'The Scooby Doo Show' started off brilliantly and over two thirds of the first season was very good to brilliant, the only disappointments being "A Bum Steer for Scooby", "There's a Demon Shark in the Foggy Dark" and "The Ghost that Sacked the Quarterback" (the last has grown on me). Season 2 to me was more consistent, with classics such as "Vampire Bats and Scaredy Cats", "Creepy Cruise" and "The Ozark Witch Switch" and the only disappointment being "The Creepy Heap from the Deep."
Season 3 for me was the weakest season. Very watchable and saw a big improvement in animation and the music, and also really appreciated that the locations opened up more and became more exotic. It was very hit and miss though with the only "great" episodes being "To Switch a Witch", "Make a Beeline From This Feline" and especially "The Creepy Case of Old Iron Face". The quality overall declined generally in the second half, with the three worst episodes all being in this period ("The Diabolical Disc Demon", "The Warlock of Wimbledon" and "Don't Go Near the Fortress of Fear", and had serious reservations about "Jeepers It's the Jaguaro" too). The season and the show does end on a pretty good note though with "The Beast is Awake in Bottomless Lake". It's not one of the best episodes of 'The Scooby Doo Show', but it is not one of the worst either and is much better than the previous two episodes.
A lot of things to like here. The animation is more vibrant in colour than the colours in the previous two seasons and the drawing is more refined, which is what was meant when saying that this aspect seemed more polished in Season 3. The lake setting is truly creepy. The music is nostalgic but has more of its own style and identity. The theme song is still timeless and a close second best behind the iconic original theme song. The writing is humorous yet also intriguing, especially with Shaggy and Scooby. Both are a delight as always, as characters and in interaction, and Fred, Velma and Daphne are hardly wasted either.
While the story is not much special, it is at least interesting and doesn't get implausible or repetitive. It is an eventful mystery too without being over-stuffed, though the second half is better than the first. The creature is genuinely creepy and doesn't look goofy, the encounters Shaggy and Scooby have with it are not repetitious or too coincidence-heavy. The voice acting is solid, especially from as ever Casey Kasem and Don Messick.
By all means "The Beast is Awake in Bottomless Lake" is not a great episode. While it is at least diverting, the story is low on the surprise factor and is not particularly inspired either due to some of it being familiar territory. The final solution was quite a predictable one all round, with the episode being a case of "it could only have been one person" and one knows the motive pretty much straightaway.
Despite the climax being quite fun, it also felt a bit rushed and some suspension of disbelief is needed to look past the sloppy physics. The episode takes a little too much time to find its footing pace-wise.
Overall, worthy end to a mostly great show. 7/10.
Season 3 for me was the weakest season. Very watchable and saw a big improvement in animation and the music, and also really appreciated that the locations opened up more and became more exotic. It was very hit and miss though with the only "great" episodes being "To Switch a Witch", "Make a Beeline From This Feline" and especially "The Creepy Case of Old Iron Face". The quality overall declined generally in the second half, with the three worst episodes all being in this period ("The Diabolical Disc Demon", "The Warlock of Wimbledon" and "Don't Go Near the Fortress of Fear", and had serious reservations about "Jeepers It's the Jaguaro" too). The season and the show does end on a pretty good note though with "The Beast is Awake in Bottomless Lake". It's not one of the best episodes of 'The Scooby Doo Show', but it is not one of the worst either and is much better than the previous two episodes.
A lot of things to like here. The animation is more vibrant in colour than the colours in the previous two seasons and the drawing is more refined, which is what was meant when saying that this aspect seemed more polished in Season 3. The lake setting is truly creepy. The music is nostalgic but has more of its own style and identity. The theme song is still timeless and a close second best behind the iconic original theme song. The writing is humorous yet also intriguing, especially with Shaggy and Scooby. Both are a delight as always, as characters and in interaction, and Fred, Velma and Daphne are hardly wasted either.
While the story is not much special, it is at least interesting and doesn't get implausible or repetitive. It is an eventful mystery too without being over-stuffed, though the second half is better than the first. The creature is genuinely creepy and doesn't look goofy, the encounters Shaggy and Scooby have with it are not repetitious or too coincidence-heavy. The voice acting is solid, especially from as ever Casey Kasem and Don Messick.
By all means "The Beast is Awake in Bottomless Lake" is not a great episode. While it is at least diverting, the story is low on the surprise factor and is not particularly inspired either due to some of it being familiar territory. The final solution was quite a predictable one all round, with the episode being a case of "it could only have been one person" and one knows the motive pretty much straightaway.
Despite the climax being quite fun, it also felt a bit rushed and some suspension of disbelief is needed to look past the sloppy physics. The episode takes a little too much time to find its footing pace-wise.
Overall, worthy end to a mostly great show. 7/10.
