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This needs a stretch. (Feel free to remove when satisfied of completion.) Needed: Synopsis is too short. |
Roller Ghoster Ride is the seventh episode of the first season of What's New, Scooby-Doo?
Premise
After winning a design-your-own roller-coaster contest, the gang earns free tickets to Thrill Ride Park, only to discover that a sour green ghoul is sabotaging all the rides.
Synopsis
A parasail ride is hijacked by a furry green monster, nearly injuring the riders.
The Mystery Inc. gang is invited to Thrill Ride Park after Shaggy and Scooby win a roller-coaster design contest. There, they meet grungy Chris and chipper Terry, twin sisters who run the park, but are nothing alike. (The gang's also surprised to discover that Chris and Terry are girls, after initially assuming that they were guys.)
The Roller Ghoster appears again, sabotaging the sky-dive simulator, while the gang are inside it; barely escaping. Afterwards, the mechanic claims that the ride isn't broken, then the ghost sabotages a ball ride, which results in Scooby and Shaggy running around. Velma goes to talk to Terry about what happened and as it turns out Terry has also heard of the Roller Ghoster. While on the Rocket Coaster, the ride is derailed, causing the gang to be dumped in a large lake with the car of the coaster. A sample of Chris' hair and her wrench are found at the Rocket Coaster scene. The suspects are now Chris, a reporter and an angry young boy. The gang talks to Sam, he tells them that when the rides were inspected they were fine.
A chase results in the Roller Ghoster being caught in a circus tent, and it is revealed that chipper-sister Terry dressed up as the ghoul out of jealousy — Terry claims that she always did all the actual work, bringing Chris' designs to life at the theme park and never getting a chance build any of her own while Chris gets all the credit and never thought about giving any credit to Terry or even a "Thank You". Velma points out that what ultimately tripped Terry up in her plan is the fact that it was simply too easy to frame her sister for her crimes. Velma points out that when the sabotaged rides were still safe, everything pointed to Terry, who wanted to be sure that no one got hurt and after Chris was framed, Terry could have control the park and build whatever she wanted.
In the end, Terry is not arrested due to the fact that what she was doing technically wasn't illegal, however, Terry is presumably still in big trouble because Chris threatens to tell their mom about what she did, which Terry begs her sister not to do.
After the sisters leave, the young boy asks why he wasn't seriously considered a suspect, and Velma explains that he was too short to wear the costume; as a result, he is bummed that his height and size has hindered him at something yet again. Shaggy and Scooby cheer him up by offering to take him on the ride they had designed for the contest at the park. Shaggy and Scooby's ride, "All You Can Hurl", turns out to be an edible food-themed ride where, in the end, you have to eat your way out of an ice cream sundae; the boy has fun with Shaggy and Scooby, especially since he's actually big enough to go on the ride.
Characters
Main characters:
Supporting characters:
- Chris (only appearance)
- Eddie (only appearance)
- Harry Harrison (only appearance)
- Sam (only appearance)
Villains:
- Roller Ghoster (only appearance)(no lines)(Terry's disguise)
- Terry (only appearance)(redeemed)
Other characters:
- Matt (only appearance)
- Joe (only appearance)
- Ticket taker (only appearance)
- Clown (only appearance)(no lines)
- Chris and Terry's mom (mentioned)
Locations
- Thrill Ride Park
- Food court
- Sky Ride
- Thrill Rides main office
- Volcanoc
- Rocket Coaster
- All You Can Hurl
- Slingshot ball?
Objects
- Shaggy's handheld video game
- Harry Harrison's video camera
- Spoons
Vehicles
- The Mystery Machine
- Jet ski
- Rocket Coaster car
- All You Can Hurl coaster car
Suspects
| Suspect | Motive/reason |
|---|---|
| Chris | Her wrench was found at one of the sabotaged rides. |
| Eddie | He was angry that he was too short to go on the multiple rides at Thrill Ride Park. |
| Harry Harrison | For ratings for his website. |
| Sam | He doesn't like the new rides and cherishes the old ones. |
Culprits
| Culprit | Motive/reason |
|---|---|
| Terry as the Roller Ghoster | To build whatever she wanted and take control of the park. |
Cast
Songs
| Song | Credits | Performed by |
|---|---|---|
| "Saying Goodbye " | Written by Kimberly Dianne Shattuck | Performed by The Muffs |
Notes/trivia
- Terry might be one of the most dangerous (if not downright malevolent) non-supernatural villains the gang has ever encountered. Realistically, she would have been arrested and charged as an assailant and face a minimum of 15 years in prison (this being very optimistic about any sentencing).
- She nearly drowned four kids at the start of the episode by sabotaging their parasail.
- She almost killed Fred, Daphne, and Velma with a giant fan.
- She tried to launch Shaggy and Scooby out of their ride.
- She tried to drown the whole gang by launching their rocket coaster off of the tracks.
- Its possible the reason why Terry technically got away with it because beside nobody getting hurt, she only made the rides make it look dangerous when it still worked in a way.
- It's possible that Chris and Terry's mom is the one who owns the park while her daughters basically run it for her, based on how freaked out Terry got when Chris said she was going to tell their mom about what Terry did.
- It's also possible that Chris and Terry might be twins, because they look to be about the same age and bear a striking resemblance to each other.
- This episode is referenced in the DTV Scooby-Doo! and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery.
Miscellaneous
- Disguises: Scooby-Doo as a roller blader and Shaggy as a skateboarder)
- Scooby Snacks bribe: 1
Cultural references
- The stuffed animals that burst out of the tent which the Roller Ghoster falls into are based on other Hanna-Barbera characters including Peter Potamus, Yogi Bear, Snorky the Elephant, Top Cat, Atom Ant, Boo Boo Bear, Fred Flintstone, Snagglepuss, Squiddly Diddly, Huckleberry Hound, and Cindy Bear.
Adaptations
- In 2004, Scholastic published The Roller Ghoster in their Junior Chapter Book series.
Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches
- On the ride to Thrill Ride Park, Daphne's robe-like top is a regular one. She actually wears one at the tail end of the WNSD era in Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword and Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King.
- Presumably it was intentional, but the ticket taker's nametag is empty and his hat has an empty oblong patch which likely is supposed to have the park's name on it.
Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities
- In real-life, what Terry did would in fact be illegal and she would've been arrested and sent to prison, as people were actually in danger and could've gotten seriously hurt (or even killed).
- Shaggy not minding when it comes to eating from the same life-size ice cream bowl that Scooby is also the exact opposite of the end of Lights! Camera! Mayhem!, when Scooby was inside the popcorn machine at the theater, and Shaggy declined having any. Of course, that was meant as a joke, but the former would, perhaps, be far less unsanitary than what happens in Lights! Camera! Mayhem!
- It's unknown what even happened to the chairs inside the ball that Shaggy and Scooby were in.
In other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| French | Les rails de l'enfer | The Rails of Hell |
| Greek | Το Τέρας του Λούνα Παρκ | The Monster of the Amusement Park |
| Polish | Upiór z kolejki górskiej | The Ghost from the Roller Coaster |
Home media
What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Volume 2 - Safari, So Goodi! VHS released by Warner Home Video on March 9, 2004.- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Volume 2 - Safari, So Goodi! DVD released by Warner Home Video on March 9, 2004.
- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Volume 2 - Safari, So Goodi! DVD released by Warner Home Video on June 28, 2004.
- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Complete 1st Season DVD set released by Warner Home Video on February 20, 2007.
Quotes
Terry: We're actually building your design right here in the park. Want to see? |
Fred: Good thinking, Daphne. |
External links
| Previous episode: | Series: | Next episode: |
| Riva Ras Regas | What's New, Scooby-Doo? Season 1 |
Safari, So Goodi! |
