Sonic Boom, Episode 2.33: Amy and Stick's Excellent Staycation

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.33: Amy and Stick's Excellent Staycation 

Original Air Date: June 24th, 2017

Since the "Sonic Boom" episodes are so short, one can't help but assume the installments were designed to be shown back-to-back, in order to fill the half-hour time slot typical to children's cartoons. I suspect this is how the show aired in some international markets and it's currently how the episodes are structured on Tubi. Up until now, that had no effect on the actual episodes themselves. However, with the post-"Robots from the Sky" focus on continuity, the writers clearly started to experiment with this set-up. "Planes, Trains, and Dude-Mobiles" left Any and Sticks alone in Hedgehog Village while the guys were on tour. We got glimpses of what the girls were up to in the previous episodes, suggesting there might be more to that story than what we saw. "Amy and Sticks' Excellent Staycation" now shows us their side of the story. If the episodes are watched back-to-back, this plays like a rather clever little double feature. When watched with a week between them, as the program did here in the U.S., it's not as much fun. Another example of how badly this show got screwed by network execs. 

Also, both episodes take their titles from beloved eighties comedies, though "Amy and Sticks' Excellent Staycation" disappointingly does not involve hair metal, time travel, or George Carlin. Instead, while the boys are in their road trip, Amy hopes to have a relaxing girl's weekend with Sticks. This is delayed slightly by Sticks' paranoia and the two females' wildly different ideas of fun. However, Amy eventually convinces Sticks to participate in a spa trip. The rest and relaxation is interrupted when Belinda – the wife of nerd-turned-bad-guy Charlie – decides to pursue supervillainy on her own. Now, the ladies have to save the day without the support of their macho teammates. 

This episode brings to light something I've probably wondered about before. As different as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are, they have enough similar traits that you can see why they are friends. Sonic and Knuckles are united by their various dude-bro qualities. While Tails is a lot nerdier, his personalities compliments Sonic in other ways. And all three of them can enjoy some video games or hot wings together. What about Amy Rose and Sticks though? Why are they friends? Amy is neat and orderly. Even if "Boom" has toned down her usual girly-girl elements, she's still a very pink, very traditionally feminine young lady. Sticks, meanwhile, is a rather literal wild child who disregards most indicators of polite society, in service of her conspiracy-inclined, survivalist worldview. She has no use for fashion or accessorizing and seems content to live in an actual hole in the ground. I guess they are united by their mutual love of smashing robots. Aside from that? Would these two actually be buddies outside of an "Odd Couple" situation? They feel more like co-workers than friends to me. 

"Excellent Staycation" seems ready to play with this vast difference at first. Sticks is hyper-focused on bayonets, much to Amy's annoyance. The badger's idea of a good time is tossing clumps of mud around, which neat freak Amy can't handle at all. The spa seems to represent a happy middle ground for these two, a place where Amy can chill and Sticks can wallow in mud. After that though, the episode more-or-less abandons trying to find elements the two have in common. Next we see Amy teaching Sticks to knit, which makes it feel like the badger is some experiment Amy has taken on. Like she wants to civilize the savage or something. Perhaps Alan Denton and Greg Hahn realized, halfway through writing the script, that Amy and Sticks don't actually have that many similar qualities and decided to pivot from there. Or maybe they simply had to shove in an action sequence and whatever other goals playing these two off each other had got lost. 

One of the limits of Amy as a character is that she corresponds to a very stereotypical conception of femininity. She wears pink and ribbons and bows, is friend to the animals, and has a girlish crush. The "Boom" version of her character pairs this with even more girlish hobbies, like tea parties, knitting, and romance novels. Having a mud-encrusted tomboy like Sticks standing right next to her would be a good way to counteract any unfortunate implications. "See, not all women have to be soft, pink homemakers! Let your freak flag fly, girls!" Instead, the last act of this episode has both females weaponizing press-on nails, hair extensions, and shampoo. This is probably only because this scene happens to be set in a spa... Yet the result still feels a bit like the male writers couldn't think of anything for these female characters to do that didn't revolve around make-up, fashion, and beauty tips. 

This extends to the villainous subplot. Belinda overhears that Sonic is out of town while seated next to Amy at the spa. She wants her supervillain husband to strike in that moment but he's too absorbed in his manly hobby of digging up rocks. This results in Belinda occupying another unfortunate feminine stereotype: The shrewish wife who hen pecks her husband and resorts to violence whenever she doesn't immediately get her way, playing into the idea that women are emotionally volatile and inherently irrational. This impression is furthered by her eventual rampage through the town being largely devoted to petty grievances. Which I guess doesn't make her any different from most of the other "Boom" villains but... I don't know. I doubt think the writers did all of this intentionally but it doesn't strikes me as not the best choice. 

None of these issues mean I didn't find this episode amusing. In fact, it's got some good gags. The best of which revolves around, simply, Eggman being a lunatic. Amy decides to distract the doctor by putting a life-sized doll of Sonic up on a post. In another example of the characters' cognitive awareness varying depending totally on whether them being an idiot is funny in that moment, Eggman immediately falls for this. He spends the rest of the episode trying to fool and murder a stuff toy. The doctor having a completely one-sided argument with the Sonic decoy might make him look schizophrenic but it's also amusingly bizarre. The ploys to confuse the plush hedgehog gets weirder, as Orbot and Cubot do little dances, until Eggman's fixation on the fake Sonic gets nearly as weird as Amy having such a prop in the first place. (Which the script immediately lampshades, of course.) Whether it "makes sense," Eggman dedicating so much time and energy to trying to kill a mannequin, only for it to inexplicably bests him, is a good joke. 

These are paired alongside some typical examples of "Boom" humor. Such as fourth wall leaning self-awareness, evident in a line of dialogue from Amy that occurs after a cut immediately being picked up by Sticks, which escalates to both characters showing varying levels of awareness of being on a TV show. Or when Belinda rages at the Lady Goat, a minor background character that she looks nearly identical to. These are sharper jokes than rather limply delivered lines about mud baths or everyone hating Fastidious Beaver's constantly correcting everyone's grammar. Also, there's a “Matrix” joke – in 2017! – which is easily the surest sign that the writers were phoning it in on this one. 

Even if some of the jokes are weak, this episode is still better as a comedy than it is as an action/adventure show. Any hope that "Boom's" overall standard for action sequences might have been raised by the "Robots from the Sky" four parter is dashed here. These action scenes are exactly as weightless, slow, and awkward as I've come to expect from "Boom." Sticks landing atop a MantisBot, staying suspended in the air for several seconds as she karate kicks it head off, or being slowly launched across the room into an immobile wall look lifeless. In a weird touch, the lasers from Belinda's mech suit simply freezes everyone they strike, which seems like a deeply unsatisfying compromise for not being able to afford some explosion. Also, any time the episode focuses on those piles of mud, it seems to feature an utterly still pattern upon it that looks incredibly weird whenever it interacts with other people. I know I've beaten this drum over and over again but this show really should have just been traditionally animated if they didn't have the resource to make something as simple as mud not look so fucking off. 

I think this review came off more negative than I intended. I still reasonably enjoyed this episode, even if the script makes some iffy choices and the animation isn't the best. I guess I wanted a little more from an episode based around exploring Amy and Sticks' odd friendship. They can't all be winners and even a half-baked installment contains some decent gags, so I guess it's not too big of a missed opportunity. [6/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.32: Planes, Trains, and Dude-Mobiles

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.32: Planes, Trains, and Dude-Mobiles

Original Air Date: June 17th, 2017

In another surprising show of continuity from season two of "Sonic Boom," "Planes, Trains, and Dude-Mobiles" is partially built around the existence of Dude-itude, the rock band Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles formed back in season one episode thirty-nine, "Battle of the Boy Bands." Despite having only played one gig a year before, the band has somehow booked a concert. Tails excitedly tells Sonic and Knuckles, who had forgotten they were in a band. The fox has built a specialized van just for the trip to the venue. Sonic is hoping for a relaxing road trip but it soon turns into a nightmare, as his band mates insist on making frequent stops at kitschy tourist traps and the group is repeatedly hassled by a hard-assed patrolman. When a notorious criminal by the name of the Bike Chain Bandit ends up hitching a ride with them, thanks to Knuckles' idiocy, things get worse. 

Aside from putting bacon in things and crippling class inequality, there is perhaps no American tradition greater than the road trip. One can make the argument that this country, as we know it today, didn't really come into existence until the creation of our modern car culture during the post-World War II manufacturing boom. And people wouldn't have bought cars unless they had places to go, which was made possible by the boom in highway construction around the same time. While the glory days of Route 66 have long since passed – as anyone who talks about Route 66 will immediately tell you – road trips continue to remain a backbone of American culture. The advent of the internet has now made it even easier to find out about cultural events or unique treasures hidden across this fair land of ours, making an extended car ride to such places all the easier. Even a crabby-ass home body like me will admit that, sometimes, you just gotta pack a bunch of stuff into your car and drive someplace twelve hours away. Maybe it's the nomad in all of us that feels the siren song of the open road. 

Since the road trip occupied such a prominent place in the American subconscious, it should not be surprising that there is an entire genre of story built around such journeys. It makes sense, as there's no narrative older or more sturdy than the journey from one place to another. In the written word, the idea has produced classics like "On the Road" and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." On-screen, the inherent filmic qualities of driving through the countryside, and the sense of adventure and discovery that goes along with it, has led to the creation of the road trip movies. Being such a mutable premise, the idea has infected practically all genres. There's a cinematic road trip for every mood: The hippy existentialism of "Easy Rider" and "Two-Lane Blacktop," the broad comedy of "National Lampoon's Vacation" or "The Cannonball Run," award-winning dramas like "Thelma & Louise" or "Paper Moon," grisly thrillers like "Near Dark" and "Natural Born Killers," coming-of-age stories like "Yu Tu Mama Tambian" or "Corvette Summer." If you want to hit the road via fictional proxy, there's no limit of options. 

Television, being a much more limited medium, doesn't do road trip stories as often but homages do appear from time to time. Which brings me back, finally, to "Sonic Boom." "Planes, Trains, and Dude-Mobiles" takes its title from a beloved road trip movie, another John Hughes' comedy about unlikely friendships and wacky happenstance occurring during a long trip. Despite that, Alan Denton and Greg Hahn are not paying specific homage to Hughes' film. In fact, "Dude-Mobiles" seems to be more of a throwback to the general idea of road movies, more so than any specific example. The ball-busting highway cop, shitty roadside attractions, and picking up a murderous hitchhiker are archetypal concepts that can't be traced to any specific source. The sense that the episode is a throwback to the vague notion of eighties road trip movies is supported by the episode ending in a chase scene set to a cheesy, butt-thumping, synth-rock ballad. It honestly feels a little bit like someone who actually hasn't seen that many eighties movies imagining what the genre must be like. Which I guess is fine, considering the eight year olds who watched this in 2017 wouldn't be likely to have seen those movies either. 

I always believe that a callback is pointless without specificity. However, I still had some fun with this episode. Considering my taste tends to run more towards "The Hitcher" than "It Happened One Night," it should surprise no one that the Bike Chain Bandit subplot is my favorite part. When Knuckles is given the wheel, so Sonic and Tails can nap, he drives down a spooky forest. That's when he picks up a scraggy possum with a bag full of bike chains, much to everyone else's horror. Just like in the classic urban legends, a radio announcement breaks out at exactly that moment – interrupting, in a great gag, "our regular broadcast of silence" – to announce a deranged killer matching the hitchhiker's appearance precisely is on the loose. The sequence that follows is obviously played for madcap laughs. Yet that a kid's show would even feature a scene where a lunatic tries to garotte Knuckles with a chain, amid a dark and stormy night, surprises and delights me. 

All things considered, this is an amusing ten minutes. Denton and Hahn's scripts can usually be relied on for a few solid zingers. A sequence devoted to the trio visiting "the world's largest non-rocking chair" escalates in amusingly silly way. Knuckles reaction to a bad lie Sonic told or safely pulling over to the side of the road while a killer pursues them are solid chuckles. As is Tails' reaction to the cop's color euphemism for a jail cell. There's lots of good little lines here – Sonic's reaction to Amy telling him "not to do anything [she] wouldn't do" or a Knuckles' quib about wallet chains – that definitely feel like they were tossed-in last minute but still made me grin. The subplot with the asshole cop and the guys meeting the world's biggest Dreamboat Express fan in jail are plenty limp but I did appreciate the reveal that Sonic uses "gotta go fast" as a medical condition to get out of speeding tickets. 

The episode never reaches the manic blend of wackiness it is clearly striving for. Part of that is that Denton/Hahn seem a little too enamored of the idea of Dude-itude. The guys breaking into a rap-like verse after getting in the van seems played totally straight, despite the sheer embarrassing cringe factor of it all. The climax is set to what I can only assume is meant to be a Dude-itude song, built around the "Push It To the Limit" soundalike riff that has played in several previous episodes. Roger Craig Smith sings the vocals in a clearly ridiculous manner, indicating this is obviously a joke. However, it's hard to make gags out of crappy songs because, at the end of the day, you're still hearing a crappy song. You'd think the people who write "Sonic" cartoons would've learned by this point that the blue hedgehog and musical numbers do not blend. 

I guess these rather unfortunate songs – which are, admittedly, still less unfortunate than any of the "Sonic Underground" songs – were inserted to make up for the fact that, despite Dude-itude being the motivating element behind this entire episode, we never actually see the band play. While not the most memorable, hilarious, or sharpest episode of "Sonic Boom," this one still isn't all bad. Like I said, the Bike Chain Bandit's appearance makes this the closest we'll likely ever get to a "Sonic" version of a slasher movie, making it impossible for me to give thus one anything less than a [7/10]. 

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.29: Robots from the Sky Part 4

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.29: Robots from the Sky Part 4

Original Air Date: May 27th, 2017

As May of 2017 neared its end, "Sonic Boom's" "Robots from the Sky" four-parter reached something like an epic conclusion. After fishing him out of a frozen lake, Eggman patches HypnoBot back up. The two are soon united by their mutual hatred of Tails and Sonic. They combine their forces for a full-scale invasion of Morristown. Amy, Knuckles, and Sticks hitch a ride to the city in the sky on FiendBot. The robotic civilians fall under HypnoBot's sway and quickly overwhelmed Team Sonic. That's when, hiding inside the lead-lined bunker, Bolts has a crazy idea. He builds robotic copies of Sonic and the gang but gives them organic brains, cloned from the original, in order to make them immune to HypnoBot's control. Will even this cavalry be enough? 

Aside from balancing comedy and action fairly well, what has made the "Robots from the Sky" arc compelling up to this point is that it had a little more thematic weight to it than your usual "Boom" episodes. The question of robotic personhood in the face of evil machinations and what responsibility a creator has to its creation always floated beneath the surface, adding a bit more substance to this smashy-smashy yuk-yuk kids show. Unfortunately, all of this is tossed out in the final part. Any discussion of whether Tails holds any fault for HypnoBot's turn towards villainy or the implication of the robot uprising being justified are dismissed. HypnoBot is unambiguously the bad guy. Everything Sonic and the gang do is unambiguously the right thing. Bad is vanquished. Good triumphs. Yada yada.

The part of all these big heroic moments that makes my brain is itch is the ease with which Mighton and Bolts smash other robots. In the first episode, simply seeing Sonic and the other fleshies crush some Badniks was enough to convince the Morristown duo to attack them. Now, they are fighting alongside Team Boom and happily participating in this slaughter of other robotic beings. I guess it's okay if they are attacking you too? It's somewhat disappointing to realize that Mighton doesn't actually stand up for all robots everywhere, only those that are on his side. Kind of makes Morristown seem like less utopian and more like any other assholes country, with its narrow-minded patriots and obsession with self-defense. That seeing the good guys destroy other machines is never questioned proves definitively that any themes of robotic rights in this story arc were purely accidental. 

In cartoons and comic books and the like, it's common for supervillains with otherwise contradicting viewpoints to team up against their common heroic foe. Even if it ends with Magneto sealing the Red Skull up in an underwater jail cell, it's plausible enough that bad guys would put aside their differences and unite against the heroes they all hate. Yet HypnoBot ignoring the obvious issues he would have with Eggman, because they both hate Tails, bugs me. I suppose HypnoBot is not actually about robotic liberation. He had no problem with enslaving the residents of Morristown and the other Badniks to his will. Still, that he align himself with Eggman – serial abuser of Cubot and Orbot, someone who only sees robots as his tools and lackies – seems unlikely. Maybe he was planning on betraying Eggman the minute he retook Morristown and smashed the heroes. Would've been nice if that could have been hinted at or something, in the name of consistency. 

I suppose dramatic density being tossed out in favor of crowd-pleasing theatrics is not uncommon for any last act. And you know what pleases the crowd, if the crowd is composed of Sonic fans? Robotic doubles! Metal Sonic remains easily the most popular secondary villain in the entire franchise. For years, fans cried out for cybernetic copies of Tails and Amy to be featured in the games, finally getting their wish kind of granted with "Sonic Superstars" last year. In this context, "Sonic Boom" devoting time to robotic duplicates of its furry heroes isn't unexpected. Unlike the horde of metal doppelgangers Eggman has cooked up, these are good robot us'es. They don't look that different from the regular "Boom" models. To the point where they could feasibly be alternate skins in a video game or something. Still, giving the good guys mirror images of themselves to play off of leads to some good moments. Sticks and her equally paranoid cyborg double interacting, their initial suspicions leading way to agreements, is a really good gag. 

Even with those moments, the focus is definitely on action here. The episode even features several slow-motion, Zack Snyder style, beats when Sticks is lunging into battle or Sonic is facing down a rocket punch. When Tails brings his wrench down on HypnoBot's telepathic antenna, the moment is replayed from several angles. Which seems to emphasize that this is an underwhelming way to defeat the main villain of the story. That's exactly the kind of self-aware joke I'd expect "Boom" to make but the scene is seemingly presented sincerely. After the action has been surprisingly decent in the last three episodes, nothing here is as memorable. (If still better than the average "Boom" battle scene.) At Sonic's injured leg is still milked for a little tension. Putting Sonic at a disadvantage is always an underrated move to make, even if it only amounts to a few seconds here. 

Ultimately, the focus on action over comedy here makes me wonder if the Denton/Hahn/Friedberger trio didn't run out of steam a little in the last part. The handful of jokes here are notably not as sharp as the humor from the last two. A bit at the beginning, where Tails is in awe over the identical buildings of Morristown, leads to a predictable payoff. A one-liner from Knuckles about leg day is weak. Most of Eggman and HypnoBot's banter did not move me. There are a few amusing moments. Knuckles randomly asking if his robot double can wear a bolo tie is amusing. (A joke they should've followed up on by actually giving Cyber Knucks a bolo tie.) Like I said, Sticks' paranoid diatribes usually make me chuckle. I'm not a Sonic/Amy guy but they get some flirty moments here that are genuinely adorable. And, hey, Cowbot still lives!

However, "Robots from the Sky Part 4" feels like a somewhat disappointing conclusion to what had been a very good story up to this point. I guess a plot full of interesting ideas collapsing into uninspired punching and fighting at the end is not uncommon for action/adventure stories. People expect the explosions, so it must be delivered on. Still, a little more insight into how these events effect everyone's attitudes towards their robotic brethren would've been nice. Even with "Boom" featuring more continuity in season two, I'll be surprised if Morristown and it's residents come back in any meaningful way. (And the civilians of Hedgehog Village learning to stand up for themselves will definitely be forgotten, probably by the next episode.) I guess three outta four isn't bad, all things considered. A somewhat underwhelming wrap-up to an otherwise ambitious story is, I suppose, still part of that ambitious story. [6/10]

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]

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]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.26: Robots from the Sky Part 1

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.26: Robots from the Sky Part 1

Original Air Date: May 6th, 2017

Multi-part story arcs weren't a thing that "Sonic Boom" did all that often. Most of the time, this was a show designed to be consumed in quick, ten minutes bites, that anyone could drop into and enjoy. As we've gotten into the guts of season two, more elements of continuity have been introduced, the show bringing back past characters and building something like an actual lore and extended cast of its own. This gradual move towards more on-going storytelling would arguably reach its peak about half-way through season two. That's when Bill Freiberger had a wacky idea to do a four-part episode, a little mini-epic that would run about forty minutes in total length. That would be "Robots from the Sky," which would kick off with the twenty-sixth episode of season two. 

When Sonic and the gang are running a charity car wash, Eggman attacks while complaining about some missing change. That's when a spaceship crashes in the near-by forest. Inside are two sentient robots named Mighton and Bolts, citizens of a utopian robot city floating in the sky. Upon seeing the heroes smashing Eggman's Badniks, they immediately assume them to be enemies of robotic kind and attack. They go back to Eggman's base, where the doctor tries to get them to reveal more information about their city, with plans towards taking it over. Now, Sonic and the others have to rescue the naïve machines that just attacked them. 

I spent most of my recent review of "Nominatus Rising" complaining about how it felt like characters from some other cartoon show dropped down in the middle of this one. (And the related phenomenon of how "Sonic" cartoons have done this a lot.) Only a few episodes later and "Boom" does it again. At least robots are an established, reoccurring element of this series. That doesn't change the fact that Mighton and Bolts both look, sound, and act like protagonists from some other cartoon. If you had told me this four-parter was a crossover with some other show airing on Cartoon Network or Boomerang at this time, I would probably believe you. The clips we get of the machine's home world feel like they could belong to any number of other shows. Maybe this feeling simply stems from me being an old man. Or maybe it's because CGI kids cartoons from the late 2000s and mid-2010s all just kind of looked this way. I remember watching shit like "RollBots" or "Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures" with my nephew and the robot-centric scenes in this episode really remind me of the look and feel of those forgettable shows. 

It doesn't help that big and tough Mighton and small and smart Bolts feel like they could be generic heroes from any generic program, right down to their voices and superpowers. (Mighton has a rocket punch, Bolts' arms can extend out like tentacles.) Or their names for that matter, which must've been thought up in one minute. Their character arc – of mistaking the actual heroes for villains, joining up with the actual villains, only to have to be rescued by the good guys once the inevitable betrayal occurs – is also standard stuff for any action/adventure story. In fact, this kind of "First, they fight, then they team up" writing – which can be found in any superhero comic – is close to Sonic's introductions to Knuckles and Shadows. Maybe these two fit in with this series more than I'm giving them credit for. Nevertheless, Mighton and Bolts' designs aren't very memorable. In the vast expanse of kids' cartoons about robots, you could tell me these two were from any of them and I'd probably buy it. Even the way Mighton's mouth moves reminds me of any number of would-be "Transformers" imitators. 

Whatever feelings I have about Mighton and Bolts as characters, I do think they present an interesting opportunity. When the two first arrive in the village, they see Sonic joyfully smashing other robots. The script plays this as all a grand misunderstanding that is sorted out by the end but it brings up a point I've made before. Throughout "Boom," it's been obvious that Eggman's robots possess a certain degree of free will and have personalities all their own. We've seen this in Cubot and Orbot's sassy back-talking and occasional betrayals, in the society of free and able Cubot prototypes, with FiendBot and Bea, and numerous small jokes about Badniks hesitating to obey Eggman's orders or striking for equal rights. All of this suggest that Eggman imbues his machines with what can only be called sentience. In other words, while not being organic organisms, they are basically living things. Moreover, they don't seem all that different from the fearful, idiotic citizens of Hedgehog Village. 

And these are the same robots that Sonic and the other "good" guys smash to pieces in every episode. The question must be asked: Is it ethical for Sonic to destroy these Badniks? Are the heroes simply acting in self-defense? What kind of draconian "Stand Your Ground" laws does Hedgehog Village have? Is Team Boom responsible for hate crimes against robots?! We don't yet know the origins of the aerial civilization of machines Mighton and Bolts came from. Yet it's hard to say they are any different from Eggman's minions. They identify them as fellow robots in that first scene. All of this presents a fascinating moral conundrum. If Sonic and friends have been destroying sentient beings this whole time, they really aren't heroes. Moreover, if they were somehow unaware of this, it could've led to them challenging their own beliefs and doubting their own actions. 

That would've been a compelling and deep story for "Sonic Boom" to follow... Something a jokey sitcom like this, in no way, is prepared to handle. Unsurprisingly, "Robots from the Sky Part 1" does not address these concerns. In fact, during the climax, Mighton is also destroying Eggman's Badniks without pausing. Which suggests some interesting things about his character! Maybe the Sky Robots are some sort of machine isolationist who aren't so concerned for other types of robots. They describe their city as a utopia but that's just their perspective. Maybe Mighton and Bolts are the robot equivalent of white supremacy and running some sort of mechanical ethnostate up there! Again, I don't expect "Boom" to address any of this. Sorry, there I go again, actually thinking about the context of the things I watch and the implications of the information presented within. The truth is Mighton's sudden turn from considering Eggman's creations his robot brothers to mooks he can destroy without question is sloppy writing, a result of the episode's short runtime and focus on comedy. 

And the focus is definitely on comedy, as you'd expect. While Bill Freiberger conceived of "Robots from the Sky" story arc, Alan Denton and Greg Hahn get top-billing on the writing credit. This suggests to me they did most of the work on the script. Because this episode feels like one of their's. "Robots from the Sky Part 1" is full of smarmy dialogue, everyone constantly peppering their speech with little jokes and sarcastic comments. Eggman's fast-paced rantings about loose change are interspersed with jokes about Meh Burger's version of the Dollar Menu, his mustache, the difference between apple juice and apple cider, or alliteration. Everyone talks like this. Tails' investigation of the sky robots' ship includes a digression about the word "groovy." He pauses in the middle of battle to scold Eggman's low effort passwords. When Orbot and Cubot appear on Sonic's doorstep, a sarcastic conversation about their fragile loyalty to their boss ensues. Even Mighton and Bolts talk this, comparing Sonic and Tails to themselves or cracking a line about "positing politics on social media."

This kind of constant snarkiness, one-liners breathlessly coming one after another, has proven overwhelming and exhausting before. And yet... I did laugh a good bit in "Robots from the Sky Part 1." There's a lot of solid, fast paced gags here. Such as the state of the day care the heroes are raising money to restore. A lot of the nonstop rapporteur is fairly amusing. Amy's upbeat response to Eggman saying he should give Team Sonic a key made me chuckle. As did Cubot nearly revealing the nature of their half-hearted betrayal to Eggman. By far the best gag in this episode is the name of the robot civilization in the sky... Morristown. Contrasting futuristic, sci-fi premises with everyday mundanity??? Ooooh yeeeeah, that's the good shit! The episode probably draws too much attention to this joke, with people constantly suggesting more fantastical names... But fuck it. A robot utopia named Morristown? Excellent.  

This episode also proves something that I decided a long time ago: Sticks is the MVP of "Sonic Boom." The episode brings her repeated rantings about a forthcoming robot apocalypse full circle, in a way that definitely doesn't go uncommented on. The sci-fi set-up allows for a lot of paranoid rantings from our favorite schizophrenic badger. Her direct solution to dealing with the robot menace comes around fantastically at the end. I'll admit, I have a fondness for humor of this sort, of playing lunatic conspiracy theories and those that believe them for laughs. That Sticks always delivers her unhinged beliefs with such enthusiasm, and that bit of Jerzey in her voice... I'm just saying, she's the best. If I was a badger boy, I'd awkwardly attempt to date her before being increasingly alienated by her troubling beliefs and unhinged actions. 

Being the show's first, big multi-part storyline, I would not be surprised if "Robots from the Sky" was developed as a centerpiece of season two. Which presumably means it was given a little more of a budget boost, resulting in action scenes that clearly had more work put into them. There's some fairly fluid sequences of Sticks dismantling a Mantis Bot with her bo staff or Knuckles punching another Badniks to pieces. You actually get a sense of Sonic's speed in these scenes, instead of the more stilted qualities that are usually evident in the battle sequences. There's lots of explosions and fire flying everywhere in the last act, during the big confrontation between Team Boom, the sky robots, and Eggman's forces. It's so much smoother than "Boom's" action scenes, especially when compared to recent clumsy scenes in "Og Man Out" or "Knuck Knuck Who's There?" I guess animation of this quality was not practical for the show's budget but I'm glad the animators got to step it up sometimes 

As you might expect from the "Part 1" at the end of the title, the episode ends on a cliffhanger. "Boom" being the meta program it is, there's naturally a lampshade hung in this ending. What's weird though is that "Robots from the Sky Part 1" basically wraps up its own story before that moment. The episode is fairly self-contained, in that regard. However, I suppose more shenanigans in Morrisville are forthcoming. As hyper-verbal as this script can be, the result is quite an entertaining episode. Onto the next part! [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.14: FiendBot

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.14: FiendBot

Original Air Date: February 11th, 2017

As I sit down to write this review of just another "Sonic Boom" episode, it's been about six months since I last looked at this show. The previous two reviews were written and banked a while ago but various factors kept me from posting them. Namely, when I did return from my latest unexpected and unplanned hiatus, I had other "Sonic" shit I needed to talk about first. With that business safely attended to, I can get back to what Hedgehogs Can't Swim is really all about: Talking about "Sonic" media that hasn't been relevant to the franchise in years! 

The episode begins with Sonic excitedly racing into Tails' hut with a rare copy of "Tomatopotamus 2," a video game everyone is a fan of. After Knuckles defeats Sonic's high score, the hedgehog has to fulfil his end of the bargain to buy everyone lunch. That's when Eggman springs his latest weapon: FiendBot, a robot trained on footage of Sonic in order to predict his every move and instinct. However, studying Sonic's habits have also taught FiendBot the hedgehog's heroic spirit. The machine quickly switches sides, Sonic dubbing him FriendBot. However, having a giant death-bot follow him around quickly cramps Sonic and his friend's style. 

I've got to hand it to Alan Denton and Greg Hahn on this one. They really do successfully shove a whole character arc into this fifteen minute cartoon. FiendBot goes from being a new, powerful foe for Sonic and the gang to their friend within a few minutes. He then goes from being a helpful new addition to an annoyance in the few minutes after that. That is before he wins over everyone with a heroic sacrifice at the story's climax, proceeding Tails successfully rebuilding the machine. How tight the script is also shows in how that silliness with the "Tomatopotamus" game cartridge comes back around at the end. The rare mineral in the game that made it such a valuable collector's item is also what's needed to bring FiendBot back online, meaning Knuckles has to sacrifice his high score to save his new friend(bot). Which he willingly does, having fully accepted the machine as part of the gang. 

This storyline is definitely familiar to anyone who has watched a lot of cartoons in their life. Episodes featuring awkward and friendly new characters, that the established cast have to learn to accept, are common in children's media. Usually out of a need to teach a lesson about tolerance and acceptance for anyone different. "Transmutate" from "Beast Wars" is a good example of this and "FiendBot" has some similarities to it. (Though "Boom" ditches the tragic ending.) The idea of a main character getting a new friend and someone getting jealous, necessitating a moral about learning to share your loved ones, also feels like a common trope in these shows. In fact, I'm pretty sure an earlier "Boom," "Buster," was written to mock premises like this. 

"FiendBot," however, is mostly sincere. Or at least as sincere as this show can get. The ending conveniently writes FiendBot out in order to maintain Sitcom Status Quo by the start of the next episode. I kept waiting for "Boom" to jokingly reference this in its typically meta fashion. Instead, Denton and Hahn continue to play its straight. Weirdly, this actually works in its favor. I found the ending, FiendBot's acceptance into the main group and then his graceful departure, pretty cute. It doesn't hurt that the episode uses a location from a previous installment – the village of moronic Cubot prototypes from "Beyond the Valley of the Cubots" – as a way to smoothly write FiendBot out. If we probably are never going to see this seemingly important new character again, it's good to know he's at least hanging out with some other minor characters, similarly discarded at the end of their showcase episode. 

That "FiendBot" never points out the story tropes it is so obviously using is even more surprising as there are meta jokes here. They just aren't about TV writing. Instead, the "Tomatopotamus" video game provides another chance for "Boom" to poke fun at the "Sonic" franchise and its crazier fans. Yes, there's a joke about how the "Tomatopotamus" series fell from grace years ago, following an unsuccessful leap to 3D that also involved changing the color of the main character's legs. Self-referential in-jokes like this are common in the "Sonic" franchise now. Adopting humor like this, the "Sonic" series nodding sagely and saying "Yes, we are aware that we suck now," was really the only way for the franchise to pull out of the on-and-off slump it has found itself in since the nineties ended. The "Boom" cartoon, once again, proves that it was ahead of the curb on that approach. Whether you find jokes like this amusing or aggravating depends on your sense of humor, I guess. 

I like them or, at least, I like them more than the non-stop barrage of snide one-liners. Eggman really gets the worst of those here, with groaners about how to correctly pronounce "data" and his supposed sardonic wit. There's also some lame lines from Amy, about girls not being good at video games, and Orbot being sassy. (Of the hackier jokes here, one about Meh Burger did make me laugh.) As is usually the case, the episode is funnier when just embracing what a bunch of weirdos these characters are. Such as when Cubot hits on the cannon Eggman invents or Knuckles only half understands everyone's frustration with his chronic numb-skullery. Sonic's phobia around water also comes up in an amusing way. 

There's also a line where, while trying to mention the hedgehog's qualities, Eggman has a Freudian slip about Sonic being "ruggedly handsome." We already know that Eggman not-so-secretly longs to be friends with Sonic. Maybe he longs to be more than just that as well? Certainly wouldn't be the first time a layer of homoeroticism existed between a hero and villain's rivalry. Are there slash fics and yaoi fanart of Sonic and Eggman out there? No offense to anyone but I'd rather not check... 

For what it's worth, I do think F(r)iendBot is pretty amusing. His tendency to refer to normal things, like the sincerity in Sonic's voice, in a mechanical robot fashion made me chuckle. As did the big anime girl eyes he makes a few times. Is this character a round-about homage to E-123 Omega or are Eggman's robots turning against him just that common of an occurrence in this series? Also, this episode features a little cameo from Perci, or at least one of her sisters, and the melody of "It's Not Unusual." It's also not unusual for me to like "Boom" episodes and this is another addition to the pile of good ones. [7/10]