It is notable how Woody Allen uses mythological connotations of water in his film: when Peter Lyman (the alleged murderer from British upper-class with a telling second name: Lyman — a man who lies) tries to kill Sondra Pransky (a journalism student who investigates the dead journalist’s big scoop) they are both on a boat; however, they do not reach the opposite shore, the transfer to the land of the dead remains unfinished, and Peter’s homicidal designs fail.
When Sid/Splendini (Woody Allen) perishes in a car accident at the end of the film, he joins the rest of the company on the same dark boat and continues to act there as if he never died — the water-crossing pattern is used consistently.
Another similarity between “Scoop” and myths pertains to the narrative strategy: a hero often gets involved in pursuit of an aim without any apparent reason, as if he were just bound to do so. In “Scoop”, too, we’re not given any reasons as to why, for example, Sid should help Sondra to solve the murder mystery — there is nothing he could gain from it, he is not even a close friend of Sondra, he just happens to be near when the dead journalist appears, but he gets involved in the whole business matter-of-factly — in the same way as Arthur marries Guinevere, although he has been warned about the related dangers; or in the same way as Arthur goes to Annwn — not because there are rational reasons to do so, but rather because it’s his fate.
Similarly, things that must happen for the plot to develop (e.g. Sondra getting acquainted with Peter Lyman and establishing a steady relationship with him that allows her to meet him on regular basis, which is necessary for her investigation — the task in itself is far from trivial, because Peter Lyman is a lord’s son, a posh upper-class playboy, while Sondra is a commoner; etc.) just happen easily, without any impediments, although in normal circumstances all of them would pose apparent difficulties.
The tarot card killer is a reference to urban myths of the horrifying kind — about serial killers who always leave tokens near their victims (in this case, tarot cards) and commit their crimes according to a certain pattern (like Jack the Ripper, who killed prostitutes; the latter are, by the way, also the target victims of the tarot card killer in the film). “Scoop” does not pay any attention to forensics; the serial killer line is presented in a highly stereotypic way, as if to point to all other similar stories rather than to create a new one.
Finally, when, at the end of the film, Sondra and Lyman are on a boat in the middle of Peter’s private lake, and Sondra is about to be made a murderous attempt at, the camera shows a group of swans (and one of the prevailing musical melodies on the soundtrack is that of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake”). Is it a reference to the Knight of the Swan, a mysterious rescuer who defends the damsel, or is it a visual representation of Peter’s/Sondra’s swan song?