Maltese Mackerel originally aired on September 25, 1982 and is the first part of the first episode of the Scooby & Scrappy-Doo Puppy Hour.
This episode is a play on the Maltese Falcon, which is a famous movie/novel and here we find the gang getting an assignment to deliver a golden jeweled fish to the boat docks.
Maltese Mackerel – Review
The episode begins with the gang scrubbing the floors of the Fearless Detective Agency. It doesn’t take long for them to get a call from Uncle Fearless Shagaford where Shaggy refuses to answer the phone. Scrappy, who’s feeling brave picks up, and is told by Uncle Fearless that there’s a package to pick up.
A foxy woman steps in, and an enamored Shaggy agrees to deliver her dangerous package. The Maltese Mackerel is inside and it’s worth millions. The gang are to deliver it to the Captain of the SS Buoyant.
Spotted by two gangsters, the Maltese Mackerel is stolen, and it’s up to Scooby to track it down.
Ending up at a warehouse, Shaggy comes up with a plan to steal the Mackerel, by using dead fish as roller skates. While they are able to get away with their valuable fish, Shaggy is nearly impaled by a swordfish.
The gang get away in a crate that is loaded on the S.S. Buoyant and successfully deliver the package while the mobsters end up on a police ship.
Unfortunately, the Maltese Mackerel is hidden somewhere in the crate of dead fish the gang had hidden in.
My Review
I give this episode a 5 out of 10. This episode has some bite!
The plot is pretty cool, and the mobsters, while kind of generic and lame for Scooby villains, are troublesome enough to be memorable. Using the dead fish as roller skates is rather silly and gross.
I also enjoyed how the sea captain resembled the captain from the Creepy Heap from the Deep.
The longer running time, and a greater emphasis on plot has made this series way better than the previous two, and I’m excited to see more.
Anyway, that wraps up another mystery, join me next week when I will be covering Dumb Waiter Caper, and until then, Stay Spooky!
