Sonic X, Episode 3.10: An Underground Odyssey

Sonic X, Episode 3.10: An Underground Odyssey 

Japanese Title: Secret of the Underground Canyon

U.S. Air Date: November 12th, 2005

Japanese Air Date: April 8th, 2020

The Blue Typhoon team has detected another Chaos Emerald on another conquered planet. The power source doesn't seem to be anywhere on the planet's surface, so the heroes begin to search underground. Soon, Tails and Cosmo stumble into an underground tunnel, Tails injuring himself in the process. They come across a Metarex laboratory, where the robotic aliens have been using the White Chaos Emerald to create their synthetic emeralds. Tails and Cosmo grab the plot device and make a run for it, the Metarex guards on their tails. Sonic and the others soon come to their aide... But everything may not be exactly as it appears. 

"An Underground Odyssey" – I actually like that title better than the Japanese one – begins with an extensive flashback to Cosmo's childhood. We learn a lot about the plant girl in these scenes. That she never actually knew her home world, growing up on a ship that fled the planet after its destruction. That she had an older sister and that their "mother" seemed to be a stationary tree in the center of the ship. It's good world-building and even hints at some twists we'll get to further into the story, when Cosmo's sister makes references to her race needing to atone for their "sins." Intriguing! 

Mostly though, this episode is devoted to setting up Tails and Cosmo's relationship. Going into "Sonic X," one of the few things I knew about the show is that Tails eventually falls in love with this weird grass chick. I expected the show to foreshadow that connection sooner but, up to this point, Tails and Cosmo have had very little interaction. This episode shoves the two into an isolated, stressful event together. Honestly, it kind of works though. Cosmo puts a bandage on Tails' head and that's truly one of the first things they've ever done for each other. Right away, their relationship is based on care and protection. 

And these two have more in common than I previously realized. This episode picks up the idea mentioned last time, about Cosmo's need for revenge for her species. While holding the Chaos Emerald, she gets teary-eyed, saying the hatred she feels towards the Metarex makes her unworthy to hold something so beautiful. Saying "revenge is hollow" is one thing. Having a character feel guilty for wanting revenge is a much more interesting, complex idea. It characterizes empathy as a defining element of Cosmo's personality. I criticized it last time but I'm actually glad the show waited to explore this idea more now, instead of in the previous episode. This premise needed the proper room to breathe.

It also goes hand-in-hand with Cosmo's lack of self-esteem in general. She still blames herself for the genocide of her race. That lingering survivor's guilt causes her to doubt everything she does. Cosmo simply doesn't believe she's good enough... And that is what connects her the most with Tails. All season, Amy has been negging Tails for referring to himself as "captain." His desire to prove himself and lack of confidence has always been Tails' defining characteristic and it's one "Sonic X" hasn't focused on often. This episode brings that back up – via a brief exchange where Tails mentions his own doubts – and Cosmo immediately leaps to support him. See, these two have complimenting inferiority complexes. They both need someone to support them and it looks like they've found it. That's pretty cute. 

Of course, there's some irony in Tails and Cosmo not believing in themselves. Both youths have more than proved their worth by this point. Cosmo can summon big-ass vines and outpace Vector. Tails, of course, is a super-genius inventor and pilot. I've often complained that "Sonic" media goes too far in one direction or another with Tails. He's either Sonic's totally devoted sidekick, not defined much outside of his admiration for the hedgehog, or he's a hypercompetent action hero. By emphasizing his genius, "Sonic X" has leaned more on the latter than the former. Here, Tails has to stand up to Metarex soldiers by himself. He tosses an electric cable into one's mouth and head-butts another later. What makes this physical strength more compelling is that Tails underestimates himself. And maybe that's the best compromise between the "SatAM's" toddler Tails and Ian Flynn's action hero Tails. 

Though Tails has good reason to be cautious around the Metarex. The show has been mostly consistent in portraying even low-level Metarex soldiers as serious threats. The Viper units seen here – who are samurai up-top and lamia down back – are too much for Tails to handle. Luckily, he's got a gang of ass-kicking friends on his side. It's a little comical when Sonic and the others swoop in and turn the tide of the battle. We even get a ridiculous moment of Chris Thorndyke posing with a laser blaster, like he's a pint-sized James Bond or something. The episode tries to turn this into some sort of moral about friendship, as Tails says that's what really makes our heroes right... Though that's undermined by an "everybody laughs" ending that mocks Knuckles again. Kind of hard to take a message of "friendship is an extremely powerful force" seriously when you follow it up with "also sometimes your friends are dumb-asses that should be laughed at."

This episode also expands more on Chaos Emerald lore, at least how it exists in this universe. First off, considering what a power source they are, it certainly makes sense that the Metarex would attempt to replicate the Chaos Emeralds. If that's a plot point the show is going to explore, that makes the ice planet episode's ending a little less bullshitty. Secondly, this episode continues to emphasize the idea that the Chaos Emeralds respond to emotion. I guess this concept has been more-or-less a consistent factor since "Sonic Adventure" introduced it. But I still don't like it. Emotions are chaotic, I guess, but it's not really the first connection I'd think of. I prefer the Archie Comics' version of the Chaos Emeralds, neutral power sources that can be tapped into by just about anyone. That feels more characteristic of the unpredictable, chaotic nature of the universe that birthed them. 

Despite my nitpicks, this is the best episode of "Sonic X" I've seen in a while. In fact, it might be one of the best episodes of the entire series, for the way it really digs into Cosmo's emotional trauma and the subtle beginnings of her bond with Tails. It even ends with a pretty good twist, suggesting that even darker times are ahead. Season three has been wildly inconsistent so far but hopefully things will be a little more in this mode than the last few episodes I've covered before this one. [7/10]