Sonic the Hedgehog (1994) Reviews: Conclusion

Here's an obvious statement. It takes a lot less time to review a 26 episode TV show than it does to review a comic book series that ran for 24 years across multiple titles. Even with numerous setbacks and a month-long hiatus, watching and reviewing “SatAM” took a mere fraction of the amount of time it took me to read and review all of Archie's “Sonic” comic. While I had four whole years to gather my thoughts about Archie's iteration of Sega's super-fast blue hedgehog, I've been provided with considerably less time to figure out and sum up exactly how I feel about the Saturday morning cartoon version that inspired my beloved comic book.

Here's the truth: This was only the second time I've really seen “SatAM” in its entirety. Despite the prominent place it holds in my childhood memory, I don't think I saw every single episode when it originally aired on ABC. (At least, I don't have memories of seeing every episode in its original time slot.) The first time I experienced the show as a whole was when it was released on DVD in 2007, watching not as a wide-eyed child but a cynical high school graduate. At that time, I went in with measured, somewhat anxious expectations. I was all too aware of the role nostalgia can play in scenarios like this. I half-expected this thing I adored as a kid to, when looked upon with adult eyes, be revealed as god awful garbage. Instead, I was shocked and impressed that “SatAM” was nearly as good as I remembered it. This confirmed in my mind that this show was genuinely an unappreciated masterpiece of '90s animation.

That was, somehow, almost thirteen years ago. I guess I've changed some in the decade-and-change that has passed since the first time I revisited “SatAM.” Upon this watch-through, the flaws of 1993's “Sonic the Hedgehog” became far more apparent. At least as far as production values go, this was not a program that rose above the pack very often. For every well animated moment, there was another that was stiff, awkward, or half-finished. The surprisingly good score of the first season was replaced in the second with a far cheesier synth score. The comic relief was frequently annoying and became almost unbearable in the episodes that focused on it. The writing staff were not above lazy narrative shortcuts. Ben Hurst, Pat Allee, and the show's other best writers were good at their job but they were still operating under the budget and time crunch inherent to making a cheap, quick cartoon in the early nineties.

While I love the show's characters, I was disappointed to see that few of them were ever given the chance to really shine. Honestly, outside of Sonic, Sally, Robotnik, Snively, and sometimes Uncle Chuck, we never really learn much about any of the central characters. Bunnie, Rotor, and Tails never evolve pass vague archetypes. Antoine and Dulcy are characterized more by their annoying quasi-comedic quirks than their actual histories or personalities. Could it be that my love of Archie's “Sonic” comic, where characters like Bunnie and Rotor were truly allowed to grow and evolve, had reflected on the relatively shallow original cartoon?

I guess your thirties is when you truly realize the shit you loved as a kid was actually not that good.

Still, it's possibly my glowing childhood and mid-teen-hood memories are betraying me a bit. Because “SatAM” is a good show. The emotion it built into its characters was truly something special. When the series was allowed to really take advantage of that, which wasn't nearly often enough, it showed everything a cartoon about a blue hedgehog that runs fast and fights robots can be. Consider most merchandise driven children's programs of the time. You can't really compare “SatAM” to contemporary programs like “Batman: The Animated Series” or “Gargoyles.” Those had the production values and resources of Warner Brothers and Disney behind it. You have to look at the other show DiC was producing at the time. When stacked up against shit like “Captain Planet,” “Street Sharks” or “Double Dragon,” “SatAM” really does seem like an exceptional program willing to tackle unusually deep themes and ideas.

So, here's the truth, the true truth: 1993's “Sonic the Hedgehog” was a cheaply produced kid's cartoon totally typical of its time and place and an unusually well-written show that was far better than it had any right to be. Let us never forget that “SatAM” was created primarily to promote a still young video game franchise. Video games were still being treated largely as a fad at the time. Which is what the mainstream popularity of the “Sonic” series would essentially prove to be, as the franchise never regained the acceptance and wide-spread success it had in the nineties. Considering that, “SatAM” is way weirder, much more interesting, and has far more depth than should've been reasonably expected. It was stuck in the same box as a lot of other mediocre product but a talented group of passionate people were determined to make it something more.

Ultimately, my feelings towards “SatAM” remain far too loaded for me to even be close to objective about it. Yes, this latest re-watch has revealed it as a program with plenty of flaws. At the same time, I can't deny the influence, the power, this silly little cartoon show still shows all these years later. Indeed, I do think there is something special about this particular iteration of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” The characters, the setting, and the themes – nature vs. industry, freedom vs. tyranny, friends vs. conformity – have reverberated through my mind, and even my goddamn soul, more-or-less my entire life. Does the comic series that spawned from “SatAM” truly deserve the credit for this? Maybe. But obviously I wouldn't be writing these words, and you wouldn't be reading them, if “SatAM” hadn't come first.

It's even more obvious that I am not alone in these feelings. Despite the evident limitations the cartoon show has, you don't have to look any further for evidence of its uniqueness than the fandom. Listen, read that list of other DiC programs again. When people remember those shows – or “The Super Mario Bros Supershow,” “Captain N,” even bigger hits like “Inspector Gadget” – it's mostly as a source of cheap nostalgia. You can mentioned those programs or hum the theme songs and you'll get a response of “Hey, I remember that.” But you don't see too many people arguing for the artistic merits of “Hulk Hogan's Rock n' Wrestling” or “Extreme Dinosaurs.”

And, yeah, you can find fan fiction and fan art for almost anything, no matter how dumb, weird, or old it is. Yet the passion with which “SatAM” fans have kept the torch burning is truly impressive. Several fan comics, movie pitches, and even a fan-produced third season require the kind of long-term devotion that is not usually reserved for a two season tie-in from practically 26 years ago. Truly, this boils down to the question of why “Sonic” fans are so uniquely passionate. Autism and furry perversion can only account for so much. The quality of “SatAM” must have something special about it. Reviewing the show for this blog, even if it made me newly aware of its flaws, also reminded me of that too.

So, farewell and adieu “SatAM.” You were a good show. Maybe not the great one I remember but certainly a good one. Moreover, your legacy – at least as far as the overall “Sonic” universe is concerned – is significant. You made me a “Sonic” fan and, well, I guess that obviously counts for something. As for me, dear readers, come back soon as I begin a journey to talk about that other DiC Entertainment blue hedgehog show...