The gang wins a competition to go to Las Vegas to meet teen pop sensation Lindsay Pagano, but they soon end up trying to uncover the mystery of a deceased magician named Rufus Raucous, whose ghost has risen from the grave to haunt the theatre that Lindsay is performing at.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- As Herself: Lindsay Pagano.
- Elvis Impersonator: Fred's attempt at this sounds more like Engelbert Humperdinck, according to someone who knew Elvis.
- Faking the Dead: The magician Rufus Raucous is revealed to have faked his death so he could have a normal life, his ghost being his former assistant in disguise.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Comedian and stage magician Mr. Wackypants greatly resembles his voice actor, Rip Taylor.
- Licked by the Dog: This turns out to be the key clue: when Velma noticed Rufus' old cat was not afraid of the ghost, she realized the culprit had to be someone who was close to the real Rufus.
- Pop-Cultural Osmosis Failure: Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby sneak into a steam room with a suspect. The suspect can't see them, so Fred disguises his voice via an Elvis impression... but the suspect believes it to be Engelbert Humperdinck.
- Red Herring: One potential suspect is a failing magician named Mr. Wacky Pants, but Velma points out he "couldn't do the simplest magic tricks".
- Wham Line: The gang is investigating the ghost of a magician who was buried beneath a collapsing building during an act gone wrong. When they catch one suspect off-guard while he's taking a steam bath, he inadvertently drops quite the bombshell.Fred: You know anything about this ghost business with that magician fellow?
Del Stone: That's no ghost. Rufus Raucous would have to be dead to be a ghost.
