Sonic Boom, Episode 2.27: Robots from the Sky, Part 2

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.27: Robots from the Sky, Part 2

Original Air Date: May 17th, 2017

As I work my way through season two of "Sonic Boom," I look at the air dates for each episode and find myself thinking "Man, it must've sucked to have been a fan of this show when it was airing in real time." Especially during this four parter. Waiting a week between installments when they are full half-hour episodes is one thing but these are only little ten minute-long shorts! And it seems each one ends on a cliffhanger. Tuning in for something so short, just to have it end on an unrealized point and having to wait a whole week for the next part, sounds seriously annoying. Kind of makes me glad I'm catching up with this show years after the fact.

"Robots from the Sky Part 1" ended on the dramatic moment of Team Sonic being surrounded by unseen enemies in the bushes, Tails being zapped by a laser beam. Part two quickly defuses that cliffhanger, by showing Tails has survived thanks to a well placed book and also that the robots attacking them are the imbecilic Cubot prototypes from "Beyond the Valley of the Cubots." They might be easy to defeat but this is only the beginning of a full-scale robot rebellion, all of Eggman's minions marching on the village at once. Tails quickly discovers that the machines are all infected with the same Malware, whose origins seem to be Morrisville. Sonic and Tails head for the robot city in the sky while Amy, Knuckles, and Sticks stay behind to fight off the encroaching horde. 

Last time, I pointed out that the team of Alan Denton, Greg Hahn, and Bill Freiberger managed to tell a surprisingly well-rounded story in the first part of this installment, all within the confines of such a short runtime. The second part continues this trend, producing a surprisingly jam-packed installment. Most shocking of all, I'm finding myself actually invested in this story. From the simplistic set-up of two random robots falling out of the sky, this plot has evolved to feature a robotic revolt with mysterious origins. Now, even in its most serious moments, "Sonic Boom" is still a comedy show. These story developments are tinged with a certain goofiness. Namely, the source of this rebellion isn't a malicious A.I. or Singularity-like mass awakening among the machines. No, a Malware virus has spread among the machines. In other words, the robot rebellion is starting because of Bonzai Buddy. The mind quivers in fear at the thought... 

As jokey as this reveal is, I still think doing a proper robot uprising story is a good idea for this show. It's a properly wide-ranging threat that doesn't involve Eggman – giving it a sense of something bigger and more dangerous – while also respecting the history of the show. In fact, I'm beginning to think this entire story arc might have been an excuse to reuse assets from previous episodes. Some familiar robots appear here and not just the same Badniks we see all the time. Firebot is back from last time, but so is Icebot and Crusherbot. We even get to see Octobot for the first time in a while. Like j said, season two had worked up a decent amount of continuity by this point. Bringing back the Cubot prototypes or FiendBot isn't just neat, in the sense that it makes this world feel a little more fleshed-out and fully formed. It also raises the emotional stakes a little. We can't help but wonder why the former friendly Cubots and FiendBot have turned violent and it makes us kind of sad to see the good guys forced to fight their former friends. That's, like, ya know, good writing. 

Granted, even in a more serious and action-packed story arc like this, things are still not too perilous. Team Sonic never seems too endangered by the robots attacking them. The Cubot rejects are easily defeated, thanks to the big red self-destruct buttons on top of their heads. One tap on that and they go kerflooey, making them the most easily dispatched shock troops this side of Lord Zedd's Putties and their unmissable "Press Here to Kill" buttons. Even during the siege on the village, you never feel like the good guys are in that much danger. Octobot's ice splotches annoy Sonic more than they hurt him. Amy's reaction to FiendBot attacking her is based more on a friend turning on her than his threat level. The episode even uses lack of danger for a joke. Amy is on the communicator with Tails when she's blindsided by Icebot, her life in peril... Before we cut to her having reduced him to a pile of twisted wreckage, hammering away at him. 

Still, I must say I am impressed with the action scenes here. The increased effort and budget of this four parter continues to show, in the acrobatic and stylish way the heroes punch, slam, and slice through the robotic minions. There's an unexpected grace to Amy tapping a Cubot's button with the butt of her hammer or Sticks decapitating a Mantisbot with her staff. The extra level of precision taken with this episode is especially apparent in the last third. That's when Tails and Sonic head for Morristown in his plane, eventually getting into a dogfight with the airborne sentries around the floating city. It's pretty well done! A scene where Sonic leaps from his seat and has to rely on Tails to catch him before he goes splat on the ground is even mildly suspenseful! Not what I expected from this show at all. 

However, no matter how action packed the episode seemingly may be, "Boom" will always be "Boom." This is especially the case with a Denton/Hahn episode. "Robots from the Sky Part 2" is even more jam-packed with jokey lines than the first part. The non-stop smarm does get overwhelming at times. Several lines at Mayor Fink's expense are overdone. The script remains very meta, with Sonic asking Tails not to tee up action, instructing kids not to copy his daredevil stunts, and some villagers commenting on the high occurrence of robot attacks. Lines about mid-air amenities or sports teams really do start to drain the tension from the later action scenes. 

Despite the episode's sweaty need to pack every single moment with jokes, I did laugh a good amount. Amy is a good foil in this episode, Knuckles commenting on her throw pillows or Sonic snarking on her insisted-upon difference between teal and turquoise. Roger Craig Smith's reaction to that line is especially good. Mike Pullock, in Eggman's sole scene here, also delivers a good response to a rubber duck. Tails' description of an absurd Plan B is a groaner but it's saved by Knuckles nonchalantly doing exactly what was described in a later scene. 

Other jokes that don't quite land are a scene involving Soar the Eagle, recording the old woman wolf being attacked by a robot, and a scene of Leeroy the Turtle proving less than helpful. However, these moments do continue a reoccurring theme of this show. Namely, the residents of Hedgehog Village are so selfish that you wonder if they even deserve to be rescued. Soar standing back and commenting on the average person refusing to help, while he himself stands back and refuses to help, is yet another pessimistic commentary on the press prioritizing glory seeking and self-serious pontificating over actually serving the public. The scene with Leroy, where he is asked to guard Tails' workshop as the Cubots rampage inside and then just leaves shortly afterwards, is simply an example of someone being an asshole for no reason. Once again, I'm surprised at how downbeat this show can be at times, in its portrayal of the average person as fundamentally stupid and self-centered. 

This episode may seem only somewhat connected to Morrisville, as described in the previous episode, but the final scene returns to that location. Looks like more mysteries remain to be resolved. Overall, I'm finding this story arc well-done so far and have really been appreciating the boost in animation quality too. As goofy and sometimes half-assed as "Sonic Boom" could be, it's good to know the show could occasionally really step up and deliver the goods every once in a while. Onward to part three! [7/10]