Jinkies! The trailer for HBO’s Velma series just dropped and mystery isn’t Dinkley’s only mistress. In October of last year, after what seemed to be an eternity, Velma Dinkley was confirmed to be canonically queer in the VOD animated film Trick or Treat, Scooby-Doo! In a short snippet, Velma meets fashion designer Coco Diablo and instantly falls head over heels. While it isn’t the first indication Scooby-Doo fans have ever had that Velma is gay, the interaction still well and truly cemented the fact for all the naysayers out there. Now, Velma isn’t just a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she’s also a POC, as shown in HBO’s new spin-off solo series. They’re scoring brownie points on the representation front, that’s certain enough.
Marketed as an adult animated comedy series, Velma isn’t your average Scooby-Doo spin-off. It focuses on the brains of Mystery Inc. and navigates her origins as an amateur sleuth before meeting the gang. Mindy Kaling voices Velma, joined by Sam Richardson as Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, Glenn Howerton as Fred Jones, and Constance Wu as Daphne. Speaking of Daphne, although the duo seems to be at odds with one another originally, there’s obvious sparks flying when they touch hands in the hallway of their high school. In fact, the moment is emphasized with shimmering sparkles and some ethereal music, bathed in pink lighting reminiscent of scene straight from a romance anime.