When the Mystery Machine gains a life of its own, the gang investigate the vehicle's original owner.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Attack of the Killer Whatever: Of all things, the Mystery Machine invokes this trope.
- Automated Automobiles: The Mystery Machine, which attempts multiple times to kill the very people who ride in it.
- Corrupted Character Copy: Susan Dinwittie is a villainous version of Shirley Partridge of The Partridge Family. Both are mothers of folk-style musicians who wear their blonde hair in a bob. However, the band was originally the kids' idea. Shirley had to be coaxed into joining and she never let their life as celebrities get in the way of being a loving mother and keeping her kids on the right path. Susan Dinwittie is an obsessive Stage Mom who neglects her only non-musical child and was willing to cause all sorts of destruction with the Mystery Machine to help the others return to fame.
- Everyone Has Standards: Once Andy and Mandy learn what their mother has done, they decided they're fine as has-beens.
- Felony Misdemeanor: Inverted — a rogue Mystery Machine drives half a mile down the freeway, against traffic and with Fred and Shaggy inside, before it's stopped by police. The verdict? Since nobody got hurt, we'll call it a malfunction and just impound the van.
- Former Child Star: The Mystery Machine used to belong to the Mystery Kids, a child musical group that starred a brother and a sister. Unfortunately, their mother has been attempting to arrange a return to stardom for them, despite their lack of interest. They decide at the end that they're happier living like normal teenagers.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Susan set this whole haunting as a publicity stunt for the Mystery Kids' big comeback. Once her kids learn what she did, they decided not to make the comeback as her behavior made them realize they’re better as has-beens.
- Rhyme Theme Naming: The Dinwittie siblings: Andy, Mandy, and Randy.
- Stage Mom: Susan Dinwittie. She's more concerned with making her Former Child Star kids Andy and Mandy famous again than they are and neglects her other son Randy. Once it's revealed she made the gang's former van seem haunted as a publicity stunt, Andy and Mandy decide they're happy as has-beens.
- Shout-Out: Flash Flannigan's grave is mysteriously given a rose once a year, likely a reference to the famous Poe Toaster.
- The Unfavorite: Randy Dinwittie. His mother only cares about making his younger siblings Andy and Mandy famous again and his accomplishments mean nothing to her except when she can use his skills to improve Andy and Mandy's career, no matter if it's by hook or by crook.
