‘Sonic Prime’ Season 2 Review – “2 Fast, 2 Fun”

Sonic Prime’s first season felt like a tour through everything recognizable about the franchise. Familiar character beats structured the plot, and scenes in Green Hill towards the beginning drove an emotional nail through its center. It meandered more than it should have, but overall, was a breath of fresh air for Sonic and his team in animation. A solid introduction to a new universe full of old feelings.

Season two picks up right where the first left off: Sonic and Shadow are at odds as Shadow explains that the blue-blurs actions in shattering the Paradox Prism have erased their home universe, along with all their friends. In true Sonic fashion, it wastes no time.

But in comparison to the first season, this follow-up feels a little lost. This comes as a shock too, as the first episode of the second season promises new ground that would never again be reached in the following seven. It feeds on the aforementioned conflict between Shadow and Sonic, hammers home the dire circumstances of the plot, and spends some real time with Sonic as he grapples with his mistake that set the whole show off in the first place. All that, and it still manages to be funny and, of course, fast. Good action, quick wit; classic Sonic.

But as soon as the Chaos Council, the series’ group villain composed of essentially five Egg-men, are reintroduced soon after, the show takes a huge hit. This is true for the first season too; the council is defined by unfunny jokes, unnecessary distractions, and outdated character writing conventions. Their place within the story makes sense, and the group aspect is conceptually sound, but in execution, all is lost in the obnoxious aura of the team.

Not even the Egg-isms, reminiscent of the best bits of Dr. Eggman (who is a legendary villain on his own), can save them. They always feel more like a forced conflict than a real threat, and their dramatic, overplayed being clashes heavily with the heart and grounded nature of the Sonic team across every universe. Sure, they can pass for Eggman variants, but none of them come remotely close to the mustache-twirling glory of his past appearances.

Shadow’s presence, though, is a welcome addition that compensates for the problems the Council present, even if he’s underutilized after the first episode. Not only is his dispute with Sonic compelling, but this version of the character is as pure an adaptation as they come; he’s likely the best in that right in the entire show. He’s brooding, theatric, and voice-acted to a tee by Ian Hanlin. He had a little time in the first season, and that was fun, but he’s here full force as a main character, and his banter with Sonic, who’s also voiced superbly by Deven Mack, is a huge highlight.

Their “frenemy” relationship feels right out of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, and reminds fans that they’re both better when they’re together. But again, establishing this in the first episode, and then using the Council as a wrench to constantly separate them throughout, really kills the energy.

An energy that is worsened by inconsistent action sequences, which is another slight disappointment following the first season’s thrills in that department. Some still manage to dazzle, implementing unique movements and a few long-takes (if I may call them that) that help in diversifying the sequences, but most are simply done in a way that doesn’t focus on Sonic’s speed, nor the special nature of his abilities. What the second season greatly succeeds at in spite of this is in its effort to outline a more defined style for the series.

Conversations look like comic-book panels, accentuated by grand, thoughtful wide-shots that spotlight the sparkling art design. The show is, above all else, beautiful, and in these moments, it plays like a light character study of everything these icons have endured since the release of the very first Sonic the Hedgehog game. It feels reminiscent, in a way, and for fans looking for a nostalgic shock to the heart, these moments are alone worth sitting through the entire thing.

As a full package, it’s a mixed bag. There’s a lot to love here for families, and the two available seasons taken on the whole serve as solid entertainment for kiddos of all kinds. Sonic fans will find enough to enjoy, though the show’s poking and prodding may leave them wanting more. Either way, if you’re dying for a new Netflix show, give Sonic Prime’s second season a spin(dash). Perhaps shuffling the episodes and watching them in the way that you would a Nickelodeon cartoon, like SpongeBob, would prove more fulfilling than a front-to-back watch. Avoid caring about the tired multiversal plot-lines and the Chaos Council’s related tirades, and focus instead on the ever-fruitful fun of Sonic and his gang speeding around and spiking goons. Even at it’s worst, Sonic Prime second season has that in abundance.

Sonic Prime is currently available to stream on Netflix. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvrSJ_jGbGY]