Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Episode 1.60: Hero of the Year

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Episode 1.60: Hero of the Year

Original Air Date: December 3rd, 1993

Here we are, kids, at the last episode of "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog." The entire series played out over the course of only three months, though it continued to air in syndication and various other time slots for years to come. Despite the brief period it took the show to premiere, it took me about a year and two months to review the entire series. Granted, that's largely because of the seven month hiatus I took in the middle there. Yet it still feels like it took forever to work my way through this show. And now, finally, I am done. Let's roll that beautiful bean footage one last time.

"Hero of the Year" begins with Wes Weaselly riding in a fancy limo, seemingly having struck it rich. After an attempted carjacking by Scratch and Grounder, Sonic and Tails rescue the former con artist. Wes then suggests to Tails they throw an honorary dinner celebrating Sonic's heroism, inviting as many of his friends as possible. It turns out Wes isn't done conning though. It's all a trap set up by Robotnik, Wes being promised his own television shopping channel as a reward for screwing over Sonic. After the hedgehog and all his bodies are gathered on a cruise boat, Robotnik sticks him in a cage and sinks him to the bottom of the ocean. Surely someone will have a change of heart and save Sonic?

When the collection of Sonic's friends are gathered on the boat, they share memories of everyone's favorite spiny smartass, which somehow play out as video clips on a projector. Which means, yes, "Hero of the Year" is a clip show. A way to save money and pad out a season order by building an episode around footage from earlier episodes, clip shows have long been the bane of television fans. Ya know, you tune in for a new episode of your favorite show, only to be greeted with largely recycled scenes. You feel ripped off. They're increasingly rare now but were common place for years. Animation, being even more costly than regular television, was certainly not exempt from this. For what it's worth, I'd say that less than half of "Hero of the Year" is built around pre-existing scenes, so you don't feel too cheated. 

One does have to ask the question of why these particular characters and scenes were chosen for revisiting. Aside from Wes, Breezie, Robotnik Jr., Sgt. Doberman, and Robot from the previous episode are asked to present clips. Da Bears and Von Schmerler – big sigh – also show up for short scenes while a small horde of characters have cameos. That includes Spelunk, Rocket the Sloth, Sketch Lampoon, Bert Whoo, Roxy, Professor Caninestein, Miss Possum, and a miscolored MacHopper. Some of these were obviously favorites of the writers but others seem to be picked at random. Sgt. Doberman could hardly be called a friend of Sonic, considering he tried to betray him in "Attack on Pinball Fortress." None of the featured episodes are among the series' best. Later, Robotnik presents even more clips and they are equally random. "The Robotnik Express" is highlighted as his greatest defeat, when literally any other episode would have worked just as well. 

Aside from providing set-up for old footage, none of the returning characters do too much. Breezie says every line as a near-orgasmic moan and Robot's story moves the audience to tears. You'd think that, if this was one final chance to see old friends, the writers would've given them more to do. However, at the very least, Wes Weasely gets something like a proper redemption arc. Having been screwed by Robotnik, he decides to jump in the submarine he has for some reason and save Sonic. Afterwards, he promises he's done scamming. Granted, this is not convincing at all. Wes' motivations are entirely self-interested and he already seems to be sliding back into bad behavior by the final scene. But at least one of the reoccurring cast members has an effect on the episode's plot and undergoes some sort-of, kind-of, almost meaningful change. (Also, Wes spends nearly the whole episode in just his boxers with a giant cigar in his mouth, presumably because the animators just had to prove how freaky they were one more time.)

Taken on its own merits, "Hero of the Year" does not prove to be an especially memorable episode. There's one joke that made me laugh. After Robotnik insists he get his own celebratory ceremony, Scratch and Grounder invite all his friends... Which results in an empty theater. Otherwise, it's the same sort of loud slapstick you've come to expect. It's also kind of bullshitty that Sonic doesn't even do much, in this episode devoted to his heroism. Wes Weasly saves him. Also, they bring back a bunch of characters nobody gives a shit about but Coconuts is nowhere to be seen. Balderdash! I demand justice for my stupid robot monkey son. 

Even though it was the sixtieth in the "official" order, "Hero of the Air" was the last episode produced as well as aired. It doesn't have the closing minute of finality that "Sonically Ever After" did, nor the world-saving stakes. (It does have a mildly bizarre Sonic Sez segment devoted to the dangers of alcohol.) Robotnik is still at large, Mobius is still a place of chaos and madness, and Sonic and Tails' aggressively wacky adventures continue onward. However, a premise that more-or-less celebrates the entire series and a bunch of familiar faces returning at least feels like a good point to end on. I can't say I'm disappointed in this final episode, because that would imply I ever have any expectations for this show. 

But, at least I'm done. Come back next time for my closing thoughts on the entire series. As for "Hero of the Year," I must bequeath it with a meager [5/10].