'Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated' "Nightmare in Red City" (2013)
Opening thoughts: "Nightmare in Red" was an episode of 'Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated' that was seen a lot later than most episodes of the show. When seeing it on first watch, it struck me as a very clever and imaginative episode that had a huge amount of atmosphere. Season 2 in general was darker, deeper and more mysterious than the very good first season, which already was all three of those things, with most of the episodes being even better on rewatch so had no doubt that "Nightmare in Red" would be even better on rewatch with a concept this good.
It was not a disappointment in any way. The complete opposite in fact. For me actually, "Nightmare in Red" is one of the best episodes of Season 2, with a unique storyline for the Scooby Doo franchise executed very imaginatively and with a lot of atmosphere. Atmosphere that is a good deal darker than pretty much all the episodes before it, without being too dark. It is also one of the more complex entries of the show narratively, but with the Crystal Cove mystery deepening all the time and being more intricate that was not an issue.
Bad things: Nothing.
Good things: Everything works. The animation is smooth, beautifully detailed, vibrant and atmospheric. The music has momentum but also the right amount of spookiness. The voice acting is excellent, as is the character writing and interaction. The writing is a great mix of amusing, tense and heartfelt, balancing them expertly while executing them individually equally well.
The story is nightmarishly creepy, suspenseful and fascinating, with some truly clever clues. Really appreciated that we learnt more about the mystery teams and that unanswered questions were answered. The Crystal Cove mystery is progressing all the time and makes one excited to see what will happen next. The character writing and interaction fascinates. Loved Mayor Jones' part, including answering how he dreamt up the Freak costume and what he says about Fred is touching. Scooby is adorable and sympathetic, it was great to see how much he cares about everybody. Especially with his keenness to save Velma.
Voice acting is on point all round.
Closing thoughts: Overall, wonderful.
10/10.
Opening thoughts: "Nightmare in Red" was an episode of 'Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated' that was seen a lot later than most episodes of the show. When seeing it on first watch, it struck me as a very clever and imaginative episode that had a huge amount of atmosphere. Season 2 in general was darker, deeper and more mysterious than the very good first season, which already was all three of those things, with most of the episodes being even better on rewatch so had no doubt that "Nightmare in Red" would be even better on rewatch with a concept this good.
It was not a disappointment in any way. The complete opposite in fact. For me actually, "Nightmare in Red" is one of the best episodes of Season 2, with a unique storyline for the Scooby Doo franchise executed very imaginatively and with a lot of atmosphere. Atmosphere that is a good deal darker than pretty much all the episodes before it, without being too dark. It is also one of the more complex entries of the show narratively, but with the Crystal Cove mystery deepening all the time and being more intricate that was not an issue.
Bad things: Nothing.
Good things: Everything works. The animation is smooth, beautifully detailed, vibrant and atmospheric. The music has momentum but also the right amount of spookiness. The voice acting is excellent, as is the character writing and interaction. The writing is a great mix of amusing, tense and heartfelt, balancing them expertly while executing them individually equally well.
The story is nightmarishly creepy, suspenseful and fascinating, with some truly clever clues. Really appreciated that we learnt more about the mystery teams and that unanswered questions were answered. The Crystal Cove mystery is progressing all the time and makes one excited to see what will happen next. The character writing and interaction fascinates. Loved Mayor Jones' part, including answering how he dreamt up the Freak costume and what he says about Fred is touching. Scooby is adorable and sympathetic, it was great to see how much he cares about everybody. Especially with his keenness to save Velma.
Voice acting is on point all round.
Closing thoughts: Overall, wonderful.
10/10.
