Prominent citizens of Crystal Cove have their dreams invaded by a figure called Dreamweaver, who uses their dreams to make them commit dubious crimes. Clues point towards a fantasy game, Crypts & Creatures, a game that Shaggy and Sheriff Stone know all too well.
The episode provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Briefly touched on. Everything the Dreamweaver takes from his victims is something they love "more than they love their own children". Somewhat subverted in that at least one of the victims doesn't have children but still says the line.
- The repeated nature of the line implies that it's the villain who lost something he loves more than his own children, which helps lead into the Disproportionate Retribution.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The human culprit is nursing a grudge because his Crypts & Creatures elf died in game. Not to mention that he invented a device to allow him to invade other people's dreams to carry out his revenge. That's dedication.
- Expy: Dreamweaver is one of Jareth the Goblin King with a bit of Freddy Krueger and a little of The Sandman mixed in.
- Gilligan Cut: Shaggy finishes his preparations for keeping Sheriff Bronson awake by declaring "Insomnia, here we come!", followed immediately by a cut to him, Bronson, and Scooby completely passed out.
- Monster of the Week: The Dreamweaver, an antagonist from the Tabletop Game Crypts & Creatures, who now haunts people in their dreams.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The cook Francilee Jackson is a cartoon version of Paula Deen.
- Phrase Catcher: "I loved that X more than my own children!"
- Shout-Out:
- The orcs in the Deep-Immersion Gaming sequences bear more than a passing resemblance to the orcs in the Rankin/Bass version of The Return of the King.
- The plot definitely took some cues from Mazes and Monsters.
- A monster antagonizing people within their dreams brings to mind a certain horror film franchise.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: Non-verbal example. Mr. E attempts to get under Velma's skin by implying that by removing Hot Dog Water from Mystery Inc. she doesn't want to save anyone. Velma responds by hanging up on him.
- Wham Episode: Brad Chiles and Judy Reeves—Fred's real (as in "biological") parents—make their appearance at the end of the episode.
- Daphne: Fred, is that...
Velma: Brad Chiles and Judy Reeves?
Fred: Mom? Dad?
Brad: That's right, Fred.
Judy: We're your parents.
Brad: And we're back.
