Sonic Underground, Episode 1.26: Wedding Bell Blues

Sonic Underground, Episode 1.26: Wedding Bell Blues

Original Air Date: October 4th, 1999

How's this for an episode premise? "Wedding Bell Blues" has Sonic, Sonia, and Manic in Robotropolis for ill-defined reasons when an announcement is broadcast all over the city: Robotnik is going to marry Queen Alena and become king. Even though the triplets realize this is a trap, they decide to sneak into the wedding just in case their mom actually shows up. They talk Bartleby into hiring them as the band. Soon afterwards, they discover that this is, of course, a trap. Robotnik's actual plan has been to adopt Sonia, making her the royal princess and him king somehow. 

We are heading into the last stretch of "Sonic Underground" episodes here – only ten left! – and it's evident that the writers were truly out-of-ideas... Actually, it's worst than that because this was originally intended to be the show's pilot. Nothing about "Wedding Bell Blues" makes any sense. The entire premise of the series is built upon nobody knowing where Queen Alena is. The idea of Robotnik randomly announcing he's marrying her, when her location is perpetually unknown, strains believable. The queen's opening narration assured us that there's nothing Robotnik wants more than to be king. But why? He's already ruler of Mobius. King is just a title at this point. If he wants it that bad, why doesn't he just change the rules and declare himself king? He has all the power!

This is far from the only thing about "Wedding Bell Blues" that makes no sense. At one point, Robotnik says this wedding – that he's only doing as a trap – is bankrupting him. Which really says a lot about Mobotropolis' worth. This seems to be an awkward excuse to bring Bartleby into the plot, as Robotnik squeezes the aristocracy for more funds, and thus get the triplets into the wedding. But there was easily a hundred, less convoluted ways to have our heroes sneak into this event. By the time Robotnik's scheme twists to involve him adopting Sonia, it's apparent that nobody cared if this actually made any sense. 

In fact, the episode is officially uncredited though the Sonic News Network wiki tells me this is a Ben Hurst and Pat Allee joint. If this really was their work, I wonder if they requested their names be taken off it? Because the story gets increasingly nonsensical as it goes along. At one pony, Manic literally stumbles upon a secret passage way. Not long afterwards, Dingo is transformed into a perfect looking chili dog cart – even though none of his other transformations were that good – to lure in Sonic. He's then morphed into a giant fly trap that is seemingly bigger on the inside than the outside, as Sonic is dropped into an endless gullet when swallowed. It all stinks of a writing team that was either hopelessly rushed or simply didn't care anymore. 

With no other options, "Wedding Bell Blues" degrades into crude slapstick. The episode seems to delight in showing us things we don't want to see. There's an extended sequence devoted to Robotnik being squeezed into a girdle, which does not go well for him. Later, Manic dresses in drag and gets throw into a dungeon cell, ostensibly in an attempt to impersonate his mom. Neither of these scenes have any effect on the plot, making you really wonder why they were included at all. At least the moment where Dingo is squeezed into a wedding gown does affect the story... Yet one really has to ask why this cartoon had to feature two separate incidents of crossdressing. 

I was completely numb to this episode's bullshit by the end but that didn't keep the conclusion from really confusing me. Just as Sonia is about to be crowned princess of Mobius, Queen Alena actually does show up. She waves the royal scepter around and assures everyone that she would never abandon her throne... Except she does! She did abandon the throne and that is, in fact, essential to the series' entire premise! Mostly, Queen Alena showing up to confuse everyone before immediately GTFOing again just makes her look like a deadbeat mom. I know, there's a prophecy and all that but the Queen's repeated habit of only showing herself when the plot absolutely insists upon it makes her feel like those one of those dads that only appear on birthdays and holidays. 

Despite clearly being a bad parent who doesn't actually care about her children, the show continues to assure us – via Sonic and company, who remain in awe of Alena – that she's a great person. The episode's song, "When Tomorrow Comes," is all about how much the kids look forward to being reunited with their parent. It's a totally forgettable song, heavy on the na nas and repeating the title. Sonia switches her keyboard to the harpsichord setting, to match the old-timey powdered wigs they are wearing in the scene, but that's about the only thing that sticks out. Lastly, the song's placement in the script really makes no sense. Sonic Underground, in disguise, are booked as the wedding's band. They start to perform... While no one is in the room. They then leave afterwards, to explore the castle. I guess they're trying not to blow their cover but it's definitely among the show's more egregious examples of inserting a song wherever.

Maybe it's just because my allergies medication has me really hungover as I write this review but this is an episode that truly left me annoyed, confused, and stymied. There's definitely been worst episodes of this show but I don't know if there's been one more slapdash in its narrative construction than this one. [3/10]