The Fast and the Wormious is the third episode of the second season of What's New, Scooby-Doo?, and the seventeenth overall.
Premise[]
After Fred decides to join a cross-country race, Mystery Inc. is stuck with a giant worm, its fanatical worshippers, and a racer who would resort to anything to win the race.
Synopsis[]
Racer Lupe Chesares prepares for the Enduro-Slam 5000, a twenty-four hour off-road race from Viejo Nuevo through Diablo Gulch in Mexico, but her vehicle is attacked and damaged by a giant sandworm. Fred participates in the same race, learning about the worm monster, named El Gusano Grande, from Chesares, as well as meeting the other racers, Velma's old lab partner Gibby Norton, Burr Batson, and Roberto Torres. However, shortly after the race begins, the Mystery Machine's tire is punctured by El Gusano Grande, and they are forced to replace the tire before proceeding. Velma collects the worm's tooth lodged in the pierced tire.
Later, El Gusano Grande cuts across the race course, leaving behind a large gap in the middle of the course. Batson's monster truck jumps over the gap, but both Torres and Mystery Inc. fall down the gorge. They land in the tunnels of the Wormians, a cult worshipping El Gusano Grande and condemning off-road vehicles. The leader, Wor-El, attempts to sacrifice Mystery Inc. to the monster, but Torres rescues them, allowing them to escape both the Wormians and the monster. They ward off the monster by throwing cactus burrs at it, piercing the monster's skin. The monster secretes a green substance and retreats.
At the race's halfway point, Mystery Inc. stops at a gas station to refuel, but the Mystery Machine is discreetly sabotaged; the saboteur punctures the fuel tank, causing it to leak. Norton's vehicle is similarly sabotaged, leaking radiator fluid. Mystery Inc. leaves after refuelling, but almost immediately runs out of fuel, and El Gusano Grande destroys the gas station. Daphne creates a makeshift battery to fuel the Mystery Machine.
As the racers approach Diablo Gulch, Mystery Inc. parks their vehicle on top of a rock to avoid El Gusano Grande, who cannot burrow through rocks. However, El Gusano Grande damages Batson's monster truck. Fred rescues Batson just before the truck crashes into the gorge, blocking the race course. Batson rides on top of El Gusano Grande as it burrows back underground.
Mystery Inc. prepares a trap for the monster in the gulch. As Shaggy and Scooby lure the monster into appearing, Fred, Daphne, and Velma capture the monster in a net. However, the Wormians appear, cutting the net and freeing the monster. So, Fred drives the Mystery Machine, using a vehicle maneuver to launch himself into the air and slash the monster in two. The Wormians retreat and the monster is uncovered.
El Gusano Grande turned out to be Gibby Norton, who wanted to impress Velma and win the race by sabotaging the other racers. The monster's tooth was identified as black glass, which Velma spotted in the lunar panels of Norton's vehicle. The substance secreted by the worm was also the same radiator fluid leaking from Norton's vehicle. After Norton is handed over to authorities, the racers finish the race on foot, as the race course has been blocked by Batson's monster truck. Scooby crosses the finish line first and wins the race.
Characters[]
Main characters:
Supporting characters:
- Lupe Chesares (only appearance)
- Roberto Torres (only appearance)
- Burr Batson (first appearance)
- Wor-El (only appearance)
Villains:
- Gusano Grande (only appearance)(no lines)(Gibby Norton's disguise)
- Gibby Norton (first appearance)
Other characters:
- Jaime Herrera (only appearance)
- Miscellaneous motor cross racers (only appearance)(miscellaneous speaking)
- Wormians (only appearance)(miscellaneous speaking)
- Flag bearer (only appearance)(no lines)
Locations[]
Objects[]
- Churros
- Lunar panels
- Worm tooth (black glass)
- Fuel tank
- Radiator fluid
Vehicles[]
- Mystery Machine
- Gibby's dune buggy
- Lupe's race car
- Burr's monster truck
- Roberto's motorcycle
- Miscellaneous motor cross-race cars
Suspects[]
| Suspect | Motive/reason |
|---|---|
| Wor-El | She worshiped Gusano Grande. The Wormians protested against the Enduro-Slam 500. |
| Burr Batson | To win the race. |
| Roberto Torres | To win the race. |
| Gibby Norton | To win the race. |
| Lupe Chesares | To win the race. |
Culprits[]
| Culprit | Motive/reason |
|---|---|
| Gibby Norton as Gusano Grande | To impress Velma. |
Cast[]
| Frank Welker | Scooby-Doo Fred Jones |
|---|---|
| Casey Kasem | Shaggy Rogers |
| Mindy Cohn | Velma Dinkley |
| Grey DeLisle | Daphne Blake Wormian 1 |
| Carlos Alazraqui | Roberto Torres Jaime Herrera Motor cross guy 1 |
| James Arnold Taylor | Burr Batson Motor cross guy 2 |
| Eddie Deezen | Gibby Norton |
| Laraine Newman | Wor-El |
| Tasia Valenza | Lupe Chesares Wormian 2 |
| Corey Burton | Gusano Grande |
Songs[]
| Song | Credits | Performed by | Character performance by |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Punk Rock Y Subversion" | Written by Claudio Garcia & Oscar Silva | Los Miserables | N/A |
Notes/trivia[]
- The Mystery Machine has been converted to be an off-road race truck - with no room for a jack.
- The recurring gag of Fred bench-pressing 220 is mentioned.
- Wor-El bears a resemblance to the unnamed female culprit from the series' intro.
- Many of the audience members at the end of the race share the same models as background characters from Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico, as well as two of them having the same models as Luis and Alejo Otero from the same movie.
Miscellaneous[]
- Disguises: None.
- Traps: El Gusano Grande is captured in a large net covering the entire opening of Diablo Gulch.
- Clues: El Gusano Grande's tooth and a green substance secreted by the monster (Gibby Norton's radiator fluid).
- "Zoinks" count: 1.
- "Jeepers" count: 1.
- "Jinkies" count: 2.
Cultural references[]
- The episode title is a reference to the film The Fast and the Furious.
- The giant worm, Burr riding it, and the use of dune buggies could be a reference to the film Dune.
- Fred's trick of hiding on the rock from the worm and the way El Gusano Grande circles it may be a reference to the first film in the Tremors franchise.
Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches[]
- None known.
Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities[]
- Lupe does not wear her gloves when her car is lifted up by Gusano Grande.
In other languages[]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | Scooby-Doo au pays des lombritropiens | Scooby-Doo in the Land of the Lombritropiens | "Lombric" is French for "earthworm," making "Lombritropiens" their name for the "Wormians" |
| Greek | Το Μεγάλο, Γρήγορο Σκουλίκι | The Big, Fast Worm | |
| Polish | Szybki i robaczywy | The Fast and the Wormious | |
| Romanian | Viermele uriaș | The Giant Worm |
Home media[]
Hva' Nyt, Scooby-Doo?: Del 4 - Den Uhyggelige Mumie! DVD released by Warner Home Video on May 24, 2005.- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Volume 5 - Sports Spooktacular VHS released by Warner Home Video on June 14, 2005.
- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Volume 5 - Sports Spooktacular DVD released by Warner Home Video on June 14, 2005.
- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Volume 4 - Mummy Scares Best! VHS released by Warner Home Video on July 18, 2005.
- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Volume 4 - Mummy Scares Best! DVD released by Warner Home Video on July 18, 2005.
- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Volume 4 - Mummy Scares Best! DVD released by Roadshow Entertainment on October 5, 2005.
- Quoi d'Neuf, Scooby-Doo?: Volume 4 - Le Réveil de la Momie DVD released by Warner Home Video on November 3, 2005.
- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Complete 2nd Season DVD set released by Warner Home Video on June 7, 2007.
- What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Volumes 3 & 4 - Movie Monsters & A Magic Mummy! DVD released by Warner Home Video on May 30, 2011.
- Scooby-Doo! 13 Spooky Tales: Field of Screams DVD set released by Warner Home Video on May 13, 2014.
- 3 Spooky DVD Treats: What's New, Scooby-Doo? - Volumes 4-6 DVD released by Warner Home Video.
Quotes[]
Daphne: Gosh, I feel so rugged. Does this helmet clash with my jumper? |
Shaggy: Don't forget the bad boy fridge Scoob and I added. It's like totally stocked! Well, it was before that long wait at the border. |
Velma: Fred, are you sure you've driven off-road before? |
Shaggy: Now I understand why they call it a "Pit Crew." Like, it's the pits! |
Gibby Norton: And I would've gotten away with it if not for you meddling off-the-road racers. |
Roberto Torres: I can make it. I can make it. (attempts to jump off the giant ditch but soon starts falling) I WAS WRONG!!! |
| Previous episode: | Series: | Next episode: |
| Mummy Scares Best | What's New, Scooby-Doo? Season 2 |
High-Tech House of Horrors |