise. The show exhibits that she comes from a rich and successful family, and she's just...normal. She interacts with her sisters, but only in isolated situations as the major plot calls for it, not really indicating them as close, and the same goes for her parents. Daphne's character would make a lot of sense if her rich and famous family is the reason she's a black-belt with artistic interests and intelligent in various fields; they're trying to make her fit a mold, and she's trying to please them. It's even tougher for her since it isn't even sexism, since her sisters are professionals in various male-dominated fields and expectations on her don't seem to be tied to her gender (and taking that away from them in the finale was just evil). Having Daphne address her family history and success would be paralleled to how people have found Daphne to be the "plus one" of the group during the original days of the franchise, just there, and as the series continues, she carves out her own identity and uses the skills she's learned to be a well-rounded and unique character, being essentially an Elle Woods-type character. Her romance with Fred should be more gradual rather than starting off with her fawning over him and him ignoring her. Let her fall for Fred's hard-working and admiration for traps, AKA knowing what he likes, as well as the fact that he's more boy-next-door than the guys her family pushes her towards, with her family growing to admire his work ethic and how many times he's helped keep Daphne safe.

3. Velma is perhaps the worst version of herself: bitter, snarky (more than necessary), insecure, and toxic--and there isn't really acknowledgement of this. I reject the producer's "oh, she was a lesbian, so her relationship with Shaggy was her trying to force a heteronormative relationship" excuse, because this is the SECOND time they gave Velma the aforementioned negative tropes and planned on her being a lesbian. Aside from poor representation, the closeted storyline doesn't excuse her or make her less of a terrible girlfriend and friend. That said, there was another way to go about this. Velma's parents embrace the tourism the "supernatural" brings, regardless of whether they believe in it or not. This could explain why she's so dead-set on being matter-of-fact on mysteries and trying to disprove the supernatural, as she's become jaded by her parent's profession and lack of authenticity. Not to mention, as a callback to her denial of her sexuality (if we still went that route; I do kinda want a series where she and Shaggy date and it isn't awful), Velma likes things that are easy to understand for her, ie math and science, not necessarily feelings. When she's snarky, she unintentionally distances herself from the more upbeat group, hurting people without meaning to because she's used to her parents brushing her off and not valuing her opinion as much. Her desire for a world with logic also impacts how she treats Scooby; while Scooby has human qualities, he sometimes falls back into his dog traits, allowing Velma to disassociate him from humanity while maintaining her logical mindset. Expanding on this would explain her breakdown in "Nightmare in Red" (though given how the show was almost over, we probably could've addressed that earlier), and her habit of hurting the gang by accident would also further explain why she keeps Angel's secret, not wanting to hurt the gang further and hoping to keep the friendships she has.

4. Shaggy is more or less the same, but like the rest of the gang, there's room for improvement. Seeing how his father is lax and his mother is more strict, it's unsurprising that he was indecisive, often avoiding having to make difficult decisions and being anxious about it, nevermind the fact that he and Velma were essentially a parallel to his parents with a domineering female half and a submissive male half. However, tweaking his and Velma's failed relationship (again, if it HAD to fail; not saying I needed it to), it could be more shared responsibility, with Shaggy's failure to prioritize Velma and Velma's more calculated structure culminating in the failure of the relationship. They don't want to mention the breakup to the gang given the fact that Velma knows that "he left me for a dog" isn't gonna fly since the gang sees Scooby like a person and Shaggy is enough of an empath to understand Velma's going through something. They broke up, but their friendship was stronger as a result, with Shaggy learning to be less afraid and indecisive and Velma aiming to be more "go with the flow." Shaggy wouldn't really have much change, but insight into why he is who he is and becoming more courageous for it. And just gonna throw it out there: him being a successful chef shouldn't have been an AU thing.



5. Scooby doesn't have his own family to speak of, but his writing could still be explained by his interactions with others; almost everyone sees Scooby as a weird dog, even Shaggy's parents, which is why he's so attached to Shaggy, who acknowledges him like a person. It'd explain why he's so possessive and concerned about him. Of course, Scooby can sometimes forget that he is a dog as a result ("Dog? Where?" I do NOT think he's kidding), so when he acts like a dog, he kinda screws himself over by falling back into people's expectations of him. Of course, it isn't his fault that everyone's narrow-minded, but focusing on his lack of humanity and acknowledging that he's an anomaly could be a good breakthrough with his relationship with Shaggy and Velma, as well as feeling more proactive throughout the series and forming a closer bond with Fred and Daphne.

The missed opportunities for the gang's characterization in "Mystery Inc" (and how I'd alter them)