Sonic Boom, Episode 2.41: Where Have All the Sonics Gone?

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.41: Where Have All the Sonics Gone?

Original Air Date: August 19th, 2017

Continuing the habit "Sonic Boom: Season Two" has developed of actually reusing characters basically introduced as one-off gags, "Where Have All the Sonics Gone?" begins with Eggman visiting his Mombot. (Who he has set up with a little hut in the village, it seems.) His "brother" Steve/Morpho is already there and winning Mombot's favor. That's when the two Eggmen, with their mechanical mother's encouragement, decide to work together. Steve sends Sonic to an alternate universe, where the hedgehog has never existed. There, Sonic discovers a world where Eggman rules as a tyrannical despot. He soon rounds up his friends from the different roles they inhabit within this strange new world. Meanwhile, back in the original Hedgehog Village, Morpho repeatedly attempts and fails to take Sonic's place. 

It would seem that the multiverse is the one concept that the "Sonic the Hedgehog" franchise can't quit. I suppose it's more accurate to say that sci-fi/action/adventure stories, in general, have an addiction to alternate universes. Exploring the question of "what if things were just slightly different?" is too tempting a premise not to run with, it appears. Speaking honestly though, "Sonic" has definitely returned to this well a lot. It was the entire premise of the most recent "Sonic" animated series. The Archie comics had their own convoluted DC/Marvel style multiverse. I suppose Sega has a history of touching on this idea too. Via the various alternate timelines of Blaze, Silver, and Eggman Nega's stories. Or the time travel gimmick of "Sonic CD," the progenitor of that idea. Most pertinently, "Sonic Boom" already did its alternate universe episode. That's why Marine and Cedric Lachenaud's script has Morpho specifically sending Sonic to an alternate world where the hedgehog doesn't exist, in order to avoid any space/time disrupting mishaps. 

However, I can forgive the show for going back to the parallel universe idea. This set-up exists to answer a different question than "Two Good to Be True." That episode was "What if... Knuckles' was hyper-confident, instead of a buffoon?" This episode is "What if... Sonic was never born?" That makes it another riff on "It's a Wonderful Life," easily the most wildly imitated of all alternate dimension premises. This one makes the suggestion clear that the blue hedgehog is the difference between a world where Eggman is a clownish joke-villain that is easily defeated every week and a world-conquering tyrant that brings the island to its knees. It's not that Sonic's friends aren't competent crime fighters in their own rights. Sticks has set up an underground rebellion. Tails is still an engineering genius. Sonic is the uniting force that brings them all together into the world's most fearsome fighting team.

Being a ten minute cartoon focused on getting yuks, "Where Have All the Sonics Gone?" doesn't have time to explore this premise in much depth. It barely has enough time to set it all up, before Sonic is getting the band back together and taking the fight to "Lord" Eggman. It is further distracted by forgetting what kind of alternate universe Sonic has land in. It seems the writers are unsure if this an "It's a Wonderful Life" world or a Bizarro World, where things are arbitrarily different. Here, Dave is an excellent food server at a fancy restaurant called Gourmet Burger. Tails is working for Eggman, instead of the good guys. On the other hand, Sticks is still a paranoid conspiracy theory, ranting about aliens. (Albeit one with a bitchin' eye-patch.) Knuckles is still a weightlifting meathead. Amy appears to be exactly the same. Eggman doesn't seem to be any different either, as he's as easily thwarted once Sonic shows up. It's an inconsistent mix of two separate ideas, making this AU seem more slapped together. 

Mostly though, I think the lack of time was the biggest problem. Not only is this episode shorter than your standard half-hour action cartoon, it has to share the script with the subplot of Morpho's scheme in the prime universe. That means the already standard alternate reality premise gets rushed through. Sonic realizes what is going on immediately. Amy busts him out of jail shortly after that. Sticks and the rebellion is introduced, Knuckles is recruited. Everyone heads over to wail on Eggman's ass. Which they proceed to do within minutes. Tails' entire character arc occurs within a second or two. I can't tell if Amy was already a member of Sticks' rebel underground or if seeing Sonic stand up to Eggman radicalizes her. The entire scenario is rushed through, making you wonder why the show wanted to do this stock plot in the first place.  

I can pinpoint easily why I'm disappointed in the half-assed treatment of this set-up. Say, Sonic and his friend operating as guerilla revolutionaries against Eggman and the dictatorship he's established over the world... Where have I heard that one before, hmmm? Yes, the altered timeline Sonic is dropped into in "Where Have All the Sonics Gone?" has a passing resemblance to "SatAM" and the comic book that spawned from it. Some of the roles the gang get shoved into here also resemble "SatAM" and the Archie-verse. Sticks operates in a Sally-like role as a field leader. (Her having an eye patch, much the same way Anti-Antoine did, is certainly a coincidence. It's an example of two hacky writers using the same visual shorthand to suggest an alternate history. But don't think I didn't notice it!) This means the rebellion carries something of a primitive vibe, using spears, hiding in the woods, in a vaguely Knothole-like setting. Amy's need to hammer shit supplants her girlier side, as it often did in the comics. There are "SatAM"/"Archie Sonic" vibes all over this episode. 

I doubt it was a deliberate reference too. "Sonic Underground" – which also did an alternate universe episode, now that I think about it – was directly inspired by "SatAM." However, I doubt that this episode or the New Yoke City parts of "Sonic Prime" were thinking about King Acorn, Uncle Chuck, or Julian Kintobor any. Instead, it seems to me that there is something irresistible about sticking Sonic into a set-up where he's the Rebels and Eggman/Robotnik is the Empire. I suppose you can gleam this in the original Genesis games, where Sonic battles against the industrialization of the natural world by his technology obsessed archenemy. Is it all the lingering influence of the U.S. Story Bible, that Fleetway also pulled from? Does Sonic being a sarcastic crimefighter make the leap to him being a freedom fighter against authoritarian forces a natural idea? Either way, it is very interesting that at least three separate cartoons have independently arrived at more-or-less the same conclusion.

I suppose my point is that this should have been at least a two-parter. There's too much story hinted at in the alternate universe, too many ideas left unexplored, for that side of the episode to be truly satisfying. Instead, the Lachenauds probably should have focused the entire script on its B-plot. Season two of "Boom" has built episodes around Eggman having a brother and a mom. Slapping those two set-ups together, where Eggman and Steve get into constant sibling rivalry over earning Mombot's affection, easily could have supported an entire installment. Both Eggman's brother and Mom being relatively recent introduction into his life, but the doctor instantly falling into archetypal roles with them, is a good joke to begin with. Instead, we only get a very brief, quite funny scene at the beginning of the two Eggmen slap-fighting with each other while Mombot pulls them apart. 

The brothers teaming up is simply the beginning of another plot point that easily could've been a whole episode too. After Sonic is teleported to the other world, Morpho disguises himself as the hedgehog and attempts to fill the role. He's extremely bad at it, immediately alerting everyone to the imposter's presence. I think he gets worse as the episode goes on. When he asks Amy out on a date, she picks up quickly that "Sonic" is being too considerate. At least that's a decent imitation because, by the end, Morpho is tossing out the wrong catchphrases and needing explicit direction from Eggman not to fuck up. It's a good joke! There's a lot of amusing gags here. Like Alt-Knuckles signing an autograph with an X or Sonic's response to Alt-Sticks still ranting about aliens. "Where Have All the Sonics Gone?" features some of "Boom's" trademark biting-the-hand humor too. Most of the episode is built around "Boom"-exclusive, peripheral characters like Steve and Mombot. When Morpho changes into Vector, Metal Sonic, and Shadow – actual fan favorites that "Sonic" devotees always cheer for – for a split second each, it can't help but read as a smart-ass rebuttal to people demanding "Boom" resemble the games more. 

All of the above is, I suppose, a long-winded way of me saying that the writers' eyes were a bit bigger than their tummies. They casually throw a lot of interesting ideas out here and never bother to give any of them a fair treatment. (Here's another one: If Morpho can casually jump across the multiverse, why doesn't he take his brother to a world without a Sonic and an Eggman, a place he can take over with ease? I guess that would make too much sense...) This is a natural inclination of a comedy show with such short episodes. I can't come away from this one satisfied, even if it did make me laugh a decent amount. [6/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.24: Eggman's Brother

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.24: Eggman's Brother

Original Air Date: April 22nd, 2017

A while ago, it was uncovered that, among the prototypes for "Sonic Underground," was a pitch for a series that would have focused entirely on the idea of Sonic the Hedgehog having a sister. In the original Sega video games, Sonic and his friends rather notoriously do not have families. Most of them don't even have parents! And yet, "Sonic" spin-off media seems especially hard-pressed to follow this rule. "Underground" saddling the blue hedgehog with two annoying siblings is probably the most blatant example, give or take two hundred Archie "Sonic" cast members. Even by the time I got online in the late nineties, giving Sonic or another established character a long lost sister or brother was already considered the hackiest move a piece of fan fiction could pull. And yet, in 2017, "Sonic" shows were still doing this. 

At least, that seems to be the case with "Eggman's Brother," the twenty-fourth to air episode of "Sonic Boom." As the title suggests, the episode begins with Eggman's long lost brother, Steve, showing up on the doctor's doorstep. The villain is skeptical of the newcomer and they quickly rub each the wrong way. Dejected, Steve Eggman ends up befriending Sonic and the gang... That's when Knuckles is accused of robbing a fruit stand. This is followed by other instances of in-fighting among the heroes. It is quickly revealed that "Steve" isn't actually Eggman's brother but instead a shapeshifting robot from an alternate universe, seeking to undermine the good guy's friendships. 

"Eggman's Brother" is an episode with a potentially really funny premise. As I said above, giving Sonic or Robotnik or anybody in this franchise, really, a long lost sibling was already a dead horse trope by 2017. I don't think "Sonic" is unique in that. An established character suddenly having a twin sister or whatever has an idea synonymous with hacky soap operas and shitty fanfiction for years. The latter, especially, as it's a way for insecure young writers to live out their fantasies of being best friends with their favorite characters. Considering how self-aware of the series' history and fandom "Boom" was, I think "Eggman's Brother" is goofing on this trope. Steve Eggman – does this mean that "Eggman" is his last name??? – is an agreeably silly idea for a character. He looks nearly identical to Eggman, just with an opposite color scheme, mostly being blue instead of red. That suggests the character might be a spoof of fan-made recolors. The biggest difference between Eggman and Steve is that Steve has a full head of hair, flowing blonde locks, and talks with a goofy surfer-dude accent. This is a funny enough premise for a character: What if Eggman had a near identical brother, who was an idiot instead of a genius and not bald? It's certainl a gag you could build ten minutes around.

Yet "Steve" is weirder than that. The reveal that this guy is actually a shape-shifting robot named Morpho is held off on for a decent amount of time. The episode truly seems like it's actually going to be about Sonic befriending Eggman's laid-back, stoner brother for most of its runtime. Morpho's true nature gets even stranger when he casually drops that he's from an alternate dimension, built by that world's version of Eggman before he destroyed it. "Boom" has dipped its toes into alternate universe stories before. The way this information is quickly tossed offhandedly in dialogue, with no further elaboration, makes me continue to think Morpho and his whole origin are meant to be a piss-take on the improbability of missing sibling storylines. "Sonic Boom" was too self-aware of a show to throw something like that out there and not have it be a joke. 

On the other hand... If "Eggman's Brother" is meant to be a spoof of its own premise, it never quite hits the mark. The question of "why" it's dumb that Eggman would have a long-lost sibling is never answered. If Morpho's bizarre backstory is intended to be humorous itself, it's told in a surprisingly straight-faced manner. The second half, once the secret is undone, is played about as straight as this show gets. It's as if the writers – Marine Lachenaud and Cedric Lachenaud, previously of "Multi-Tails" and a bunch of French cartoons nobody over here has seen – wanted to do an episode about Eggman trying to Yoko Team Sonic. A sixth wheel shows up, draws attention to all the insecurities in the group between their members, and pushes them towards a break-up. A totally valid premise for an episode. However, it feels like that idea was then awkwardly fused with the idea of mocking the long-lost sibling trope. The result is an episode that doesn't feel entirely focused. 

This lack of focus, I think, results in "Eggman's Brother" not being as funny as it could have been. Like I said, Steve/Morpho is potentially a really funny character. Probably the comedic highlight of the episode is when "Steve" dresses as a superhero and attempts to integrates himself into Team Sonic, helping the heroes save the Gogobas from a volcano. Simply having this weirdo version of Eggman running around is amusing. When Steve and Eggman get into a childish slap fight, that's the best utilization if the sibling element. The laughs are never quite there otherwise. This is apparent in many other scenes as well. There's a pretty amusing conversation about Sticks, smoke, and fire. Amy, when asked to play psychologist, gets an amusing line. Long gags about Knuckles and fruit never hit with the pithiness we've come to expect from this show. The whole episode is delivered with a slightly off-center pacing, the wisecracks never being as whip-fast as they need to be, the gags not as absurd as they could be. You know something is off when Cubot trying to decide which of the Eggmen to shoot – pretty clearly the kind of line that gets added during a last-minute punch-up – gets the biggest laugh in the episode. 

I kind of want to chalk this awkwardness up to "Boom's" status as a French/American co-production. The Lachenauds' previous episode, "Multi-Tails," was kind of mixed up too. I can't help and wonder if the writing team just didn't entirely understand what sort of cartoon they were writing for. Because "Eggman's Brother" plays its A-plot more-or-less straight. In the opening battle, Sonic is showboating a bit and taking out all of Eggman's robots, making his friends feel unvalued. The volcano scene continues this feeling, Sonic and Steve saving the day without Tails or the others getting to pitch. In the end, the rest of Team Sonic has his back. The hedgehog learns a valuable lesson about friendship, being there for your buddies even if they aren't always there for you in the best way. Presumably, this will inspire Sonic to be a better friend in the future. At least it would if this show had more on-going continuity than it did. 

That's a fairly sturdy narrative structure, more so than "Multi-Tails" was. Yet, you'll notice, it's also a story that depends on it being sincerely told. Which is, ya know, not really the incredibly sarcastic "Boom's" typical M.O. Maybe that's why this one feels off-balance. The writers scripted a normal kids cartoon, right down to Sonic's hovercraft – available at your local toy store, kids! – getting a plum scene. Only afterwards were the duo informed that this is actually a smart-ass sitcom for jaded fanboys and had to make last minute alterations accordingly. That's the theory I'm going with anyway. Maybe the writers totally did understand the assignment and just couldn't grind out an all together satisfying script due to the time constraints of a 52 episode season of ten minute installments. 

Another reason maybe this one didn't work as well as it could have is that it kind of looks like shit. After "Knuck! Knuck! Who's There?" looked poopish, here's another season two episode were the rendering simply appears unfinished half the time. The early scene, of Sonic and Eggman brawling by the beach, are really awkward. The lighting feels off, the animation sluggish, the models looking and moving in an uncanny way. Ya know, bad 2D animation is harder to spot than bad 3D animation. Bad traditional animation is stiff and off-model. Bad CGI feels unfinished in a way that's hard to put your finger on sometimes. But something is definitely off here. The scene with the lava flow looks especially bad. Water and any sort of liquids have always been this show's weakness but, boy, is it noticeable here. 

Nevertheless, I do find myself kind of wishing Morpho/Steve makes a second appearance. I feel like Eggman having a slacker bro who is crazy in a markedly different one from him is a set-up that can be revisited. And ya just know, if the comics had been allowed to run with this one, the alternate universe angle would've been explored a lot more. Imagine what Ian Flynn could have done with that! The episode itself is middling but Steve is cool. [6/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.09: Multi-Tails

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.09: Multi-Tails

Original Air Date: January 7th, 2017

The ninth episode of "Sonic Boom's" second season returns to a classic story generating idea: What if, in his hubris, Tails invented a gadget that didn't work exactly as he planned? The fox builds a forcefield to protect the village from Eggman's attacks. This backfired when the villain simply digs under it. Feeling discouraged, Tails decides there needs to be more of him to go around. He creates a machine that can make copies of himself. However, this device also splits Tails' intelligence among the duplicates. Thus, each two tailed fox is kind of a doofus. Sonic and the others endeavor to clean up this mess. 

"Multi-Tails" has a relatable premise for an episode. I think all of us, from time to time, have wished we could clone ourselves. Maybe you wish there was more of you so you could complete all your tasks in the day. Maybe you would force your copy to go to work for you, while you stay at home and pursue hobbies, inevitably leading to some sort of clone uprising. Whatever the cause, it's an emotion rooted in frustration with our own limits. We can't be in two places at once. There's only so much time in the day. But if there were two or five of us wandering around, we could overcome these pesky obstacles. Or so we think.

Tails' reasons for building the copying machine are even more tragic than that. The limitation he hopes to overcome is his own intelligence. Tails is brilliant and can cook up all sorts of wacky inventions. Yet there are still things he can't predict, like Eggman having a big drilling machine at his disposals. Tails is enormously talented but he still feels like it's not enough. He can build almost anything but can't get past his own self-doubts, his own nagging insecurities that he has to always do better. This is spurned on mostly by Mayor Fink being an asshole to him but I also find it to be a relatable emotion. We're all going to fail sometimes, no matter how talented we are. Some of us are better at grappling with that than others. 

Unfortunately, "Multi-Tails" doesn't really utilize this idea. The natural end to this premise would be Tails realizing that it's okay that he can't solve every problem. That just one of him is good enough. That, even when he makes mistakes, he's still loved and accepted. Instead, Marine and Cedric Lachenaud's script goes for the far more prosaic moral of "friendship is magic." As Tails steps out of the copying machine, restored to his normal intelligence, his only thought is that he needs friends more than copies of himself. I'm not really sure how this moral tracks. If you're feeling discouraged about not being able to do enough, just... Hang out with your friends?? I, uh, guess that makes sense. 

Once again, I'm possibly (definitely) overthinking it. This is a simple children's cartoon, designed to make the seven-to-ten crowd laugh and not much else. To facilitate that goal, the Lachenauds repeatedly return to the gag of Tails, usually the smart one, acting like a simpleton. I would say that the writers greatly overestimate how amusing that idea is. The comedic subversion in the normally intelligent Tails being a fool wears off after one time. This episode keeps repeating it. The fox flying upward into a beam, assuming every game is Simon Says, or pestering people with repetitive questions is more annoying than amusing, 

The best gags in this episode play more off the idea of Tails being un-smart than actively showing it. The only one of those moments that made me laugh was when an idiot Tails tries to eat some soup with a fork. Otherwise, Knuckles getting a rare moment of insight around greater idiots is amusing. As is a running gag of a Tails asking Sticks "why," which comes around brilliantly in the final minutes. The funniest moments in the episodes come when Eggman - definitely the best straight man this show has - is forced to react to the incessant annoyance the lesser Tails put him through. A scene where he attempts to get out of the shower summons the kind of awkward laughs this show doesn't usually touch. 

Ya know what is notable about this episode though? Sticks uses some nun-chucks in one scene. The action scene here is not truly above the standards of "Boom's" typical underwhelming theatrics. However, seeing Sticks doing some chucking has some novelty to it. Another sign that maybe the animation budget was slightly increased in season two is that Eggman has a new model of Badnik. Some scorpion-bots with laser stingers crawl out of the ground at one point. That's kind of neat. Though the moment where Knuckles attempts to weaponize Tails' force field really baffled me a bit. The physics do not seem sturdy there, even by the standards of this program. 

Ultimately, "Multi-Tails" has a decent premise for an episode but only explores it in the shallowest of ways. It's as if the writers touch upon the idea of "Tails makes copies of himself but they're all really stupid" and more-or-less stopped there. There's a couple of decent gags but mark this down as one of the "Boom" episodes that didn't really work for me. [5/10]