Sonic Boom, Episode 2.08: In the Midnight Hour

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.08: In the Midnight Hour

Original Air Date: December 31st, 2016

Every chance I get, I bring up the lack of Halloween adjacent "Sonic" media. Being in the middle of the massive horror nerd and massive Sonic nerd Venn diagram is not an easy life and one rarely validated by the blue hedgehog's adventures. Over the years, I've managed to dig up the handful of cartoon episodes and comics that border all things scary, creepy, and spooky. Yet it's always a delight when I unexpectedly stumble across more. Here I am, watching what I thought was a regular episode of "Sonic Boom" when I quickly realized it was a horror inspired of "Sonic Boom!" What a joyous occasion! Naturally, this episode aired on the 31st of... December, because "Boom's" schedule was completely fucked-up by this point. 

Sticks is channeling her inner Jackson Pollack/Jean-Claude Van Damme right around the stroke of midnight, while outside Comedy Chimp's television studio. That is when she spies a ghostly entity floating outside the studio, tinkering with the antenna. No one believes her, dismissing it as another one of her paranoid delusions. Further investigation confirms that the creature is real. He's an Eggman robot named the Dreamcaster who is hypnotizing everyone at night while they sleep, through their television. This soon turns everyone into mindless zombies, who do Eggman's bidding. As Sticks doesn't own a TV, she is immune. Yet can she save everyone and stop Dreamcaster on her own? 

As soon as the hooded, ghostly figure with Freddy Krueger claws floated on-screen, I got my hopes up that "In the Midnight Hour" would be a spookier "Boom" episode. The premise of no one believing Sticks when she claims she's seen a weird monster brings certain cryptozoological connotations to mind, furthering that horror movie feel. The episode quickly falls into a not-spooky-at-all groove quickly after that, leaving me disappointed... Ah, but in the last night, Sonic and friends are turned into somnambulist zombies! They even shamble around with their arms outstretched and do the "Thriller" dance! (Which is also followed by a random "Funkytown" shout-out.) Later, the Dreamcaster is even revealed to be a flying skeleton guy under his hood. It's undeniable: "In the Midnight Hour" is the horror inspired episode of "Sonic Boom," with ghosts and zombies galore. 

That alone is enough to earn a positive score from me but I'm happy to report that, in general, this episode is pretty good. Making Sticks the main character was a smart decision here that leads to an interesting dynamic. Everyone knows Sticks is kind of crazy but usually in a harmless, "local eccentric" sort of way. Yet what she sees in this episode is so outrageous that her friends begin to suspect her grip in reality is really slipping. Like, more than usual. It gets to the point that, when Comedy Chimp insists Sticks in thrown in jail for vandalizing his studio, her friends reluctantly let her go. They hope maybe a night in the penn will help her get grounded again. 

This is a strong narrative hook, the show's most eccentric hero being turned on by her friends for perfectly understandable reasons. Yet it also leads to an unexpectedly, if brief, poignant moment. After interrupting one of Dreamcaster's broadcast, Sticks is not thanked by the populace. Instead, they are annoyed for being woken up in the middle of the night. This causes Sticks to run off, crying a little. You'd think a paranoid conspiracy theorist like her would be used to people rejecting her plans but she's clearly genuinely hurt by this. We're not used to seeing the loud-mouthed Sticks be vulnerable like this and it's a moment that genuinely got to me a little bit. Poor little badger nut job! 

Of course, Sticks is vindicated in the end. In this case, the seemingly delusional crackpot was entirely right. Dreamcaster is real and part of Eggman's latest evil plot, which comes shockingly close to actually succeeding. Amusingly, the script really leans into this "what if the paranoid looney was right?" angle in its last act. Sticks shields herself and her friends from the machine's influence with tin foil hats, that perennial symbol of all unhinged crankery. Sticks' paranoia is actually what saves her in another way. She already didn't own a TV, believing it to be a device to control people's minds. And, in this very specific scenario, that was entirely right. 

That revelation leads to a good fourth way break, where Sticks assures the audience watching at home that this TV show is not a mind control plot. That's just one of several good gags here from writer Paul Shriver. A moment that got a big belly laugh out of me was Tails telling Sticks that a lack of sleep can cause hallucinations, to which Sticks deadpans that this isn't a problem as she never sleeps. The opening bit that her creative art project and her work-out routine is one and the same made me chuckle too. As did a bit where a guy's epiphany is interrupted. Dreamcaster having a deep, smooth, chocolate-y voice, like a radio deejay or a soul singer, is another inspired bit of goofiness. Of course, the robot's name is a reference to Sega lore, leading to an amusing in-joke conversation about whether the name is bad or not. His eyes being red swirls is also a likely homage to the late, great Dreamcast. 

Also, this episode reveals that everyone in the village seemingly sleeps with their TVs on. Yeah, I do that sometimes too. I can't help it, the Roku screensaver is so relaxing! Anyway, I was definitely predisposed to like this one just because it's got a ghost and zombies in it. I'm happy to report that it is a pretty strong episode otherwise, with lots of sharp gags and even a mildly touching character arc for Sticks. I'm glad that "Boom's" most horror adjacent episode is a pretty good one! [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.07: I Can Sea Sonic's Fear from Here

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.07: I Can Sea Sonic's Fear from Here

Original Air Date: December 24th, 2016

After another humiliating defeat, the seventh episode of "Sonic Boom's" second season has Eggman coming to the same conclusion I did last time: Maybe he should take advantage of Sonic's fear of the water and inability to swim. He soon cooks up a submarine that can cause devastating tidal waves. As soon as Sonic realizes this plan occurs underwater, he becomes apprehensive. Some coaching from Soar the Eagle and Tails inventing fancy wet-suits gives Sonic the courage to face his fears... But he still must face them, which proves easier said than done. 

Since this blog is named after Sonic's lack of swimming skills, I can't help but be interested in how this particular character trait has evolved. Early "Sonic" tie-in media always depicted the blue hedgehog as being a very able swimmer. He does just fine underwater in several issues of Archie "Sonic," "SatAM," and "AoStH." Fidelity to the games, where Sonic definitely can't swim, was less valued in those days. Of course, the games never had Sonic being afraid of water either. He was wading through underwater ruins from the very beginning of the Genesis days, nary a sign of fear on his face. Even the later Dreamcast games, which went so far as to give Sonic a major enemy made of water, never commented on his aversion to the wet stuff much. It was just a gameplay mechanic, not a personality quirk.

Japanese media seemed more aware of Sonic's trademark lack of swimminess but still never depicted it as full-blown hydrophobia. He almost drowns in the OVA but is still effortlessly running around the ocean earlier. As far as I can tell – unless there's an earlier manga or Fleetway issue that gets into it – the "hedgehogs can't swim" element of Sonic would graduate to an actual fear in "Sonic Underground." After that "Sonic X" would show the hedgehog as nervous around water multiple times. I'm betting that's when it really became a defining characteristic of his personality, being built into an actual phobia here and later referenced in the live-action movies and "Prime." 

It's easy to see why Sonic being actually terrified of water is something writers would return to. On land, Sonic is just about unstoppable. By the time of "X" and "Boom," Sonic's superpowers had escalated to the point where he could destroy massive doom machines with ease. Giving such an overpowered hero a major weakness evens the playing ground a little. Having deep bodies of water be the blue hedgehog's Kryptonite, David Dunn style, is fine by me. Hell, the fact that "Boom" is set on an island means it could even be a reoccurring element, though I doubt it will be. 

Since "Boom" is a sitcom, it also provides lots of comedic potential. Seeing Sonic, often a cocky braggart, reduced to a panicking scaredy pants is worth a few chuckles. His friends' confusion when he starts stalling after Eggman reveals his evil plan is a good moment. As is his actions after sneaking to the bottom of the seabed. This is probably best utilized during a moment where he pops an inner tube with his quills, even if Soar the Eagle's role in this episode is largely unnecessary. Sonic's phobia builds up to an amusing non-revelation of the final scene. 

This is also, surprisingly, one of the more action-oriented episodes of "Boom" I've seen in a while. Eggman's plot to generate a devastating tidal wave is mostly played straight. It's a serious threat, with real stakes, and the heroes respond accordingly. There's even a pretty cool moment where Sonic's oxygen tube is cut, forcing Tails and Sticks to think fast. She grabs a coolant tube off Tails' plane and dive into the water, swapping it out with Sonic's cut tube. That's such a neat, dynamic moment that it easily would've fit into any of the other, more action-y "Sonic" cartoons. 

Yet this is still a comedy cartoon. By far the funniest moment here is when Amy and Sonic attempt to fight some Badniks underwater, discovering the different terrain greatly effects their abilities. That's a hell of a gag, though the montage where Prbot and Cubot rock some hair metal wigs and letters comes close to topping it. Sticks also gets some good one-liners. I especially liked her comment about sea people. Knuckles also gets a great one-liner about the kids at the community pool that I really didn't expect. 

As I've come to expect from the episodes both written and directed by Natalys Raut-Sieuzac, some of the jokes here are a bit awkward. Knuckles comparing himself to a penguin is a gag extended way too far. A sequence where an octopus falls on Tails' head is pretty stiff. In general, there's just a few too many stuffy one-liners here that don't quite work. Still, this is a decently funny episode with a solid premise. I feel like I almost have to give a positive score to a whole eleven minutes devoted to how hedgehogs can't swim. [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.06: Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Worse-er

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.06: Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Worse-er

Original Air Date: December 17th, 2016

For nearly two decades, the Archie "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic operated practically in a vacuum. The comic promoted the games, of course, but it was a rare occurrence that other components of the "Sonic" multi-media franchise acknowledged the book's existence. That cover collection in the one GameCube compilation was honestly a huge surprise. The idea of talent crossing over from the comics to other mediums was practically unheard of. I think this has less to do with any perceived quality of Archie's crew and more to do with how insular the comic industry is. 

It was only within the last few years of the book's run that this started to change. Super-talented bastard Tyson Hesse would quickly ascend through the ranks, starting out as an Archie artist (and a fan artist/sprite comic fiend before that) before working on the games and movies. Ian Flynn, in his absolute zeal to conquer the entire "Sonic" landscape, would be the first talent to cross the comic/television barrier. His work on Archie's "Sonic Boom" tie-in book must've impressed the actual show runners. Flynn would pen two episodes in "Boom's" second season, the first of which was "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Worse-er." 

The episode begins with a typical scenario: Sonic and Tails are on the beach, outrunning Eggman's latest machine. (A robot with an enormous vacuum tube connected to it, of course.) The suction managed to trap Sonic for roughly twenty seconds, a huge success on Eggman's behalf. This leads to a friendly wager being made between Sonic and Tails. Tails, assuming himself to be even craftier than Eggman, believes he can successfully capture Sonic. Sonic, naturally, believes he's too fast for that. This leads to Tails inventing a number of wacky booby traps and scenarios to snatch Sonic, the situation quickly escalating... And Eggman soon realizing he can take advantage of it. 

Flynn's script here exploits an easily related-to phenomenon: The masculine instinct to take a friendly contest too far. Now, I don't like to generalize. Not all males are the same and this is obviously true of myself, an atypical dude in so many ways. Yet it is a bit of an honest stereotype to characterize men as proud. It's part of our culture. Young men, in order to establish their independence as masculine entities, will often challenge each other. Because we no longer live in simian social castes – I mean, not literally anyway – this doesn't often manifest as rumbling over food, mates, and leadership. (Though it can and does.) Instead, this masculine desire to prove yourself the very best, like no one ever was, takes the form of meaningless contests and shows of bravado. Who can make the most home runs? Whose car is the fastest? Who is better at this video game? Who can eat the most chicken nuggets without puking? That kind of shit. 

I think this is human nature, honestly, and can even be healthy in establishing boundaries and such. But too often, guys don't outgrow this need to repeatedly assert their dominance, leading to grown-ass men having childish dick-measuring contests. (Hopefully not literally.) Our culture prioritizes toughness and success in males so much that guys are constantly pushed to "prove" themselves in the most ridiculous ways, leading to otherwise friendly contests going way too fucking far. That's the commonly understood idea that is nicely exploited here for eleven minutes of amusing frivolity. I know I've similarly let light-hearted competitions escalated to dumb-ass levels. 

This set-up raises a, perhaps, more pressing question: Would Sonic the Hedgehog be a good friend? I know this franchise has repeatedly emphasized that standing up for his friends is what drives Sonic and all that. Yet the version of the character that first emerged in the early nineties was defined by 'tude, above all else. He had catchphrases and went fast and had a hot girlfriend and exclusively ate fast food. This element is still present in the modern iterations of the characters, largely in his cockiness. Since "Boom" exaggerates these elements for comedic effect, it often presents Sonic as kind of an insufferable braggart with an ever-present snarky side. There are times throughout this episode were Sonic is unbearably condescending to Tails and his other pals, such as when he's "grading" Tails' traps or repeating his puns to Amy. Would you actually want to be friends with a braggy super-fast hedgehog with a sarcastic one-liner at the ready at all times? I mean, probably, but it would get old fast. 

This is not really the point of the episode. You know me, I just have to extrapolate wildly. Instead, the episode uses the increasingly-less-friendly rivalry between Sonic and Tails to further two goals. The first of which is an escalating absurdity. Tails' traps to catch Sonic get goofier as the episode progresses. A simple chili-dog-under-a-cage trap soon leads to a booby-trapped hammock, ensnaring barrels, and motorized boulders. Tails actually more-or-less succeeds by setting a trap on a frozen over lake, playing on Sonic's inability to swim in a way Eggman probably should have by now. The Rube Goldberg-esque mechanism that activates this scenario is also an unusually elaborately animated moment, which I appreciated. 

The other point is the one that most obviously marks this as the work of Ian Flynn. If I were to identify one point as the uniting thesis of Flynn's entire body-of-work, it would be that friendships make us stronger. Having people we care about in our lives, that are there to support us through adversity, makes us better, more fully formed people. You see this theme clearly in pretty much all of Flynn's Scourge the Hedgehog stories as well as countless tales involving Sonic's relationship with the Freedom Fighters and the Restoration. It's not independence or saving the world that Sonic fights for so much as it is protecting the friends and loved ones he cares about. Even sourpusses like Shadow and Whisper the Wolf would learn this throughout Flynn's various comics. It's definitely present in "Sonic Frontiers" too. 

And so, Sonic and Tails eventually get over their petty conflict in "Anything You Can Do..." and reunite to protect each other. This extends to the other members of Team Boom, who where increasingly isolated by Sonic and Tails' dumbass contest. The power of friendship comes through and saved the day once again. I would've liked it if this episode focused in humbling Sonic a little more – which is instead brushed off casually in the last scene – but it's solid. 

The other element that most marks this as Flynn's work is some amusingly meta dialogue. That's a gag he relied on a lot in his "Boom" comics, so it's not surprising it resurfaced here. Sonic makes a reference to "the audience" early on while Eggman refers to Tails' slingshot hammock contraption as "so first season." Eggman's dialogue probably made me laugh the most here. A meandering conversation about raisins in chocolate or whether "hedgehog-sickle" is too confusing an insult made me reliably chuckle. As did his concluding insistence that he actually won the day. 

The result is an amicably goofy episode which makes good use of its characters and their dynamic. Hey, I guess this Ian Flynn guy is pretty good at writing about blue hedgehogs after all. [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.05: The Biggest Fan

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.05: The Biggest Fan

Original Air Date: December 16th, 2016

Let's just be honest about one thing: The "Sonic" fandom has a reputation. I think, in this day and age, we've all made peace with the fact that "Sonic" fans are generally perceived to be weird. In 2023, it's regarded almost as a charming quirk of the series. "Oh, you wacky Sonic fans, with your recolors and autism and disturbing paraphilias." In the modern day, when we've seen the horrors of the internet radicalize nerds into fascists and mass-shooters, it's generally recognized that just being really passionate about a blue cartoon hedgehog isn't that big of a deal. Not to mention "Sonic" weirdos have largely been surpassed in freakiness by Bronies and other more visible, more risible subcultures. 

This was not necessarily the case in 2016, when the series was still trying to rehabilitate itself after years of high-profile flops. Part of that healing process began when the franchise started to become self-aware about its own notoriety. Ambitious fan works like "Sonic Dreams Collection" and "Tails Gets Trolled" turned this reputation on its head, making the "Sonic" fandom's penchant for strangeness into a self-aware joke. The "you can't make fun of us, if we make fun of ourselves first" strategy. When the official "Sonic" Twitter account starting playing along with the memers, it became clear that Sega – or at least the social media branch of Sega – was embracing this technique as well. This, alongside never letting people forget the series' glory days, is what eventually led "Sonic" to becoming a beloved point of nostalgia among the mainstream, that can still be popular and well-received while also cracking jokes about its own infamy. 

I don't know how much of an impact the "Sonic Boom" animated series had on this. I suspect we won't know for sure until the kids who watched this show when it was new grow up to become game designers and show runners themselves. Yet I suspect that "Boom," with its frequently meta and very self-aware writing, had a role to play in this refurbishing. Which is to say: It was really only a matter of time before "Sonic Boom" did an episode making fun of the "Sonic" fandom. That time would arrive early in season two with "The Biggest Fan."

After Amy talks Sonic into speaking at a local school's career day, he is met in the audience by Mark the Tapir. The deeply nerdy Mark declares himself to be Sonic's biggest fan. The hedgehog is made a bit uncomfortable by the guy's lack of boundaries but eventually warms up to him. He even hires Mark to be his personal assistant. This turns out to be a huge mistake. Mark soon reveals himself to be an unhinged stalker, who takes Sonic captive and forces him to act out all his disturbing fantasies. Amy, Tails, and Knuckles quickly deduce what is going on and get wrapped up in this themselves. 

 

"Sonic" fans being the uniquely passionate individuals that they are, it's unsurprising that "Boom" was divisively received. What is surprising is that the show's writers so quickly picked up on the most common criticism among the most perturbed fans. "The Biggest Fan" includes in-jokes about "Boom" Sonic having blue arms and wearing too much speed tape, minor cosmetic changes that some folks lost their shit about. Gags like this characterize this episode's general approach, which is heavy on the in-jokes. Early on, Sonic mentions he has many fans who criticize everything he does, a good example of biting-the-hand-that-feeds humor. There's even lines about fanfiction that isn't family-friendly and the SonAmy pairing. Mark dressing himself up as Sonic can even be seen as a jab at fursuiters or the recolor phenomenon. 

"The Biggest Fan" being such a self-aware episode has led some to speculate that Mark the Tapir is a spoof of one especially notorious "Sonic" fan. In all the years Hedgehogs Can't Swim has existed, I've managed to never explicitly mention Christian Weston Chandler and I guess that streak ends today. Yes, some believe that Mark the Tapir is a direct parody of the notorious – so notorious that no introduction is really necessary and if you don't know who this person is, I'm so sorry for telling you – Charlottesville, Virginia resident and the creator of Sonichu. Proponents of this theory point towards Mark wearing dorky glasses, an unflattering polo shirt, and being tubby with a bad haircut. Of course, his disturbing fixation on Sonic is the biggest common denominator between Mark and the mayor of CWCVille. 

I personally believe this theory to be a stretch. I have no doubt that the "Boom" writers were aware of Chris-Chan. You can only exist in the "Sonic" sphere for so long before discovering them. People officially employed by Sega have referenced Sonichu before. Yet it's clear to me that Mark is a more general parody of obsessive fans than Chris-Chan specifically. First off, it's weird that writer Doug Lieblich would base a character on Chris without paying homage to their tendency to create nearly identical mash-up fan characters, what first brought this person to infamy. 

Secondly, Sonic is actually rather receptive to Mark at first. The tapir is even helpful, giving the hedgehog pointers on how to defeat Charlie at one point. It's hard to imagine the notoriously awkward Chris-Chan pulling those feats of. The only moment that seems potentially directed at CWC, in my eyes, is the blue arms joke. And even that could be a coincidence, as CWC was not alone in being offended by this change. (Lieblich would officially deny basing the character on anyone specific and I'm inclined to believe him.)

Otherwise, Mark is a generic creepy nerd type, his appearance based on well understood physical stereotypes. He's even rather conniving at moments, his obvious unsavory tendencies rising to the surface not-so-subtly. In fact, "The Biggest Fan" is clearly more influenced by Stephen King's "Misery" than any depraved, deranged fan comics. A moment when Sonic attempts to escape and disrupts a display of knickknacks Mark has set up, the minor disturbance of which the obsessive fan immediately notices, is a direct homage to King's novel. Mark's desire to take care of Sonic's needs, holding him captive, while forcing him to validate his weird, personal fantasies generally have more in-common with Annie Wilkes than anyone else I could name. 

Even then, I wish the episode got a little more into Mark's motivations. King's "Misery" is one of the greatest works ever on the toxic codependency between fans and the properties they obsess over. Annie Wilkes made her very specific, very personal interpretation of the "Misery" books part of her personality, part of her dogma. When Paul Sheldon, the creator of the thing she loves so much, threatens that interpretation, Annie becomes totally unhinged. You see this exact same dynamic in the "Sonic" fandom, where people become so obsessively attached to the version of the franchise that exists in their heads, that even official deviations from that vision amount to blasphemy. 

"Misery" also makes it clear why Annie fixated so much on these books: She's a sad, extremely lonely individual who has been rejected by the world, owing to obviously untreated mental health problems. With no one in real life to turn to, she has taken solace in fiction. Now, I'm not making any accusations against Sonic fans. I don't think anyone reading this blog would ever kidnap Yuji Naka or Ian Flynn and hobble them. But, I'm just saying, I've definitely seen similar attitudes during my many years in this fandom. Love can make you crazy and that includes love for fictional narratives and media properties. 

"The Biggest Fan" doesn't get into any of that. I mean, of course it doesn't. It's an eleven minute long comedy cartoon intended for children. It doesn't have the time nor inclination to examine the deeply rooted causes of obsessive fandom. Yet it does bug me some that we learn so little about Mark. Why he's so devoted to Sonic is never elaborated on. He just exists as an idea – a clingy, nutty fan who takes things too far – and doesn't receive any depth. The specific things about Sonic that appeal to him aren't explained. In fact, his exact plans for Sonic, outside of taking him captive and making him read his fanfics, aren't shown. I get that "Boom" only has so much time to tell its story and that delivering the yuks is its main concern. Yet a real chance to do something more was thrown away here. 

For what it's worth, the yuks are reliably delivered in this installment. The episode begins with a good barrage of jokes, when we hear the various people from around the village discuss their jobs. Lady Walrus asking why poor people aren't simply born wealthy is definitely a highlight. As is the big finale, where Sonic and friends attempt to fight off Mark while wearing restrictive body-casts. That's a rare example of this show using its limited animation budget to its advantage. Knuckles also gets a good moment involving spinning plates while Tails directing a line towards Amy about unhealthy attachment made me laugh loudly. 

"The Biggest Fan" is ultimately a merely good episode that easily could've been a fantastic episode. Even its final moment, that shows Sonic reacting to a different fan approaching him, could've been made into something deeper. In our modern age, when content creators intentionally seek out parasocial relationships with their fans, an ending that so definitively established the need for healthy boundaries could've been profound. Instead, it's just a gag. That's how it goes, I guess. I suppose an official "Sonic" product referencing dirty fanfic should be reward enough of its own. [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.4: Alone Again, Unnaturally

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.4: Alone Again, Unnaturally

Original Air Date: December 3rd, 2016 

The fourth episode of "Sonic Boom's" second season begins with a scenario we've all probably had dreams about. Sonic awakens in his village totally alone. He explores the homes of his friends and all their frequent hangouts, finding them strangely empty. He can't recall how he got in this situation at first but a flashback soon informs. Tails was trying to find ways to push Sonic's speed even further. Eventually, he created a device called the Ultrasonic Speed Amplifier. This allowed the hedgehog to run so fast he has gone out-of-sync with the dimensional plain he lives on. Sonic's friends attempt to rescue their blue buddy before Eggman can take advantage of his absence. 

This episode's first scene plays off a commonly considered idea: What if, one morning, you found yourself totally alone? This meditative, unnerving question has inspired countless pieces of art. Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" and the very first episode of "The Twilight Zone" is what first comes to mind for me when I think of this premise but you can probably come up with some of your own. Sticking Sonic in this set-up has a lot of potential. Having him awaken into this scenario with no memory of how he got there or what's going on furthers the dream-like premise. I would've loved an eerie eleven minutes devoted to Sonic trying to unravel this strange mystery. 

Of course, "Sonic Boom" isn't that kind of show. This is a smart aleck comedy program. If Sonic doesn't have anyone to throw quips off of, how will the yuks be generated? The solution writer Benoit Grenier comes up with is simply have Sonic make snarky comments to himself. Within the opening minutes, he's already making jokes about Comedy Chimp's swimsuit calendar or Amy's poetry slam. Once the flashback begins, we are fully in the realm of slapstick comedy. Sonic even slams into a valley wall and leaves a perfectly shaped imprint of his body, like in a Looney Tunes cartoon. I wouldn't expect "Sonic Boom" to exploit this set-up for any other than chuckles but it is a little disappointing. They could've let the eeriness settle in a bit before getting to the one-liners. 

"Alone Again" does ask an interesting question that this speed-obsessed franchise has asked from time to time. Namely, how fast is too fast? Sonic's speed is his defining characteristic but his exact top speed varies totally from media to media. Even within the games, Sonic can range from being so fast he generated enough energy to rebirth the universe to Eggman being able to outrun him on-foot. "Boom" suggests that Sonic's potential for fastness is far bigger than even the hedgehog realizes. After Tails straps his booster thingy on him, the hedgehog keeps going faster and faster until he throws himself out-of-sync with reality. I'm not going to try and figure out the science of this premise, which seems sketchy to me. Yet the idea that the hedgehog can touch light-speed levels with the right equipment – but that such achievements have consequences – is a solid foundation for an episode. 

While Sonic is invisible to every one on the main plain of reality, he finds himself in Eggman's base of operations. He quickly starts to mess around with shit which, to Eggman's eyes, looks like some serious poltergeist activity is going down in his abode. This leads to one of the episode's funniest gags. Apparently, it seems, Eggman has an interest in ghost hunting. Believing in the supernatural probably should be out-of-character for a hardline science guy like him. Yet, the way it's framed here, actually makes this character development make sense. There's a brief gag about Eggman being annoyed with the moderators of the internet ghosthunting forum he used to frequent. The joke here, the contrast between Eggman's status as the show's primary supervillain and the petty drama of internet forum bickering, is obvious. Yet it also further reveals how "Boom" Eggman is a guy always on the search for validation, for approval from authority figures. I like that.

Ultimately, "Alone Again, Unnaturally" is not an episode about ghosts or isolation or any of that shit. Instead, the script eventually bends towards a very sweet moral about friendship. After being put through a series of humiliating experiments that physically harm him, Sonic probably isn't feeling too confident in his friendship with Tails. Yet the fox's quest to reunite himself with his best friend relies on their connection. Ultimately, Sonic's desire to be back with Tails and the rest of the gang is what pushes him through to the conclusion. It's a nice little note to take us out on here. No matter how much snarky one-liners they trade from time-to-time, these guys really do care about each other. 

This episode does have plenty of one-liners in it though. In fact, there's some pretty good zingers throughout. A line about "Blast processing" - which Tails uses here to refer to his speed-boosting technology -  is a goofy in-joke that the show really runs with in a way that made me smile. The assumption that Sonic is dead, and Sticks' reaction to that news, also becomes a solid running gag. The cascade of slapstick leads to some good moments. such as Tails slipping on some goggles or Amy's reaction to Sonic's latest injury. Honestly, though, the moment that got the biggest laugh out of me was Roger Craig Smith's utterly unhinged delivery of lines like "FASTER!" and "DO IT!" 

It all adds up to an episode that probably could've been something a lot more special but instead has to settle for being suitably entertaining. I guess that's about standard for "Sonic Boom," a show with rarely enough time to truly explore its topics and always focused on the goal of generating chuckles. Yet at least this episode feels fairly fully formed, compared to some of the really half-baked season one episodes. [7/10]

 

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.3: Nutwork

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.3: Nutwork

Original Air Date: November 26th, 2016 

While brushing her teeth, Sticks discovers there's no water running to her pipe. She naturally suspects a conspiracy. She's outraged to discover that the local news is ignoring the issue. Instead, Soar is broadcasting fluff pieces that make the local government look good. Determined to get the truth out, Tails helps Sticks set up a pirate radio station. Quickly, she uncovers that Eggman is behind the water shortage. This attracts public attention and Sticks is scooped up by the local news station, eager to boost ratings. Sticks soon discovers that working from within the system is much trickier than first assumed. 

Out of the central five "Sonic Boom" cast members, it seems Sticks is the one that get episodes devoted to her the least. I guess it's easier to build couple-times-an-episode jokes around the ranting conspiracy theorist than to make her the center of the story. Yet "Nutwork" proves why the paranoid badger should be the star of the show more often. As you'd expect from a title parodying Sidney Lamet's 1976 Best Picture winner "Network," this is a surprisingly sharp episode of "Boom." (Though Sticks notably does not scream she's mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.) It starts with a fairly strong inciting incident: What if Sticks actually did uncover a legitimate conspiracy? What would the fallout of that be? 

The eleven minutes that follows represents one of the few "Boom" installments that actually contains some coherent social commentary. Sticks wants to get the truth out to as many people as possible. In order to do this, she has to compromise her principles and work with the mainstream media. Yet just by teaming up with a big news corp, the purity of her message is corrupted. After breaking open the big story about Eggman stealing everyone's water, she kowtows to the network's demand for a fluffy human interest story. She agrees to this as part of a one-for-you, one-for-them deal. Yet her ethics continue to be sullied after discovering that Eggman actually sponsors the news. 

The message here is clear: Kids, don't sell out on your morals. Any time money gets involved in something – especially money from a big corporation – the interests of big corporations will always be reflected. More than anything else, those corporations want to keep the public pacified so they can continue to rob them while everyone remains ignorant. No matter how good your intentions might be, you can't fight the system from within the system. This environment ends up corrupting even the staunchest believer in the cause. The experience leaves Sticks horrified that she has now become the establishment that she set out to fight. 

Obviously, this is a pretty bleak message to send to the young kids who watched this cartoon. I've commented before that "Sonic Boom" actually displays a fairly cynical view of society semi-regularly. The writers clearly believe that authority figures are corrupt and are motivated by their own greed and desire to stay in power. The show also believes that people are fundamentally very stupid. The network execs Sticks finds herself working under inform her that the news program pumps out so many fluffy, happy news stories to keep people relaxed and upbeat. One of Sticks' listeners basically admits that he'll believe anything someone on the radio or TV tells him to. Moreover, once Sticks admits to the public that the mainstream media is inherently untrustworthy, the public goes into a panic. This leads to a rather grim conclusion: People are so dumb that they need to be told what to believe. Without that, society descends into chaos. 

"Nutwork" tries to spin a positive message out of this. The finale of the episode involves the panicking public teaming up to destroy Eggman's water-stealing machine. (While a thinly veiled cover of Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" plays on the soundtrack.) This definitely feels like a last minute attempt to soften a depressing truth about American society that maybe the kids at home aren't ready to hear. I guess this is a more appropriate ending for the seven-to-ten year old crowd than Howard Beale getting assassinated for daring to speak the unpopular truth to the public-at-large. 

Honestly, I'm kind of surprised "Boom" Went There, albeit in its typically sarcastic and flippant way. Despite a fairly heavy story, this still manages to be a consistently funny episode. Sticks is probably my favorite character on the show, so it's not surprising that her unpredictable behavior and paranoid (if justified in this case) rantings make me chuckle. She's teamed up for most of this episode with the usually rational Tails, which makes for a potent comedic pairing. A sequence where Sticks free falls into Eggman's facility is probably the humorous highlight. An attempt by Amy to reassure Sticks that those-in-power have the public's best interest at heart is immediately undermined in a funny way. 

The show indulges in some of its trademark meta qualities here as well. One of Sticks' listeners comments that Eggman doesn't usually have a financial motivation for his scheme on this show. Meanwhile, the writers explicitly name the Gilligan Flip, a pop culture reference/industry insider term that the kids in the target audience probably wouldn't understand. There's some good old fashion absurdity here too, like a network exec who relies too much on finger-quotes or a decent gag about oversized scissors and coupons. 

I guess there is one serious problem with "Nutwork" though: You seriously expect me to believe that Sticks would drink public water, much less be hooked up to it? Come on, she would obviously only drink fresh well water or rain water in order to avoid fluoride contamination and have her mind brainwashed by Commie interests/be robbed of her precious bodily fluids and purity of essence. That major oversight aside, this is a pretty well written and funny episode. [7/10]