Twigs - Knuckles

He actually does chuckle.

[Note: This review will discuss elements of Knuckles that were revealed in promotional material, such as trailers. It will also contain spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. If you’re someone who enjoys going into recent TV shows knowing as little as possible, you may want to skip reading this review.]

I wanted to start this review by saying “I’m a huge fan of Sonic the Hedgehog,” but given his online reputation (or at least the one I remember from the mid-2010s) I’m instead going to say something else.

I’m really liking where Paramount is taking their live-action Sonic the Hedgehog universe.

As someone who grew up loving the blue blur and his wide swath of friends, I’ve found myself pleasantly surprised by his recent American adaptations. While 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog was shaping up to be a disaster because of the titular hero’s original, nightmare-inducing design, the fact it was fixed offered hope that this really was something the filmmakers wanted to stick with long-term. It helps that the first movie feels like it was made with the intention of easing everyday audiences into the world of the video game franchise. The same goes for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which feels like the first movie up until the halfway point, when it becomes a full-fledged Sonic film that the franchise had always deserved. And with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 bringing Shadow into the mix, it’s clear the movies are going to become major Hollywood events for a long time to come.

However, with an expansive universe in modern Hollywood also comes the inevitable optional TV tie-in. Enter Knuckles, a six-episode event series starring the red Echidna of the same name. Following the events of Sonic 2, Knuckles is still adjusting to life on Earth, and isn’t sure what he can do to better fit in. However, he soon learns that Green Hills cop and certified goofball Wade Whipple is traveling to Reno, Nevada in order to compete in a major bowling competition. Knuckles decides to train him in the ways of the Echidna warrior, leading to a road trip for the unlikely pair. However, the duo also end up being hunted down by two rogue G.U.N. agents hired by the mysterious Buyer, who wants to steal Knuckles’ quills and take his Chaos Energy to make destructive weapons to sell on the black market. Along the way, the duo encounter an assortment of friendly faces who help them find their role in the world, strengthening their bond of friendship in the process.

It’s difficult to talk about Knuckles without acknowledging the elephant in the room: The human characters. While I’ve been a fan of many of the human characters introduced in the franchise so far, they also act as a slight hinderance because of how much they can take away from the overarching story of Sonic and his growing friend group. At the same time, though, I’ve found many of the human moments in the movies to be fun in their own ways. Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s wedding, for example, was a fun addition to the movie, even if that section didn’t feature the main heroes much. Which is why I was surprised by the TV spinoff…during its first half. Instead of cutting jarringly between Sonic characters and human characters, Knuckles does a good job at blending both together in a way that gives its lead characters plenty of time to grow together. It reminded me of Tom and Sonic’s road trip in the first movie, where the pair are flawed characters who learn what they really want out of life by finally having someone to call a friend. While that makes Knuckles and Wade’s friendship a bit of a retread, it felt slightly more laid-back and endearing because they’re not always in danger.

The first half also does a good job at characterizing Knuckles while making his decision to help Wade seem justified. There’s an additional surprise in the first three episodes that helps motivate Knuckles, giving the comedic journey ahead more weight behind it. The story sets the stage for some really interesting beats as Knuckles begins to help Wade become more confident, and as Wade helps Knuckles become less gruff. It’s a dynamic that’s aided especially by Knuckles’ characterization as someone who is curious and gullible, but has the potential to be a true guardian for his new home. Wade’s characterization, while less engaging, is also aided by this, as it peels back the layers of his character to make him more than just comic relief. There’s a bigger reason he wants to win the upcoming bowling tournament, fleshing out his character and giving him a larger presence in the Sonic universe as a whole. He and Knuckles play off each other really well, and it’s because of this that the first half of the show is so engaging.

However, the back half is a much less optimal time, mostly because the story starts to center around only Wade. Despite having plenty of development that made him a much more well-rounded character here than in either of the previous movies, he still is a comic relief character. The ways he plays off other characters is an important part of what makes him so entertaining. However, in the back half of the show, Knuckles winds up taking a backseat, only appearing a handful of times as Wade’s character journey continues. However, the buddy pairing of these two was the best part of the show, dampening the impact of the story once it falls into the background. It doesn’t help that the other hero characters simply aren’t that interesting and just don’t play off of Wade as well as Knuckles does. It feels the most jarring around Episode 5, where it almost seemed like they were either running thin on budget or had to make changes due to production issues, possibly Covid related. I think if they’d just focused more on Knuckles and Wade alone in the final episodes, though, the show would have been a lot better.

But character dynamics are just one part of the much larger story. I think, despite having a bit of an uneven focus in the back half, the story they were trying to tell was full of heart and good-natured messages. It’s (kind of) a kid’s show, after all, so it makes sense for there to be some positive themes about perseverance and finding friends in unlikely places. And I think this thematic idea was presented well by the end of the show, even if it felt uneven in its final half. It also helps that the comedy of the series was fantastic. I’m always a fan of absurdist humor, so everything Knuckles did landed well for me. Especially Episode 4 which, while not featuring Knuckles all that much, managed to stand out because of how zany it was. At one point I had to pause the TV and evaluate, just for a second, what the hell I was even watching. It’s that crazy. But I still enjoyed that level of presentation. Unfortunately, a lot of that wackiness fades in the final two episodes, making them even duller to watch. While there is one major scene in Episode 6 that wound up being really good, the rest of that final third of the series just wasn’t up to par with everything that came before it.

Even so, for the most part, I had a good time with Knuckles. While it’s definitely not required viewing to see Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the story it tells is simple and sweet. It’s got a good message for younger audiences while providing a comedic, wild story for fans of Sonic. While the back half of the show wasn’t very engaging, the first half felt like a good balance between human and cartoon animal, with a dynamic duo that acts as the perfect juxtaposition compared to Sonic and Tom. The show could have been much better with a stronger focus on Knuckles and keeping his involvement front and center. However, I feel like the fact that it became Paramount+’s biggest debut series ever means they’ll take any criticisms of the human focus to heart when crafting the inevitable next Sonic the Hedgehog TV show. While this wasn’t perfect, the first half of the series showed what kind of show it could have been, offering some hope to the video game adaptation universe as it continues to grow.

While it’s hard for me to fully recommend it, I think if you liked the first two movies, you should give Knuckles a shot.

***

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