While not quite one of the standout episodes of 'Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated' (or at least up to this point), Season 1's penultimate episode "Pawn of Shadows" impressed me a lot. Other episodes did better in the villains department, but there was on first watch a lot to enjoy in the atmosphere and the lore still and that is more than good enough for me. Many 'Mystery Incorporated' episodes fared even better on rewatches with more to appreciate and more gotten out of the mystery.
"Pawn of Shadows" is a great penultimate episode to the season and leaves one excited for how the season will end. It is a fine representation of what 'Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated' is all about, meaning what the show did right (which was a huge amount) and its concept. "Pawn of Shadows" may not be one of the best episodes of Season 1 or of the show overall, but that it still manages to be great just goes to show how wonderful the show is when on its best form.
Sure the villain is not one of the show's best or most memorable, but this is in comparison to seeing so many uniquely designed and really menacing, cool villains in the previous episodes and also in the following ones.
Also did think that the truth was gotten to too quickly.
On the other hand, everything else is so well done that it was very difficult to be too hard on it. The animation is beautifully drawn (the character designs for the show on the whole took some getting used to on first watch but are not an issue now) and full of atmospheric colours. The music has the right amount of energy and spookiness, while the theme tune is a nice mix of spy thriller and haunted house.
The writing always intrigues and entertains, while not being too complicated for younger viewers while showing enough maturity and intricacy for older fans that stops it being juvenile. The story is very gripping and with plenty going on without being over-stuffed. Love too the eerie atmosphere, the always engrossing and increasingly deepening mystery that is growing in complexity all the time and the very effective lore building.
When it comes to the character writing, there are no problems really. The villain is not one of my favourites of the show for reasons said already, but this is only really because so many of the show's villains are so good. The gang dynamic is spot on as is the voice acting.
Concluding, great. 9/10.
"Pawn of Shadows" is a great penultimate episode to the season and leaves one excited for how the season will end. It is a fine representation of what 'Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated' is all about, meaning what the show did right (which was a huge amount) and its concept. "Pawn of Shadows" may not be one of the best episodes of Season 1 or of the show overall, but that it still manages to be great just goes to show how wonderful the show is when on its best form.
Sure the villain is not one of the show's best or most memorable, but this is in comparison to seeing so many uniquely designed and really menacing, cool villains in the previous episodes and also in the following ones.
Also did think that the truth was gotten to too quickly.
On the other hand, everything else is so well done that it was very difficult to be too hard on it. The animation is beautifully drawn (the character designs for the show on the whole took some getting used to on first watch but are not an issue now) and full of atmospheric colours. The music has the right amount of energy and spookiness, while the theme tune is a nice mix of spy thriller and haunted house.
The writing always intrigues and entertains, while not being too complicated for younger viewers while showing enough maturity and intricacy for older fans that stops it being juvenile. The story is very gripping and with plenty going on without being over-stuffed. Love too the eerie atmosphere, the always engrossing and increasingly deepening mystery that is growing in complexity all the time and the very effective lore building.
When it comes to the character writing, there are no problems really. The villain is not one of my favourites of the show for reasons said already, but this is only really because so many of the show's villains are so good. The gang dynamic is spot on as is the voice acting.
Concluding, great. 9/10.
