The Scooby-Doo Show
The Tar Monster
Kids & Family Jan 1, 1978 21 min Prime Video
Available on Boomerang, Prime Video, HBO Max
S3 E5: After an archaeologist discovers an ancient Turkish city, his workers are terrified by the "Tar Monster," a legendary creature that protects the city.
Kids & Family Jan 1, 1978 21 min Prime Video
TV-G
"The Tar Monster", the fifth episode of Season 3, was not a favourite 'The Scooby Doo Show' episode of mine as a child. That is not meant in a bad way, just that other episodes have always stood out to me more. Actually did like it when first getting into the iconic Scooby Doo franchise (have been a fan of the franchise since 7 or so years old), especially for the tar monster itself and the setting. While feeling that the mystery didn't properly stand out and didn't have much new.
It's still not one of my favourite episodes of 'The Scooby Doo Show'. A lot is done right but it did feel like there was something missing somewhat. Don't get me wrong though, to me now "The Tar Monster" is a pretty good episode with more than enough to remind me as to why the Scooby Doo franchise appeals to me so much. It is one of those episodes even that has grown on me. As far as the show's Season 3 goes, it is neither among the best or worst, but somewhere around high middle.
Am going to start with "The Tar Monster's" good things. The animation quality in my view came on hugely in Season 3, helped by that the locations became more exotic and varied, although the writing and storylines were very variable. The animation is well done here in "The Tar Monster". The colours are vibrant and atmospheric and the attention to background detail is more meticulous here, really loved the look of the ancient city which was grand but not one of those going to at night places. The music has some endearingly familiar cues while having more variety. My love for the theme song will never die.
Furthermore, the writing still intrigues and entertains. It is not a Scooby Doo episode without at least one classic Shaggy and Scooby moment, and "The Tar Monster" provides that towards the end with the photography posing sequence. The Tar Monster itself is a very original and creepy creation and definitely stands out of all the show's monsters for especially the way it looks. That and their tent scene are great fun. The story engages enough and has a few clever if not innovative clues. The epilogue is charming and amusing. The voice acting is good.
Despite being engaged on the whole and the episode didn't drag to me, the mystery is a bit on the thin side and with a fair share of seen it all before ideas there is a predictability to it. The final solution is not quite a case of it "it could only have been one person", but the culprit was suspectable early on and it was on the derivative side in the culprit's true identity, the motive and the whole premise.
Maybe it was trying to be too careful not to offend and stereotype, but maybe the episode could have had more Turkish culture to give more of a sense of time and place. Nice cultural reference though to Byzantium.
Overall, pretty good episode that doesn't do anything massively wrong but there is something missing at the same time. 7/10.
This article is about the episode. For the titular monster, see Tar Monster. For other versions, see Tar Monster (disambiguation).
| This needs a stretch. (Feel free to remove when satisfied of completion.) Needed: Synopsis is incomplete. |
The Tar Monster is the fifth episode of the third season of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!,[Note 1] and the thirtieth episode overall in the series. It was later repackaged as the fifth episode of the third season of The Scooby-Doo Show, and the twenty-ninth episode overall in the series.
Premise
The gang encounter a tar monster on a visit to an archaeological site in Turkey.
Synopsis
The gang head to Turkey to visit their friend, Dr. Brixton, who has discovered a buried city that has remained untouched for thousands of years. Dr. Brixton informs the gang that his workers were all frightened off by a tar monster, meaning the digging had be postponed. The underground city was said to be guarded by the monster, who protected the ancient treasure and has kidnapped Stoner, one of the professor's assistants.
After a brief encounter with the tar monster, the gang follow his tracks to a nearby tar pool. There they find an ancient piece of pottery. The next day, they head down to the ancient city with Dr. Brixton, who discovers that the ancient treasure has been stolen. The gang searches for clues, and find pottery similar to the one found the night before, as well as another tar pool. The monster gives chase to Shaggy and Scooby while they search. Fred, Velma, and Daphne find the final clue when they discover a map of the underground city. They trap the monster, who turns out to be Stoner. He used an air compressor and a scuba suit to swim through the tar pools so he could steal the treasure. After he was arrested, the gang uses the map to find the missing treasure. They locate it behind a hidden wall in the inner sanctum.
Characters
Main characters:
- Mystery Inc.
- Scooby-Doo
- Shaggy Rogers
- Fred Jones
- Daphne Blake
- Velma Dinkley
Supporting characters:
- Professor Brixton (only appearance)
- Kareem (only appearance)
- Ben Gazi (only appearance)(no lines)
Villains:
- Tar Monster (only appearance)(no lines)(Mr. Stoner's disguise)
- Mr. Stoner (only appearance)
Other characters:
- Workers (only appearance)(no lines)(flashback only)
- Spider (only appearance)(no lines)
Locations
- Turkey
- Underground City of Byzantius
Objects
- Workmen's toolkit
- Air compressor
- Piece of pottery
Vehicles
- The Mystery Machine
Suspects
| Kareem | He looked in a suspicious manner after the gang arrived. |
| Ben Gazi | His creepy behavior and frightening appearance. |
Culprits
| Stoner as the Tar Monster | To rob treasures from the buried city. |
Cast
| Scooby-Doo Spider |
| Shaggy Rogers |
| Fred Jones Mr. Stoner |
| Daphne Blake |
| Velma Dinkley |
| Tar Monster |
| Kareem |
| Professor Brixton |
Notes/trivia
- It is established that Shaggy can play wood instruments.
- It is established that Scooby can play percussion instruments.
- It is established that Shaggy (or perhaps another member of the gang,) owns a fez.
- The gang told their college friend, Eric Staufer, about this case, and he used the cyber Tar Monster in his computer game, as seen in the direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase.
Adaptations
- In the live-action theatrical film Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, the gang faced the Tar Monster in Byzantius, and its costume was later put on display at the Coolsonian Criminology Museum. During the film, it was one of the costumes brought to life by Jonathan Jacobo, in his revenge against the gang.
Cultural references
The name Byzantius is a reference to Byzantium, an ancient Greek city located in present-day Turkey that became Constantinople, and later Istanbul.
Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches
- When Shaggy climbs into the back of the Mystery Machine, the gang's luggage disappears. When the camera zooms in on Scooby's tail, the luggage returns.
- When Freddy and the girls find a workman's toolkit, Daphne says her line "What's it doing way back here?" That's her voice coming out of Velma's mouth.
Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities
- Brixton is referred to both as a "Professor" and a "Doctor."
- Brixton's watch disappears after the first scene of the episode.
- It would be impossible for anyone to "swim" within a pool of tar. This may be an example of cartoon logic.
- In the scene where Professor/Doctor Brixton recalls his group's encounter with the Tar Monster, he states that when the creature came towards the group, the workmen ran away, but he never says what he himself did. (Based on the fact that he is not depicted as running away in the flashback, we can infer he stayed behind for some reason, it just isn't known what that reason is.)
- In the end scene where they catch the Tar Monster, the Tar Monster floats over to a tree, which could not happen in real life. More cartoon logic.
- The nearest major tar pools are actually located in Ukraine, adjacent to Turkey, which was likely never under Byzantine rule.
In other languages
| Greek | Το Τέρας της Πίσσας | The Monster of the Tar |
| Portuguese | Monstro de Breu | Tar Monster |
| Hungarian | A szurokszörny | The Tar Monster |
Home media
Quotes
Footnotes
- ↑ a short-lived revival attempt
External links
- TBA