Sonic Boom, Episode 1.24: Late Fees

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.24: Late Fees

Original Air Date: May 2nd, 2015

The twenty-fourth episode of “Sonic Boom” gives our speedy blue hero a task that is, by itself, not difficult. Amy asked Sonic to return a library book for her, as it’s due at the end of the day and she wants to avoid late fees. The hedgehog has seven whole minutes, which for a super-fast runner like him, shouldn’t be any problem at all… Yet Sonic encounters one inconvenience after another on his way to the library, from the elderly to the insane to the excessively guilt-trippy. Eventually, even Eggman is distracting Sonic from completing this simple task. Will the hedgehog return the book in time or will Amy get stuck owing a few bucks? 

I’ve mentioned in my past “Boom” reviews that there is very little I find funnier than larger-than-life, fantastical characters being forced to interact with the most mundane of circumstances. In college, I wrote a one-act play about the Punisher being in line at the D.M.V., to give you an example of what I mean. “Late Fees’” premise aligns very much with my sense of humor. Building a whole episode about Sonic returning a library book is honestly the kind of shit I would pitch, if I had been in the “Boom” writer’s room. Forcing a guy who can spin-dash giant robots to pieces to instead deal with the much more common place challenges of awkward chitchat and long wait times at fast food places is just funny to me. 

In fact, “Late Fees” even gives us some insight into Sonic’s personality. There’s a little bit of “The Tortoise and the Hare” here, as Sonic thinks he has so much time to complete his task that he can slip into Meh Burger for a snack. Sonic is a little too overconfident in his own speedy abilities. Yet he’s also not an asshole. In fact, he might be too much of a good guy. He feels bad about cutting in line at Meh Burger, so he goes out of his way to get Eggman his chili dog. He helps the Gogoba chief repair a flat tire on his cart. He listens to old people ramble, even though he’s not obligated to do so. “Late Fees” shows that, despite his braggadocio, Sonic is still a consummate hero. 

It’s humanizing too. I’ve never battled a robotic double of myself or saved a city from an eldritch abomination. But I have had to grin and bear it as an old person continued to talk to me. Comedy like this is absurd, and therefore funny, but it's also down-to-earth in a way a lot of episodes of this show can't be. And I can’t help but relate to the hedgehog here as well. As someone who has pretty severe ADHD, I definitely know what it’s like to suddenly remember a task I was suppose to complete and rushing against the clock to get it done in time. I think we’ve all probably been there. "Late Fees" is goofy and funny but it also makes Sonic seem more real, more fleshed out. 

It's not just the sharpness of the writing in this episode that I admire. It's funny, in general. The episode opens with a great gag, of Tails working on some gizmo, while Sonic rushes in and asks for seemingly random tools. It's a nicely deadpan moment, as the shot remains on Tails' work beach, causing the viewer to wonder what shenanigans Sonic is getting into. When we see the aforementioned shenanigans play out, it’s worth the wait. That mixture of deadpan and silly continues in a montage of Sonic’s daily activity, each scenario ending with an explosion. The episode delightfully makes us wait for the final explosions. 

I think the episode hammers some of its running jokes a little too much. The first time Sonic encounters a sluggish elderly person, overeager to discuss their love of soda, it’s funny. When it happens a third time, I was a little bored of it. Still, the comedic pacing is mostly on-point here. Look at how the script perfectly sets up Sticks’ doing wacky Sticks things just for it to later become another roadblock in Sonic’s path. 

It's also funny to watch Sonic's increased aggravation with these everyday frustrations, his heroic persona pushed to its limits by annoying people. (Which also, now that I think about it, humanizes him more.) We see that in his interaction with Eggman here, which also returns to one of my favorite character traits of the "Boom" version of the villain: He's incredibly petty. At first, I thought Sonic would incur Eggman's rage but cutting in line ahead of him at Meh Burger. It's actually even worst, and therefore funnier, than that. Sonic goes way beyond the call of duty to get his archenemy a chili dog... And Eggman complains that there's no pickle relish on it. In fact, he stays mad about it for the rest of the episode. What an amazing asshole! I almost have to admire that level of pettiness! (We also learn in this episode that Eggman was bullied in middle school, explaining a lot about his depression and ego issues.) 

Another interesting thing about "Late Fees" is that it plays out more-or-less in real time. The goal of returning the book is introduced about two minutes into the episode. Sonic repeatedly says he has seven minutes until the library closes. Add in the dénouement and that covers the entire eleven minute runtime. I guess the episode still kind of cheats. There’s that montage early in the episode, featuring flashbacks to Sonic fighting Eggman or taking a(n explosive) selfie with Amy. I guess we don’t see every step of Sonic’s journey to and from the Meh Burger warehouse. Not that we need to, as we know he’s super-fast and can make it in a few seconds. Nevertheless, I admire the show for pulling off a fun storytelling gimmick like that without being too flashy about it. 

It’s also notable how much chili dogs play into “Late Fees’” plot. I’m so used to the way “SatAM” and “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog” squeezed our hero’s trademark favorite food into almost every episode, that I’ve been surprised by “Boom’s” restraint in referencing it. I think “Cowbot” had a joke about Sonic eating a sauce-covered meat tube but this is definitely the first episode to really linger on his preference for the snack. Apparently Eggman and Fastidious Beaver enjoy them as well! Along with the reappearance of the Gogoba Chief, this continues “Boom’s” slow but steady formation of its own “lore” of sorts. 

While I think “Don’t Judge Me” is still the funniest episode of “Sonic Boom” I’ve watched so far, “Late Fees” seems destined to end up as another favorite of mine. It simply hits too many of my favorite style of gag for me not to really love it. Not every joke is belly-busting but it’s all really well done. And, if nothing else, we learn that Amy is into pirate books. [8/10]