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This article is about the episode. For the characters, look here.

The Creeping Creatures is the second episode of the first season of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated.

Premise

The gang get a tip of a mystery in Gatorsburg, which once thrived on selling gator skin products, until they ran dry and is now a virtual ghost town. While there, the engine to the Mystery Machine is stolen, forcing them to stay at a creepy hotel with three gator creatures on the loose.

Synopsis

MI call parents

Gang call parents for help.

An absent-minded father takes his family into Gatorsburg, certain they are in New York. He even refers to the road as Broadway, which his wife rolls her eyes at. While trying to get gas, the family dog jumps out of the car and runs into the bushes. The daughter runs to the bushes to try and find the dog but an anthropomorphic alligator attacks her and the family drive away as quickly as possible, the dog jumping into the car as they drive away.

Greta Gator blocks girls

Girls and boys don't share rooms.

The gang are sitting in Fred's house complaining about not having any mysteries for while. Fred manages to test his new trap, leading to a delivery man being 'caught' on his front porch. The gang receives a note from Mr. E and a package. The package contains a bag made of "real 100% gator", from a town that's supposed to be have been dry of gator skin for years. The gang then travels to Gatorsburg to check things out.

Upon arriving, the gang split up. Fred & Daphne pair off, leaving Velma with Shaggy, who sees this as an opportunity to spend some romantic time with Shaggy, but he wouldn't dare out of fear of how Scooby-Doo would take it. Shaggy & Scooby then check out Gator Burger (where a gator person has just avoided being seen). Velma is still mad at Shaggy, who tries to do his best, but Velma walks off.

Gator grabs Velma

Gator man grabs Velma.

When the gang gets back together having found no clues, they decide to leave only to find that the Mystery Machine's engine is gone. A not-so-friendly Gatorsburg mechanic tells them of his sister's hotel. The gang, having called all their parents (none of whom were able to pick them up due to different reasons) decides to stay there. Greta Gator and her son Gunther are not happy when they arrive. Greta gives them two rooms and three rules, which includes the girls and boys not being able to share the same room, not leaving their rooms, and no pets allowed, so Scooby is forced to sleep in the Mystery Machine. Velma almost immediately violates the rules by leaving her room to go see Shaggy. Shaggy feeling worried about Scooby, also leaves, but runs into Velma. Shaggy lies and says he was coming to see her.

MI escape Gatorsburg

Gang flee Gatorsburg.

Meanwhile, Scooby is attacked by three gator people. He runs into Fred's room, where Fred is telling a bored Daphne about all the traps they've used to solve mysteries (which he's meticulously compiled into a scrapbook). The gator people, having followed Scooby-Doo, break into the room, as well. The lights flicker off and with some quick thinking, they escape. In Daphne's and Velma's room, Velma finally gets a little closer to Shaggy resulting in them almost kissing. However, they are interrupted by the rest of the gang bursting in. They all try to make a run for it, during which Velma is pulled through the floorboards by one of the gator people, only to be saved by Shaggy's heroism. This also proves to be a vital clue, as a glove was left behind on Velma's leg, indicating the monsters aren't real. However, they're still frightening enough, and the gang run out of the hotel and leave town by pushing the Mystery Machine, which causes the gator people to stop chasing them. Fred realizes the gator people just wanted them out of town, so the gang sneak back in and see the Creeping Creatures loading gator products onto a boat. Daphne (who is allergic to fake animal skin) shows the guys the "real 100% gator" products are actually fake. By using a trap, they catch the gator people, which Fred beams about it being one of his old traps, but Daphne groans at his singular interest.

Creeping Creatures captured

Gator people captured.

The Crystal Cove police arrive, and it is revealed that the gator people are really the creepy mechanic, his sister, Greta, and her son, Gunther. They refused to leave town, but needed the income of the fake gator products. Sheriff Stone is furious that he bought an imitation alligator skin product and has his men arrest the Gator family even though they have no jurisdiction in Gatorsburg. He then drives away, ignoring Fred's plea to help them get back home. But the gang are startled to hear the Mystery Machine rev up. They find a new engine and a note from Mr. E telling them that this mystery is only a piece of the puzzle and it has just begun. As the thunder begins, Scooby jumps into Shaggy's arms. Shaggy then grabs onto Velma's hand, bringing a smile to each other's faces.

Characters

Main characters:

Supporting characters:

Villains:

Other characters:

Locations

Objects

Vehicles

  • Vacation family's station wagon
  • The Mystery Machine
  • Gunther Gator's tow truck
  • Airboat
  • Forklift
  • Sheriff Stone's police car

Suspects

Suspect Motive/reason
Grady Gator
Greta Gator
Gunther Gator
Not only do they have the same characteristics, but they're the only other people in town.

Culprits

Culprit Motive/reason
Gunther, Greta, and Grady Gator as the Creeping Creatures To protect their fake alligator merchandise business.

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Cast

Frank Welker Scooby-Doo
Fred Jones, Jr.
Matthew Lillard Shaggy Rogers
Grey DeLisle Daphne Blake
Greta Gator
Tween girl
Mindy Cohn Velma Dinkley
Gary Cole Mayor Fred Jones, Sr.
Old miner
Patrick Warburton Sheriff Bronson Stone
Frances Conroy Angie Dinkley
Casey Kasem Colton Rogers
Kath Soucie Nan Blake
Beverly D'Angelo Mom
David Kaye Dad
John DiMaggio Grady Gator
Mail carrier
Billy West Gunther Gator

Notes/trivia

Miscellaneous

Cultural references

  • In the teaser, the family (and their station wagon) that stops in Gatorsburg for gasoline is based on the Griswolds (specifically Chevy Chase's character) from the film National Lampoon's Vacation. The mom is voiced by the same actress who portrayed Ellen Griswold.
  • The old miner in the flashback is modeled after Nugget Nose, the latter star of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Budford and the Galloping Ghost.
  • The hotel has alligator-themed versions of classic paintings, including Dogs Playing Poker and American Gothic.

Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches

  • None known.

Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities

  • The gator mines were supposed to have dried out a long time ago, yet there's still gator burgers.
  • When the gang escape Gatorsburg with the engine-less Mystery Machine, it turns in such a way that only an engine could keep the momentum going.
  • Daphne, according to herself, is allergic to fake animal skin, and even shows the gang to prove the 100% alligator skin is fake. But when she helps Fred with the trap, she holds a fake alligator skin belt with her bare hands and doesn't show any sign of allergy.
  • Sheriff Stone just drives off without waiting for his deputies to load Gunther, Greta, and Grady Gator, who then just disappear. But as the camera ends the episode above the gang, there is another empty police car.
  • Somehow the new engine starts up the Mystery Machine without anyone turning on the ignition. Unless Ed Machine quickly did it without them knowing.

In other languages

Language Name Meaning
Spanish (Latin America) Los Cocodrilos The Alligators
Spanish (Spain) Las Criaturas de la Noche The Creatures of the Night
Italian Creature Raccapriccianti Creepy Creatures
French Les Crocomonstres The Crocomonsters
Portuguese Monstros Assustadores Scary Monsters
Hungarian Nyálkás kísértetek Mucous Specters
Greek Πλαστά Πλάσματα Fake Creatures

Home media

Quotes

Daphne: Can you tell what the problem is, Fred?
Fred: You see that hole there? That should be an engine.


Velma: (talking on phone) Hey, mom. We're stuck in Gatorsburg.
Fred: (talking on phone to his dad) The van broke down.
Daphne: (talking on the phone) Think you can come and get us?


Greta Gator: I got a few hotel rules. (blocks off Daphne & Velma) Rule number one: Girls and boys in separate rooms. No exceptions!
Velma: Then I guess I'm with you, Daphne.
Greta Gator: I said, NO EXCEPTIONS!
Velma: But I'm a girl.


Greta Gator: I almost forgot! Rule number 3: No pets in the hotel!
Scooby: What?! Grady Gator: (chuckles) Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.
Fred: It's okay, Scoob, you can sleep in the Mystery Machine.
Shaggy: It's just one night, Scooby-Doo. I'll see you in the morning, buddy.
Scooby: I hope so.


Scooby: (to himself) I'm not a pet.


Velma: You saved me!
Shaggy: I did? Oh! Like, I did.


Grady Gator: And you know what? We would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling juveniles and your unauthorized investigation of our synthetic gator accessories.
Sheriff Bronson Stone: You're telling me this gator stuff is fake?! I paid a fortune for this tracksuit!

External links

  • TBA


Previous episode: Series: Next episode:
Beware the Beast from Below Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
Season 1
The Secret of the Ghost Rig
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