Sonic X, Episode 3.07: Galactic Gumshoes

Sonic X, Episode 3.07: Galactic Gumshoes

Japanese Title: Chaotix, Go Into Space!

U.S. Air Date: October 22nd, 2005

Japanese Air Date: April 3rd, 2020

I guess the "Sonic X" staff decided the show needed more Sega characters, which definitely presented some interesting narrative challenges. On Earth, Chris' grandfather learns that Chris prevented living matter from passing through the portal but that inanimate objects can safely teleport. They send a heaping helping of Chris' junk to Sonic's home world. Vanilla discovers this and hires the Chaotix to deliver Chris' stuff to him. Luckily, Grandpa Chuck sends a spaceship through the portal too. As the Chaotix approach the Blue Typhoon, they are mistaken for Metarex invaders. A series of comedic misunderstandings follow. 

Before we go any further, there's something else I need to bitch about. Last episode, I commented on how Sonic can survive in orbit above a planet and even crash-land to the planet's surface with no issue. This, it turns out, is not a mistake. In this episode, a bored Sonic goes running around on the outside of the Typhoon as it flies through space. Knuckles chases after him, also without the benefit of a space suit. Before I could finish thinking "Maybe the ship has an artificial atmosphere around it or something," Sonic goes careening off into the vacuum of space. He neither freezes to death nor do his lungs explode. Knuckles then straps on a jet pack and goes after him, also showing no ill effects from being buck-ass nude while drifting around in outer fucking space. 

At first, I was ready to fan-wank an explanation. Maybe Sonic absorbing so many Power Rings over the years have made him super resilient to any adverse environment. Maybe standing next to the Master Emerald his entire life has left Knuckles similarly indestructible. But it's not just the superheroes. Later, Espio runs along the outside of the Chaotix ship without a suit. Sonic smashes a window on their ship into the Chaotix's control room, and all the furries just stand around talking. Meanwhile, when Chris Thorndyke enters via the same path, he is wearing a space suit. That had to have been a deliberate choice. I can only conclude that, in "Sonic X," it is canon that everyone from Sonic's world can withstand the vacuum of space with no problems at all. But considering all these characters also talks easily in the empty void of space, maybe there is oxygen in the "Sonic X" version of the cosmos. 

I know, I know. I'm overthinking it. Let's talk about something less scientifically implausible. This episode is pretty funny! The humor here is based around an always fertile idea for jokes: The misunderstanding. Unaware that the Chaotix have a spaceship, the Sonic Team naturally assume it is their enemies pursuing them. They attack Vector the minute they see him. This causes the Chaotix to assume that our heroes have a bad case of Space Madness and have become unreasonably violent. So Espio sneaks in while cloaked, spooks Amy, and gets beaten. Charmy puts on armor, gets mistaken for a Metarex, and then is also beaten. It's not until after Tails spots the Chaotix's shack atop the ship that he realizes who the intruders actually are. 

All this silliness got a sensible chuckle out of me. It helps that the comedic timing is really on-point in this episode. While Vector and the others contemplate how they're going to get into outer space, a space ship suddenly falls directly behind them. Later, after convincing himself that Vanilla wants him to reunite her with Cream, the crocodile calmly and quickly scoops the bunny up in a bag. What a hilarious kidnapping! In general, there's a nice sense of absurdity here. Such as when Vector decides the best way to wake Espio up from meditation is grinding some black pepper on his nose. Or the contrivance of Amy painting a wall just as a cloaked Espio enters the scene. 

In the past, I've expressed a dislike for the post-"Sonic Heroes" characterization of the Chaotix as detectives. It's true that I still think that is dumb. I still feel the same way about Espio being a ninja and Charmy being a little kid. But I guess I've gotten used to it, or at least the way "Sonic X" handles this version of these characters. Here, the Chaotix become endlessly degraded straight men. The entire episode is devoted to these guys, who mostly take themselves very seriously, being humiliated in one way or another. Whether that's by Sonic's friends beating them or Cosmo outpacing Vector. Or by themselves, like when Vector takes his own romantic fantasies of Vanilla a little too literally. It turns out, a wannabe detective and a ninja make good foils for wacky shit happening around them. 

There's also a little bit of pathos in this otherwise very silly episode. Vanilla misses her daughter. Vector interprets that feeling as Vanilla needing to be reunited with her daughter. He acts on her behalf, scooping Cream up and taking him with her. Similarly, Chris Thorndyke's parents are worried about him teleporting half-way across the galaxy on his own. Their solution is to warp a bunch of useless shit his way, because they are billionaires who value things more than people. That makes it meaningful when Chris pokes his head into the conversation at the end, between Vector and Cream. Parents care about their kids and sometimes they assume they always know better, without ever asking their children their opinions. Chris definitely knows what it feels like to have distant parents who would rather do what they think is right, instead of what is right for their child. In the end, they all compromise by Cream faxing Vanilla a picture of herself every once in a while. And hopefully Vanilla gave Vector a blowie or something. 

One other thing about this episode: Space is, according to the people who have actually been there, an inhospitable place. Even living on a space station brings with it a lot of difficulty. But following its depiction of space as a place where cartoon animals can hang out and chat, "Sonic X" depicts life aboard the Blue Typhoon as pretty cozy. Before their cosmic freefall, Sonic and Knuckles are depicted as calmly playing chess. Later, in the middle of battering the Chaotix, the crew break for teatime. Cream has even prepared cake for everyone, prompting Amy and Cosmo to ask for the recipe. I guess the kitchen is well stocked on this trip! Damn, I want to live on an intergalactic cruise ship, fight giant murder robots, and have a cartoon rabbit preschooler make me desert every day. 

By the way, the Chaotix's ship is red and pointy. The Blue Typhoon is also revealed to have external arms in this episode. That makes me wonder if "Outlaw Star" wasn't another influence on the show's mechanical designer, Yasuhiro Moriki. (Whose other credits include "Silent Mobius" and "Martian Successor Nadesico.") Or maybe colorful, jagged spaceships with spindly arms are just a common troupe in Japanese sci-fi. "Galactic Gumshoes" ends by teasing the reintroduction of another important Sega "Sonic" character, which means that only 99% of this episode is goofy filler. But if "Sonic X's" must have filler episodes, I'd rather they be absurd larks like this than boring action-fests like "A Chilling Discovery." [7/10]