To All the Ghouls I've Loved Before (episode)

To All The Ghouls I've Loved Before is the first episode of The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo.

Premise
Forced to land their plane near a village of werewolves, Shaggy and Scooby are tricked into opening the Chest of Demons and releasing thirteen dangerous ghosts.

Synopsis
Vincent Van Ghoul is in his castle predicting the opening of the Chest of Demons with his crystal ball. Meanwhile in a long forgotten temple in the Himalayan Mountains the thirteen ghosts locked inside the Chest of Demons start to get antsy and Bogle and Weerd, the temple's other two resident ghosts, theorize that if they manage to trick a mortal into opening the chest the ghosts locked inside will consider them heroes, and Weerd can sense mortals are coming their way.

Meanwhile Shaggy, Scooby, Scrappy, and Daphne are looking forward to a vacation in Hawaii when Daphne realizes something is not right, as she can see snow outside of their private plane's windows. Daphne gets up to see if they have the right map and discovers it is a map for the Himalayas not Hawaii. Back down in the temple Weerd jinxes the plane causing the fuel to leak out and the gangs plane begins to fall out of the sky. Meanwhile a young con-artist named Flim-Flam is being run out of a town whose inhabitants do not seem to be interested in his "Lotsa Luck Joy Juice" despite the claim that it will remove all curses, jinxes, and evil spells. Just then the gang's plane swoops down over the village at such a low altitude that the plane is practically on the ground. Flim-Flam uses this as evidence the town has bad luck and should consider his offer and uses the distraction to slip away.

After the gang makes a crash landing, Daphne wonders how they are going to get to Hawaii then Flim-Flam shows up and offers Daphne flowers and his services. But before Flim-Flam has a chance to do anything a town guard comes and arrests Flim-Flam and the gang and are subsequently put on trail where the judge says he wants them all out of town before sundown to which they agree just as soon as they fix their plane.

The gang heads back to where their plane was but find only tire tracks leading into the temple. It is reveled that Bogle and Weerd stole it and took it inside the temple. After the gang fails to get into the temple Flim-Flam says he's got a friend in town that might be able to help them out.

Flim-Flam takes the gang to the local tavern and after exchanging looks with the locals (who are not happy to see they're still there) Flim-Flam takes them to a back room and introduces them Vincent Van Ghoul. After the gang takes a seat Vincent Van Ghoul looks into his crystal ball and tells them he does indeed see their plane in the temple, but they must not enter due to the fact that the thirteen ghosts are locked in the Chest of Demons which is locked inside the temple.

Vincent Van Ghoul also warns that the thirteen ghost are angry for being locked up and had placed a curse on the townsfolk, a curse that will transform them into werewolves every night and it will soon be nighttime. The mayor of the town and his assistant overhear the warning and both agree that the gang must not be allowed to leave. Shaggy in a rush to get out but is stopped by the mayor who insists they stay and shows them a table were the mayor's assistant tells them the show is about to start.

The curtains part and from a coffin on stage open up and Ghoulio begins to sing "To All The Ghouls I Loved Before". While this is going on the mayor asks if Daphne is enjoying her drink to which she replies in the affirmative and asks what it is. When the mayor says what Daphne is drinking is wolf-bane Scrappy warns her wolf-bane turns people into werewolves. However Daphne scoffs and says there is no proof to Vincent Van Ghoul's warning and doesn't believe it.

Just after Daphne finishes talking a wolf is heard howling in the distance and we see full moon is up. The entire gang excluding Daphne decides it is a good idea to leave, but only Scrappy and Flim-Flam make it out before Ghoulio closes the door on Shaggy and Scooby. Ghoulio begins to sing again and Scooby starts to sing along, and doesn't notice Ghoulio's transformation into a werewolf. Soon Shaggy and Scooby become aware of Ghoulio's transformation, and soon find out every single one of the townsfolk have turned into werewolves also.

Shaggy goes over toward Daphne to tell her they need to find a way to escape, but is too focused on the other werewolves Shaggy doesn't notice what's happening to Daphne. Daphne is now over by a window looking at the full moon, clearly feeling sick and shaking. Shaggy, still focused on the other werewolves, grabs Daphne's arm to get her attention, but suddenly Daphne's arms become covered in dark grey fur and her fingernails turn into claws. Shaggy lets go of Daphne's arm and then Daphne turns around and looks at Shaggy and Scooby with a look of horror on her face. Then Daphne's face begins to change with her ears and nose becoming more wolf-like and her face is soon covered in dark grey fur. Soon Daphne's teeth turn into fangs and her face extends into a muzzle. With her transformation now complete were-Daphne and the other werewolves try to get Shaggy and Scooby, but the two manage to get out the door.

Surrounded, Shaggy and Scooby think it's the end for them, when the manhole lid they were standing on lifts up, and it turns out it's Flim-Flam and Scrappy who have sought refuge in the town's sewer. Shaggy and Scooby enter the sewer, but were-Daphne follows them in. Cornered and out of options Flim-Flam splashes some of his Lotsa Luck Joy Juice on were-Daphne, curing her.

The gang make it out of the sewers and enters a hole in the temple door made for them by Bogle. The gang blocks it to prevent the werewolves from coming in, but the barricade fails and the werewolves get in. Cornered once again, Flim-Flam cures the werewolves with his Lotsa Luck Joy Juice. The mayor then explains that the reason they wanted the gang to leave before sundown was so they wouldn't know about the curse. Daphne then asks the mayor about their plane, but the mayor says he did nothing with it.

Elsewhere in the temple, Bogle and Weerd trick Shaggy and Scooby into thinking they are on a game show and asks what what they would like to trade: a new car for their plane, a two-story dog house, or what's inside the Chest of Demons. Shaggy and Scooby pick the third option, and subsequently open the chest, releasing the thirteen ghosts. Vincent Van Ghoul then tells the gang because they let the thirteen ghosts out they must return them to the chest and gives them a crystal ball so they may contact one another. With their plane repaired, the gang flies away to begin their hunt for the thirteen ghosts.

Villains

 * Bogel and Weerd
 * Townspeople of Ursolvania (as werewolves)
 * Daphne Blake as a werewolf
 * Ghosts released from chest

Locations

 * Himalayas
 * Temple Village
 * Ursolvania

Notes/trivia

 * The title song is a parody of To All the Girls I've Loved Before, sung with slightly-changed lyrics in a Bela Lugosi accent.
 * The mock game-show Let's Make 'Em Squeal parodies Let's Make a Deal. Weerd assumes the name of "Haunty Maul" for the show, spoofing the real host Monty Hall.
 * This episode marks the first time Daphne undergoes a transformation, in this case a werewolf. Her second transformation happens in Scooby-Doo! And The Goblin King where she transforms into a witch.

Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches

 * The total number of were-Daphne's fingers keeps switching back and forth from five to four.

Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities

 * Odd geographical discontinuity: what is a European village complete with a Bürgermeister doing in the Himalayas (between India and Tibet)?

Home media

 * The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: The Complete Series DVD set.