In which it looks like we’ve got a mystery on our hands gang…

Scooby-Doo is so culturally ubiquitous at this point it’s kind of amazing when you think about it. The original show lasted for a little over a year, and then a revival of the brand but the franchise has last over 50 years at this point, spanning spinoffs, prequels, live action movies. Phrases like “meddling kids” “Jinkys” and the sort of eponymous title of this episode, Zoinks have made it into the cultural lexicon. Suffice it to say the show has a reach. And today’s episode shows that.

The family is gathered to reveal their group costume of the Mystery Inc. gang. Klaus and Jeff are incensed once they learn they have to be Scooby and Shaggy respectively. They feel disrespected by the family but are ignored. The rest of the family realizes Stan isn’t home and decides to track him down at the CIA. They come upon a scary scene and Klaus immediately expects the whole situation to go “Full Scooby.” That turns out to be the case once Bullock appears and warns the family of the Soul Snatcher, who was Stan’s assignment to capture using the new Zoroastrain Occult Inter-dimensional and Non-rational Creature Section (Z.O.I.N.C.S.) of the CIA. The Smith’s decide to track down Stan before the Soul Snatcher gets them.

They split up leaving Jeff and Klaus to do their Shaggy and Scooby thing. They’re actually the ones who run in to the Soul Snatcher. Soon a chase ensues to a generic 60s pop tune. The family traps the soul snatcher in a coffin but accidently end up killing him before revealing it was Agent Wolfman

Jeff ends up seeing Wolfman in the shadows but no one believes him. Wolfman chases them into the woods where he’s subdued. Eventually it’s revealed that the Agent Wolfman is actually Jeff in disguise, with help from Old Man Bullock (Old Man? Fuck you!). The family respects the ingenuity and they all make up and will start to respect Jeff now (until next week)

Over on the “B-plot” (sort of) Roger is away in the London Revival of Cats. He ends up getting deported and then stuffed in the luggage area when the flight attendant mistakes him for a talking cat. It’s so insubstantial I didn’t even know if it was worth mentioning here.

Stray Observations

• Another (non-speaking) appearance for Reginald, after last episodes blink and you miss it cameo.
• The Globetrotters appear in the ZOINCS meeting flashback but don’t interact with the family, which would have been a clever nod to the old show
• In another Hanna Barbera nod Jeff takes Flintstones vitamins but doesn’t like that there are only Bam Bams left

Final Thoughts: A fun little homage to Scooby Doo with little takedowns of the plots, the animation and the old school vibe of it all.