No Thanks, Masked Manx was written by Charles M. Howell and ordinally aired on September 17, 1983. This episode is the second part of the fourth episode of the New Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show.
This episode is a fun one as we get to meet Daphne’s parents – Mr. and Mrs. Elizabeth Blake, at their manor. Even more fun, the mystery of this episode happens during a costume ball so everyone gets to wear fun costumes.
No Thanks, Masked Manx – Episode Review
The episode begins with the gang driving on vacation. They are on their way to swim at Blake Manor, but Shaggy is a little worried they will run into the Masked Manx – the notorious jewel thief who always leaves an ace of spades as his calling card.
We also learn the Blake family acquired their fortune selling Bubble Bath – “Blake’s Bubble Bath – Billowing Bubbles for a Bountiful Bath.” If you ask me though, the Blake’s got their fortune by being cheap when it came to packaging. This Bubble Bath Soap has absolutely no personality – and really, should it be packaged in cardboard – you know ’cause it’s going to be near bathwater all the time.
Daphne’s butler, named Klaus answers the door, and we hear some similar music that you’d hear from the film Psycho. We also learn that Daphne’s British father is quite the prankster as he is wearing a gorilla suit. Daphne’s mother explains they will be having a costume ball that evening.
Scrappy, or as Daphne’s mom calls him, Scruffy, dresses as a bunny. Daphne dresses as a cowgirl, Shaggy wears a suit of armor and Scooby is some sort of tropical island woman with a fancy hat full of fruit. We also learn that the ball is a charity ball, where they will be auctioning off a rare stamp – the most rarest in the world – called the Faulty Phoenix.
Each guest will get a complementary box of Blake’s Bubble Bath, and then we cut to the Costume ball where we see dozens of guests dancing on a retractable marble dance floor that covers the swimming pool. We also meet Milo Damp, a private investigator who is there to see the valuable stamp.
The Masked Manx also wears a gorilla suit and steals the stamp, replacing it with the ace of spades. Scooby bumps into the costumed thief causing a small ruckus, causing the stamp to float into Scooby’s hat of fruit.
The Blake’s or so wealthy that they have their own zoo and the Masked Manx chases Scooby on an Ostrich and his Daphne’s mom riding a camel, while the Manx rides on a giraffe. Scrappy opens up the pool and the guests along with Scooby and Mrs. Blake, along with the Gorilla end up in the pool. Meanwhile Shaggy opens a door causing boxes of bubble bath to tumble into the pool.
Waterlogged the Masked Manx is caught by Scooby and the Manx is revealed to be Milo Damp, the private investigator.
My Score
I give this episode a 7.5 out of 10. This one is fun!
It was cool seeing all unique costumes, heck two people are even wearing costumes that resemble Batman and Robin, and their is a Catwoman costume that harkens back to the costume which harkens back to The Incredible Cat Lady Caper (although it is a touch different as this costume has an open faced mask and boots).
The fact that Blake Manor has a zoo and made their fortune selling bubble bath makes this episode even more fun and memorable. I enjoyed so much of what was happening here I had hard time keeping up with the plot as they packed so much excitement into 12 minutes. And yet by the time the episode ends, we get all the details of the mystery wrapped up and the villain makes complete sense.
