Sonic X, Episode 2.26: A New Start

Sonic X, Episode 2.26: A New Start

Japanese Title: Memories of the Wind

Japanese Air Date: March 28th, 2004

U.S. Air Date: March 26, 2005

When reviewing "Morning of Farewells,” I noted how it really felt like the last episode of "Sonic X." If the episode hadn't concluded with Chris freaking the fuck out and slamming the abort button right as Sonic was about to go home, it would serve as a satisfying series finale. Then “Chris’ Long Journey” came along to totally wrap up his character arc and put the show’s emotional needs to bed. So I was really left wondering how the series would occupy itself for one more episode. But I guess I forgot that the "Sonic X" writers were masters at making filler episodes composed of wacky bullshit. 

We begin back on "Sonic's World," where Eggman has been fruitlessly annoying the populace by bellowing threats from his warship and doing nothing else. He's been impatiently waiting for a week for Sonic to return. Everyone else, apparently, is doing the same. Amy is pining, Knuckles and Rouge are bickering, and Tails spontaneously decides to have an air fight with Eggman's superior tech. I kind of like the implication that Sonic's world collapses into chaos without him. That without a blue hedgehog to bounce off of, all the other characters become dysfunctional and directionless. 

Luckily for all of us, Sonic returns half way through the episode. How does he return? Literally by magic. Super Sonic swoops out of the sky, saves Tails, and curb-stomps Eggman's fancy new battle cruiser into dust. (Not that he needed to be super to do that.) The script treats Sonic's return as such a matter-of-fact thing that it doesn't even get around to explaining how until the end. Apparently, after their little heart-to-heart, Sonic collected the Chaos Emeralds off-screen. I guess, without Eggman around, that proved to be less of a challenge. It's already been established that Super Sonic can Chaos Control things across the universe, so the idea that he could just teleport back to Not-Mobius isn't offensive... But it does make the super-form feel like even more of a blatant deus ex machina than ever before. It really feels like the writers just didn't want to make season three about Sonic, alone on Earth aside from Clingy Chris, gathering up all the emeralds again. 

This episode maybe isn't the best written "Sonic X" but it did manage to amuse me. Once again, "Sonic X" proves to be a pretty funny comedy about oversized personalities aggravating each other. After Bokkun correctly points out that Sonic didn't dump Amy because they were never dating, the pink hedgehog gets enraged in a solid sight gag. She embeds her hammer into the hull of Eggman's ship and there's a nicely subtle follow-up later on, where we see several more hammers also stuck there. Watching Knuckles and Rouge argue is also fun. She points out that he's been starring longingly at the moon since Sonic hasn't return, which is a lol. Things quickly escalate into Rouge beating the shit out of Knuckles and him definitely seeming like he's pretty into it, continuing the obvious BDSM relationship these two began in the tournament arc. Rouge being a dom is basically canon but I never considered Knuckles being a sub. 

This is not the only way this episode is preoccupied with romance. "Sonic X" teases the SonAmy shippers once again. Amy announced that she plans on waiting for Sonic forever. When he finally reappears, she's expectantly overjoyed. What follows is a lengthy montage — during which the entirety of "The Golden Road" plays, which I do not think was necessary — as she tracks him down. She begs Sonic to say he loves her and he seems to do just that — the dialogue is muted — but the dreamy filter around this moment also suggests this is a fantasy sequence. This show has sometimes gotten me to root for Amy's quixotic pursuit of Sonic, and like the occasional hints that he reciprocates her feelings. But this moment ladles on the sap a bit too much for my taste, in addition to making Amy seem a smidge pathetic. 

Also, remember two reviews ago when I said the show was indulging its love of mechanical designs one last time? Yeah, that was a lie. The person obsessed with jets and battleships managed to force more mecha madness into this season finale. Eggman’s ranting awakens Tails, who is greatly annoyed. He jumps in the Tornado and goes after the villain’s big elaborate Flying Fortress. That’s when he discovers that, back on Earth, Chuck installed a new battle mode into the Tornado. With the flip of a switch, the bi-plane turns into a sleek jet style airplane. Because the people who worked on this show thought jets were awesome and bi-planes fucking suck, I guess. Anyway, it’s a totally gratuitous sequence. 

Just when it feels like this episode — and more or less the whole series with it — is done, a curveball is thrown at us. We return to Earth, six years in the future, where Chris and his friends are now all super-brilliant scientist teenagers. Chris still has the same haircut but, otherwise, seems to have matured some. He even has a slightly flirtatious relationship with Helen, it seems. (Who seems to have inherited Sonic’s need-for-speed.) Oh yeah, he still hangs out with all the same people he was friends with when he was ten. Even an antisocial, maladjusted hermit like me hasn’t kept in touch with my middle school friends, but maybe it’s different when you’re rich. Frances doesn’t look that different and seems to have maintained her tomboy persona. Danny, meanwhile, has girlish eyelashes, earrings in both ears, and wears a pink tank top. I didn’t expect that but good for him for embracing his identity. 

I say Chris has matured but he’s clearly still preoccupied with Sonic. The big reveal is that he’s been rebuilding the Stargate thingy, obviously in hopes of reestablishing contact with Sonic and his friends. I’ve always been under the impression that TMS only ever planned to do two seasons of “Sonic X” but maybe this flash-forward does represent an attempt to leave the door open to further adventures. What these final scenes really do is show Chris and Sonic’s good-bye. Chris cries — of course — and screams into the darkness, suggesting he’s still not okay with Sonic leaving, even after they talked it out. Yet Sonic seems to cry a little too, so maybe it’s just a mutual tearful farewell. Either way, it’s still a surprisingly bleak ending that shows Chris Thorndyke’s psychological dependence on Sonic is far from over. 

Fucking around one last time is an amusing premise for an episode, though I do wish the show used this time a little more wisely. We only get a glimpse at what life is like on Not-Mobius. There's a brief shot of some Mobini frolicking in a non-descript city state. Also, seemingly everyone's home has a sign out front that says "The Home of [Resident.]" Though Vanilla's house doesn't say "The Home of Vanilla" but "The Home of Cream's Mom." Instead of exploring that mystery some more, the episode packs in stock footage of Chris Thorndyke being a big pussy. 

So it's another slightly weird, mostly amusing installment that isn’t too concerned with plot or arcs. Which makes it kind of an off-beat choice for what, as far as the showrunners knew at the time, would be the final episode of the show. But, as I’ve learned over this journey, “Sonic X” was kind of an offbeat show in general, so I guess it all tracks. Considering more of season two was devoted to game adaptations, maybe the writers and directors just wanted to cut loose with some shenanigans on this last one. You’ve got to sort of admire that. [6/10]