Velma Season 1: Who Is The Crystal Cove Killer - And What Makes Them Different?

"Velma" may have been a project aiming to divert the typical tropes associated with the "Scooby Doo" series, but even it couldn't leave out the time-honored tradition of unmasking the antagonist at the end. However, the Crystal Cove Killer isn't your typical villain of the week. 

In the "Velma" Season 1 finale, titled "The Brains of the Operation," audiences discover that the Crystal Cove Killer is Fred's (Glenn Howerton) mother, Victoria Jones (Cherry Jones). The daughter of SCOOBI (Special Covert Operation Brain Initiative) funder General Harry Meeting, Victoria initially benefited from the brain-swapping project, especially when her father took credit for the idea from Norville's (Sam Richardson) grandmother, Dr. Edna Perdue. However, Perdue eventually hid her research and was later institutionalized in an attempt to coerce her into revealing its secrets. This chain of events brought about significant financial distress for Victoria and ruined her family. To climb back up the social ladder, Victoria married Jones Gentlemen Accessories owner William (Frank Welker), with the two planning to eventually have Fred take over the business. 

Due to Fred's immaturity, however, Victoria plans a scheme to replace his brain with that of a girl, eventually favoring Velma above all. In her bid to resurrect SCOOBI, she captures Velma's mother Diya (Sarayu Blue), who is the only one with any knowledge of Dr. Perdue's studies. Throughout her dastardly plan, she also utilizes hypnotism on several people, including her husband and even Velma herself, to get herself out of dilemmas.

It's hard to see anyone condoning Victoria's gut-wrenching actions. However, the character offers a unique perspective compared to most "Scooby Doo" villains.

Most enemies in the "Scooby Doo" franchise aren't particularly complicated, which makes the antagonist of "Velma" all the more unique. And while Victoria Jones' end goals are not commendable, she nevertheless offers a fresh point-of-view with more layers than one may expect. 

As much of "Velma" tackles the sexism faced by the titular character, Victoria in some ways mirrors this. Both her father and husband leveraged their male privilege to secure top positions, with General Meeting even taking credit for an invention created by a woman. In this regard, Victoria's twisted actions against her son could be seen as her way of offering Velma a secure place in society by having her live in Fred's body and benefit from his societal status as a man. 

In doing so, however, Victoria also turns a blind eye to her own privilege. Victoria paints herself as a savior who can give Velma the life she deserves. However, she fails to consider Velma's opinion in the matter, robbing the teenage sleuth of her own decision-making. At the end of the day, Victoria, much like her father, only seeks to benefit from it all, ensuring that her company can stay afloat with someone able-minded on board. 

While both have had their experiences with discrimination and unfair treatment, Victoria's viewpoint as a far more privileged individual will never line up with that of a woman of color. While maybe not a classic "Scooby" mystery, it's one that was nevertheless important to be solved.