Sonic Boom, Episode 2.47: You and I Bee-come One

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.47: You and I Bee-come One

Original Air Date: October 14th, 2017

Considering how "Sonic Boom" started to bring back previously one-off characters, I expected an episode entitled "You and I Bee-come One" to bring back Amy's pet Beebot, Bea. Nope! Instead, this one starts with Eggman leaving on a vacation. Before he goes, he programs all his Beebots to automatically zero in on Sonic and his friends. The heroes quickly carole the bugs into a cave. While this is happening, Tails is testing his new matter transporter on himself. A Beebot swoops into the teleporter at the last second. The device acts as a gene-splicer, Tails and the robotic insect being Brundlefly'd into a freakish hybrid. At first, everyone is focused on reversing the transformation. However, Tails soon discovers he likes the added superpowers this new form has given him. Unfortunately, being half-Beebot also links him with the hive, causing the fox to soon turn on his buddies and unleashes the imprisoned swarm. Sonic and the others have to reluctantly team up with Eggman to unravel this mess. 

Much to my surprise and delight, "You and I Bee-come One" is an episode of "Sonic Boom" inspired by a classic horror film. In 1957, George Langelaan published the short story, "The Fly." The premise, of a scientist inventing a teleporter and unwittingly fusing himself with a common housefly, caught the attention of 20th Century Fox exec Kurt Neumann. He quickly adapted it into a film starring David Hedison and genre icon Vincent Price. The combination of sci-fi gadgetry, a committed cast, a tragic romance approach to the material, and lightly surreal horror made the film a hit. Two sequels of debatable merit followed. In the mid-eighties, Canadian master David Cronenberg was hired to put his own spin on "The Fly." The 1986 remake was a greater success than the original. (And got its own questionable sequel.) Thanks to star-making performances from Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, a thoughtful script, and utterly grotesque special effects, this "Fly" is now regarded as a classic too. Despite the graphic body horror of the film, homages to it have repeatedly popped up in kids cartoons. Split second gags in Disney cartoons, an entire episode of "Invader Zim," a whole-ass reoccurring character on the first "Ninja Turtles" series, and countless shout-outs to its often repeated tagline are only a few examples. This puts "Sonic Boom" in good company, even if this is yet another reference kids in 2017 were unlikely to understand. 

"You and I Bee-come One" keeps the cocoon-like design of the telepods from Cronenberg's film but its combination is closer to the '57 original, meaning we don't see Tails shedding body parts or vomiting acidic digestive fluid on people. However, the psychological effect the transformation has on Tails isn't unlike Cronenberg's vision. Being half-robobee causes Tails to loose touch with his humanity. (Fox-ity?) At first, he simply finds the upgrades, like mechanical bug wings or laser zapping stingers, useful for superhero-ing. However, he soon loses the ability to emphasize with organic beings before plotting a full-scale BeeBot invasion of the village. This is illustrated by Tails hearing echoing cries of "Jooooin us!" in his mind. (Itself a shout-out to another eighties horror flick.) "Sonic Boom" naturally plays all of this for comedy but it is a fairly involving narrative. A hero turning against his pals via an upgrade in ability is classic comic book shenanigans. Meanwhile, Tails seeking to leave the alienating individuality of autonomous personhood behind in order to join the conformity of bee life is an existential crisis we can all relate to. I mean, who among us hasn't longed to discard the drudgery of personal freedom and become one with the hive? We've all been there, folks. 

Benoit Grenier doesn't exactly probe this concept for any deep reflections on the human and/or robot insect existence. Nor does he resolve the inconsistency of how all this gene-splicing works with a robotic bee. Instead of being turned into a fox/insect hybrid, Tails probably should have had metal parts inserted throughout his body, a fate closer to "Crash" than "The Fly" on the Cronenberg body horror scale. Truthfully, "You and I Bee-come One" is plottier than you might expect from "Sonic Boom." Eggman spending the weekend at a retreat for supervillains isn't the inciting incident. It incites the inciting incident, Tails getting bug-spliced. A few more dominos have to fall before we get to the dramatic crux of the episode, which is Tails unleashing the captured robots and Sonic being forced to align himself with his greatest foe. It all flows relatively smoothly, for being shoved into an eleven minute cartoon. 

However, you can tell Grenier had to rush the ending. Every time a BeeBot is smashed, it causes Tails physical pain. The heroes also have to sever his connection with the hive in order to subdue him. The solution to this problem is... For Team Sonic to destroy all the BeeBots, presumably causing Tails far more agony. Eggman cooking up a brainwave dampener or Tails getting lured into an area where the psychic link to the other bees is weakened or something would've been better. Or, better yet, Sonic reminding him of his bond with his friends long enough to break through the influence of the bee mind. Kids cartoons love that shit. That would have been a good contrast to a nightmare Tails had earlier, of Sonic and friends rejecting him, the hive mind seemingly playing on some insecurities the fox has. Instead, there's not enough time to craft a proper ending so the solution is more violence, with no concern for the physical toll that might have on Tails' body or brain. 

Not to mention the psychological effect. This episode airing so close to "Give Bees a Chance" makes the ending seem more callous. Amy happily participates in the massacre of the hive, despite forming a loving bond with a BeeBot not that long ago. This would be kind of like going on a mad puppy stomping spree after receiving a beloved new pet. In a more dramatic setting, Tails betraying his friends would also result in more storytelling opportunities. I know all of this wasn't his fault. It was the psychic influence of the swarm, of course. Still, everyone's trust in Tails being left a little shaken would've been a good follow-up, necessitating him having to earn it back. Or, perhaps, his pals are eager to move on but Tails still remembers his time being part of a group consciousness, changing him for the better or worse in various ways. "Boom" picked a disappointing episode to relax on the continuity. More could have been done here, even within the context of a ten minute long comedy show. 

I do think the laughs and the concept of the episode could have been melded together more smoothly, rather than grotesquely warped together via teleporter mishap. Nevertheless, I did laugh a few times. The running joke of Eggman being at a vacation resort for bad guys provides amusing cutaways, to the villain limbo-ing or in a conga line. There's some decent physical comedy, such as when Sonic face-plants on a frozen lake or Knuckles decides to take a direct route to enjoying some pie. Sonic ends up in a humiliating flower costume in the last act, which leads to a running gag that is mildly amusing. I do wish the dialogue was a little sharper. Only a bit from Sticks about hearing voices made me laugh. 

Also, it's kind of strange that "Sonic" cartoons can't stop turning Tails into a villain, if only for a single episode. I suppose it goes hand-in-hand with his super-inventor status. I won't say "You and I Bee-come One" disappointed me. How can I be let down by a "Fly"-inspired episode, especially when I didn't see it coming at all? Still, more could have been done with concept. Once again, I yearn for a long-running comic book spin-off that could develop ideas introduced as a joke in more thoughtful ways down the line. As it is now, I can only give this episode half of a positive score, which will surely displease the hive. Luckily, I own a beekeeper suit and a smoke gun, so those stupid bees won't be able to outsmart me. [6/10]