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 1.28: Blue with Envy

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.28: Blue with Envy

Original Air Date: July 14th, 2015

Despite the last episode being all about how much Meh Burger sucks, the 28th episode of "Sonic Boom" begins with the gang eating lunch there and enjoying it. But never mind that minor continuity error, because here comes Swifty the Shrew! The green shrew rides a super-fast skateboard, spouts inane dialogue, and does everything with bitchin' panache. After he rescues a baby -- and humiliates Sonic in the process – Swifty becomes the village's new favorite hero. Sonic is thoroughly annoyed by this and challenges Swifty to a race, with the loser being banished from town. After Swifty wins, and Sonic is escorted to the village's limits, the truth is revealed. Swifty is a robot built by Eggman, specifically to discredit Sonic. Can our blue hero arrive in time to undo this deception? 

From the minute Swifty the Shrew shreds on screen, it's apparent what "Sonic Boom" is doing. Swifty is a pitch-perfect parody of the early 90s totally rad Mascot with Attitude. He speaks exclusively in surfer dude lingo that is peppered liberally with meaningless catchphrases. He does totally x-treme stunts with a skateboard, tips shade, and makes finger guns. We see him chug a soft drink in one scene. I don't know if it's Surge Soda but I have to assume it is. He's brightly colored, with a devil-may-care attitude and outrageous fashion, and is always posing for the camera. Everywhere Swifty goes, he is accompanied by blaring rock guitars on the soundtrack. The "Boom" producers even got Robbie Rist, the voice of Michaelangelo in the '90s "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movies, to voice Swifty. The character encapsulates everything that was considered cool, hip, and highly marketable in the pastel-filled early days of the decade of my youth.

What makes Swifty an even funnier parody is that, obviously, Sonic himself was the original '90s Mascot with 'Tude. Swifty is clearly an example of this franchise goofing on itself. Like Sonic, he's a super-fast and brightly colored small woodland creature. (Shrews are in the same taxonomical order as hedgehogs, for anyone reading this that isn't a zoologist.) You can tell writer Doug Lieblich watched some episodes of "SatAM" and "AoStH," because Swifty spits off catchphrases with a similar frequency to Jaleel White's Sonic. This is in contrast to "Boom's" version of Sonic, who is depicted as baffled by everyone's love of Swifty and even unable to formulate a pithy saying in time. I don't know if "Blue with Envy" is an example of the "Sonic" franchise cynically looking back at its past and saying "look at how stupid we used to be" or just a good-natured ribbing of how dated much of Sonic's original personality seems now. Either way, I enjoyed it. 

Swifty isn't just a clever parody of 90s trends and a self-reflective goof on the series' own history. He's a clever piece of satire too. The residents of the village are immediately won over by Swifty's act and that's all by design. The character is literally manufactured. His appearances, his one-liners, every gnarly thing he does is programmed to make him appealing to people. There's not a scene of Eggman market-testing Swifty's attributes for maximum commercial reach but it's easy to imagine such a moment. To make this point even sharper, Swifty isn't even unique. Multiple copies of him, which presumably rolled off an assembly line somewhere, exists. "Blue with Envy" mocks how we (and by "we," I mean old people like me) all fell for a processed and carefully calculated version of "cool," a characteristic that is supposed to be natural and unpredictable. 

And who profited from all us dumb, impressionable kids falling for this manufactured idea of "cool?" Evil corporations, of course. "Blue with Envy" returns to the often-overlooked idea that one of Eggman's goals in life is to build an evil theme park based on himself. When the Swifties drive Sonic out of the village, he sets about doing that. We don't learn much about what the “Boom” version of Eggmanland would look like but here's two things: People will be able to buy little dome-shaped hats of Eggman's head and the entrance to the park features a bronze statue of Eggman and Swifty holding hands. 

I'm doubtful that this is a genuinely hostile jab at Disney. The show writers probably just thought it was a silly, absurd gag, contrasting Eggman's supervillain tactics with the Happiest Place on Earth. Maybe the thought process went as deep as simply noting the similarities between Eggman's desire to take over the world and the Mouse's own plans for cultural domination. (I'm going to assume the villagers pulling down the statue of Eggman and Swifty after he's defeated recalling Iraqi citizens toppling a statue of Saddam Hussein is just me reading too much into it.) Nevertheless, it's another sharp bit of satire. The '90s concept of kid-friendly cool wasn't just designed in a board room. It was in service of making money and furthering a corporate agenda.  

I do have a slight objection to all of this though. I'm a little confused by Sonic being put-off by such public displays of radness. Even "Boom" Sonic, by far the most laid-back version of the character, is a snarky adrenaline junkie. If anything, you'd think he'd be friends with Swifty. Ultimately though, as is the rule with this show, I can overlook it if it's funny. Which it is. As has been noted before, "Boom" Sonic's greatest weakness is his ego. Someone sailing into town and immediately becoming more popular, by doing more-or-less the same schtick, attacks Sonic's ego in a big way. Seeing the hedgehog bitterly mutter under his breath at Swifty's popularity, and completely stumble every attempt to seem cooler than him, is a very funny gag. We are not use to seeing Sonic be this way and that contrast is amusing. Honestly, seeing the blue hero be this vulnerable is not just funny but another example of "Boom" humanizing him. We've all felt jealous of a rival at some point in our lives. Sonic's failure to dethrone Swifty at first also proves that he's not infallible. All this makes him a more compelling hero. 

Sonic's bitchy reaction to a copycat usurping him in popularity is not the only decent gags here. This is another really funny episode. Sonic's friends totally falling for Swifty's radness leads to some solid sight gags. Such as Swifty romantically feeding Amy a Meh Burger, which causes the pink hedgehog to swoon. Sticks catches her and then also swoons, forcing Tails to catch both of them. When the race happens, everyone in town cheers for Swifty before the camera cuts to Sonic's friends, who quietly wave flags in isolation. I also like the visual of Sonic waiting right over the village lines (a literal line, in this case), slowly testing the cops sent to watch him, until he's finally allowed to have his big hero moment. Sonic's pals eventually learn Swifty is a jerk, even before he's revealed to be an Eggman robot. That's the "Sonic Boom" moral of the day: Value your friends more than fads. But there's some laughs along the way to that. 

Naturally, I can't overlook that Swifty is yet another green rival for Sonic. This was after Jet and Scourge were created. (But before Surge obviously.) I have no idea how aware of that the writers were. It's just funny to me that people keep making green characters that are fast like Sonic but also not like Sonic. I guess that's simply the next most obvious bright color after blue. Swifty doesn't seem to be the fan favorite that those other characters are. This appears to be his only real appearance. That's a bummer, as I think he's a really funny idea that could've been exploited further in future stories. 

Anyway, this is a fun episode of "Sonic Boom." This show is really at its best when it picks a goofy premise and sticks with it all throughout the eleven minutes, trying to squeeze as much out of that concept as it can. Also, Sticks says the word "booby," like three or four times, so [7/10] right there.

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.22: The Curse of Buddy Buddy Temple

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.22: The Curse of Buddy Buddy Temple

Original Air Date: April 18th, 2015 

In my last “Sonic Boom” review, I talked a little about how the “Sonic” franchise is extremely fond of ancient ruins. It began in the very first game, where Sonic has to navigate Greco-Roman structures filled with lava and a water-clogged labyrinth occupied by mysterious statues. The second game had a stage actually called “Aquatic Ruin” while the Mystic Ruins were one of the major hub areas in “Sonic Adventure.” In fact, off the top of my head, I can only think of one major “Sonic” game — “Advance 2” — that doesn't have an ancient ruins-themed stage. Even the racing games usually feature them. And it looks like “Sonic Frontiers” is going to continue this tradition. 

It’s easy to see why this type of setting would become such a trademark of the series. “Indiana Jones” still had a very prominent presence in pop culture in the early 90s, doubtlessly influencing “Sonic.” A temple full of death traps and puzzles is perfect for a platformer game. A setting like this makes it easy to vaguely hint at some sort of history for the game’s story without actually having to devote an entire cutscene to it. (Which certainly wasn’t practically for the 16-bit games.) Plus, they look cool. Accordingly, they are very common in the comics and cartoons as well. Unsurprisingly, the “Sonic Boom” cartoon would build a whole episode around this idea too.

The episode begins with a typical situation. Eggman is chasing Sonic through the woods while his friends fight off some Badniks. The two chase one another into a mysterious temple, that locks behind them as they enter. Sonic twists his ankle and Eggman’s Egg-Mobile is destroyed, meaning they have to find their way out of this place naturally. Soon, they are tossed into one death trap after another, which can only be escaped if they work together. Will these two enemies learn to put aside their differences and escape the fearsome Buddy Buddy Temple? Or are they doomed to bicker endlessly until they're crushed by a boulder or whatever? 

Just like it did with the lumbering rock monster premise last time, “Sonic Boom” has a somewhat sarcastic take on the temple of doom concept. Who built Buddy Buddy Temple is unknown but the purpose behind it is clear. Hieroglyphs of beavers working together decorate each room, making it clear that people have to cooperate if they hope to escape the generic death traps. (Which include such stalwarts as spiked walls closing in, the floor turning to lava, and arrows shooting out of random places. The show even throws in a mine cart sequence.) This gives me the impression that Buddy Buddy Temple was the equivalent of a team-building workshop for whatever ancient civilization erected it. The show essentially dispenses with any deeper purpose and makes this setting the plot device it is, building the temple around its story purpose.

I figured the main joke to this episode was Sonic and Eggman, two characters intrinsically opposed to one another, stuck in a situation where they have to work together but then refuse to do so. That they would mock, belittle, and undermine one another and just survive through sheer luck. A total subversion of the Enemy Mine premise, in other words. Instead, "The Curse of Buddy Buddy Temple" plays that element kind of straight. Sonic and Eggman snipe at each other plenty and the doctor does attempt to betray the hedgehog eventually. Yet, in the end, they come out of temple with more respect for one another. The show leans into one of its more intriguing ideas here, something the "Sonic" franchise has suggested from time-to-time: Sonic is the closest thing Eggman has to a pal. Fighting each other is their bonding time. It's a funny idea and leads to an almost cute ending. I guess the real curse of the temple is the friends we made along the way.

While Sonic and Eggman unexpectedly find harmony inside the temple, the rest of the gang fall into disharmony outside it. Sonic's friends bicker amongst themselves as they try and decide who should lead in Sonic's absence. This is when "Sonic Boom's" embracing of stock sitcom archetypes becomes really funny. Everyone in this group has a single-minded role. Amy is the reasonable straight woman, so of course she believes she's the best choice to lead. Knuckles is a big dumb child with an inflated sense of self, so he wants to lead and is completely unwilling to listen to the reasons why he shouldn't. Tails wants to be the middle man between these two uncompromisable viewpoints, which just leads to him getting yelled at. Meanwhile, Sticks' paranoid mindset means she's suspicious of all authority and won't trust anyone who leads. Is this a political metaphor of some sort? Is Amy Hilary and Knuckles Trump? Probably not. Either way, it's funny and a good use of the characters. 

It’s a pretty funny episode, all things considered. Most of the bickering made me chuckle. There’s a pretty good gag where, after Eggman is trapped in the temple, Cubot and Orbot celebrate. Apparently Cubot’s greatest goal in life is to live on a houseboat, just because he thinks houseboats are cool. Inside the temple, there’s a moment where Eggman asks Sonic to wear a harass, the kind pets and unruly children were, and the hedgehog’s reaction to that got me to snort. There’s still a lot of the limp sitcom one liners here that I dislike. The opening scene where Eggman sings a laser themed song or complains about birds, or later when he explains a pun to Sonic, are the kind of painfully overdone snarkiness that this show really struggles with. “Boom” needs to be wackier and less snide, I think. That’s where its strength lie.

I probably would’ve made more of a deal out of Sonic twisting his ankle, a plot point that is dismissed pretty quickly after it’s first brought up. You’d think a constant runner like Sonic losing the ability to put any weight on his foot would be more of a hinderance for him. Maybe all that sports tape act as compression stockings. Anyway, this is still a good episode, with a surprising payoff and enough decent gags and lines to amuse me. [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.05: My Fair Sticksy

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.05: My Fair Sticksy

Original Air Date: November 22nd, 2014

I commented in my previous "Sonic Boom" review that Sticks was the big introduction for this show, a main character that didn't exist before. Which meant she had the most room for exploration and expansion, compared to the Sega-created gang that we are all very used to. This is probably two episodes in a row have focused on her. In "My Fair Sticksy," the badger's paranoid defense system helps protect the village from plummeting meteors. After this, she is nominated for an Awardy Award, the yearly award ceremony devoted to honoring the notable individuals in the community. Wacky, feral Sticks, of course, is not really suitable for a fancy environment. So Amy and the others put her through a crash course in polite society, attempting to civilize the wild child. Once Eggman crashes the ceremony though, it becomes necessary for Sticks to give into nature. 

Like I said, Sticks is not as defined as the other "Sonic" cast members. It seems to me, at this point, that the badger is defined by two main characteristics. That's her role as a wacky conspiracy theorist, prone to bizarre paranoid delusions and beliefs, and her status as a perpetual outsider even among her friends. Which element gets focused on more really depends on the writer. (The Archie comic definitely preferred the latter.) I really like paranoid Sticks — I've always thought "nutty conspiracy theorist" was a pretty funny archetype, up until real life ruined it — and it leads to an amusing gag early on, concerning the specificity of her various defense systems. 

Yet this episode is mostly built around Sticks the Outsider and that's, perhaps, the more fruitful characterization. Sticks is the resident Cloud Cuckoolander, with her love of digging through garbage and lack of social graces. Yet, like all outsiders, she does long to be accepted too. When first invited to the award ceremony, she's insecure and apprehensive. She doesn't believe herself fancy enough to attend such a gathering, knowing she want be accepted. And though she tries her best to reinvent herself as a proper lady, she ultimately can't suppress her true nature for too long. This same quality is what makes her a hero, naturally, and it's better that she embraces herself than what people want her to be anyway. It's a nice little arc, shoved into an eleven minute cartoon, and handled well enough.

Another nice thing about this is, even though this episode has Amy and Sonic trying to convert Sticks to polite society, they aren't doing that because they are assholes. They are doing it because they like Sticks, know she does want people to like her, and see this as a rare opportunity for her to be recognized for her heroism. Too many sitcoms, in my opinion, fall into this pattern of the cast members constantly being snarky assholes to each other in pursuit of stuffing as many funny lines into an episode as possible. I can tell "Sonic Boom" does this sometimes too. So it's nice to see an episode that repeatedly emphasizes that these characters like each other. There's even a cute little aside of Sonic and Knuckles joking around together, showing that these two really are friends. (Even if there are jokes about Knuckles being dumb.)

As the title makes clear, "My Fair Sticksy" is playing on a well known story type. Obviously, "My Fair Lady" was a big inspiration. (Which was, of course, inspired by "Pygmalion," itself inspired by Greek mythology. Because there really only are seven types of stories.) Like most stories of this form, the episode eventually comes around to deciding being true to yourself is better than fitting in with everyone else. The stuffed-shirt types that make up the island's upper crust are extensively mocked. Their banquets and rituals are pointed as built on self-serving ego. The award ends up going to some guy who didn't save the village, whose contributions to society don't make a difference. It's totally expected but it works well in a story like this. Being a garbage obsessed feral badger who saves people is better than being upperclassmen who do nothing but show off how much better than everyone else they presume themselves to be. 

Sticks' arc and her interaction with the upper crust of the island is compelling enough that the entire episode could’ve been built around it. When I realized Eggman hadn’t appeared yet, I wonder if this would be the rare episode without him. The villain does show up in the last act, marching into the party and making a nuisance of himself. Luckily, Eggman justifies his appearance in this episode by being pretty funny. He doesn't remember who Sticks is at first, an amusing joke that also displays the character's all-consuming ego. That line pays off in a solid way when he does remember where he knows her from. Eggman's robot-of-the-day is one designed to stuff ballots — that's how he got into the gala — which, in one of my favorite gags in this episode, proves to be a difficult skill to weaponize. 

In fact, this episode is consistently funny. The opening scene features a good exchange, where Amy compares the falling meteors to shooting stars. Comedian Chimp puts in an amusingly random pair of appearances. (And it’s apparently his first appearance in the show too. His “Worlds Unite” buddy, Fastidious Beaver, has a little cameo later.) Knuckles' blunt honesty and dismissal of fancy things makes him an unexpected hit at the gala. Amy's attempts to teach Sticks about the finer things in life leads to a few decent jokes. Even the badger's weird fixation on dumpster diving is brought back up at the end. This is definitely an episode that balances character stuff with silly gags and pithy one-liners. Some of those even made me laugh, like a one-off from a fish in a glass bowl about "irritable bowl syndrome." 

Doug Lieblich is the credited writer here. He also did the first two episodes, suggesting he’s pretty good at episodes that balance character development with absurdity and zingers. While I’m definitely still trying to get into “Sonic Boom’s” rhythm — the eleven-minute runtimes for each episode really makes it tricky for a good pace to form — “My Fair Sticksy” is a marked improvement over the previous Sticks-centric episode. [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.02: Can an Evil Genius Crash on Your Couch for a Few Days?

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.02: Can an Evil Genius Crash on Your Couch for a Few Days?

Original Air Date: November 8th, 2014

The second episode of "Sonic Boom" basically sets up its entire premise within its title, assuming you can deduce who the "evil genius" might be. In the middle of a rainy night, Sonic is awoken by someone knocking on his door. It's Eggman, who has apparently been rendered homeless following the destruction of his villainous lair. He pleads with the hedgehog to let him stay there for a few days, until his base is rebuilt. Sonic reluctantly agrees, a decision he soon comes to regret. Eggman's obnoxious behavior makes Sonic and Tails miserable. Despite Amy's pleading to give the villain a chance, it all turns up to be a scheme: Eggman intended to make the heroes exhausted so they would be defenseless against his latest kill-bot. However, following a malfunction where the robot targets Eggman's HQ, the heroes have to team up with Eggman or they actually will be forced to be roommates. 

In my review of the very first issue of Archie's "Sonic Boom" comic, I referred to this version of Eggman as Sonic's Sitcom Arch-Nemesis. That's a common comedic trope where two characters hate each other in a way that usually doesn't involve murderous scheming or world-conquering machinations. Eggman actually does try to kill Sonic, in the last episode and this one, but he otherwise perfect fits the role. Obviously, only the ridiculous structure of the sitcom would ever allow a scenario where Sonic and Eggman would be roomies. (Though I guess Archie did this premise eventually too...) During their time together, Eggman never tries to poison or murderize Sonic or Tails. Instead, he's just incredibly annoying. This makes the difference between the superheroic archenemy and its more mundane counterpart clear. 

The morning after Eggman moves in, there's a joke where Tails fixes him a fancy breakfast which Eggman then picks apart in an overly critical fashion. I was concerned that would be the sole joke in this episode, that Sonic and Tails give Eggman a lot of rope and he's just a petty prick to them the whole time. Thankfully, this quickly bends in a more absurd direction. Eggman does shit like randomly declare pillow fights or cackle villainously in his sleep. Even after deciding he'll be a better roommate, his antics include bizarre behavior like singing loudly while washing dishes or playing a kazoo at random moments. He does do some typical bad roommate behavior – putting padlocks on his food in the fridge – but he's just a massive weirdo. And that is way funnier. 

That Eggman fits into such an easily understood comedic archetype is fitting, as "Sonic Boom" applies this approach to all of the core "Sonic" cast. This is most evident in the character of Amy. Here, Sonic's obsessive fangirl is re-characterized as the straight woman. This is a pretty common trope in comedy itself, where the guys get to have all the wacky fun while the women stand back and scowl. Luckily, "Sonic Boom" mutates the premise further, as Amy is so reasonable that she cycles back around to being unreasonable. The pop-psychology method she deploys just ends up placating Eggman's obvious evil plan, in addition to making her seem a little nutty herself. I like that, even if it's so far from Amy's usual personality so as to be a totally different character. (Which is very evident in Cindy Robinson's vocal performance, where she makes Amy sound like a swinging twenty-something instead of a squeeing teenage girl.)

Meanwhile, Sonic's standard snark makes him a good fit for the traditional role of smart aleck sitcom protagonist. Tails' youth allows him to be the character whose naivety gets plots rolling. We haven't seen much of Knuckles yet but I already know he's the comedic buffoon. And then there's Sticks... Oh, by the way, meet Sticks everybody. The new addition to the core "Sonic" cast that "Boom" made, the show makes no attempt to give the eccentric badger a proper introduction. She just shows up here, hanging out with the heroes as if she's always been there. I guess we'll just have to extrapolate why this paranoid conspiracy theorist is part of the superhero's crew for now. Either way, episode two does establish Sticks' personality, even if her natural suspicion of everything actually makes her right in this episode. Mika Futterman's manic vocal performance just about matches the voice I heard in my head when I first saw Sticks' character design, give or take a Long Island accent or two. 

In the first episode, I noted how "Sonic Boom" seemed to have a fairly clear divide between its zany bits and its action-packed parts. This episode seems to do something similar. 85% of it is devoted to the comedic scenario of Sonic and Eggman cohabiting. After the Obliterator Bot turns on Eggman, it seems the episode is settling into its action-y half. Yet the jokes keep coming, owing to Sonic and Tails being so exhausted from the doctor's antics that they fall asleep in the middle of crime-fighting. That’s a decent gag that the show really commits to, with Sonic passing out even in the middle of doing a spin-dash and his unconscious body sliding to safety under some hazards. That made me chuckle. 

Overall, "Can an Evil a Genius..." is a lot funnier and smoother than the premiere of "Sonic Boom." It has more of an air of exaggerated absurdity to it than the mediocre quip-a-minute style that is more common to modern sitcoms. Granted, there's definitely still some of that. Sonic notes dryly that Eggman's smells in the first scene, a joke so hoary it barely reads as humor. The minute Tails mentioned that Eggman's constant pillow fights have given him short term memory loss, I knew there'd be a joke about how he really does have short term memory loss. Eggman being mean to Cubot and Orbot, because "robots have no souls" just struck me as kind of mean-spirited instead of amusing. While it's not much better than those asides, I did find the moment where Sticks' mangles the pronunciation of "Unobliteratable" mildly amusing. More-so because of Futterman's delivery than the joke itself. 

But I still laughed a decent amount and was impressed with this episode doing more with its goofy premise than I initially expected. I think that's worth a [6.5/10] or so.

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.01: The Sidekick

Sonic Boom, Episode 1.01: The Sidekick

Original Air Date: November 8th, 2014

I've begun every single one of these "Sonic" cartoon retrospectives by talking about each show's intro. Honestly, a completely badass opening was a tradition begun by "SatAM" and continued by every proceeding "Sonic" series. Say what you will about "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" but its theme song and the accompanying animation totally establishes the mood. Even "Sonic Underground," by far the weakest of all the cartoons, had an awesome introduction. 

"Sonic Boom," I'm sad to say, breaks this tradition. Like, it's fine. It even tells you a little bit about the show itself. It depicts Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy all racing towards the camera and striking action movie poster worthy poses. (The longer French version features a little more footage of posing and action, alongside a bitchin' guitar solo.) They then face off as a group against Eggman and his Badniks, before a rainbow colored background. This probably seems like the beginning of an action heavy cartoon show. These expectations are then subverted when the show's title drops down on Eggman's machines in an anticlimactic, comedic fashion. Basically, "Sonic Boom" tricks you into thinking this is going to be a typical video game adaptation before revealing that comedy is the goal here. 

The intro is also only a few seconds long – as not to cut too much into each episode's brief eleven minute run time – so it doesn't really have much of a chance to make an impression. There's no time for Sonic and Sally to destroy a factory or Super Sonic and Shadow to duel it out. The theme song is similarly forgettable. It's a brief piece of orchestra music that ramps up the excitement and then ends, serving its purpose without making much of an impression on the viewer. "Sonic Boom's" intro being simply serviceable is not really the show's fault. Awesome cartoon intros and theme songs have mostly died out alongside their Saturday morning time slots. If the kids were watching this on Netflix or Hulu or whatever, they probably just skip the intro anyway. So why should the animation team put that much effort into it? I'm guess I'm just a traditionalist... 

The initial minutes of the first episode, "The Sidekick," pulls a similar trick to that opening. It depicts Sonic chasing Eggman through the rocky canyons of a barren desert. Sonic is soon fighting it out with Eggman's latest killer robot, who is outfitted with snapping claws and rocket punches, above a lava-filled chasm. Tails provides air support in the Tornado, giving Sonic a lightning lasso to swing around on and defeat the robo-baddie with. But Tails' plane is shot down during the skirmish. Sonic rescues his friend from the crashed vehicle, is relieved to hear that his heart still beats, and races his injured buddy back home. 

Sounds pretty dramatic, right? Well, it is. I mean, there's jokes. Sonic makes fun of Eggman's name and the name of his robot, much to the villain's chagrin. But battle banter is nothing new for the "Sonic" franchise. However, the minute Sonic and Tails return to their island paradise abode, it becomes clear that chuckles will be the focus of this program. The rest of the episode revolves around Sonic, concerned for his bro's safety, forcing Tails into sidekick retirement. He holds try-outs for a replacement and the two main candidates are Tails and Eggman, who seizes on the fine print in the ads to audition. Yes, there's more action in the second half, as the two compete in a hover board race and Eggman reveals his plan to betray Sonic and squash them both. But yuks are obviously, primarily the goal here. 

Which begs the question: Did I chuckle, guffaw, titter, or hoot while watching "The Sidekick?" Well, a little bit. The episode has a couple of decent gags. Knuckles auditions to be Sonic's sidekick and immediately begins changing the terms of the agreement. Amy also attempts to be Sonic's sidekick, trying to impress him by juggling and singing. The third applicant is Fastidious Beaver, whom I already know from the "Sonic Boom" comics and who also has a trademark tendency to correct everyone's grammar at all times. These are amusing set-ups but the show returns to them to often. By the third time Fastidious Beaver said "actually" or Amy bursts into a throaty rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In," most of the humor has been drained out. 

There's a lot of that hyper verbal, overly self-aware humor here. Sonic pedantically criticizes the name of Eggman's new robot, who is called Fire Bot despite having no fiery attributes. There's a fourth wall break during Eggman's villainous speech. After Sonic tries to let Tails down easy, there's a quick exchange where the two establish that he's actually fired. That sort of humor is trying too hard to get a laugh, in my opinion. Smaller gags – like Sonic apologizing to a photo of himself or Eggman taking the time to write up a resume for his evil scheme – are more amusing to me than the constant snark. 

Ultimately though, "The Sidekick" does earns points for being invested in its characters. Sonic has an actual arc here, learning that he needs Tails as much as Tails needs him. That his little buddy is far from a defenseless child. Eggman is obviously not a world conquering despot here yet the attempts he makes in the good guys' lives are still fairly serious. The moment Sonic and Tails defeat him is a very sincere victory, meant to make the kids at home cheer. I like it when even a farcical show takes the characters' lives and the stakes of the story seriously. I have no idea if that'll be the normal state of affairs for the rest of the series but I appreciate it here.

It may take me an episode or two to get used to the show's sense of humor. Similarly, the animation will take some adapting. "Sonic Boom" is, obviously, the first CGI Sonic cartoon. And I'm not typically a fan of CGI animation on a TV budget. "Sonic Boom," ya know, doesn't look as good as any theatrically released CGI cartoon. The character models are a little stiff, especially when it comes to facial expressions. I don't mind the "Sonic Boom" character designs but, in action, the gangly limbs do look a little weird at times. The action scenes are pretty smooth, even if the environments could've been more detailed. The scene where Sonic displays his inability to swim – which, of course, I appreciate – features some pretty choppy water. 

I'm sure I'll have more thoughts on the voice cast as I watch my way through the show, Mike Pollock's Eggman is perfectly gravelly but I still find Roger Craig Smith's Sonic a bit blandly heroic. Overall though, "The Sidekick" starts "Sonic Boom" off on a perfectly cromulent note. There are a handful of funny jokes. It's well constructed enough not to bug me. It doesn't blow me away and the show hadn't found its footing just yet. But, as far as season debut goes, it's fine. Sorry if you were expecting either more praise or damnation than that. [6/10]