Sonic X, Episode 3.11: Station Break-In

Sonic X, Episode 3.11: Station Break-In

Japanese Title: Space Station Metal Plant

U.S. Air Date: November 19th, 2005

Japanese Air Date: April 9th, 2020

The tenth episode of "Sonic X's" third season begins with a dramatic image. Eggman comes to the Metarex Space Fortress, a moon sized battle ship that contains the last two Chaos Emeralds. He realizes the station's defenses are impenetrable and also that the Blue Typhoon has arrived at the same time. Eggman and Sonic decide to form an unsteady truce, the heroes' waiting for the villain's inevitable betrayal. Shadow Chaos Controls himself, Rouge, and Chris aboard the ship. Eggman, Sonic and Knuckles, Amy and Cosmo enter in smaller ships. Eggman makes his move then, leading to an action-packed shuffle within the bowels of the space station. 

I'll admit, scenarios where heroes and villains are forced to team-up are always compelling to me. Obviously, Sonic and Eggman don't trust each other. The minute Eggman presents them with a proposal, the good guys admit it has to be a trap. Yet their mutual enemy is so powerful that they are forced into this uneasy situation. A degree of suspense forms as you wait for the betrayal to come, as you wonder if the heroes will notice in time. It adds a lot more drama and tension to what would otherwise be a very basic premise: Sonic and the gang fighting their way into a Metarex strong-hold.

There's also some fun in watching Eggman's forthcoming treachery. He places devices on the X-Tornado and Amy's personal cruiser. (Something she acquired at some point, presumably because this show loves to shove in spaceships.) I would've assumed they were just bombs but Eggman has something more villainous in mind. The devices allow him to control the other ships, giving him a chance to grab the Chaos Emeralds. Because "Sonic X" is the kind of show it is, this duplicity takes the form of goofy comedy and not him running the ships into walls afterwards. Decoe and Bocoe grab the Emeralds with fishing rods and much ridiculous cackling ensues. But it's still fun to watch. 

Obviously, Eggman grabbing the emeralds while flying through the innards of a giant space fortress results in Sonic superheroically snatching them back. TMS ponied up the cash to make sure this sequence looks as cool as it sounds. Sonic leaping around the tight corridors move a little more fluidly than is typical. There's a lot more detail in the scenes of characters talking or interacting. Eggman dangling from a robotic arm or Amy giving Sonic a big hug look really nice. The entire sequence is also more dramatically lit than this show normally. The dark, sparsely lit interiors of the space station lead to lots of cool shadows. 

And the scenes devoted to the other cool Shadow features some nice animation too. Shadow and Rouge rip through some Metarex sentries that look like dinosaurs with vice grips for heads. Yet Shadow's scenes are a little more character-centric than the rest of the episode. Chris tags along on this mission specifically because he wants to get closer to his most broody hedgehog bro. He presents Shadow with his limiter rings, which seems to stir some memories in him. Later, a mention of the name Maria really jogs Shadow. I'm glad the show isn't going to belabor this idea of Shadow's amnesia too much longer. He's much more interesting when he knows his past and it informs his current actions. 

But like I said, this is mostly an action centric episode. There's not too much room for character moments. Tails spends the entire twenty minutes on the Blue Typhoon and Cosmo does little beside sit in the back of Amy's ship. There are two minor, cute little moments involving some of the show's ladies. Amy bursting through the ship's walls, specifically so she can be with Sonic, is adorable. I've seen some people complain about Amy's characterization in season three. She's definitely a little bitchier – and that's not a flaw, that's flavor – but her obsessive pursuit of Sonic has been consistent. Rouge, meanwhile, barely thanks Shadow after he saves her from those pincher dinos. I guess when she doesn't have a hot girlfriend to be her moral compass, Rouge really does hyper-focus on her desire to acquire pretty jewels. But Rouge's moral ambiguity is why we love her. It's why I love her anyway. 

Considering this is the space opera season of "Sonic X," it was really only a matter of time before an episode paid homage to "Star Wars." The Metarex Space Fortress is explicitly described as being the size of a moon, which already brings the Death Star to mind. The scenes of our heroes flying fighter jet-like ships through the tunnels and corridors of the station recall the iconic ending of "A New Hope." The episode ends by setting up a battle between Sonic and a big, imposing villain in dark armor, a distinctive helmet, and a flowing cape who wields a glowing sword. The fight looks like it'll take place on a platform above a space station's glowing interior, which brings "The Empire Strikes Back" to mind. Also, someone inside a jet tries spinning and it's a good trick. Whether these count as rip-offs or intentional homages is a matter of opinion but it all feels pretty deliberate to me. 

It's a pretty good episode! The action is above average and the narrative unfolds in a compelling way. By ending on such an exciting cliffhanger, it leaves the viewer wanting to see more. It also feels like the season is really done screwing around and moving towards the big deal events now. I guess we'll see but this one worked for me. [7/10]