Supernatural did what only FanFics could dare to do and Proved why the Show is still Worth Watching – When Sam & Dean Winchester met Scooby-Doo and the Gang – ScoobyNatural Review
We might even get to run into Fred and Daphne while we’re inside…. Mmm, Daphne. Love her.
– Dean Winchester; Supernatural S02E11
Who knew Dean’s words, uttered 11 years ago, would actually come true!
Scooby-Doo is my favourite cartoon ever. Not Tom & Jerry, not DuckTales, not Looney Tunes. Yes, I loved watching these shows, but the adventures of Scoobert “Scooby” Doo and his friends were the bread and butter of my childhood; I never missed a single episode growing up!
Also, I love Supernatural for its ability to create episodes of pure genius by breaking genre boundaries through its meta episodes. Every time someone writes the show off it comes back with a bang to shut the haters for good.
And, in this episode, the folks of Supernatural outdid themselves by throwing the trio (Sam, Dean & Castiel) in an animated world, and not just any animated world – the animated world of Scooby-Doo!
Supernatural and its Tongue-in-cheek, Creatively Ambitious Episodes –ScoobyNatural Review
Going meta is nothing new for the team of Supernatural. Remember the episode “Changing Channels” where The Trickster throws Sam and Dean into an alternate universe where they are characters in different television series, including a sexy medical show, a Japanese game show, a forensics show and a sitcom? Or the extremely cheeky “The French Mistake” where the angel Balthazar sends them to an alternate universe where the brothers are the stars of a TV show called “Supernatural” and Sam and Dean were played by actors named Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles?
These episodes were the crème de la crème of the Supernatural series, doing something no other production would even dare. Now, ScoobyNatural gets added to the list.
Written by Jim Krieg and Jeremy Adams, ScoobyNatural is one of the best meta-episodes of Supernatural; I would even go as far as saying that this episode is one of the best episodes of any TV show ever made. It’s a natural fit between the Supernatural world and Scooby-Doo’s world.
I know, I know, I can’t stop praising this episode enough! That’s just because it’s that good!
But, let’s get down to it…
The Story – ScoobyNatural Review
After stopping a plushie that comes to life in a pawn shop and attacks people, the grateful owner gives Dean a new TV for free. While testing out the TV, the Winchesters are sucked into Dean’s favourite episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! followed soon after by Castiel. To the group’s shock, they discover an actual ghost that begins killing people and the Winchesters and the Scooby Gang are forced to team up together to stop it.
The episode is loosely based on the plotline of “A Night of Fright is No Delight” from Season 1 Episode 16 of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (which aired in 1970). But, unlike the original episode, ScoobyNatural turns bloody and gory with actual deaths in the Scooby-verse, done Supernatural style. Though there is stabbing and dismembering, and a violently-funny severed head, the show keeps things light throughout.
The best thing about the episode was the blending of Supernatural elements into the Scooby-Doo world. It was surprisingly fun to watch Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scoobert react to actual injuries and deaths which transform the characters into frenzied, paranoid and freaked-out versions of their former innocently-naive selves. Watching the gang having an emotional meltdown when they learn ghosts, spirits and monsters are real was supremely enjoyable.
The episode was full of fun moments that were just amazing to behold for a fan of both shows. Be it when Dean races his animated “Baby” Impala against the gang’s “Mystery Machine” microvan, or Dean’s pursuit of Daphne (though she rebuffs his efforts), or Dean breaking the fourth wall to do a Scooby-Doo signature howl at the end, or Velma’s apparent attraction to Sam (Those shoulders! Jinkies!), or Castiel carrying Shaggy and Scooby on his arms while running from the phantom, or Sam pointing out that the newspaper had no words, or Dean picking out the one book that isn’t painted into the background, or Dean stuffing food in his mouth like Scooby and Shaggy, or Fred’s ever-elaborate plans that never work, or the shady real estate developer saying the classic “And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling kids” – ScoobyNatural was reminiscent of a classic Scooby-Doo story.
The only thing missing from this episode was that we never got to see Scooby, Shaggy (and possibly Dean) munching on a box of Scooby Snacks. Guess, we can’t have everything in life!
ScoobyNatural Review – The Idiot Speaks
Even if you aren’t a fan of the Supernatural series, The Idiot strongly recommends that you watch this single episode. There are very few times in life which excites The Idiot and makes him go ga-ga over something. ScoobyNatural is one of those times. The humour and nostalgia of the entire episode are too good to be missed.
I would rate ScoobyNatural 11 out of 10 if I could. If you don’t agree, let’s meet and hash it out over a box of Scooby Snacks!
Oh, and there is a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo by Scrappy-Doo during the chase scene down hallways and in and out of doors when Scooby-Doo’s theme song is being played.
Verdict of The Idiot
Idiot-o-Meter: The Dude Abides!
The Idiot’s Rating System:
4.0 – 5.0: The Dude Abides!
3.0 – 4.0: Far Out, Man!
2.0 – 3.0: Take It Easy, Dude!
1.0 – 2.0: You’re Out Of Your Element!
0.0 – 1.0: The Goddamn Plane Has Crashed Into The Mountain!
What did you think of ScoobyNatural? Let us know in the comments…
The Idiot's Corner 