Sonic Boom, Episode 1.21: Sleeping Giant

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.21: Sleeping Giant

Original Air Date: April 11th, 2015

In "Sonic & Knuckles," the first part of the Sandopolis Zone concludes with a boss battle against a lumbering rock monster. You bop the stony guardian on the head until he falls backwards into a sandpit. This would begin a precedence in the “Sonic” franchise for humanoid threats made of granite. There was the Egg Golem in “Sonic Adventure 2” and adaptations in all of the above in the various comics. I’m guessing this is because living statues and monuments are a common action/adventure trope in general. In a series that freely mixes together robots and ancient ruins, it’s probably inevitable that Sonic would encounter some animated petrological life forms. Rock monsters show up in "Sonic Boom" as well and the cartoon show had a typically irrelevant take on them. 

Sonic and Knuckles are out parasailing through the rocky canyons of Southside Island. The echidna bashes his head on a big-ass rock which is no ordinary stone. It is a slumbering colossus made of stone and Knuckles has awoken the beast from his eons-long slumber. The craggy ogre goes on a rampage through town. Our heroes soon observe that the bouldery big boy is simply trying to get back to sleep. Sticks’ atonal screeching is the only thing that calms the petrified plunderer, a tricky situation of its own that is further complicated when Eggman decides to abduct the dozing humongous and make him into a weapon. 

I'm betting this is one of those episodes were the writers thought up a title and worked backwards from there. Yes, "Sleeping Giant" – a metaphorical great opponent that has been hastily engaged with – is about a literal giant who is sleeping. Har har. This goofy pun has some comedic potential. They could have just made an episode about a granite goliath wreaking havoc. That's a suitable set-up for an action/adventure cartoon. Yet "Boom" decides to subvert that by making its flinty fiend merely cranky from being awoken from his sleep. He just wants to get a nap and this presents challenges. But the jagged behemoth isn't a threat in and of himself. 

I was hoping the show would take this idea and run with it into some tragic monster territory. For a minute there, I thought "Sleeping Giant" was going to become a "King Kong" homage. The lapidarian leviathan abducts Sticks and climbs up a mountain. The episode even sets up Tails' airplane in the first scene. It would have been so easy to have our heroes flying around the hardened hulk's head, while he swats at the airplanes and holds a screeching maiden in his hands. Instead, Sonic and the others lure him away with more parasailing gear. Missed opportunity. I guess King Kong was not as relevant to kids in the mid-2010s as it was in the early nineties. (The "Sonic Boom" comics did feature a brief parody of everyone's favorite simian monarch though.) At Sonic and friends develop a fondness of sorts for the gravelly titan, even nicknaming him "Rocky." 

Without some "'twas beauty that killed the beast" shenanigans to add some pathos to the story, the drowsy brute is just a mildly goofy plot device. He yawns ducks and drinks from a well but the script definitely could've worked a little harder to imbue the big guy with some personality. The episode manages to exploit the "giant rock monsters just wants to get back to sleep" premise for a couple amusing moments. The lethargic gargantuan is depicted tossing and turning, using a building as a pillow. When he does get to sleep, it's in the middle of a busy road, which threatens to fuck-up the supply chain and ruin the village's economy. I also chuckled at the moment where the yawning Brobdingnagian disguises himself by curling up like a Rock Lord but I don't think that was an actual joke. 

There's a couple of good gags like that in this episode. Such as Sticks' sudden acquisition of a thesaurus or Orbot randomly appearing dressed as an old time-y airline stewardess. A reoccurring joke about Fastidious Beaver and lemons was cute. The opening scene features another jab at Knuckles' gliding ability and that made me grin. However, this is one of those “Sonic Boom” episodes that definitely feels overwhelmed by the desire to be as quippy as possible. Almost every single line here is some sort of one-liner or joke. Tails is talking about manufacturers' warranties and "you break it, you buy it" signs and his neighbor's Uncle Tannous. Eggman mentions rain gutters and a gazebo. Amy discusses a loveseat and dead jellyfish and yells at a bird. Knuckles throws out lines about bagpipes and potato salad and flower pots and snow cones. It's just non-stop. When I complain about sitcom writing, I'm talking about stuff like this. Where any chance to build personality or rhythm is squeezed by the constant desire to get a laugh. Everyone talks like they have a surplus of zingers to get rid of but all they really have are the writer's room scraps. 

I guess this one is still notable for being the first "Sonic Boom" episode to attempt to establish some lore. The "Boom" games – which, like most people, I have not played – had plots revolving around a mysterious race of Ancients. These guys left behind plenty of plot devices and at least one giant snake Sega forbid anyone from mentioning again for the heroes to tango with. Amy briefly name-drops the Ancients while talking about the somnolent kaiju. The suggestion definitely seems to be that Rocky is a leftover from the same long-gone advanced civilization, considering there's some glowing energy emerging from his sandstone skin. I'm doubtful "Boom" will build on that information too much. This isn't that kind of show. But it's kind of interesting. I guess it just wouldn't be "Sonic" without some sort of aged relics from a secret-filled, extinct culture. 

Ultimately, I didn't really like this one very much. I can relate to the jagged jock's inability to get back to sleep and tendency to pass out in weird places. Yet this is one of those times we're I'm definitely reminded that I'm watching a show for children. The barrage of subpar jokes may amuse a younger comedic palette but I just found it exhausting. They can't all be winners but at least I can stop looking up synonyms for "sleepy," "rocky," and "giant" now. [5/10]