The New York Underground! is the eighteenth episode of season 1 of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
Premise[]
Scooby enters Shaggy in a poetry competition at Central Park, where his competitor is singer-songwriter Halsey. However, the competition is interrupted by the Gator Man Monster, who steals the key to the city to be awarded as the prize.
Synopsis[]
Mystery Inc. tours New York City, where Scooby has prepared a surprise for Shaggy, blindfolding him. The surprise revealed, Shaggy is entered into the Poetry Slam, a poetry competition, against singer-songwriter Halsey. The prize awarded to the winner is revealed to be the key to the city. However, before the competition could begin, a gator monster emerges from a manhole from the sewer, attacking the event. Despite Mystery Inc.'s best efforts to stop the monster, it steals the key before vanishing into a manhole. Beginning a new investigation, Mystery Inc. collaborates with Halsey and meets with their first suspect, the Poetry Slam promoter.
Mystery Inc. discovers that, during the scuffle, the key had left an imprint on one of Scooby's cheese blintzes. Making a cast replica of the key, Halsey recognizes the symbol on the key, leading them to the city's underground areas. Upon entering the subway system, Halsey brings them to the hidden Graffiti Station. Shaggy and Scooby dine at the station's diner, unaware they had to "pay" the chef with poetry. After Shaggy and Halsey create their stanzas to pay for the food, Mystery Inc. finds a door marked with the key's symbol. However, the gator monster suddenly appears, causing the area to collapse and sealing the door behind rubble.
To find the way to progress, Mystery Inc. decides to consult the Keeper of Knowledge, an eccentric woman familiar with the city's lore. Along the way, they meet a spelunker hostile to tourists and outsiders such as them. Upon meeting with the Keeper of Knowledge, they discover that the key's symbol was that of J. Jacob Ascot, a magnate that built much of the city during the late nineteenth century. According to legend, after his death Ascot's valuable treasure was hidden inside a train car, neither of which have since been found. She also claims that the gator monster was a sewer worker that transformed into a gator after living in the sewers for years. After uttering a cryptic clue, she exits via a manhole.
Mystery Inc. continues their search through the sewers, and after Shaggy accidentally pulls a lever the floor opens, sending them falling into a storm drain. Finding Ascot's diary with strange markings inside, Halsey recognizes the markings to be music notes, and upon humming them the floor opens to a second storm drain. There, they find a golden door marked with a symbol but no handle to open it; deciphering the Knowledge Keeper's clue, Halsey shines her cellphone's flashlight at the door, opening it and leading to Ascot's hidden train car.
However, before they could search the train car, the gator monster appears. Barricading themselves inside the train car with the gator pounding on the door, they find the safe with the treasure inside. Fred then suddenly opens the door to let the gator monster inside, tripping it and locking it inside the safe.
The gator monster is revealed to be the Poetry Slam promoter. While touring Graffiti Station, the promoter discovered Ascot's diary among the Knowledge Keeper's archives. Reading about Ascot's legendary treasure, the promoter created the gator monster disguise to scare everyone away and steal the key to the train car. Before handing him over to authorities, Velma examines the treasure, a poem handwritten by Ascot himself. Travelling to Liberty Island, it is revealed that the poem is a version of The New Colossus, the poem at the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
Characters[]
Main characters:
Supporting characters:
- Halsey (only appearance)
- Keeper of Knowledge (only appearance)
Villains:
- Gator Man Monster (only appearance)(no lines)(Poetry Slam promoter's disguise)
- Poetry Slam promoter (only appearance)
Other characters:
- Chef (only appearance)
- Spelunker (only appearance)
- J. Jacob Ascot (only appearance)(portrait)(deceased)
Locations[]
Objects[]
- Blindfold
- Key to the city
- Cheese blintz
- Manhole cover
- Metal replica of key
- Books
- Lever
- J. Jacob Ascot's diary
- Lipstick
- Cellphone
- Train car
- Safe
- Scroll
- Statue of Liberty
Vehicles[]
Suspects[]
| Suspect | Motive/Reason |
|---|---|
| Chef | He's intimidating. |
| Spelunker | He's hostile to outsiders and tourists. |
| Keeper of Knowledge | She's eccentric and knows all about the legends of New York. |
Culprits[]
| Culprit | Motive/Reason |
|---|---|
| Poetry Slam promoter as the Gator Man Monster | To steal an valuable handwritten poem belonging to J. Jacob Ascot. |
Cast[]
Notes/Trivia[]
- Velma announces the celebrity guest in the title card.
- Shaggy has dabbled in poetry while Fred struggles to understand it.
- J. Jacob Ascot appears identical to Maximillian Fielding, the founder of Max Fielding Psychic University from The Nightmare Ghost of Psychic U!.
Miscellaneous[]
- Disguises: Ninja fighters.
- Traps: Lure the Gator Man Monster to the safe, by opening the door.
- Clues: A cheese blintz, a cast replica of the key, J. Jacob Ascot's diary, and Ascot's poem.
- "Zoinks" count: 1
Cultural references[]
- During the sewer chase, Mystery Inc. attempted to chase the Gator Man Monster disguised as ninjas, Halsey wielded a katana, Scooby a pair of nunchucks, Fred a bo, Velma twin sai, and Shaggy with a slice of pizza. This is likely a reference to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
- The Keeper of Knowledge's cryptic clue to Mystery Inc. is, "Lift my lamp beside the golden door." This is the final line in The New Colossus, a poem which would appear later in the story.
Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches[]
- During the culprit's flashback, J. Jacob Ascot's diary changes color from green to blue between shots.
Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities[]
- The promoter is seen under a pile of wreckage, but at no point is the Gator Man Monster seen destroying or throwing any furniture.
- The underground line that Halsey and Mystery Inc. walk across to reach the secret entrance behind the wall is clearly disused and blocked off by barriers, yet a train is later seen using the tunnel.
- J. Jacob Ascot's train car is illuminated by working light bulbs, despite having been abandoned for over a century.
In other languages[]
| Language | Title | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Polish | Podziemia Nowego Jorku! | Underground of New York! |
Home media[]
Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who?: The Complete First Season DVD set released by Warner Home Video on January 19, 2021.- Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?: The Complete First Season DVD set released by Warner Home Video in January 18, 2021.
- Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who?: Season One DVD released by Warner Home Video on May 31, 2021.
Quotes[]
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External links[]
| Previous episode: | Series: | Next episode: |
| Hollywood Knights! | Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? (Season 1) |
Fear of the Fire Beast! |