Velma puts the girls (and their queerness) front and center

Mindy Kaling’s VelmaIt’s here! It’s queer! It’s queer! Anyone refusing to accept it should expect to be ridiculed in promotional trailers.

The series explores the background of an animated detective who is a legend in animation. It does so while taking her motives and family relationships very seriously. Rather than rehashing the same dynamics we’ve seen for decades between the members of Mystery Inc., VelmaIt gives us insight into the beginning of the group as well as the relationships that shaped our protagonist, Daphne and Fred into the loving, mischievous children we know.

Even at first blush these aren’t the same characters we’ve seen for decades: The art and voice cast deftly combine to lend depth to previously (sometimes literally) one-dimensional characters. While the stylized proportions of character designer Megan Phonesavanh’s new take on these beloved mystery solvers can be a bit jarring when we’ve all become accustomed to the rampant “same-face syndrome” of animated media, the variety of mouth, nose, and eye shapes allows for more uniquely recognizable faces. Combined with frequent, exaggerated close-up expressions, the visuals alone create a stronger emotional connection to the characters than we’ve experienced before.

VelmaIt quickly stands out from the previous PG Scooby-Doo versions with more gore and cartoon nudity in its first 10 minutes than all 50 years. It pokes fun at this exact concept — in the showers, of course. Our first on-screen character blithely asks her classmates, “Have you ever noticed how pilot episodes of TV shows always have more gratuitous sex and nudity than the rest of the series?” before stripping down and getting in a naked fight. The scene further ups the meta ante to take on horror tropes in general, as Velma quips, “Krista, if this was a show, you’d be killed off for being horny!”

It turns out that Daphne, voiced with sultry mean girls perfection by Constance Wu), and Velma, (Kaling) have been best friends for a long time. In most versions of Scooby-Doo they’re just friends, but a past (let alone an exploration of their connection) is rarely explained. Having both the classic “childhood friends” trope and the set up for “enemies to lovers” gives a chance to learn more about these characters while also indicating early on that their relationship is leading to something more. Velma must find out who the killer is to prevent Velma from being arrested for her past and present hurts.

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Although her ability to find clues has always been questioned, the series establishes an intimate connection with mystery solving, specifically the mystery surrounding her mother’s disappearance. Her beloved (if beleaguered) parental figure’s disappearance, and the resulting guilt, leads to vivid hallucinations. Scooby-Doo has always thrived as a horror comedy, particularly when it’s allowed to be genuinely scary. That is certainly the case with the hallucinations, with clawed hands committing Junji Ito-level acts of body horror, bright lime green glow around fanged and tentacled mouths, and a small throwback to the classic “menacing eyes in pitch-black darkness” imagery in the reflection of the puddle that the first hallucinatory hand rises out of.

These visions not only provide a tie-in with previous series’ monster scenes, but also allow Velma to feel vulnerable and reveal two important relationships. In an effort to shake her from her hallucinatory stupor, Norville, aka Shaggy (but at this stage known as his horrible, terrible, and no-good Canon first name), confesses that he is his lover. It works, if only because it makes Velma laugh uncontrollably, much to Norville’s disappointment. Second, Daphne uses a different approach to shock her from the hallucinations. It is much more popular.

Although the romance entanglements between Scooby-Doo character characters has changed throughout time, there is one constant: Velma’s quirkier readings are always present. From her animated style and demeanor to her live-action portrayals (including being played by Hayley freakin’ Kiyoko in 2009’s Scooby-Doo! Mystery Begins and 2010’s Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster), the hints have been there all along, obvious enough to pick up even if you’ve temporarily lost your glasses. Memes abound regarding there being “no heterosexual explanation” for her knowing what Daphne’s moans sound like, and she’s rarely shown to be interested in dating men.

Previous versions have largely dismissed fan readings of Velma’s queerness. However, Shaggy is trying to make her character a romantic partner with Fred (duh Fred and Daphne have been together for a while). Even to other characters, it is rare for the character of Shaggy to appear natural. You are not. Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated she’s shown to be dating Shaggy, much to Scooby’s chagrin, while in Scooby Apocalypse Velma’s announcement of her pregnancy is met by shock from Daphne, who states she didn’t think Velma was interested in men. When she is allowed a less heterosexual portrayal — living with Daphne in the Valentine’s episode of What’s New, Scooby Doo? or their interactions in 2002’s live-action movie (and the supposedly cut kiss during the body swapping scene) — it’s still only ever hinted at, no matter how heavily. While she’s shown to be a character unafraid to pursue what she wants, when it comes to romantic interest in women, Velma has only ever been allowed implication, rather than confirmation. Until now.

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With Velma’s sexuality now canon, we see an update to Daphne’s character as well. Because of the way Daphne was portrayed, Mystery Inc.’s women are now in the limelight, and can be dynamic, full-bodied characters. Daphne, who is the signature Damsel In Distress and presumed Love Interest of Fred in every iteration of Scooby-Doo. She rarely has any degree of agency. Her physical locations are sometimes out of her hands, as she often disappears or is snatched from by a villain. At best, she’s lent a sheer glaze of “girl power” with ambitions of being a mystery writer, or having basic defense skills.

Which is why it’s so damn refreshing to see her being the one doing the saving. Daphne gives Velma a kiss to save her from her hallucinations.

She’s also given more nuance, without compromising her “Danger-Prone Daphne” status. She has discovered that the danger she chooses to face is something she actively pursues. She’s shown to be more than capable at avoiding kidnapping or restraint, and determined to shape her own identity (including selling drugs, even though it “muddies her brand” with a bad-girl persona) and pursue her own goals, namely finding her birth parents.

Daphne and Velma having their own motivations and lives makes them both more fascinating characters. It also helps to give their relationship a realistic and charming basis. Velma’s unconvincing attempt to deny she kissed Daphne while saying things like “The heat of a thousand suns passing between us? What?!” to Norville simply wouldn’t have the weight it does without these characters’ newfound, demonstrated ability to take their lives into their own hands.

Warner Media

Warner Media

Warner Media

While Velma and Daphne’s characters seem to be updated versions of their previously underdeveloped selves, Fred and Norville are drastically different. Norville is a lovelorn, nerdy man who doesn’t eat a lot of sandwiches or his faithful canine friend. His humor seems to go against what we expect for the role. He says he doesn’t like drugs and gives a dry blink of his eyes to the camera. Fred is a spoiled, babyish rich kid with little to his character besides body insecurities until he’s convicted of murder. The two male members of Mystery Inc. sport updated versions of their signature outfits and run through the classic “Scooby-Dooby Doors” together, but otherwise are essentially the antitheses of their usual selves.

As starting points for these characters, it’s fine. It’s possible to tie in a few details to the more famous identities of these characters, such as Norville being an obscure snack blogger and Fred inheriting an ascot fortune. It is possible to create richer characters arcs by separating Fred and Shaggy from their expected identities. And possibly show how the “love quadrangle” morphs into a powerful mystery-solving polycule? Or at the very least give us a jumping off point for a spinoff about the newly goth Gigi (one of Daphne’s popular friends) being a founding member of the Hex Girls.

Regardless of what’s to come, Velma has ascended as the main character she should have been all along. Daphne and She are now allowed to create their lives, hopefully becoming the happy couple that we love. Until then, a long awaited kiss and friend hugs where “boobs touch, no crotch” decisively solves one long-standing mystery for fans, while unmasking the potential for a brighter future for our two favorite sleuths.