HBO’s Velma, an adult animated comedy prequel about the Mystery Inc. team, is receiving harsh criticism from fans; on Rotten Tomatoes, its audience gave it a dismal 6% rating for its first season. The reason that this hasn’t been officially disclosed yet may be related to how poorly Velma has been welcomed. For comparison, the prequel received a critics score of 55%, which is still not that great.
A Change in the Show
For the roles, Velma employed race-blind casting, adjusting the races of Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma to match the individuals that played them. Sadly, there was a considerable pushback from bigots, which Kaling addressed at New York Comic Con the previous year. She stated, “I think of the characters in this as so iconic, but in no way is the gang defined by their whiteness, except for Fred,”
Reason for the Ratings
Velma’s IP skin appears to have drawn in some fans, and Scooby-doo is well known for its charitable endeavors. Fans were drawn in by Mindy Kaling’s involvement in the gritty revival, but some claim that it is little more than an insult. In fact, and this is putting it gently, some have referred to the humor as a childish disrespect to Velma’s persona.
This “adult” spin on Scooby-doo seems to be missing the target with fans of all backgrounds, from crude comedy to gratuitous nudity. Of course, it’s up to you to decide if you want to join Velma’s sea of egregiously negative reviews. According to recent rumours, season two has been renewed, but HBO Max has not made any statements regarding the show’s future. We can only hope Velma finds it in itself to not take its heritage for granted if more does come down the road.