Preview: Sonic Boom’s “Eggman – The Video Game”

And so, Sonic Boom’s second season is about to come to an end. But before it does, there’s a two part special that intends to bring the season to a conclusion with a bang. SEGA has generously allowed us to see both parts in advance, with part one airing tomorrow night on Boomerang, so we offer you guys a preview on what you can expect in the next two weeks.

Let me give you a preview of, first, part one. The general plot is this: Eggman wants to star in his own video game to paint his image in a more positive light. In his attempts to do so, he eventually tries to rely on motion capture to make it happen. But to get something good, he needs a character that can take down Sonic. This is where Shadow the Hedgehog comes in. Continuity is strong in this two-parter. Shadow is still not happy with Eggman after the season one finale, so don’t expect Eggman to have an easy time getting Shadow and Sonic to battle. Part 2 sees things really begin to escalate, as Shadow’s shenanigans really cause problems.

Unfortunately, as much of a bang as the two-parter was, there wasn’t as much to really praise in it, compared to the four-parter that we saw earlier this season. If you’re expecting laughs throughout the pair of episodes, you will be disappointed. Part 2 has hardly any comedic moments, and the majority of the jokes seem to have been saved for the first few minutes of part one. 95% of the two-parter is action, so the whole comedic aspect of Boom is pretty much absent. However, when the two-parter does sneak in a joke, the good news is that they usually hit the mark. So although you won’t laugh throughout part 1 and 2, that’s not to say you won’t laugh at all. I also feel like the two-parter seems to forget what this two-parter was basically about. Eggman’s video game is quickly cast aside to make way for loads of action between Team Sonic and Shadow. In fact, it’s not until the very end of part 2 that the writers remember that Eggman was making a video game in the first place. Pacing also seems to be a problem, with the ending feeling kind of rushed. Things don’t come to a head until the final few minutes, where they quickly resolve the problem. In fact, part two is called “Eggman: The Video Game: Part 2: The End of the World”. However, that “end of the world” part? You get only 2 minutes of that actually being a thing. Shadow’s depature is questionable, due to a line he says that makes you feel like ‘you’re implying that it wasn’t that, but it was”. Oh yeah, and if you needed further proof that Shadow is actually evil, he proves it himself.  The good news is every single main series Sonic character that has appeared in the Boom universe appears in some way. Not only does Team Sonic have to deal with Shadow, but dimensions get breached and they also have to encounter a familiar face we haven’t seen all season. The villagers don’t have as much of a role in the season finale. In fact, with the exception of a few minutes of part one, you won’t see a villager anywhere. Character development is largely absent, too. Nobody really learns anything, unlike Robots From The Sky. The entire two-parter is basically “Eggman and Shadow cause trouble, so Team Sonic put an end to it”. The two-parter is not bad, mind you. It could be much worse. On the plus side, if you like references, seeing as how Eggman’s making a video game, expect video game ones.

The most interesting thing about the season finale is that part two ends with a fourth-wall break similar to the season one finale. The writers were clearly aware that this is the final episode of season two and, just like the season one finale, snuck that in at the end of part 2. Why is this interesting? Because, unlike last time, the joke wasn’t about the uncertainty of another season. There was certainty in this one.

For all its high and lows, it is a relatively satisfying season finale. You really do feel like this is the season finale. The big question now is whether we’ll have a third season finale to look forward to.

This post was originally written by the author for TSSZ News.