5 things Velma season 2 must do to avoid a total flop

After a mixed audience response to season one, Velma season 2 will be airing on HBO Max soon. While some viewers liked what they saw in the first season, others haven't appreciated the show. Old-school Scooby-Doo readers and show-watchers are mostly upset with the new take on their beloved characters.

In the first season, the show dragged on to solve just one mystery, making the watch boring for most viewers. While the race-swapping of the characters came as a surprise to fans, the lack of humor left them disappointed. Many fans found the constant nastiness among high schoolers a bit tedious to keep watching.

While a majority of fans believe that some of Mindy Kaling’s interviews have only done more harm to the HBO show, the show managed to land a second season. The producers seem convinced about the success of Velma season 2 and are going ahead with this plan. However, it is important to look into the points that fans feel didn't work in the first season and should be avoided to make the show a success.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author’s personal views on the show.

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What Velma season 2 can do to get love from fans

Velma season 2 must rethink its approach to the show (Image via HBO Max)

As mentioned earlier, several users were disappointed with the first season of the show and also the portrayal of the characters. Fans didn't seem particularly happy with how season 1 was hyper-counter-racist and hyper-feminist. As such, fans believe that there are certain things that Velma season 2 doesn't repeat to avoid being a complete flop.

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1) Body-shaming and fat jokes

While it is a good thing to be able to make and deal with self-deprecating jokes, the first season of the show had fat jokes and moments when characters were body-shamed. These jokes are a bit outdated and not funny, and fans didn't take them kindly. They claimed that the jokes were unpalatable and are something that the makers shouldn't include in Velma season 2.

Viewers also believe that the body-shaming in the series should be discouraged. They say that the show should also stop body-shaming Fred, such as a repeated reference to the size of his private parts. Some fans also added that the narrative could be replaced with real humor.

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2) Lame, unfunny jokes and unsavory language

Unlike the original version show, fans don't think the jokes are funny. The jokes in the new version seem thrown in randomly as opposed to being weaved into the narrative.

Comparing SickleCell disease to "rudeness" in episode 1 was thoughtless, as was berating the #MeToo movement in a joke. However, it is worth noting that not all jokes were cringe-worthy as some of them were quite good.

While jokes and catfights are not enough to stir up viewers, some presentations resort to languages that can be quite foul. This does not guarantee that the show will be widely viewed or become a hit. Fans think that sometimes, everyday language can have a more acceptable response.

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3) The structure of the stories per episode

Unlike the first season, which only dragged one case throughout, the second season could potentially have more mysteries to solve. One case per episode would keep the audience glued to the screens. The previous Scooby-Doo series had this format and it was a success.

Moreover, things would not drag into boredom and there would be a repeat audience.

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4) Cat-fights and stressed friendships

All characterization including Norville and Fred could be better in Velma season 2 (Image via HBO Max)

While it is accepted that high school relationships are fraught with tensions and hormonal upheavals, not all relationships are nasty. Velma season 2 should be able to showcase some trustworthy and dependable friendships. This would also connect to their future Scooby-Doo stories where the four and the talking dog solved mysteries as a team.

The characters need to be better developed too. Not only are they unrecognizable from the originals, but they are also weak representations. Norville is too bland, Fred is too inefficient and Daphne is nasty.

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5) A Mindy Kaling show

Velma season 2 needs to be more about Velma and less about Mindy’s idea of Velma. This is what Scooby-Doo fans felt in the previous season. The portrayal of the titular role looks very different from the Velma that the old show and comic fans are used to.

Most critics were not happy with the way Mindy was portraying a loving character as a nasty vindictive lead, and she turned out to be too selfish and self-absorbed. That takes away the detective in her. However, mystery-solving is the main purpose of the series which was missing in the first season.

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Things that critics have accepted about the show

Velma's queerness is well-accepted by critics (Image via HBO Max)

Unlike the belief of Velma show fans, many critics have accepted Velma with a colored origin. Most of the critics are not very upset about the “woke” take on things. But Shaggy’s change might have dismayed some since he became unidentifiable from the Scooby-Doo series.

The queer inclinations of the lead character and some of her peers are totally acceptable. Critics have not voiced any dissent over this twist. Moreover, very few negative comments have turned up about jokes cracking on other characters.

Critics were also empathetic about the titular character’s search for her origins. Though in the original series, Velma does not seem to belong to a dysfunctional household, they are open to a new approach in the new show. Her hallucinations were also appreciated as they rounded off her character better.

Velma's hallucinations add a perspective to her character (Image via HBO Max)

Velma season 2 has to tread carefully to bring up its ratings by focusing on what not to do. Writer Charlie Grandy and producer Mindy Kaling have to tweak what they present to their viewers. Watch out for the new season of Velma airing on HBO Max since 9 February 2023.