A jungle explorer named Rick Spartan becomes a new teacher at the school where Mystery Incorporated goes. Rick also brought the curse of a headless monster that haunts him no matter where he is, leaving the gang to figure out how to break the curse.
The episode provides examples of:
- Characterization Marches On: Velma's mom, Angie Dinkley, slowly becomes the more sympathetic mother out of all of the gang's parents as she helps them figure out the mystery in this episode.
- Chekhov's Gun: Played With. Spartan mentions that Cachinga was at Oxford with him, and the gang finds an Oxford ring at a crime scene where the Headless Horror attacked. They promptly have the manservant arrested, only as a fall guy gambit to lure out the real culprit - Spartan’s wife, who ALSO went to Oxford.
- Easily Forgiven: Hearing Marion's motivations, Rick refuses to press charges.
- Expy: Dr. Rick Spartan is a composite of and stand-in for Doc Savage, Allan Quatermain and Indiana Jones.
- Funny Foreigner: Either subverted or double-subverted with Cachinga. Spartan treats him like a stereotypical Noble Savage. In fact, he's a British Oxford graduate and very nearly the embodiment of Stiff Upper Lip for much of the plot.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Marion's motivation for pretending to be the Headless Horror. She can't stand all this "icky" adventuring (which includes, among other things, constantly exerting herself in the jungle and having to worry about ticks) and wants a more relaxing life.
- Indy Escape: A rolling idol head nearly runs over a Damsel in Distress. Subverted because she set up the whole fake temple and knew what to expect, and her leg was not injured as she pretended.
- Monster of the Week: The Headless Horror, a headless Mayincatec corpse with a giant face on its torso, bent on stalking Rick Spartan forever as revenge for stealing its head from its tomb.
- Not So Above It All: With everything settled, Rick invites the group to have pizza and watch a movie in his room. Sheriff Stone appears incredulous, only to then say that he's in.
- Not So Stoic: Cachinga when Spartan is threatened, having previously shown very little emotion other than resigned exasperation.
- You No Take Candle: Parodied. Spartan speaks this way when dealing with Cachinga, who is visibly irritated by it and actually better-spoken than Spartan himself.
- Velma: Shaggy, I've been thinking about what happened between us at my mom's bookstore.
Shaggy: Yeah...<laughs> I've been thinking about that, too.
Velma: What I mean is, I just don't have the same feelings for you anymore. But I hope we can still be friends.
Shaggy: Friends?
Velma: I'm sorry, Shaggy. Now, let's go have that pizza.<After Velma joins the others, Shaggy is left all alone>
Shaggy: <sigh> For the first time in my life, I don't even think pizza can make me feel better. But it's worth a try. Hey, gang! Save a piece for me!
