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redlikerosesandflowers · 1 month ago

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A Maddie Wachowski appreciation post

I think Maddie Wachowski deserves more love in the fandom, so I'm going to dedicate this post to her and how amazing she is. Tom deserves all the praise for being an amazing father and person, but this woman deserves the praise too!

We see how amazing she is right from the first movie.

For starters, Maddie is clearly someone who is loving, selfless and kind. She chose to be a veterinarian, a profession that is inherently focused on caring and compassion, which says a lot about the kind of person she is. Sonic points out how good she's with animals and we know that he only trusts people he deems to be good-natured.

If the boy with trust issues says you're kind to animals, you've got nothing but good bones in your body.

Next, she's a great wife and complements Tom very well. They're clearly best friends, have movie nights together, and spend quality time together often enough that Sonic can see a pattern. They joke around, are comfortable with each other, and it's obvious how much she loves him.

When the letter from SFPD arrives, she's eager to see her husband's reaction and while we get the joke about the two cakes, it just proves how much Maddie cares. She made sure Tom had her support no matter what the outcome of the letter.

(I also love how the rejection cake focuses on how SF lost Tom, that they're morons and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge is on fire. This woman is Thomas Wachowski's hype man, I tell you!)

And the next scene shows that she was already looking at apartments before, regardless of the outcome of the letter, demonstrating Tom's unwavering faith and that yes, she never doubted that he could get it, not even for a moment.

Maddie is also in tune with Tom's feelings, showing that she not only knows him better than anyone but always provides an environment for him to be vulnerable and comfortable opening up. She notices his hesitation and lightens the mood, playing along with Tom's witty comments until she gets to the heart of the matter.

When her husband asks if she's okay with the move, she not only assures him that she is, telling him how grateful she's for the sacrifices he made to make her dreams come true - which Maddie knows were many because they probably had a long-distance relationship while she was in Vet School while Tom paid for everything and apparently she repeats this enough that he knows it by heart - but she also states that is more than okay to uproot her entire stable life if it means Tom will be happy.

Not only that, she senses Tom's anxiety and that the real problem is that HE'S unsure if leaving the city is the right choice and doesn't press when he says he's sure, even though he knows it wouldn't be the best thing to do.

I also think it's cute how Maddie has a strict no-aggression policy. It's not that the woman isn't willing to throw hands - because she is - but rather that Maddie doesn't like gratuitous violence and is quite firm about that opinion, even scolding Tom about it.

Still on the subject of these two's relationship, I want to highlight how these two are ride and die for each other.

Tom was accused of DOMESTIC TERRORISM and yet he had no doubt that he could count on Maddie, showing her unconditional love and loyalty, in addition to seeing her as an emotional support and a person to turn to when anxiety is high.

She, on the other hand, was not suspicious of him but rather worried, and defended him from her own sister even with the evidence against her very clear.

Speaking of which, Maddie's unconditional love is not limited to humans and animals but also to aliens, which would become her children.

(the most valid crash out of the first movie after the Sonic one)

She does not show any xenophobia or prejudice against Sonic in their first meeting, but she was empathetic with the hedgehog from the beginning, moved by his condition. And despite the initial shock, she always saw him as a living being, worthy of care and support.

To the point of tying up her sister so she wouldn't interfere and becoming an accomplice to a domestic terrorist to help Sonic. Maddie doesn't mess around!

Not only that, she agreed to help Tom without reservations and handled the chaos thrown at her like a champion, focusing on helping Sonic and then embarking on all the madness without question.

She also went against Robotinik, and supported Tom and Sonic in the final battle. Where after everything is over she sees that Tom has solved his internal problems and seen what she always knew.

And the highlight of the first film: she agrees not only to cover up Sonic from the government, but also agrees to adopt him, helping to set up a room in the attic and everything! Maddie looked at this boy and said my son, without thinking twice!

(gif from @welcome-to-green-hills)

It gets even better in the second film when we see that the Wachowskis have a very common and mundane routine, with Maddie being the mother and a great one at that.

She continues to be Tom's emotional support (and now Sonic's too) and has the same unconditional faith in her husband that she has in her son. She gives Tom space to work things out with his son and shows a lot of affection, which Sonic reciprocates.

In the scene where they leave Hawaii, we see how Tom and Maddie are relationship goals and how Maddie plays with Sonic, making him feel comfortable.

In Hawaii, we see once more of her focus on Tom and how she is the emotional support and place where he can be open, in addition to their usual partnership. In addition to her love for her sister.

Tom is worried about Sonic and how lonely he can feel even with them as parents, and Maddie once again shows the absolute faith in her son and the emotional stability that is so essential for this family to function.

Then we have the scene where Sonic and Tails arrive after escaping the avalanche. Maddie is immediately worried about him and while Tom is a nervous wreck, she controls the situation so Sonic can explain himself.

After GUN shows up and arrests Sonic and Tails, Tom is detained and we see how Maddie takes charge of the situation, trying to reason with Walters to free her husband and son.

When that doesn't work, Maddie simply decides to take matters into her own hands and break into a place guarded by the feds to save her family! And it worked!

(Which also shows that she - like everyone else in this family - is okay with possible violence to ensure the safety of her loved ones🙂)

The next scene shows her taking care of Tails before Robotinik gives signals and Sonic goes to take care of everything alone. Maddie still tries to help but he doesn't listen.

So she and Tom try to solve the problem in Green Hills and we see how they are trying to help before going after their son! (Ugh, I love Found Family!)

And we have THE scene.

(original gifset @yellenabelova here)

Not only does Maddie is the one who catches him when he's almost crushed, but it's SHE who starts saying that they are a family and kicks off this statement. Coherent since she is the emotional core of this family and it's on her that Sonic rests his head when he's about to die, probably because - again - Maddie is the emotional support of the family. Tom follows here and they hug.

Then Sonic turns super Sonic, returns to normal and we see how affectionate Maddie is. Probably the most physically affectionate with Sonic!

(original gif @iwasbored777)

And not only with Sonic but with Tails and Knuckles who have become her children too. She even shows that she has already become attached to Knuckles!

And we have the third film.

The beginning is pretty normal. We see how the whole family is united and Maddie is a loving mother and wife. She helps her children run and is clearly loving her position as a mother.

Despite the somewhat… er, questionable characterization at times, I have the impression that Sonic 3 tried to give Maddie more depth, making her temperamental side more visible and that sometimes she and Tom may have friction, but that doesn't mean they love each other any less. Or the boys.

On the contrary, she loves her husbands and children! She even threw a surprise party celebrating one year since they officially adopted Sonic! And she makes it very clear that when he arrived on Earth they formed a family! She loves this boy!

(original gif @iwasbored777)

Everyone is together and celebrating until GUN arrives. And ruins everything.

I love that Maddie asks what they did because she and Tom have already committed so many crimes against the government and apparently continue to do so lol. TOM has to point out that it was probably their children's work.

The next scene she appears in only further proves that Maddie has fully embraced her new life as a mother.

She and Tom have spent the last few hours pursuing new hobbies and activities that they can do now that it's just them, and it's clear that they can't get used to life as a couple anymore because the boys have become such an integral part of their routine!

And of course, she continues to be a ride and die with her family agreeing to invade GUN's private property in another country at the drop of a hat 😃

One interesting trait I noticed about Maddie during the planning is that she is a very pragmatic woman. She brought up Sonic's Super form as an efficient and quick way to take care of things. You know, the ultra-powerful and indestructible form? Yeah, Maddie really did say let's cause chaos and end this.

As I said, they brought out Maddie's more temperamental side - shown when she talked to Tom about the mini-Tom and disguised herself as Rachel - and that she likes to act like that from time to time, showing that her patience is something more constructed than natural to her.

I also found her relationship with Tom kind of funny and just a little poorly written in the next scenes, in which they prepare and invade GUN headquarters.

To start, the joke when she's dressed as Rockwell is TERRIBLE because Tom has never had eyes for any other woman other than Maddie. On the other hand, the scene showed that Maddie is just as capable of playing hands as her husband ¯⁠\⁠⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠⁠/⁠¯.

(Maddie knowing how to fight wasn't in my bingo but it makes sense. Good for her 👍🏼 And the next scene is them getting along again so, eh. Forgivable but I hope they don't do it again.)

However, they and Tails are captured and then trapped in gravity and almost die because of the debris if it weren't for Sonic, who saves them at the last minute.

I think it's really cute that she thanks him btw.

But nothing good can last, because Tom is then knocked out by Shadow and Maddie finds her husband unconscious, with the middle son in a panic and to make matters worse, the thing they were trying to prevent happens.

One detail that the novelization brings is that the paramedics said that Tom was alive but unresponsive. He could then be in a coma or even BRAIN DEAD for all Maddie knew.

I don't even want to imagine how she was feeling. Tom is Maddie's best friend and clearly the love of her life and seeing her significant other so close to death must have been devastating. The novelization says that she was in grief!

Not only that, as the only responsible adult she had to go with Tom and leave her children - already unstable - to their own devices.

The look she gives Sonic and the others, God it's so haunting because Maddie is clearly SCARED. She can't tell her kids that everything is going to be okay and she can't even be with them because her husband needs her. Not only that, she now also depends on them because the worst has already happened and they have to stop the eclipse cannon and this mother has to ask her traumatized children for help to solve this mess because there is no other way.

Maddie had been the emotional pinnacle of this family for the entire 3 movies and that clearly took its toll here (more on this scene in @wherearedagrapes amazing analysis)

Maddie's inner turmoil is very understated, but the movie doesn't forget that we have a scene of her in the hospital with Tom unconscious behind her, as the cannon prepares to activate. For all Maddie knows, her children could be dead too. And she can't do anything about it because they are the only defense Earth has. That's horrible! A mother who has to accept that her children will put themselves in danger again and again. And now when ber husband is fighting for his life.

Luckily, everything works out and Maddie has her family complete again.

However, I hope that Sonic 4 brings more attention to her and the traumas that she certainly has now and develops her more in general.

Because Maddie Wachowski is amazing and deserves more love ❤️

#maddie wachowski #tom wachowski #Sonic #tails the fox #knuckles the echidna #Sth #sonic the hedgehog #sonic movie 1 #sonic movie 3 #Sonic movie 2 #sonic cinematic universe #Scu #sonic movie #sonic movie universe #pretzel lady #donut lord

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birdsandbeetlesandmoths · 6 months ago

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The Sonic Movie Franchise and The Found Family Trope

A personal request by my dear moot and friend @writer--in--theory, which I am entirely happy to deliver on.

Feel free to point out inconsistencies or anything you think I can improve on in my analysis.

Alright, so, the Found Family trope. Extremely popular and very well done, along with one of the tropes I find the most fulfilling to write in to fanfiction.

As I, and I believe most people in fandom, consider the Sonic movies to be an AU, I’m not going to be comparing specific relationships or characterization to any other games or media, other than that the familial aspect is more apparent in these films than in most games, and I haven’t read enough of the comics, either Archie or IDW to develop opinions as to those.

The Sonic movies do a fascinating job at truly displaying and fleshing out that found family trope that is more of a notion or behavioral quirk between characters in most games. They aren’t given as much concrete development in games as the movies have allowed, since the Sonic games focused more on the gameplay aspect rather than a more slice-of-life/slower storyline (a story that takes its time to create relationships between characters) that found families are most often found in.

I'm going to go by specific character relationships, and connect them as needed.

Sonic's Characterization

The first Sonic movie begins with Sonic losing his only parental figure, an extremely traumatic event that leaves a hole in him for the rest of the series and leaves him to fend for himself during his most formative years. He grows up alone, but retains the sassy, care-free demeanor.

I believe the reason he's still so outwardly unaffected by that trauma is that he coped for much of the unseen years between Longclaw's death and formally meeting the Wachowskis through exploring the world. He finds a home in Green Hill because he sees a home in the Wachowskis. We know that he had already been "spying" on them for a while and hanging around their house without them knowing. And he feels that longing for a home, a family, for what he had with Longclaw, and he wants that back.

But he is still aware of what he is, of how they might see him, as only an alien. And that is what keeps him away, that fear of the possibility and being rejected again, being alone again. So he's content with just viewing their life, imagining himself with Tom and Maddie.

I think that's one of my favorite parts of Movie!Sonic. Despite many of his characterizations by the fandom is as an emotionally unavailable character, Movie!Sonic is emotionally intelligent, whether already or as a result of having to grow up too soon. To take care of himself early on, and as much as he may boast or pride that he is totally fine having fun and running around the world, he is, in the end, running to escape the possibility of standing still and realizing that he is still incredibly lonely. While he may not explicitly say it, much of that initial montage in his cave and at Tom and Maddie's movie night, from the outside always looking in, he is aware of what he feels. However, that fear keeps him away.

It pushes him to the baseball diamond, and him running to escape the emotions, the memories, and his imagination, creates that very first outburst of incredible energy and power that alerts the real danger (GUN).

It's only the possibility of being found out by an unknown danger, being attacked and forced out of his cave, out of his home yet again, that forces him to finally act. Not quite meet the Wachowskis yet, as that isn't his intention.

But he does knowingly go to the only other place he feels safe at. The Wachowski's home.

He realizes that he needs to run to escape this danger, doing what Longclaw's last words bade him do before she sacrificed herself for him, but is found by Tom (and promptly shot with a tranquilizer, but, y'know, it starts rocky sometimes!!).

As for the Wachowski's, as original characters we have nothing to expect of them. But they are immediately charming and unique and, while understandably wary of Sonic at first, immediately realize the danger he's in and want to help him.

Sonic and Tom Wachowski

An obvious father-son relationship within the overarching found family (which will eventually include Tails and Knuckles, but I'll get to them later). However, Tom's interactions with Sonic are written in a way that feels incredibly sincere and I think their believability together made my skepticism for humans being related to Sonic (as a character and as a story) disappear.

Tom is obviously skeptical as well at first, especially after finding out that Sonic had just been spying on them for years. But when he learns of Sonic’s past and how he’s been alone for all of the years after that, he understands. He wants to protect Sonic from whoever is hunting him, from experiencing that loneliness again, and after getting to know that little blue blur, is willing to do anything to make sure that Sonic is safe, that he has a home.

And Sonic is bracing for the inevitable rejection again, after he chooses to stay in Green Hill and not escape to a new world, near the end of the movie.

But they surprise him by showing him that they want him to stay, setting up a whole room for him, and allowing him to be a kid!! He doesn’t have to be alone anymore, because he has a family who wants to take care of him, who cares about him and would literally throw the rest of their life to the side to care for this little hedgehog who crashed into their life one day.

There isn’t enough content between Maddie and Sonic only for me to give her a section as well, but she definitely feels the same. The protectiveness she feels is just as strong.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles

Sonic and Tails

Now, for the even better found family relationship. Sorry, as much as I love Tom and Sonic, these two will forever be my heart.

Tails, in the movie, is also coming from another planet, bullied and ostracized from his village most of his life for the mutation causing his double tails. He hears news of a blue speedster and, beginning to practically idolize him, uses his capability with technology to track Sonic down. While it’s barely explained why Tails is looking for Sonic in the first place, he is clearly expecting for something to happen to Sonic, saying that he hopes he “isn’t too late.” What exactly, he’s worried about, isn’t explained either, and he and Sonic are pulled into the race to find the Master Emerald against Robotnik and Knuckles.

Tails is, thankfully, not characterized as naive or too young to be responsible, which I am glad for, as I was initially worried that they’d infantilize him as a result of him just being a younger kid. He wants to prove himself, rather, and shows his skills through his gadgetry and eagerness to help Sonic, and his initial adoration and interest in Sonic changes into something more brotherly. Tails was inspired by Sonic and saw someone who was clearly different, other. Just like him. And he thought that if Sonic could be great, then maybe he could too, and his otherness didn’t have to stop him.

My favorite scene for this is when they’re in the inn in Siberia, and both of them are finally able to see a more relaxed, actual child-like version of the other.

Sonic is told that he’s Tails’ first real friend, the first person to truly care about him, and to not judge him for his appearance or his interest in tech. And Tails is surprised by this fact, not sure at first if Sonic is being genuine, but once realizing that he is, hugs Sonic and reveals the parts of himself, the feelings and his past, that he hid and felt shame for for so long.

Sonic and Knuckles

Sonic and Knuckles have a classic rivals to friends relationship and it was probably one of my favorite parts of the movie besides Sonic and Tails being absolutely adorable.

Knuckles is another character who is alone, the last of his kind, a race of fierce warriors and protectors, who value loyalty, strength, and honor above all. He’s seemingly destined for a solitary life, much like Sonic assumed himself to be, from the beginning of the movie, and his lack of knowledge of the world he is adjusting to allows him to be taken advantage of by Robotnik so easily.

(Christ, loneliness and loss is a really reoccurring theme, and I haven’t even gotten to Shadow yet)

Knuckles is only able to truly interact with and talk with Sonic after he is betrayed by Robotnik, breaking one of his key values and shattering his worldview and who he believed was the right side. However, he fully expects Sonic to leave him behind as well after the temple battle, the flood overtaking him. But Sonic, seeing only someone who was taken advantage of and who also lost everything he loved, chooses to save him, nearly sacrificing himself in the process. Knuckles also saves Sonic as well, after realizing that Sonic didn’t swim to the surface with him.

Sonic chooses to deliberately ignore that Knuckles was apart of the tribe that killed Longclaw, letting it bring them together in grief instead of driving them apart, and doesn’t care that Knuckles has been attacking him since they met, as Sonic understands why and forgives him for that. Knuckles doesn’t understand, at first, why Sonic saved him in the first place, but when Sonic explains his hero concept and that he needs to take responsibility for others and couldn’t just let Knuckles die, Knuckles sees who Sonic is.

And a mutual respect is gained.

Knuckles, while he is incredibly blunt, deliberate, and honest, understands this. He sees a pure will that he admires in Sonic.

Altogether . .

The third movie only strengthens their bond, as both Tails and Knuckles have been accepted into the family, as the Wachowski’s are happy to adopt another couple of super powered alien kids.

Tails and Knuckles, while still sidelined due to Shadow’s storyline, are key factors in how their team functions and they work the best together. This is a result of the familial relationship formed in the time between movies 2 and 3, as they, during that time, are able to live together and learn from each other.

While they do have a 3rd act separation that I was worried about, it’s established that it’s only allowed through the trust formed between Sonic and Knuckles. Which they handled perfectly, as it wasn’t out of character and wasn’t even malicious, it was a result of the trust between all three of them. They all suffered when Tom was critically injured, they all watched the ambulance drive off with the same, devastated look. They had become so close over these few months together.

Their relationship becomes the most adorable and genuine of sibling relationships, as they are all able to bond over discovering the world, learning and playing and being allowed to be kids. I know I emphasized this before but I will do it again: What makes this found family so incredibly strong is that all of them are able to learn from each other, to build and grow alongside each other and they have all greatly affected each other’s lives in ways that changed them for the better.

Their shared experiences of otherness, of loss, of grief, brought them together into warmer emotions of family, of friendship, of trust.

That is the basis of a found family. People brought together through mutual respect, understanding, and love.

Outside of Sonic-related relationships . . .

Shadow and Maria

Shadow crashed into Earth from a meteorite and supposedly spent the first moments of his life on Earth in a lab, in a tube, isolated but for scientists who would stare and write and run tests and treat him as, honestly, less than a being with a conscience.

The time before Maria was probably extremely lonely, despite him being surrounded by people, setting a precedent that Shadow would assume that humans wouldn’t want anything to do with him, didn’t care about him aside for his powers.

But when he meets Maria, she immediately interacts with him, smiles and mocks him playfully, not for the purpose of analyzing him, but just because he was another kid in the lab, and she wanted to be friends out of pure interest for who Shadow was, not his alien blood.

The montages of their time together in the lab, spent having fun running around the halls, Maria introducing Shadow to dancing and music and sweets and movies and everything he would never have gotten to experience if not for her, only reinforce their close bond, the family he found with her. She was the only one who could understand him in the lab, probably in his whole life, as we have no clue what happened before he crashed to Earth.

The rooftop scene is my personal favorite, as Shadow feels comfortable, safe enough, to confide in Maria about his self-consciousness, his fear that his power will make him only terrifying, only a monster.

Maria comforts him, telling him that he can choose who he wants to be for himself, that he’ll know who he wants to be in his heart. She teaches him that his purpose and life doesn’t have to be dictated by what he possesses or what he appears to be, as his actions and decisions are what truly matter.

That even when a star has long since faded, their light still shines.

This barely concealed metaphor for the effect your life can have on the people you know is beautifully poetic, and reminds Shadow, near the end, of what his true goal should’ve been.

That Maria would have never wanted him to hurt others, to destroy the world, in order to avenge her. Because she loved the world. And Shadow would never want to destroy what she loved.

They make me hurt in the best way. Maria’s line about a star’s light still shining even after it’s long since faded breaks me every time.

Agent Stone and Ivo Robotnik

I know that this isn’t necessarily found family in the familial sense, but if you don’t ship them or believe them to be romantic, don’t worry, this further analysis is purely from a non-shipping perspective.

While the power dynamic is clearly tilted towards Ivo, and I think this acknowledgement of the relationship is very one-sided in the way that Stone is very aware of how he feels towards Ivo, with his devotion and willingness to do whatever it takes for Ivo, while Ivo does not outwardly admit how attached he’d become to his agent, his presence and intelligence, and that he appreciates and needs Stone’s company. Ivo has never spoken his feelings aloud while Stone has practically worn them on his sleeve.

My point is that the third movie, in terms of Ivo’s plot, outlines the choice between blood relations and your chosen family.

Ivo has a chosen family, which consists of only Stone. He’s never had a true family before, no blood relatives, no parents to speak of, and when he discovers Gerald, who may be the first blood family he’s ever had, he begins to value blood over chosen, leaving Stone to pursue a life with his grandpappy over him.

However, when it’s revealed that Gerald never cared about Ivo in the first place, only needing him to be able to achieve his goal of destroying the world in order to avenge Maria, even going far enough to say that Ivo could never be Maria. Could never be what Maria was to Gerald. Ivo realizes the mistake he’s made.

Ivo has his hero moment, to attempt to redirect the Eclipse Cannon’s impending explosion, that “if he can’t rule the world, he might as well save it.” He is still, as much as he may say he hates it, affected by his humanity.

And when giving his final livestream, he finally speaks aloud the feelings, the effect Stone has had on him, in his own words that he knew Stone would know the true, sincere meaning of. That he truly did value him and care about him (“I love the way you make them”), which wasn’t even just about the work Stone did for him, but also what Stone brought to his life, that consolation and trust.

Ivo said that Stone was the only person in his life he could trust. That he was the only person who truly cared about him. As tragic as that sentiment is, he’s right. Stone loved Ivo unconditionally, and Ivo didn’t realize this, didn’t realize that he also cared for Stone, until it was too late for him, but not too late for him to make sure that Stone lived.

——————————————————————————

All in all, the Found Family dynamic, in all of its forms, from parental to siblings to a weird boss-employee relationship, is practically perfect.

These relationships are well-built, developed by shared experiences that characters bond and heal over, mutual respect for each other, a strong trust, and an unconditional love between them.

Oh, the unconditional love is the most important part. Because that is what brings so many people into the found family trope.

Those who are experienced with not getting that constant trust and unbreakable bond from blood, seek that love from others. Build their own family. And the families crafted in these films are beautiful.

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