As a lifelong Scooby Doo fan I appreciate the pilot episode's callbacks to the franchise's characters, lore, and many incarnations. The casting and acting are acceptable, and the special effects are decent. The dark tone is what causes my concern for potential younger viewers. This series gives the Mystery, Inc., gang the full "Riverdale" or "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" treatment -- transforming an innocent, light-hearted show for children into a grim occult quest filled with adult themes such as serial murder, demonology, and drug use. That might be OK for grown-up patrons but a problem for parents unaware of what they're letting their kids in for. Watch with care.