Knuckles hits Paramount+ with a limited series that picks up on the red echidna’s journey to making Earth home. The third Sonic franchise film may be delayed to next year, but in the meantime you can catch up with Knuckles (Idris Elba) on his own side quest with Wade Whipple (Adam Pally).
Knuckles finds himself on the run from some nefarious villains as he settles into life on Earth, all while helping Wade on his journey to find his inner warrior and take on a mysterious figure from his past at a bowling tournament. Here’s what we liked and didn’t like about the six-episode Knuckles series now streaming on Paramount+.
Liked: Sonic Universe Building
The show expands the world of Sonic, setting up that Knuckles needs to find his new Earth tribe. It really establishes that this is a found family story for the younger audiences in a clever way, even if the kid-like characters happen to be voiced by the likes of Idris Elba. Hearing the action star geek out about green grapes and encouraging a family dog to battle a mail carrier is hilarious.
Liked: Grown-Up Geek Representation
Adam Pally’s Deputy Wade returns as the draw for older audiences who grew up on the games. Wade having a own midlife crisis over not feeling “warrior” enough to enter a bowling tournament explores some childhood abandonment issues—a promising premise, at least until it gets muddled along the way.
Liked: Kid Cudi
Billed at Scott Mescudi, the musician jumps into television with a fun debut as a bad guy who’s a formidable foe for Knuckles and commands a number of action scenes. Even when the fights blow up in his face, Cudi knows exactly the type of show he’s in, giving it Roger Rabbit energy as he leans into the comedy.
Liked: Easter Eggs
If you’re a fan of the Sonic properties there are so many homages to the games and other media Knuckles has appeared in. From music to objects and even a whole game-like sequence, it’s fun to see.
Disliked: Too Many Villains
What really disrupts the show is that there are too many bad guys! Knuckles has three going after him and Wade has about four (if you count the child bowling prodigy and Wade’s sister). They’re all interesting and fun but operate too separately from each other for the show to really come together cohesively. It makes for each actor really feeling underserved, especially Rory McCann (Game of Thrones) as Dr. Robotnik’s defector protégée. And we wanted more Kid Cudi—here’s hoping he comes back in the films!
Liked: Great Action
Knuckles shines during the action moments; it’s zany but looks so good. The show really sells that these sequences are earned; they’revisually stunning for a streamer and keep the comedy intact.
Liked: Musical Episode
Not to spoil it too much, this episode is directed by the Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone and really pushes the limits of the show in a good way. This is the energy that Knuckles should have had the whole way through, and the episode has some of the most memorable moments of the series.
Disliked: Pacing and Filler
Too many of the episodes feel like filler and really draw focus away from Knuckles. There’s too much about Wade’s backstory and family that slows down the pacing of the series; it made me lose interest watching as an adult, and you can imagine any kid watching would be even more over it. Edi Patterson and Stockard Channing show up as the Whipple’s estranged family members as he places his deadbeat dad on a pedestal that makes no sense—and it feels like a disservice to his relationship to them. You don’t feel bad for Wade, you just think he must be really dumb.
Disliked: Underused Actors
Cary Elwes was utterly wasted! From the looks of him you’d think he was a wacky Robotnik-type villain—and while he is another type of villain (Wade’s deadbeat dad), it just gets lost in the action of the ending. Again, there were too many baddies going off in different directions that don’t really come together, which makes the show fall apart in the end.
Disliked: There’s No Build to the Next Chapter
Unfortunately, by the end, we found ourselves asking: who is this show for, and who is it even about? Wade and Knuckles are supposed to be on this journey together but are often separated and don’t experience defining moments together. Knuckles being a target never really pays off or builds to the next boss in, say, the upcoming film. And there’s too much focus on Wade’s story, which is not as interesting as Knuckles’ and too flimsy to be the A-plot; his family gets dragged along for a resolution that doesn’t feel quite earned. The show is called Knuckles but it just ends up feeling like a random road trip with a few redeeming moments.
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