Sonic Boom, Episode 2.28: Robots from the Sky Part 3

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.28: Robots from the Sky Part 3

Original Air Date: May 20th, 2017

If I was a griping man – which, of course, I am – I would point out that "Robots from the Sky" has barely been a four parter. The truth is, it's only been the last episode and this one that clearly connect. The first part stands alone on its own fairly well, if you ignore that cliffhanger. Still, I guess it speaks to the writers' skills that they realized a whole episode was necessary to introduce the concept of Morristown and spend a minute developing Mighton and Bolts as characters. You can certainly imagine that information being rushed through in one of these later installments but, this way, it all breathes a little more. 

Anywho, "Robots from the Sky Part 3" has Sonic and Tails stepping into Morristown and immediately attracting the attention of some pissed-off robots. They soon meet up with the small resistance, led by Mighton and Bolts, protected from the violent malware by staying inside a lead-lined room. (That's not how malware works but just go with it.) They send the fleshies on a mission to confront the leader of this robot rebellion. Tails is shocked to see that it's a machine built in his own image: HypnoBot, after being blown sky high at the end of "Robot Battle Royale," was rescued by the Morristown robots. They rebuilt him, gave him a mind of his own, and now HypnoBot is using his powers to seek revenge. As Sonic and Tails confront the mechanic villain, the rest of Team Sonic attempts to defend the village from his minions. 

Previously, I said that a robot rebellion in this show plays with the idea that maybe Sonic and the gang have been ruthlessly murdering artificial beings with souls and personality all this time. Maybe such a revolt was actually understandable, justified even. I didn't expect Alan Denton, Greg Hahn, and Bill Freiberg to address these ideas in future installments. Yet the big reveal in "Part 3" actually does touch upon them some. Having HypnoBot be the machine responsible for this uprising makes Tails' inaction towards his own creation responsible for all this pain and suffering. He is Dr. Frankenstein and HypnoBot is his monster. He was created to destroy other robots, an elaborate trash compactor never intended to feel any sorrow for the trash it compacts. Tails never considered that his cast-offs might have a second life after he throws them away. Thematically, it's actually quite rich that the hero made a machine designed to control other machines, wasn't all that upset when it was seemingly destroyed, and now that machine is back to seek vengeance. Not just for itself but for all robots that have been similarly discarded. Having one of the good guys indirectly be tied to this entire affair makes it clear that maybe they aren't always in the right. Maybe the people who thought they were doing good have actually been committing horrible deeds by never confronting their own bias and strictly organic-centric worldview. 

I don't to want to give this children's show too much credit. Down on the ground, Amy, Knuckles, and Sticks still smash up Eggman's Badniks without it being depicted as anything but a justified act. HypnoBot is treated only as a deranged extremist, never as an ensouled machine that possibly has a good point. Moreover, Tails is basically cleared of any wrongdoing by two lines of dialogue: He specifically says that he didn't build HypnoBot with any sense of sentience. This was added to him when the Morristown residents rebuilt him. See, kids, Tails would never intentionally give one of his slaves a soul! That means it's okay that he treats them like trash! So maybe this entire four-parter wasn't inspired by the idea that Sonic and the gang constantly smashing Eggman's robots is kind of fucked-up. I guess I'm probably – big shocker here – overthinking it. Or maybe the writers realize they better step back and make sure everyone's favorite cute little pudgy two-tail vulpine wasn't passing out souls like Snickers on October 31st. 

Maybe Denton/Hahn/Freidberg missed the implication their premise unknowingly brought up. Either way, bringing back HypnoBot as the master planner behind this scheme is a good reveal. Namely because I had completely forgotten about this guy. In my review of "Robot Battle Royale," I even call it "an average episode." Out of the eighty episodes of this show I've watched and reviewed, such an installment is destined to sink into the recess of the memory. Bringing back a minor character from a past episode is another good example of how this four-parter represents "Boom" becoming something like a serialized program. Honestly, it mirrors how the Archie "Sonic" comic evolved somewhat, a gag series slowly bringing back little one-off jokes in order to form an actual history. This episode also sees the return of Og and Cowbot, two other characters I figured we wouldn't see again. (Also glad to see that the injustice of Cowbot being senselessly murdered was retconned.) I know "Robots from the Sky" only happened so the animators could reuse some seemingly one-off models. However, this strictly mercenary plan ended up further turning this silly show into something like a growing fictional world. Moreover, HypnoBot's super powers actually make a lot of sense for a villainous application. I said as much in my "Robot Battle Royale" review, saying it was a show-breaking power. Glad someone else saw that potential. 

There's another reason this episode is surprising beyond plucking a random robot out of a past episode to be the big bad. Sonic and Tails actually loose a fight in this episode! When up against the controlled robots in Morristown, Tails gets his tails trapped by a snare, keeping him from flying. Sonic, meanwhile, takes several blows to his shins, impeding his running. He even takes a gnarly looking stomp to the leg afterwards. Here, we see antagonists on this show actually attacking the sources of Sonic and Tails' superpowers, a strategy that bad guys on a show that wasn't a goofy sitcom could employ more often. Either way, seeing one of the fights on "Sonic Boom" have actual stakes is unexpected, much less to see Sonic and Tails actually take an L. I mean, HypnoBot is defeated but I still think this represents a hard loss for the heroes. 

That's what is going on in the sky though. What about the shenanigans in the village? Knuckles, Amy, and Sticks definitely come close to being overwhelmed. They are surrounded by robots at one point, a clear dramatic moment. Knuckles ends up turning the tide by convincing the villagers to fight back, instead of just fleeing in terror. Obviously, "Boom" being a comedic show, this is a farcical moment. Knuckles' rousing speech doesn't speak to the villagers' inner heroism or better nature. Instead, he says the robots are going to mess up all their stuff. Basically, Knuckles appeals to their selfishness. Obviously, this joke is an inversion of the typical heroic speech that gives the witless villagers the strength to fight back. Yet it also continues the depiction of everyone in town as totally myopic and self-centered. At this point, that has gone from a little comedic subversion to simply an established characteristic of the show. Everyone in Hedgehog Village fucking sucks. (That extends to the police force, who pointedly flee in terror when faced with a threat. Reminding you once again that Sonic Says ACAB.)

Speaking of reoccurring elements of this show that I repeatedly reference as a way to explore ideas and themes that personally interest me! Eggman doesn't have much to do in this episode. The first time we see him, he's sitting alone in his base, wearing a bathrobe, and eating store brand cereal. He even had a line about how pathetic he is, that he can't keep his own minions under control. I know I've made the observation that Eggman's super egotism and desire for control speaks to some obvious self-doubt. Yet this scene is the first where I've wondered if Eggman is, like, genuinely depressed. Once you start thinking about his life in this light – that he has to build people to spend time with him – his existence starts to feel really bleak. Poor guy. His Mombot should check in on him more often. 

Compared to the first two parts of "Robots from the Sky," this one is a little less jam-packed with sarcastic one-liners. Seems to me that Denton and Hahn actually got invested in the action/adventure plot some! However, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of jokes here. The scene with Mighton packs in quite a lot of goofs on his mixed metaphors. Jabs are taken at Comedy Chimp getting divorced, condescending laughter, or FriendBot's name. However, the jokes and gags here are strong. A moment where Bolts says he's "transferring a map wirelessly" before physically handing Tails the map is like something out of a classic Mel Brooks flick. Grade-A jappery. The scene of Sonic and Tails attempting to navigate Morristown's innards, being pleased to meet some strangers in a dark alleyway, denying they were loitering, and HypnoBot providing a sick burn about any perceived coolness Tails may have are solid laughers. It's really almost as if pairing the comedy with some strong plotting and some actual stakes in the action scenes makes it funnier or something! 

This story isn't quite over, as the final scene prepares us for one more round with HypnoBot. Going into this four parter, I was skeptical if the show could actually pull off a more story-driven angle but, even one away from the end, I'm willing to call this experiment a success. The action has been better, the writing has been better, and even the jokes have been funnier. Honestly, I'm starting to wish "Boom" had taken this approach a lot more often. This is easily the best installment of what has been a strong story arc. [7/10]