#EXCITED FOR NEW SONIC SHADOW GAME AND ALSO SONIC 3

[marsoid]

Shadow and Sonic gijinka redraw bc every time I looked at my original doodle from 2018 I felt like microwaving myself

[princeofheartsss]

late 2024/2025 is gonna be sooo hype guys im telling you

[thankskenpenders]

Thoughts on Sonic 3!

On December 10th, 2018, I was on the last day of a trip to Milwaukee. The night before, I'd attended the wedding of one of my best friends, Jake, who I've known since high school. Even though half of us were sick the whole trip, it was a great time. Derek had asked the wedding DJ to play "One Week" as the first request of the night, and proceeded to lip sync the entire song on the dance floor. On that cold winter morning in a hotel room hundreds of miles from home, Derek and I groggily checked Twitter on our phones and saw the shocking news: Paramount had teased the design for Sonic from their upcoming live action film. Even in silhouette, the shape of his face and the realistic curvature of his limbs made him look like a grotesque little homunculus. This movie was going to suck.

Six years later, I've now seen the third entry in what's become a hugely successful Sonic film franchise. It features Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog in a fairly faithful adaptation of his story from Sonic Adventure 2. At the time of writing, it currently sits at a whopping 86% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, vying for the title of the best-reviewed theatrically released video game movie of all time. Critics are saying nice things about the emotional journey of Shadow the Hedgehog. Never in a million years did I think I'd see this day.

I, too, have now seen this movie, and... yeah, it's pretty good.

I'm gonna get deep into spoilers here, so I'll just say up front that I liked the movie. It feels like just about the best possible execution of this version of Sonic. But that's also damning it with faint praise, depending on who you ask.

If you're a fan of the games who didn't like the second movie, you probably won't get much out of this one, either, unless you just really love Shadow so much that nothing else in the movie matters to you. It doesn't reinvent the wheel for this film series. It's still got a heaping helping of broad comedy, cheap pop culture references, bad one-liners, and characterization that diverges greatly from the source material. This is not high art, nor is it a direct adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2. If you're the kind of person who hates this portrayal of Sonic and Eggman, or a lore nerd who'll hate that they let Shadow do Chaos Control without an Emerald, then just don't bother with this.

On the other hand, if you did enjoy the last movie, then you'll probably have a fun time here, too. Shadow is very cool. The action is the best it's ever been. There's a bit more focus on characters from the games, and less on human characters invented for the movies—with the exception of Agent Stone, who's in this a lot because everyone likes him. There's a lot of SA2 fanservice. They even play "Live and Learn." It's a fun time! Be sure to stick around through the end credits.

And now, to dig deeper, let's get into the spoilers! I'm gonna jump around a lot and talk about different aspects of the movie, spoiling everything along the way.

Shadow and his reams of lore

Here's the main thing you came for: Shadow is great in this! They really did him justice. Keanu Reeves is extremely solid in the role. He can be a bit flat as an actor sometimes, but I think he did well here. He can be tough and menacing, but he can also be earnest and emotionally vulnerable. Good casting call. Excited at the prospect of seeing more of him in the future.

Really, as a Sonic Lore Nerd I'm most interested in discussing the changes they made to Shadow's backstory. I'm sure there will be many fans upset with the changes, but for the sake of streamlining a complicated backstory that was subject to a bunch of retcons and multiple layers of amnesia and fitting it into a 110-minute movie, I think they generally made smart choices.

For one, Gerald didn't create Shadow using Black Arms DNA, because Gerald didn't create Shadow at all! Instead, Shadow arrived on Earth inside a meteor, and Gerald was merely the prominent GUN scientist who studied him after he was captured. (That meteor does have very strong Black Arms vibes, though, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of them exploring that stuff in the future.) This simplifies things a lot and allows Shadow to be a direct foil for Sonic, kind of a version of our hero who was treated as a lab rat and lost the only human he considered family instead of finding happiness like Sonic has. Then later Shadow hurts Tom and Sonic wants revenge, and it mirrors Shadow's feelings about Maria, and after they fight they can empathize with each other over this, Shadow sees the error of his ways and helps save the world, yada yada yada. You get it. People predicted 95% of this movie's plot from the trailers, but it's effective.

Likewise, all of the stuff about creating Shadow as the ultimate life form who's immune to all disease to cure Maria's illness is completely cut out. Shadow's still called the ultimate life form, but he's treated as more of an energy source than a genetic research project here, playing off of the stuff about Eggman wanting to harness Sonic's natural Chaos Energy in the movies. The original intent behind the ultimate life form project was always hard to explain in the games and doesn't even come up that much, so I don't blame them for cutting it.

Because Gerald isn't doing genetic experiments and creating artificial life, the Biolizard also doesn't exist. It does, however, appear in an old monster movie Shadow and Maria watch in a montage, with Shadow later commenting that he worries he's a monster like the one he saw in the movie. That's a clever way to include it, I think.

The ARK sort of exists. There was no space colony back in the '70s, all of the events of Shadow's flashbacks just took place at a secret GUN base on Earth. Fair enough for a version of the story ostensibly set in the real world. The big space laser in the third act of the film is obviously supposed to evoke the ARK, but it's referred to as simply the Eclipse Cannon. It's still not a full-blown space colony, just a weapon of mass destruction Gerald designed for GUN in exchange for his release (while also secretly planning to use it to blow up the planet in an act of revenge). I am, however, pleased to report that the Eclipse Cannon still has a giant Eggman face on it.

And as for Maria: I like her in this! She's obviously not going to get a ton of screentime, and she's always going to be a very straightforward character, but she's more playful and lively here. She teases Shadow for being grumpy and plays with him a lot. She feels less like this perfect embodiment of everything good and pure in the world and more like an actual kid. She's still not a complex character, but it works.

And the most important question: do they show a child getting shot and killed by the military? The answer is almost. In the flashback, GUN soldiers chase Maria, Shadow, and Gerald and ready their guns, but the young Commander Walters (who's in his 20s rather than being a kid) grabs them and tries to stop them from firing on a child. In the chaos, a soldier fires, missing Maria but hitting a generator that then blows up and kills Maria. So, y'know, close enough I suppose.

So, yes, many of the details change here, but they captured the gist of Shadow's story from SA2. The emotional core is there. I will say, though, I almost feel like Shadow isn't in this movie as much as I thought he'd be? I think he's used effectively in all of his scenes, and they make room for his backstory, and BOY does he get to kick ass in his fights, but for much of the middle part of the movie he's overshadowed by Ivo and Gerald. Though this might be a compromise to leave more screentime for...

Tails and Knuckles

I'm relieved to report that Tails and Knuckles both get a good amount of cool stuff to do in this! They don't feel like an afterthought.

I was worried that Tails in particular would completely fall by the wayside, since even his debut movie didn't entirely know what to do with him. But he's good here. He pretty much just feels like the Tails from the games at this point, especially since they dropped that fawning admiration he had for Sonic with that running gag of him going "Only Sonic the Hedgehog could do that!" He often chimes in as the one who wants Team Sonic to stick together when Sonic and Knuckles bicker. He particularly gets to shine in the Mission Impossible-inspired heist sequence at the GUN headquarters in London that serves as the climax of the second act, which feels like it was tailor made to let him shine as the tech guy of the team. He also gets several opportunities to swoop in and catch someone for a save in an action scene. He's good in this!

Knuckles is... fine. He's definitely fallen into the role of the comic relief dumb bruiser since joining the good guys, but he's at least a little better than he was in his own streaming show. The jokes lean more into him just being really brash about his strength and skill, rather than him being this archaic warrior who doesn't understand anything about the modern world. He also gets a few more serious bits in the back third of the movie where he gets to shine a little more, so overall it evens out to him being fine. They could've done way worse.

As for the relevance of the Knuckles show: Knuckles is now said to be the guardian of the Master Emerald, like in the games, though with no Angel Island this amounts to him hiding it somewhere for safekeeping. It's eventually revealed that he just gave it to Wade, who gets exactly one scene (sorry, Wade-heads) for a joke about him using the Master Emerald as a hockey puck. So, the miniseries explained why Knuckles has a connection with Wade. That's it! Also I think Knuckles might use the Flames of Disaster a bit in fights, but they never called the technique out by name, so I never really thought about it. So, yeah, the six-episode streaming miniseries about Wade bowling has zero meaningful relevance to the Shadow movie. Who could have seen this coming?

Miscellaneous humans

For that matter, the human supporting cast is MASSIVELY downplayed in this one. Tom and Maddie are there for two key sequences (the beginning of the movie and the GUN HQ heist), but otherwise they disappear for long stretches of the movie. They don't go to Japan in act I, nor do they go to space in act III, and there's no subplot for them during those periods, either. There's nothing like the wedding subplot in Sonic 2 where they'd constantly cut back to Hawaii for comic relief with the humans and only reveal why this was relevant to the plot near the end. (There's also no random dance battle in Siberia.) If a human character is here, it's because they have something to contribute to the plot right away. Most people will probably consider this an improvement, and I'd certainly say it makes for a much tighter script, though I have to remind everyone that I thought the wedding being a GUN sting operation was such a funny twist that I'm a defender of the Hawaii subplot.

On the subject of Tom, something funny I've noticed is that they've just completely downplayed the fact that Tom and Wade are cops. Tom being a cop never comes up once. Wade being a cop only gets referenced via the fact that he's practicing hockey on the roof of the police station in his one scene, but he's not in uniform or anything. They clearly got the memo that we don't want Sonic to hang out with cops.

Here's something else funny: Rachel and Randall got character posters, but they're actually not in the movie! Not technically, anyway. During the heist sequence at GUN HQ, Tom and Maddie use some gadgets Tails invented to holographically disguise themselves as those other characters. But the real Rachel and Randall never show up in the flesh. It's a very odd way to shoehorn the actors into the movie. (Jojo is also absent. They did not give her Amy's role of being the girl who reminds Shadow of Maria. Instead they just let Sonic have the big heart to heart with Shadow that makes him switch sides.)

You know who IS in this movie? Krysten Ritter. Not as the voice of Rouge, as the fandom once hoped, but as a director for GUN. She gets like three scenes and she feels completely checked out the whole time. Can't say I blame her! She's not really a character, just a plot necessity. Commander Walters dies in Japan but gives Sonic one of two keycards needed to activate the Eclipse Cannon, and then Ritter's character assumes Sonic stole it and labels him a bad guy. So that's why they have to break into GUN HQ in the second act instead of just talking things out with them. Still, I am at least relieved that Sonic doesn't work with GUN for most of the movie.

I gotta be honest: when Walters pulled a credit card-shaped object out of his pocket, I thought he was about to give Sonic another Olive Garden gift card as his final act before dying. Part of me wishes that happened.

The supporting human character in this who really gets to shine is Agent Stone, which I'm sure most fans will agree was the correct choice. There's a LOT of Agent Stone in this. He's good. I don't have much to say about him, but he's fun as usual.

But, of course, the ones who steal the show are Jim Carrey, and his costar Jim Carrey.

The Robotniks

I've gone back and forth on whether or not I can actually see movie Robotnik as Robotnik. I think with this third and final entry in the Jim Carrey Robotnik Trilogy, I've landed on... yeah, that's just Jim Carrey playing a Jim Carrey character. He's absolutely having fun with the role, and I enjoyed watching him, but I think a lot of that comes down to the fact that I'm a millennial who grew up watching Jim Carrey movies. If you didn't like him before, this movie will probably be nails on a chalkboard to you, because now there are two of him.

Ivo's arc here leans very heavily into the fact that he grew up as an orphan and never knew his family, a thing offhandedly mentioned in the first movie that's never been a thing for any other version of the character. Here, he learns that he has a living grandfather who's also a mad scientist, and it feels like a hole in his heart has been filled. It certainly makes sense for a place to take this version of the character, and it fits with the movie's themes of finding and losing family, but the cartoonish, childlike affection Ivo feels towards Gerald and all the scenes of them frolicking and dancing together have basically nothing to do with the characters from the games. He's a fun villain for this movie, but he's overwhelmingly used as comic relief this time rather than as a serious threat. He doesn't particularly feel like Sega's Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the arch nemesis of Sonic the Hedgehog who'd take over the world with an army of robots and a fleet of airships in the span of a day if Sonic wasn't around to stop him. He's a guy who lives in a big crab robot and has some drones. He has more in common with Carrey's depictions of the Grinch or the Riddler or Count Olaf than Dr. Eggman. Though he does, at least, finally get his outfit from the games by the end of the movie. So that's something. And also he's in a fat suit now. They only make jokes at the expense of his weight a little. Hooray...?

Gerald, meanwhile, is... largely the same character as movie Eggman, but older, so they can make jokes about him having saggy flesh and smelling funny and needing dentures. (Also, his voice kind of sounds like Homer Simpson sometimes?) To his credit, Carrey absolutely nails the handful of more serious scenes Gerald gets, whether it's Maria's death or his sinister turn when he reveals that he actually wants to destroy the Earth. But then it's right back to goofs about there being two of the same guy. Even the final battle features a lot of slapstick shenanigans with the two Robotniks fighting each other. I was able to enjoy the absurdity of it all, but if the humor doesn't land for you the dual Jim Carrey schtick is a hell of a lot of the movie. I wouldn't be surprised if there was more Gerald than Shadow in the movie, when you go and tally up their screentime. I was able to enjoy the sheer absurdity of it, but your mileage will vary.

I will, however, say that the split screen stuff they do with the two Carreys is EXTREMELY impressive, from a filmmaking perspective. They were absolutely flexing with their ability to pull the effect off. They don't rely on cheap tricks like cutting a lot, or having shot/reverse shot scenes where you're looking at the back of a body double's head. Instead they have a lot of long takes where the two Robotniks are talking to each other, you can see both of their faces, and they'll even hug and touch each other a lot, and the whole time the conversation maintains a natural pace like it really is two actors playing off of each other. It's really well done. It's an incredibly silly idea, but boy did they commit to it.

Sonic

I've hardly said anything about Sonic himself in all of this. It's his movie, isn't it! Well... I don't know, he's fine.

I feel like movie Sonic is a known quantity at this point, and either you like this take on the character or you don't. There was some speculation early on that this was supposed to be a younger Sonic who would grow into being the character we know from the games and comics, the one who's still got lots of quips but is also kind of aloof and cool, a free spirit who goes where the wind takes him, a figure the other characters look up to. And... no, that didn't happen. Once again he gets more serious as the stakes are raised, and he's totally badass when he goes Super, but the rest of the time he's still a little goober with tons of generic one-liners who learns schmaltzy lessons about the importance of family. He's still constantly going to undercut the tension of most scenes by cracking a pop culture reference that will make the average American parent go "haha I've heard of that." I don't think they're ever gonna change that. I think this just what the writers think Sonic is like.

And, again, for what it is, it's fine. He's a little annoying. You already know how you feel about movie Sonic. This third entry won't change that. But they do, at least, have him say "Talk about low budget flights, no food or movies... I'm outta here!" before jumping out of a helicopter. As my thoughts on the climax will show, I am not immune to fanservice.

The climax

God, the climax is SOOOOO fucking good. It's fantastic. Easily the best action these movies have ever done.

Rather than saving Super Shadow for the team-up with Sonic at the end, they have both of them go Super to fight each other first, and they just go full DBZ with it, fighting across the entire planet. It absolutely rules. I think this is the new coolest fight the two of them have had in anything ever. And then they have to stop the Eclipse Cannon together, and sure, there's no Biolizard. But Gerald DOES release a swarm of GUN Hunter robots, and the ensuing space battle turns into some Gundam shit. It's good! It's so good!!! The movie's flaws kind of melt away for me here when I'm watching Super Shadow take out an army of robots with Chaos Spears on the big screen. What a timeline we're living in.

And yes, they play "Live and Learn." They had to. They knew the assignment. They actually play a slight remix, but it's still got the original vocals, so it's perfectly recognizable. Actually, the tune of the song is used as a leitmotif for Shadow throughout the movie, first introduced via an acoustic guitar version played by Maria, and I really love that. I've been begging these movies to use more music from the games the whole time, and I'm glad they finally did so here. (They also use the traditional level clear jingle early in the film, and Eggman's theme from SA2 is very briefly used as a ringtone.)

... Anyway, uh, meanwhile Eggman, Tails, and Knuckles straight up just kill Gerald to save the world? They unceremoniously knock him into an energy field at the end of their slapstick fight aboard the Eclipse Cannon and he disintegrates like he hit a bugzapper. It's over in an instant. It's not graphic or anything, but it's, like... I didn't expect them to show it, or for it to be such a casual murder! Eggman has one quip about it and then immediately moves on.

Shortly after this, Eggman and Shadow sacrifice themselves to stop the Eclipse Cannon. Shadow's sacrifice doesn't stick, obviously (he's revealed to be alive by the end of the second stinger—pretend to be shocked), but Eggman's probably dead dead. I seriously doubt Jim Carrey's gonna come out of retirement for these movies again. His final moments before the big explosion are also SO dragged out and belabored. He has a dramatic final line like ten times in a row. It really just feels like the series saying goodbye to Carrey. And, again, it feels like a fitting enough end for this Eggman's arc, but it's an odd adaptation of the character from the games.

And so, that's what we're left with. This is far from Sonic Adventure 2: The Movie. It's not that, though there are many, many references made to that game in particular. It's a sequel to the film Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that has a similar tone and style, but Shadow and Gerald are in it, and Shadow gets some really cool fights, and there's a liiiiiittle more focus on stuff from the games than last time, and the script's a little tighter. If that sounds fun to you, you will have fun with this. I know I did. If it doesn't, you're probably better off waiting for them to inevitably do an animated reboot whenever this live action series runs out of steam.

It hasn't quite run out of steam yet, though...

The post-credits scenes, and the future

One of the big questions going into this was: what's next? How do they top a Shadow movie with heavy Sonic Adventure 2 overtones, in terms of hype for the fans? How do you fill Eggman's shoes after Carrey retires, for real this time? There are still more fan favorite rival characters to get through, but how many movies in a row can they introduce a furry foe for Sonic who inevitably turns good and helps him stop a larger threat by the end? And when the hell are we gonna see the girls?

Well, we now have our answer, and it's one I'm cautiously excited for: a whole army of Metal Sonics, and Amy!

Yes, Amy! Finally!! It's an absolute crime that we've gone three whole movies and a streaming miniseries without including the female lead of the series. I've complained about this ad nauseum (and also the fact that they cut Rouge from the story). But at least now they're finally doing something about it.

But now the question is, how will they characterize Amy? Sega's struggled with her for years, and there's a million different directions you can take her. Her one scene here has her smashing a bunch of Metal Sonics and wearing a cloak for the sake of a dramatic reveal, which gives her the vibes of a mysterious, badass action girl. This is, of course, completely different from how Sonic and Amy met in the games. What will her personality be like? She doesn't speak here, so who will they get to play her? Where did she come from? Will she even have a crush on Sonic? All of these have yet to be determined. So, like, I'm hyped to finally see Amy, a character who should've been in the movies from the start, but they could so easily end up playing it safe with an incredibly boring girlboss version of Amy who's no fun at all. We'll have to wait and see.

(My prediction: they're going to try to cast either Zendaya or Ariana as Amy.)

Metal Sonic, likewise, is very exciting, and he looks perfect. He looks just like the design from the games. But the question is: what will they do with this army of Metals? Will they be lead by one main Metal Sonic, perhaps Neo Metal Sonic, who gets to be a proper bad guy? Will they take some cues from Sonic CD, Heroes, and the OVA, or do something completely original? Where did they come from? Were they activated as a failsafe after Eggman died? Did they and Amy come from some sort of bad future, riffing on Sonic CD's time travel? Will they explore the fact that Metal wants to be the one and only Sonic? Or will they just be an army of disposable robot grunts for Sonic and friends to mow down like it's a Dynasty Warriors game, while some other villain takes center stage?

It could go so many different ways, and some prospects are more exciting than others. I mean, the Knuckles show had endless possibilities for what it could do with him, and none of the options on my bingo card were "Pachacamac's ghost tells him to help Wade win a bowling tournament." And while I'm a sicko who thinks it's funny that the Knuckles show is what it is, forgive me for keeping my hype about Amy and Metal Sonic in check here until we learn more.

Regardless of what they do, it'll still be hard to top the hype of Shadow, and it'll be hard to fill Jim Carrey's shoes for general audiences. So despite this clear statement of intent, I have no idea what the future of this film franchise holds. But regardless of what they do, I can say one thing for certain: the kids in my theater were hyped as hell for it. They popped off over Metal Sonic, and they were screaming their heads off with excitement over Amy. I heard a teenage girl on the opposite end of my row of seats say "finally!" over Amy's reveal, verbalizing my exact thoughts. She also said that this movie was "peak," though it diverged from the games, and she hoped they'd do a movie with Silver and Blaze someday.

The kids are gonna be okay.

[st1ckart1zt]

SHADOW AND MARINE ANIMAL FORMS

I saw the trailer and let me tell you all this..... WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT MARINE ANIMALS THAT ARE IN THE NEW GAME?!?!?!

Let me show you:

1. We see Shadow using Stingray as a doom surf

2. Shadow has squid form

3. He's fighting a Metal Sonic whose in literal version of sea dragon

4. His dad is literally a starfish

Why is that? Why is Shadow having marine animal forms while the rest of the black arms don't? His brother Eclipse doesn't have them at all.

I have a theory that Shadow likes marine animals, and that's why his forms are based on them.

I'm really excited to see a full game!!!!!

Also please share your thoughts on this

[d3lly1000]

I finally watched Sonic 3!!!!! (IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE)

I had been holding back so I could talk without worrying about spoilers, but I think I can now comment on my general opinion of the movie.

There will be spoilers, so you have been warned!

I’ll admit that I found the first act a bit rushed. I understand that they had a lot of characters to “reintroduce” and new ones to add (especially Shadow), but I felt a bit lost with what was happening—it was really convenient how the script handled a lot of things just to get to the point.

For example: Shadow attacking in Japan with no real explanation, Rockwell quickly finding Sonic and the others. Even Commander Walters showed up just to explain what happened in the past, only to die unexpectedly right after. Even though he's not a particularly memorable character, I felt like his death didn’t carry the weight it should have, even for Team Sonic who witnessed it.

There was also the fact that a lot of what happened in the first act had already been revealed in the trailers and TV spots, which kind of deflated my excitement, knowing what was going to happen. But as I said, things were happening so fast that I couldn’t process all the information right away! XD

I have to say, I absolutely love the interactions between all the characters. The relationships and how they were developed felt so unique to me. I’ve always had the headcanon that Knuckles, Tails, and Sonic acted like siblings, and in the movies, I got to witness that in a meaningful and very loving way (shoutout to Tails saving Sonic and Knuckles protecting them, my boys <3).

One of my favorite scenes is definitely the argument between Knuckles and Sonic, as it really shows their maturity. It shows how much they are changing with each movie, which is so valuable to me because it demonstrates that the characters are really learning from their experiences. In a franchise, this deepens their moral journey and enriches who they are — it’s truly wonderful.

Speaking of siblings, I can’t not talk about Maria and Shadow. Right from the beginning, I could already feel the heartache hearing Live and Learn in an acoustic version. I think for fans who know how iconic this song is for the franchise, the idea that MARIA COULD HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL COMPOSER of it (at least in the SCU) hits so hard.

The narrative of Shadow talking about Maria always moved me, and the film managed to emphasize what she meant to Shadow in such a sweet way. Seeing the scene where Shadow recalls the day of the accident and then carrying the Eclipse Cannon gave me chills.

The parallels between Sonic/Shadow and Tom/Maria were something I was really looking forward to! The franchise often makes these types of comparisons between characters, not just in the games but also in the movies. As I mentioned before, I think this makes everything richer — it gives you a new perspective and helps you understand the complexity of characters by revisiting the "same memory" through a different person. I love when they do that!

ABOUT THE FIGHT SCENES, ALL OF THEM. I was breathless! I have to confess I was cursing A LOT during the third act. It was so epic, something you wouldn’t even think you'd see! Super Form battles were such a great concept for the situation, seeing Sonic get so angry really fed my fan dream of seeing him want to destroy everything XDD. Shadow literally crushed him, both physically and mentally. He REALLY IS THE STAR of this movie. The whole year was his. And he delivered in every possible media!

((I screamed so much when they did the pose, Live and Learn, it was so epic.))

Jim Carrey’s performance is always amazing. I’m still stunned at how naturally Gerald and Eggman felt together. It really seemed like a completely different actor, and that’s insane! I think the only thing I wish we’d seen more of was scenes between Gerald and Maria in the past, but who knows, maybe they’re planning something for a "Shadow solo spin-off."

The light shines, even when the star dies. – I was already emotionally losing it inside, there were just so many things to process.

AND THE POST-CREDITS SCENE HAUSFHSAIFHGVSNUHGUSAHGUSAH

OK OK I’M >TOTALLY< NORMAL ABOUT MY BABIES

Literally my two FAVORITES showed up. METAL WILL BE THE MAIN VILLAIN, I have so many theories and DEFINITELY it will be an adaptation of Heroes and CD. I CAN'T WAIT to see him in action, the whole Artificial vs. Natural thing is something that really resonates with me in the rivalry between him and Sonic.

AND HAUSHFUASFHUASFH AMY MY GIRL!!!

She’s so cool, she appeared in SUCH A UNIQUE way, the cracked moon in the background, revealing herself by taking off the hood... I can’t wait to see her in 2027... I need it so much aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I definitely loved the movie a lot. I still want to rewatch it in English since I saw it dubbed in my language, but I think I’d give it an 8.5/10 or 9/10! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE!! I’m still shaking remembering the action scene sahufzahghaghs

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings

Honestly, there is a lot to be excited about with this announcement, but there are also a lot of questions. Going by all the information we were provided via Fearless: Year of Shadow and Ian Flynn's podcast, SEGA is clearly taking a new direction with Shadow's character, and the new TailsTube Episode and Sonic Prime - and I'd also count in the Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics) Urban Warfare Arc - are prime examples of what his future looks like.

I know that some people hate it, and some people are fine with it. As for me, I know that we won't be getting Sonic Adventure 2 Shadow back, and while there is Sonic Movie 3, that is still a different canon to the games and comics. As a matter of fact, comparing the Sonic Movies to the main canon would probably be the same as comparing Sonic Boom to the mainline Sonic games.

I had taken note of Shadow's character going through slight development in the Urban Warfare Arc, praised his portrayal in Sonic Prime and pointed out that his moments in TailsTube are actually quite neat. Personally, I am very hopeful for his character and I will accept him as he is no matter what happens.

[local-lamppost]

Sonic 3 Initial Thoughts

So I saw Sonic 3 and I really liked it. Adventure 2 has my favorite story of the franchise so even a loose adaptation was great to see (they even referenced Shadow the Hedgehog by having Shadow's origins be a black comet).

The only part I had a problem with was how they shied away from everything being GUN's fault. Gerald was hired to create the a weapon, a life form that could also cure his granddaughter's illness. Then the project gets out of hand and GUN wants to cover it up, so they kill everyone and imprison Gerald to keep him working for them (and they later kill him anyway in an amazing cutscene). GUN spends the whole game doing their best to keep the cover up going and doubling down. They are the real bad guys. This is still in the movie but it feels glossed over.

I loved Maria and Shadow's dynamic. We didn't get too much time with them, but the way it was shown-that Maria was the only one in the facility that didn't see Shadow as a monster/alien/things to be studied and Shadow being someone Maria could play with. I wish they had included a line about Maria wanting to experience the world beyond where her grandfather went for research, that she and Shadow planned to explore the world first hand when it was finished, and Maria's last words of protecting the world. Being the world's protector despite everything the world has done to him is Shadow's most important trait and I feel like it could've been touched on more.

The fight between Shadow and Sonic was amazing. Shadow goading Sonic into killing him, pointing at his heart the same way Maria and Tom have done to each one, and that connection being what snaps Sonic out of his anger was perfect. Then going on to watch the sun (a still living star) rise over the earth while they talk. Gorgeous.

Knuckles and Tails were relevant! This is always something I worry about in sequels that add to the cast, but they were handled perfectly. Knuckles being the guardians and having the final say of giving Sonic the power. Tails being the brains and moral support, as well as peacemaker between Sonic and Knuckles. It all evened out very well.

Lastly, Stone and the Robotniks. While I have mixed feelings of him being alive in the movie's present, Gerald is a fantastic villain. His line of "You're not Maria, Ivo" was brutal. I was wondering how they would work out a living Gerald with access to a living grandchild still wanting to destroy everything, but having him purely treat Ivo as a shell throughout was perfect. Ivo himself just wants to be cared for, something he thinks only family can provide for him despite Stone being right there. It's this familial requirement for affection that allows Gerald to use him and for Stone to be forced out, and if they do bring him back (which I really hope they don't) what his new dynamic with Stone would be now that he knows Stone really does love him.

All and all, a great film and I'm excited for the fourth. I'm really excited to see how Amy and Metal Sonic are handled, especially now that SEGA is writing her as an actual character lately.

[smixhino]

Sonic The Hedgehog 3: A Perfect Blend of Mediums (Sonic 3 Review)

Released on December 20th, 2024, and officially the 21st in the UK, the third in a series of well-known blockbusters by Paramount Pictures, ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 3’ continues the trend of these films becoming more like the games they are inspired by, breaking away from the trends of typical kids movies to deliver a quality experience for both general audiences and fans of the source material alike.

An all-star cast was brought in for this, including Jim Carrey in a double feature, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves, and more to deliver the story with engaging performances. Speaking of, the film features Team Sonic on yet another adventure to stop a new threat, a mysterious hedgehog named Shadow. Along the way, Robotnik’s long lost grandfather Gerald joins Shadow and his grandson together, creating higher tension for the heroes on a quest with higher scales than ever before.

It’s incredibly clear that director Jeff Fowler and several others on the team are very big fans of the source material and want to create something truly special out of it. First off, the CGI is absolutely incredible, and a remarkable step up from the first two movies. In basically every scene, the characters look completely natural and don’t clash thanks to the textures and lighting, making them feel like a completely normal part of the world, meaning that your immersion won’t be broken at all. Because of this, you manage to feel every scene involving them, whether it be the fast-paced action or strong emotional moments, truly leaving a profound impact. The mise-en-scene as a whole is incredible, with settings like the G.U.N HQ, Eclipse Cannon, or just straight up space, all looking incredibly natural and well-done, to where you’re in constant awe at what you’re looking at. Everyone also looks incredibly dressed and fitting for whatever scene they’re in, further enhancing the tones of the scenes, especially comedy in the case of the Robotniks.

Special mention can also go to the cinematographers and choreography team in this film, because they pulled out all the stops for this one. The action in this movie is absolutely insane, with every moment involving it being incredibly dynamic with so many camera angles and tracking shots that make the movie such an exciting watch. One scene in particular makes great use of those tracking shots that help keep the immersion going and the blood pumping. The way the characters are framed also helps with this, helping them be intimidating and hilarious when the time calls for it. Shadow especially gets this treatment, with every scene involving him feeling like an event with the way he’s framed. It’s all truly impressive work, and much like the CGI, a massive step up from the first two films, which, while good, cannot compare to how amazing the action was here. It’s honestly night and day, as Sonic 3 is so much more articulated and expressive with it’s action that it honestly makes the first two look a bit pathetic in comparison.

The humour is where a few of my problems come about, though. This is obviously subjective, due to humour itself being such, but for me personally, some of the jokes didn’t land. Some were definitely really funny, don’t get me wrong. I especially loved ‘Revenge Guac’, but some others didn’t land for me unfortunately. The main problem is that some just last too long, to the point where I do wish they would get to the next scene to advance the plot, but they just drag on. They also can interrupt some very pivotal and exciting moments that make you wish they would cut back to the moments that get you hyped. One moment especially took me out of it and if I could swap back to the exciting action and skip the comedy, I would do it in a heartbeat. But, as I said before, many of the jokes do land for me, and I imagine many others, so overall I would say the comedy of this film is one of it’s positives, and even if the joke itself isn’t funny, a member of the cast may still deliver it well, or the comedic timing of it makes up for a lame punchline. I would still consider this movie pretty intentionally funny at times.

Speaking of the cast, they absolutely brought their a-games for this. Jim Carrey is at his absolute best here as both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik. He of course portrays the zaniness and tomfoolery he and one of his characters is known for very well, always managing to be humorous and cartoony. He does, however, manage to convey some serious moments surprisingly well, showing the range he has and why he’s a great actor. Speaking of great actors, Keanu Reeves absolutely killed it as Shadow, which makes sense given his roles like John Wick. He manages to convey Shadow’s pained and sullen emotions perfectly, making his character clear and entertaining to the audience. Shadow’s character was incredible in this, which I will get to later, but Reeves’ performance elevates it. Elba as Knuckles and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails were both great, much like in Sonic 2 and the Knuckles TV show, with their lines all being delivered greatly for the scenes and elevating their tough but funny and heartwarming respective characters greatly. The same can be said for James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Krysten Ritter, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, Lee Majdoub and Adam Pally as the human characters, all being fairly important for the first few and helping deliver the emotions of the scene really well, such as the heartwarming family moments, and one scene especially manages to convey the sadness and tension without the need for dialogue thanks to Tika. But special mention has to go to Ben Schwartz as Sonic, who is the best he’s ever been. He manages to show Sonic in a way unlike the previous films, and delivers a surprisingly wide range for his voice that shows off how great of a voice actor he is, showing cockiness, sadness, and even rage unlike anything before. It’s all incredible work from everyone in the cast.

I think it’s about time I talked about the plot now, huh. It’s easily the most intense Sonic movie, with stakes unlike anything the previous films had. Where those ones just dealt with stopping an evil guy, this one does still have that, but on a global scale. By ramping it up like this, it draws audiences in and makes them wonder what will happen. Once again, Shadow stole the show, as despite his surprisingly little screentime, he managed to push the plot along greatly, feeling like a threat and keeping the story engaging thanks to his influence. Everyone else is great too, with it feeling like every character that was involved having a significant part to play. This is a big step up from the previous film, where it felt like some characters, mainly Tails, didn’t get to do anything too important. Here, everyone gets involved and it’s really nice to see. One problem I do have with the film’s plot, however, is the way it’s paced. Especially in the first act of the movie, it feels like some of the scenes go by really fast and don’t have that much time to sink in or leave much of an impact. As such, it does leave a feeling of whiplash going from one scene to the next before it truly sunk in. There is also the problem of some scenes feeling like they’re missing. What I mean is that it feels as if there was a scene cut from a point before a pivotal moment that could better justify said moment, such as with Gerald’s character and what happens with him. If these were in place, and this film had a longer runtime, this could likely have been alleviated. Regardless, these problems don’t drag the movie down all too much, especially by the final act. This film’s third act is basically perfect, from the amazing and dynamic action, the incredible performances, the high stakes, and the insane looking setpieces and characters, it all combines together for an absolutely breathtaking conclusion.

But now for why I titled this the way I did; why Sonic 3 is a perfect blending of mediums. I have been a Sonic fan ever since I was five years old, and I have been incredibly satisfied with the previous two films to see the characters I love so much on the big screen. That does come with the problem, however, of these not really feeling like video game movies, and more like movies that involve video games. The first one especially feels like a rather generic buddy-cop movie but with Sonic, and the second film does also fall into that trap, despite being a big step in the right direction. But, Sonic 3 was honestly perfect. It adapted so many elements from the games to make an engaging story for both Sonic fans and general audiences. Sonic Adventure 2, especially, was heavily drawn from for adaption, and since that’s my favourite Sonic game, how could I complain? Most of it is based around that, from Shadow’s character arc and overcoming his trauma, to Gerald trying to destroy the world, to journeys across said world. I will admit, Gerald is a very heavy departure from how he is in the games, and it may alienate people who get into the series from the movies, so I do wish he was handled a bit differently to better ease people into the franchise. Sonic himself is also victim of this, what with him being a static character who inspires others in the games, but here he does have a character arc of becoming part of a team, but I honestly don’t mind it. Regardless, this feels like a film that isn’t afraid of being a video game, but still knows that it’s a film first and foremost. One example of an opposite problem to the first two films is 2023’s Mario movie, which I did really like, but it was lacking in terms of story and overall value beyond it being an adaptation of a series I like. Sonic 3, in my opinion, strikes a perfect balance, being able to entertain general audiences but also feel like a movie for Sonic fans above all else. This can be felt through all the references to the source material, from iconography to setpieces. It feels like a Sonic movie, and not just a general audiences movie.

That is also why I have neglected to mention the film’s soundtrack. The first two films were fairly lacking in terms of being adaptations of a series known for iconic music, being rather generic action and family music throughout. As you can guess, Sonic 3 picks up the slack. Not perfectly, mind you. There is still plenty of basic rock and orchestra throughout, and there is still a way to go before something like, again, the Mario movie, which had sound cues all throughout, but it’s a big step up. Many leitmotifs from the games are lifted, like level clears, level themes, and main themes from the games themselves. Sonic Adventure 2 and it’s main theme, ‘Live and Learn’ absolutely got this treatment the most, however, and I could not be happier, as it elevates the scenes (especially one in particular) to be absolutely amazing.

Overall, while certainly not a perfect movie in regards to it’s pacing and some of it’s writing, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 has certainly proved that video games can make compelling stories. With generally great writing, outstanding performances, superb music work, breathtaking cinematography and action, and so many references that make it proud to be a Sonic movie, I can say with no hesitation that this is not only a great movie, but an incredible Sonic movie, and in my opinion, the best video game movie yet.

Objectively, this movie is more than likely a 7 or an 8 out of 10, but my love for this franchise, as well as how well things were executed were so great in my opinion, it made for one of my favourite movies of all time, so I will be giving Sonic The Hedgehog 3, a 10 out of 10.

The movies aren’t done either, with Sonic 4 already being confirmed and set for a release on March 19th 2027. This, combined with the amazing game that was Sonic X Shadow Generations releasing on October 25th last year to great reviews and fanfare, means that Sonic has been doing better than ever, and I for one, can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

[murdercide626]

Thoughts on the Sonic 3 trailer:

First of all, HOLY S***!! This trailer was frikkin amazing!! :D

Shadow looks so badass, and just from the three lines we hear from him in the trailer I can tell Keanu is gonna be great in the movie!

I'm also glad to see that they won't be shying away from the darker elements of Shadow's origin.This movie is definitely gonna make me cry I know it...

Also, Eggman finally has his chubby gut! lol

Speaking of, it seems that Eggman and Stone aren't the ones to awaken Shadow as they seem unaware of the situation until Sonic goes to them asking for help. I can see why they changed it because if Eggman was teaming up with Shadow, like in SA2, it would probably feel a bit too similar to the plot of the second movie, with Eggman's partnership with Knuckles. So it's interesting that it seems that Shadow could be working alone in this version of the story. Actually, that brings up another aspect...

WTF!! GERALD IS STILL ALIVE???

This is definitely an interesting turn, and it brings up so many questions! The most obvious question is HOW?? Well, some people think that Gerald might have been changed to being Eggman's father rather than grandfather to justify him still being around. But maybe he is still Eggman's grandfather but he was in suspended animation for all these years, like Shadow. Or maybe he's a ghost or hallucination? Or maybe it's time travel, who knows! XD Eggman called him "pappap" which could mean either father or grandfather, depending on who you ask.

So, if that really is Gerald "in the saggy flesh" could that mean that he's actively manipulating Shadow into destroying the world, or is he going to be somehow instrumental in stopping him? I'm really interested to see what direction they go with this!

Also, it looks like the Ark has been changed up and is significantly smaller. I wonder if this shot is showing it going up to space?

And in this shot that appears to show Tails flying from the Ark, you can see some sort of attachments on the front that resemble Eggman's, or rather Gerald's, mustache.

I love this Japanese Chuck E. Cheese-like place called the "Chao Garden". lol

Also, hello Shadow 2005 game reference!

Eggman actually getting to hug Gerald is something I never expected to see, but damn is it wholesome! ^^

Omg, this drawing Sonic made!! My heart!

And I really dig Eggman's new mobile base that resembles a giant crab! lol

Nice Akira reference!

Anyway, I'm starting to ramble, so I'll just end this by saying that I am so effing excited for this movie! Just a few more months! I can't frikkin wait to see it! :D

And this time I'm gonna try to avoid any more trailers or spoilers, but we'll see how that goes... lol

[drkineildwicks]

So we went and saw Sonic 3 in theaters....

Did it because my uncle paid for it

For context the very last movie I saw in theaters until this one was Sonic 1 so this was functionally the triumphant return

My honest thoughts:

*Crush 40 voice* YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I've been singing Sonic music, specifically Shadow's songs, ever since going that movie was excellent I loved it and Mom had to stop me several times from vibrating apart in my seat XD

Also Sonic movie 4 is confirmed??? 2027 let's gooooo

Seriously I was all excited for the new Palworld expansion but after this movie that one has to wait I'm replaying SA2 XD

And it beating Mufasa into the ground is absolutely hilarious to me XD

Now that I've seen it I'm listening to podcasts covering it and the fact that Sonic 3 is showing in fewer theaters and making double the money HA!

And disney trying to lie and getting completely trolled by the fans

Three d's or whatever the lady said that got her arrested but Sonic is handing broke disney its head and I am here for it

Spoilery stuff under the cut, if you haven't seen it yet go see it

Also fair warning this gets long

Okay let's open up by saying that whoever makes these movies are MASSIVE GameCube era fans

Because they were pulling from Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Sonic Heroes

And Eggman's final outfit was his Sonic 06 one!

Was Gerald's Nega-Robotnik from the Rush games? IDK I only played the second one

They finally gave him his theme song as his ringtone!

I was elbowing Mom and pointing out what was from which game I did this with Sonic 2 as well

Sonic 1 when we came home from the theater I sat her down in front of the TV and booted up SA1 and SA2 and showed her the bits that the movie had pulled from

The guy in the Prison Island control room reminded me of the computer nerd from White House Down but Mom and I can't confirm yet

But he did have Omega on his computer console X'D

Shadow escaping from Prison Island

SHADOW MEETING TEAM SONIC AND BASICALLY REINACTING THE OPENING TO SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG

SONIC 3 WITH A CHAO GARDEN SEGA COULD NEVER

Listen I LIVED in those gardens with SA1 and SA2 I was able to identify every single one of those Chao types XD

THEY HAVE CHEESE THE CHAO!

Me spending 90% of the movie pointing like Leo DiCaprio in that one movie like they did the thing! They said the line! and the rest just vibrating apart

I warned my uncle before going in, multiple times, that I would not be normal about this movie

I am not normal about this movie

And I keep joking with Mom that these movies were tailor-made for her XD

Reason being she liked movie 1 and ever since then they've been adding stuff she likes like Uptown Funk, Shemar Moore, Keanu Reeves, etc.

Now they added the Beach Boys X'D

Also Shadow joining Knuckles on the TV women deserve more respect couch

Seriously was that bit with Shadow and the telenovela a reference to Ghosts of the Future? Did they actually reference a fancomic???

Gerald Robotnik still being alive is interesting and framing it with him having one of Shadow's quills makes me wonder if that energy was what kept him alive

It would explain how Ivo Robotnik survived the end of Sonic 2

And with the fourth movie confirmed and Jim Carrey saying he loves the character, I'm left wondering if he's somehow going to come back again

Like realistically there should be no way but I said that about Sonic 2 as well

Also I love that he's retired but for playing Robotnik at this point X'D

That also makes me wonder if Sonic and company are rubbing off on Tom, Maddie and even Wade the same way

Like realistically Team Sonic was only gone for maybe two days? HOW did they get all that done in two days if they aren't operating at Sonic's speed honestly

Also SONIC HEROES REFERENCE

MULTIPLE Sonic Heroes references because when Tails carries the others it's how they do it in that game, Tails throws Sonic like he does in that game, Knuckles throws Tails like he does in that game, etc.

So I was wondering if they were going to bring in Silver so they could go into Sonic 06 but with introducing Metal Sonic and AMY ROSE they look like they're heading for a combo of Sonic CD and Sonic Heroes

More the latter because they've got like half the main cast of that game by now XD

Oh give me Team Chaotix

Also I'm glad they're evidently going with Amy's later characterizations of being a competent fighter instead of just running into danger because she's boy-crazy

Although when Knuckles was trying to talk Sonic down from using the Master Emerald in his enraged state (coupled with the Chaos energy Shadow could generate) I was wondering if that was leading into Chaos coming out of the Emerald and a SA1 adaptation

Also me telling Mom "he left it with Wade" for the movie to immediately hard-cut to Wade X'D

Knuckles series reference!

That show was good y'all just out here acting like it stole your firstborn you'd have never survived the 00s era

BLACK DOOM REFERENCE

I never finished Shadow the Hedgehog but him using a device that summons a black hole makes me think that was Black Doom tech

Shadow coming down in a meteor that looks like the big eye thing that follows you around if you take the evil route

And I find it interesting that they softened Maria's death from getting straight-up shot

I did not tell anyone in my family how she goes out until after the movie, btw

But arguably being that close to an explosion is worse and there's probably good reason she was in shadow in those scenes

GUN having to account for rings being able to take you anywhere you can visualize was a nice bit of worldbuilding

Didn't like the one lady tho

Don't know who the actress is but I don't think I'm fond of her either so that didn't help

I will say that I agree with Mom on the pacing of some of the jokes, I had that problem with the first two movies as well where a joke went for too long

But in listing the parts I would trim down (the two Robotniks dancing, the first telanovela scene, the bits in the gravity scene, etc.) it's all stuff that couldn't be thrown in because of all the work that had to go into it

Like Jim Carrey had to sit in a chair for hours with the Gerald makeup and then had to film it all twice

On that topic, the line with them hanging a lampshade on him playing two characters didn't need to be in there and made the scene run too long

Look, the biggest thing about comedy is that it has specific timing and if something runs too long or too short it throws the whole thing off

Although I kept expecting Stone to come up to Space Colony ARK with one of the Robotnik vehicles to save Robotnik

Eggman ends up broadcasting like he did before and it's to talk directly to Stone

And to be fair to Stone: after three movies of Robotnik saying he hates organics and only needs his machines, being upgraded to syco-friend is the best those two can do

Like dang Robotnik's out here like help me Max, I'm FEELING!

Robotnik's heart grew three sizes that day

They still managed to destroy the moon with the Eclipse Cannon XD

Shadow hurting so badly from what they did to Maria that he was willing to die firing said cannon and he was actively egging Sonic on and telling him to kill him...ouch

I do want to question them being able to have a whole chat on the moon considering there's no air and no atmosphere

Legit my first thought when they were doing that was Stitch and cousins from Lilo and Stitch: the Series because they didn't need suits either

And when I was picking it apart with Mom over breakfast this morning I eventually reasoned that the levels on Space Colony ARK towards the end of SA2 all do the same thing since if you miss a landing there you go, plummeting towards earth in a fireball

I love that of the three of them, Knuckles was the one who could handle the stress of reentry

My boi is as tough as he says

So is Tom apparently dude should not have survived that

Getting hit in the chest like that can stop your heart, as we found out with that football player a few years back--dude is very lucky his plot armor is thicker than the general's

I also like that Shadow, for all his planning to destroy the world and everything in it, looked like he felt genuinely bad for hurting Tom by mistake

And him and Sonic having that heart-to-heart

LIVE AND LEARN INTENSIFIES

Like they teased the song through the whole movie to have it BLARE OUT IN THE CLIMAX

Me trying to resist singing along in the theater X'D

Also petition to have the scene where Sonic and Shadow shake hands and clasp the others before going super be the new handshake meme

HAVING GUN ROBOTS COME OUT OF THE ARK

"Don't tell me you have your own catchphrase" X'D

Shadow with his motorcycle, casually doing a Ghost Rider straight up Tokyo Tower

Me elbowing Mom when Sonic follows: "I told you he could have run up the side of the Trans-American building in the first movie!"

Mom: "Oh yeah!"

They had the same posters in the background of the Tokyo shots as they did in the game YES

Also I noticed during one of the close-ups that Shadow's gloves have that same little smartphone-friendly patch that most modern gloves have??? In the seventies??? Dang Black Doom made sure he got the good gloves X'D

Like seriously I could pick apart this movie for YEARS it makes me so happy it was worth all the hype :D

I wasn't even expecting the first movie to be any good but three great movies and a TV show Sonic fans are eating good and apparently we're not done yet

I am SO ready \.o./

Anywho *goes back to running outside belting "Live and Learn" at the top of my lungs*

also good stuff for that one BH6 AU

[zmeu-ra]

Sonic 3 thoughts under the cut... spoilers...

Omg its pacing is so much better than Sonic 2, what a relief. Good runtime.

Shadow is so so good! They did him so right. His stuff with Maria is great. Keanu did a great job, his performance in the Shadow Gens DLC had me stressing. I'm gonna need time to soak in all the details of this version of him, but he was great on screen and his story felt so right in the moment.

Sonic is good too. He's grown a lot. He's not nearly as annoying as in previous movies, but definitely still a separate character from the one in the games... game!Sonic would never lose his composure during the fight with Shadow like movie!Sonic did. Had to adjust to seeing that. But I'm excited to see where this new Sonic takes us.

Tails and Knuckles are also good. I like Tails, but I really love how Knuckles has jokes also still has serious moments... he may be my favorite character behind Shadow. And the trio's chemistry is top-notch! I love seeing them show care and concern for each other.

Eggman and Gerald were fun. They're so wacky and funny, and their family dynamic was intriguing. Wasn't a huge fan of their little fight at the end... why the mantis and scorpion claws??? That time could have definitely been better spent elsewhere, like giving Sonic some time to ponder Shadow's sacrifice at the end (he just kinda brushes it off). But also the way they killed off Gerald was hilarious tbh, no notes. I just wonder if they really killed off Eggman...? Might depend on how Jim Carrey is feeling.

Stone was actually great too, even better than in the previous movies. I already miss him, poor guy. He's so gay.

I've already seen people wringing their hands over how it's not a 1-to-1 adaptation of SA2, how certain details differ, and to them I say "y'all are BOOORING." Just enjoy the new take.

Post-credits scene: what is the plot of Sonic 4 even going to be??? If Eggman's gone, who built the Metal Sonics? Why is Amy wearing a spooky cloak that conveniently hides her undetermined design? Did Sonic really run all the way to New York by accident, or is something else afoot? Very mysterious, not nearly as predictable as the Shadow tease in Sonic 2. What are they cooking?

Speaking of which, they also confirm Shadow is alive, which is narratively weak but totally expected. They knew we wouldn't believe they killed him off, come on now.

Easily the best of the movies so far.

[doamarierose-honoka]

IMAGE COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES

After being introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the Idris Elba-voiced Knuckles got a spin-off TV series and also returned for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. With this third installment also debuting Keanu Reeves as Shadow, fans have already wondered if the adventures of Shadow will continue. The stars themselves confirmed their interest in seeing continued collaborations in this franchise, and even have a pretty straightforward suggestion on what the project would be called. Additionally, Elba expressed his interest in returning for a Season 2 of Knuckles, regardless of whether Shadow factors into those plans. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 lands in theaters on December 20th.

When speaking with ComicBook about a Knuckles and Shadow team-up, Elba affirmed while nodding along to the idea, “I’m telling you…” While there’s an opportunity for a clever combination of the two characters into a unique title like “Shadow Knuckles,” Reeves was quick to suggest, “No, Knuckles and Shadow.”

Elba teased, “Shadow Knuckles sounds like a band.”

Dating back to before the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog, there seemed to be concern with the titular character’s big-screen debut, largely centered around his on-screen design. Fans weren’t won over by the movie’s first trailer, resulting in a character redesign that would become the official look of the figure.

Despite those initial obstacles, the debut Sonic the Hedgehog was a major success, with each subsequent adventure expanding the mythos of the video game character in exciting ways. One of those expansions was Knuckles, which set major records for Paramount+ when it premiered earlier this year. A Season 2 hasn’t officially been confirmed, but Elba expressed his interest in a sophomore season.

When asked if another season of Knuckles or a Sonic the Hedgehog 4 would be Elba’s next foray into the franchise, the actor joked, “Oh, wow, is there a Sonic 4? You know more than me, my guy.” He continued, “I would say I’d love to do it. Any chance to understand the characters a little bit more, in the different episodes … If [the filmmakers are] in, I’m down.”

Even without a Season 2 of Knuckles on the horizon, fans can see Knuckles and Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is described, “Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.”

Even without a Season 2 of Knuckles on the horizon, fans can see Knuckles and Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is described, “Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.”

Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Sonic franchise. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hits theaters on December 20th.

[fernsnailz]

What do you think of the Shadow Generations recent trailers and DLC?

I’M CRAZY!!!!!!!!

as far as gameplay goes, it looks fun! i always hesitate to give much of an opinion on how a game plays until i can actually get my hands on it, but they keep consistently showing enough new stuff to keep me interested and curious at least. as with all sonic games i doubt the control and gameplay is gonna be phenomenal or anything, but it looks like a good time regardless.

i have some real high expectations for the bosses unfortunately. like if you’re bringing mephiles back i NEED that fight to absolutely slay or else i’m gonna be disappointed. hugely hoping we get infinite here again but i’m trying to keep SOME of my expectations in check

they’re really going hard on the gerald and maria inclusions and it has me intrigued but also worried. i’m conflicted because i’m looking forward to getting a new story that includes them and fleshes out shadow’s relationship with them, but part of me also appreciates some of the ambiguity we have with shadow’s backstory currently - i don’t really want things to be over explained. if they make the hidden palace mural theory canon i think i’ll bite a hole in my controller

overall though i’m excited for it! so much so that i keep forgetting sonic movie 3 is coming out. like all of my sonic excitement is solely directed at this game and dark beginnings. im gonna do a backflip during the mephiles boss battle

[tessasartori]

Since I started being part of the Sonic fandom and the Sonamy fandom i've noticed both of them had quite simmilar misunderstoods towards amy's character.

And it's... Amy never was created to be an "obssesive girl" "an obssesive fangirl" "an obssesive girl who only thinks about Sonic and nothing else"

And this is a consequence of the bad localization Sonic had in the West and how they didn't understand Amy's character, a girl who was created with many qualities japanese people love but the west considers it "weird", still affects her character to this day at this point we're many hear by mouth and mouth how Amy is but never had the thought of thinking "all of this is true?"

Look at this comparison between japanese!Sonic and American!Sonic and how different they treat Amy (minute 1:50 - 3:29)

https://youtu.be/PiSVTpRCGXA?si=cF_eEzFO5N3BPFQO

Thanks to this majority of western fans thought Sonic was always mad at Amy when in reality that was not the original intention and destroys all the concept of "obssesive" and "fangirl" were she cared for birdie and protected Gama from Sonic.

A girl who always tries to be better, helping people many wouldn't pay attention but she knows they need help.

A girl who is conscious she has to work hard than his friends with super powers

And Sonic being one of her main inspirations 'cause he represents what she wants to become: being free, going on your own having adventures, the excitement everything against the boring

And you would say "but in heroes she was an obssesive fangirl😭"

No, the fandom scaled the proportions and couldn't handle a single innofensive joke

Amy knew exactly exactly what she was doing telling him to "Marry him" as a joke. He would low his defenses and cause him to feel embarrassed and nervous 'cause she knows he's terrible at romance or i'm general, feelings

And many forgot that in the game Amy didn't know exactly why Sonic, Tails and knuckles we're together. In the beggining Amy saw Sonic in the paper and told us she hasn't seen Sonic in weeks and when she saw them thought they were just hanging out.

I'm talking about the girl who all the game supported,encouraging Cream and Big to rescue Chocola and Froggy and they needed someone as determinante, courageous as Amy who reminded her friends how brave they are

She even shows appreciation and love for the landscapes (just like Sonic)

"But- but in later games she was so obssesive and fangirl for Sonic 😭" Again bad localization for the west when in the original sources she was handled bit better than the West.

Also, Western has an obssesive to always point out the bad interpretations of female characters and saying why they are "the worst" "the most annoying characters" when at the same time try so hard to prove why this interpretation of a male character is not "bad enough" or "not the worst" and why even with bad characterizations he is still the best **cough****cough** Sonic and shadow respectively **cough****cough**

The character is not perfect, that's a reality.

She has strenghts and flaws that made her unique on her own. Her love for her friends (yes, this includes Sonic), the animals, the good and "Bad" robots and even characters who we're "devil"... She saw good, hope and love for them. She decides to help them being at their sides to show them there's always the option to chose a good path

She is the heart of all teams, she brings happines and hope to everyone. That's why all the cast loves and appreciates her and never refered to her like fandom does. That should tell you something

Personally I don't agree with the idea of "Amy is not an obssesive girl anymore and now she is a strong cute girl" when she has a l w a y s been a strong cute, bubbly, sassy, kinda bratty, compassive, energetic, silly girl but many think this is new when it's always been in front of you, you just decided to finally see the character and not prejuices

[100line]

2024 character wrapped! thank you @virtual-minotaur for the tag, and i was delighted to look at all your ocs! Idk who to tag i don't remember who did it last year out of those i tagged so ANYONE WHO SEES THIS AND WANTS TO PLEASE DO IT but also @makotoscoffee and @patzweigz and @davidrebooted and @comedyaoi i think will probably do this so hai guys direct tag. kind of a weird list this year because it was a weird year but actually i have a lot to say. come on this journey with me, everyone.

1. Katsuki Bakugou (BNHA) / So he's not even my favorite character from BNHA, Monoma is. But BNHA ended this year. I've gone on a long long journey with it (loving it, hating it, wait it's good actually, never mind it's bad actually) and it's weird that it's over. to be honest I think a lot of the ending is dogshit! I think it ended up being a thematically weak-willed piece of media. BUT. I adore Bakugou's arc. I have always loved Bakugou as a character and I think the way he developed is amazing. he ends up in a melancholic but self-reflective place and the way his relationship with Deku evolved is fascinating and to be honest he's always going to be the shonen protag boy of all time for me. 2. Harvey Dent (DC) / WOW hi!!!!! So I have feelings for him and I have forever and I will for the rest of my life. I feel so sad sometimes because I feel like I used to know a LOT about Harvey and I was very actively engaged in his appearances. And I haven't really fixated on DC in a long time so I almost feel like a fake fan sometimes because I've just never gotten back to the level of obsession/knowledge that I used to have. But I still care for him very deeply. I read/watched a good handful of things with him this year, both good and bad, and I really just love him a lot and I'm so excited to finally get my hands on his solo run any day now. 3. Draculaura (G3 Monster High) / I moved into an apartment this year and I had to spend less money on anime figures which meant I ended up spending more money on dolls because they are significantly cheaper. G3 Monster High has some of my fave playlines I've ever seen and I just adore her in particular.

4. Andreas Muller (Pentiment) / Another Bakugou situation here, Brother Guy is actually my favorite but Andreas really stuck with me and I thought about him a lot. Pentiment was the best/my favorite game I played this year overall and it made me really interested in historical fiction about religion which I am not typically interested in! Also Andreas is the best video game protag ever.

5. Diana (ZTD) / Oh boy. playing ZTD was probably the most fun and the least fun I had this year. What a horrible game in such a unique way. But i LOOOOOVE Diana!!!!! I love her!!! holy fuck!!!!

6. Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic) / Still on pins and needles waiting to see if S3 is any good but this was really his year. I'm happy a new generation of children are about to learn about the coolest cunt to ever live. I love him so much. I looked at a lot of Shadow fanart this year! and that's enough to get him on here.

7. Chad Charming (Descendants) / This bitch is on here again...whatever. Descendants 4 came out and I didn't like it (well I liked some of it but overall a bad film) and it did cause another month long descendants spiral and he's just representative of that for me because he's my favorite! sorry.

8. Anteater #2133 (LPS) / This year I gained a real love of anteaters and he was my most fun most whimsical purchase. I frequently look at him and say "who's up sneefin' they snorf?", a phrase which is, of course, absolutely meaningless.

9. Astarion (BG3) / He snuck in here at the last fucking minute. I love vile blonde men who become better people. and i love vampires. and i LOVE when abuse victims get to kill their abusers DEAD.

[hellerfanboy91]

Supernatural Revisited 5x13 The Song Remains the Same

Spoilers for 5x22 Swan Song, series 13, and 15x03 The Rupture

I first wrote my notes for this episodes almost four years ago and my general opinion on it has changed very little. On the whole, it is a sufficiently entertaining episode which nonetheless requires the viewer not ask too many questions lest the entire thing fall apart. It enjoys a 9/10 rating on IMDb, so it apparently did the job it was intended to do, but in my opinion it felt wanting. It is the second time-travel episode in series five and the second one to not do much at all for the plot. Its entire point was precisely the same as that in 5x04 The End when Dean went to the future, i.e. destiny is inevitable. This in turn is the same point as 4x03 In the Beginning made when Dean tried to stop the Yellow-Eyed demon in 1973 but had about as much luck as if he had tried to stop a goods train.

The root of the issue is the time-travelling nature of the episode. Unless it is Doctor Who, time-travel episodes are frustrating because they almost never change anything. Mary will still die after having her memory wiped yet again, John will be oblivious to the existence of the supernatural until he is traumatised by his wife's murder, and Dean and Sam are still going to say 'yes' to their respective body snatchers. Consequently, this episode only really providers a brief insight into John and Mary's lives in 1978 just before Dean was born, as well as some interactions between the Winchesters. Topmost of these is young!John unwittingly dragging himself in front of Sam, but more on that later.

A brief summary: Anna the angel 'escapes' from Heaven and goes back in time in order to stop Sam ever being born, i.e. to kill John and Mary. Without his proper vessel, Lucifer can never attain his full power and the Apocalypse will theoretically be averted. Cas takes Dean and Sam back in time to 1978 to stop Anna and save John and Mary. They almost fail, and it is only by Michael's intercession and killing of Anna that John and Mary are saved. The episode ends with nothing changed except for the viewer and characters having more context, meaning the song does indeed remain the same.

The title of the episode is an allusion to the Led Zeppelin song of the same name. As keen-eyed viewers will know, John and Mary bonded over a shared love of Led Zeppelin's music, or at least that is the version of events Dean was told. Led Zeppelin's song 'Ramble On' was also featured in the final episode of The Winchesters, something which cost so much money that Jensen took it out of his wages. While appropriate for the era, I have to confess to a lack of familiarity with or interest in Led Zeppelin. I was much more excited about Radio Company's 'Keep on Ramblin' being used on the show.

The writers mostly belong to the Boomer and Gen X generation and so get these references without having to think or search the internet, as do the viewers who belong to the same generations. However, a lot of the references are rather deep cuts which I often only vaguely get. Such is the way of things, however. I can make and see references to stuff which is a matter of course to me, but would flummox the youth of today. Just this afternoon, I quoted a few lines from the theme tune of the film 'Help I'm a Fish' and my 28 year old flatmate had no idea what I was talking about. Buffy is also a mystery to my friends in their mid 20s, but my friends in their mid-30s and older get it.

Other readers in their 30s and above will probably relate to this, but at some point one realises that one is no longer the target of new films, shows, music, or books. One perhaps feels irrelevant and even forgotten. In the last few years, the only times I have consumed a piece of new media and felt it was genuinely made with people like me in mind were the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film, the Shadow Generations game last year, and Nightwish's Human Nature album (now five years old). Most things nowadays feel like they were made for people in their teens and early twenties, and as a result I feel disconnected from modern pop culture. That in mind, I expect it probably very comforting for people in their 40s, 50s and 60s to watch something like Supernatural which is made with their cultural references in mind. But I expect younger people will be left clueless more often than not.

Anyway, returning to the matter at hand: this episode saw Michael finally make his first appearance. This is something the fans had been waiting for for a long time, and it seems like the majority got what they wanted. Some were however disappointed, or even irritated as evidenced by Paula's review. His entrance was cool enough and set him up as a force to be reckoned with. Uriel obeys him without question or snark, and Anna suffers a fiery death at Michael's hand. But then the action stops for five minutes to allow Michael time and space to pontificate. Who does this guy think he is, Negan from The Walking Dead?

While the talking did not especially bother or bore me, I can concede that it is not what I wanted or expected. All Lucifer has done is stand around whining about how hard done by he is, only for his older brother to come in and act pretty much the same. He even tries the same tactics on Dean that Lucifer does on Sam, i.e. likening his situation to Dean and Sam's as much as possible in an effort to make Dean relate to and understand him. This is fine if one villain does it, but two is too much. It means that there is Lucifer and Lucifer mk II. This is no fault of Matt Cohen's, just the writing.

The content of the conversation is not the most interesting but does raise a few points. The focus of the conversation is fate, with Michael doing his best to erode Dean's belief that any of his choices matter. It is an attempt at a psy-op to make Dean lose hope and give up the fight. This is essentially nihilism. Dean combats it with his belief that he can choose what to do with his unimportant little life, which brings absurdism to life. Far be it from me to bring philosophy into a discussion of Supernatural, but this reminds me a lot of certain scenes and episodes from Buffy where these themes are also explored, such as Angel's attempted suicide in 3x10 Amends, or 2x07 Lie to Me. In response to Michael's (false) nihilism, Dean essentially cedes the point that there is nothing he can do, but will keep fighting anyway because believing he can make a difference is the only thing keeping him going. In other words, if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.

Regarding Michael's claim that 'free will is an illusion', in the context of the Superverse he is mostly correct. Everything everybody does in the universe is predetermined as it is essentially a novel God is writing to process his own betrayal of his sister. The only bit of free will in the Superverse is Castiel who refuses to do what he is 'supposed' to do. This remains the case right up to the end of the show, and is the main conflict in series fifteen. Whether 'free will' exists in the canonical final episode is up for debate, but that is a discussion for another time.

As for our own universe, 'free will' is a dubious concept. One can make choices, but what are the mechanisms behind the decisions? Are we all completely free to make whatever choices we want about whatever we want, or are we essentially slaves to our instincts, genes, and social programming? My bet would be on somewhere between the two.

Whatever the case, Michael might not believe such a thing exists for angels, and he is determined to make Dean believe that it does not exist for humans. being an angel, he can only conceive of the world as he experiences it and likely does not believe humans can have free will. But does Michael actually think Dean has no choice in things? If so, and if Dean is destined to say yes to Michael anyway, why bother trying to convince him? It seems that perhaps Michael might not be as confident in things as he purports to be, something Paula picked up on in her review 15 years ago.

From my perspective in 2025, it is safe to say that Dean is in fact not necessary in the apocalypse as proven by Apocalypseworld in series 13. Michael did quite well as destroying Earth in the alternate universe, and he did so using A-Train's older brother as a vessel. Even in Superverse Prime Michael used Adam as his vessel in the first iteration of the apocalypse, and said to Dean's face that Dean is unnecessary.

This then renders the Bloodlines plot obsolete. Of course, that was about creating a 'perfect' vessel. Apocalypseworld!Michael existed in a world where Dean and Sam never existed (so perhaps a universe where Mary and John split up before having children). Rules in that universe might have been different, or perhaps Michael's vessel there was also the result of generations of angelic manipulation. Anyway, for Michael to give up on Dean at the end and go for Adam raises the question of why he focused so much on bringing Dean into being in the first place rather than making an army of possible vessels. Even John seemed fine as a vessel, and (take note) John said yes to Michael immediately. (...Which also suggests he might have said yes to Alice Tear pretty quickly).

Anyway, I still dislike the vessels plot. A large part of series four was about Dean accepting his role that only he could fill but that has sadly now been relegated to yet another of Dean's abandoned storylines. Even Sam's role has been hamstrung after Kripke decided he really wanted to write Good Omens and leave the Stephen King influence far in the past. At least Sam gets to do something in the cemetery in 5x22 Swan Song, though.

Mention of Stephen King reminded me that Dean and Michael's conversation has always put me in mind of Roland and the Man in Black's palaver at the end of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. Their conversation takes place in a pocket universe around a campfire and after it finishes Roland realises that ten years have passed. Stephen King's oeuvre is one of the biggest literary multiverses, Roland and the Man in Black's palaver explores the multiverse in a very impactful way. I am looking forward to one day reading the graphic novel version of that scene to see how it is handled.

Perhaps Kripke should have stuck closer to King than Pratchett and Gaiman (especially the latter, as 15x19 Hammer of the Gods makes clear).

As for Sam, he was the main point of this episode, as Anna wanted to go back in time to prevent his birth. Quite why she went back to 1978 to also prevent Dean's birth is not explained, but back to Sam: as cringe-inducingly awkward as his first words to his own mum were ('You're so beautiful') it was nice for him to actually have an opportunity to have an interaction with Mary since he does not even have any memories of her. It was also an interesting character development for him to say he loves and understands John in spite of the bad upbringing.

I have little doubt that Dean and Sam love their dad. But as has been mentioned many times in these analyses, love ad mistreatment are not mutually exclusive. Abusers take advantage of loving relationships, and the relationship is what makes the mistreatment have such detrimental impacts on people, especially when the abused in a child and the abuser a parent. Many parents who mistreat or abuse their children do so out of maladaptation rather than malice. Many abusers were abused as children and might never have had any support in dealing with it. They might not have even begun to come to terms with it. Consequently, they end up passing on the damage to their own children or even their partners because they have no other frame of reference for what parent/child relationships are supposed to be. They simply are not equipped to deal with parenthood. They have no malicious intent and do no wish to harm their children, but they do all the same.

I can accept that Dean and Sam might come to the conclusion that John was traumatised by the loss of Mary, as well as unaddressed PTSD from the Vietnam War (as shown in The Winchesters). It is believable that they might eventually reach a place of understanding for John, as Sam says here and as Dean later states in 14x09 Lebanon. They might even forgive him for some of the bad things he did and the deleterious effects his actions had on their lives. And then they can choose where to go after that. I think Sam would be quick to letting John back into his life and trying to build a new father/son relationship with John, perhaps in part because Sam is very much like John in his blinkered obsession and focus on achieving his goal regardless of the cost. Sam has done bad things like John has, so in forgiving John, Sam would be hoping for forgiveness for his own misdeeds.

I like to think that Dean would eventually come to an understanding (as he indeed does), and accept John for what he is and what he did. He might forgive John, but the healthy Dean who is not written to pander to casual fans would not allow John to have a role in his life any more. He can forgive and understand, but not forget or trust John.

What grinds my gears, though, is the apparent intent of some writers (Kripke included) to forget the past and absolve John of his responsibility. Young!John gives John a dragging for having raised Dean and Sam to be hunters. He calls John's disastrous parenting out and everything he says is 100% true. For a moment it feels as though the show is finally going to make it explicit that John purposefully endangered his children, abandoned them for weeks, and raised them as child soldiers. 'The number it must've done on your head'. Yes, say these things!! But have Dean in the room at the same time. Say it!! Scream it from the rooftops!

But then Sam rushes to John's defence. 'He was trying. He died trying.' Pfft, did he ever! Using your boys as demon bait, probably beating poco!Dean up, and all the other stuff John inflicted on them, was not 'trying'. The audience has been here watching the whole time, please do not insult our intelligence like that. As for him 'dying trying', bollocks he did. He died passing the torch on to Dean. Sam really is trying to portray John in the best possible light, and the sad things is a lot of the audience seems to eaten it right up. Even in the year of our lord 2025, people still defend John with meaningless platitudes such as 'he tried his best' or 'parenting is hard'. When pushed, a response might be 'It's just a show, why do you care so much?' Because I can see what is right in front of me. And if it's 'just a show', why does it bother you if John was a terrible dad?

On to Anna, whose appearance I was absolutely not expecting after the previously on focussed so much on her. She turns up in Dean's dream after 'escaping' Heaven, a fact which raises the question of why other angels -- Michael in particular -- do not make regular visits to Dean's dreams. One could argue that the warding Cas engraved on Dean and Sam's ribs protects them from even dream visits, yet right here is proof that it does not.

The possibility of Anna being let out of Heaven rather than simply escaping comes up pretty fast. Dean agrees to help Anna instantly in his dream, but Cas supposedly did not allow him or Sam to go to the address Anna gave Dean. Cas does not trust Anna because he has also been sent to Heaven's gulag for reëducation and knows that you only get out if Heaven wants you out.

The scene between Cas and Anna is not how I hoped their story would end. Before being dragged to the gulag, Anna represented the end point of Cas's journey. Like Shirley Phelps' children leaving the Westboro Baptist Church, Anna left the abusive, narrow-minded cult she was raised in and left to find her own way. She had to learn to take responsibility for herself and her own actions, as well as to make her own choices and live with them. In doing all this, she opposed Heaven and represented an existential threat to its existence, because if she could leave, so can all the other angels. Cas was just beginning this same journey to being an individual when we last met Anna, and she could have been his guide, mentor, and friend. Instead, she was betrayed, brainwashed, and turned back into a tool for Heaven to use.

Still, even though their story went in this direction, Cas and Anna's final scene together shows how different they are, with their roles almost reversed from this time last series. Cas is now in open revolt against Heaven and making his own choices, whereas Anna is what Cas was when he was first introduced.

Or sort of, at least. One thing which hindered Cas's growth was he fact he was rarely made to take responsibility for his actions. His role in freeing Sam from Bobby's safe room in 4x21 When the Levee Breaks has still not been addressed. Even though Anna tells Dean that Cas explicitly sent her to Heaven's gulag, this is never mentioned again. As a result, he does not learn vital lessons and keeps making stupid mistakes which result in the majority of series six and seven, as well as some stupidity with Dagon and ultimately getting a certain witch killed.

Cas: 'Something always goes wrong.'

Dean: 'And why does that something always seem to be you?'

Call Dean cruel and heartless as much as you like, but those lines from 15x03 The Rupture are far from false.

Returning to Anna, she hies her haste to 1978 after Cas warns her away from Sam and proceeds to... lure John into a trap by pretending to be his boss, and then twats him around a bit rather than killing him. Then Mary comes and Anna... twats her about a bit rather than killing her. Is there a reason why Anna did not resort to instant smiting? If she used too much of her power while travelling through time, smiting might have been too much for her, but she was painfully inefficient at assassination.

And regarding twatting about, Anna knocked Dean out cold immediately (which means Dean might have serious brain damage, or be dead) before proceeding to have a lengthy physical fight with Mary. It is hard to believe a human would last that long against an angel, but to the point. I noticed pretty quickly that all the men were rendered incapable of fighting in that scene post-haste, leaving it for the women to fight.

This put me in mind of something a friend of mine once said about watching children's cartoons from the 1980s and 1990s: that when there was a female character in a group fighting bad guys, there would always be one female bad guy for the female hero to fight. The women would never fight the men, as if they were not good enough to do so.

While Mary got to have her moment and show the viewer what she is capable of, the situation felt contrived. If Dean was knocked out immediately, Mary should have followed soon after, particularly after getting thrown into a car's windscreen. (She probably would have miscarried dean, too, as Paula pointed out.) But if Mary was able to hold her own, there is no reason why a bigger, stronger hunter who has not had a five-year break from hunting would not be able to. The conclusion I am led to draw is that it would have been unseemly to have Dean beating up Anna because people are generally deeply uncomfortable with seeing a man hitting a woman on screen. Quite why that should be the case in 2010, I do not know. This was fourteen years after Buffy started, and Supernatural was a spiritual successor to Buffy, yet it was right back in the realm of 1980s children's shows. Is this an adult show for adults or not?

It seems as though this has not really changed much in the 15 years since this episode was aired. Perhaps it is because of the shows I watch, but it always seems like if a man and woman get into a fight, the woman always wins. It is so predictable that it takes any tension out of a scene. Last Thursday, I was watching Ragnarök and in episode 5 there were two instances of this. In the first, Saxa (a female jötun) knocked Magne (Thor's son Magni, or reincarnation of Thor) flying into a wall and he... lay there shocked and did not fight back. A few scenes later, Saxa got into a fight with her brother and, even though he put up a bit of a fight, she still overpowered him and won. Yes, women can best men in a fight, but if the men never win in shows it strains credibility.

Oh, by the way, the same show had the headmistress having sex with boys who were almost definitely underaged and...nothing happened. This would not be the case if the sexes were reversed, but anyway...

After Dean got knocked out for gender equality reasons and Mary softened up Anna for a while, who else but Sam should come swoop in at the eleventh hour to save the day. Of course he snarks before banishing Anna because characters do not learn in this show, but he still gets the job done. It is a little tiring having other characters doing all the hard work, only for Sam to get to look like the hero at the end.

Unfortunately, this is Anna's last episode. I do not remember whether she is even mentioned after this episode or not. It is a shame she was written out after so little screen time. Her original storyline had been given to Cas (including being Dean's love interest) so what was there left to give her? It was probably better to kill her off rather than struggle to find a half-arsed plot to give her, but it was a shame to lose her.

Before moving on from Anna, her line 'Sam Winchester has to die' brought Gordon to mind, who said pretty much the same to Dean in 2x10 Hunted. From a utilitarian perspective, Sam dying might have prevented the Apocalypse. Of course there was really no chance of that happening so early in series five, but if one person's death can prevent the suffering of millions if not billions, the law of utilitarianism says he should die. Luckily we do not live in a completely rationalised, utilitarian world, but all the same the show has proven Gordon right many, many times.

That done, it is Mary's turn. Paula's wrote in her review that this episode makes Mary and John look entirely selfish and that they once again chose each other over their own children. It is hard to argue with this logic as, before their minds were wiped, they chose to stay together anyway. Mary claimed that it was too late for her and John to separate because she was already pregnant with Dean, but that argumentation is flawed. The problem was Sam's existence, not Dean's, so it was not too late for Mary and John to separate. Of course being a single parent is difficult, and my own mum's mum had to deal with being a single mother in the 1970s, but it was not impossible. Michael's mind-wipe rendered all of this ultimately moot anyway, but it still revealed an important aspect of John and Mary's characters.

This also reflects Dean and Sam's unhealthy relationship with each other; several times over the course of the show they choose to save each other rather than saving the world or whatever. While this felt like bad writing more than genuine character choices, it still reflects John and Mary prioritising each other over their own children. Mary has now chosen John over her own children twice and she is indirectly responsible for the mess they are in. She is horrified to learn that John will raised Dean and Sam to be hunters, precisely the life she did not want for them. Would not that be enough for her to leave him? Would not that be enough for her to leave him? Mary's bad choices continue later in the show where she choses herself and her own wellbeing over that of her sons, but more on that in due course.

Before finishing, one thing which bothers me to no end is that characters in this show insist on cutting their palms to extract blood. This is a bad idea because of all the nerve endings in the palm, as well as the fact that the skin and flesh moves around a lot. This endangers the nerves in the hand, risking paralysis, as well as seriously hinders healing as scabs will constantly be ripped and opened by normal hand usage. The back of the arm is a much safer place to get blood from, as it moves around far less and contains far fewer nerve endings to be damaged.

The reason for the human blood was to draw the protection sigils on the walls, but for reasons never explained these sigils disappear, allowing Uriel, Anna, and Michael to enter the house. The circle of holy oil is also erased without explanation. This was deeply unsatisfying.

Before finishing, the episode began with Dean dreaming of being in a strip club, and I am once again left bewildered as to what the appeal of strip clubs are supposed to be. The dancers are exploiting men's horniness for money, and the men cannot even touch the dancers lest they get thrown out by big muscly bouncers. The dancers in turn are probably being exploited by their employers. But aside from that, it feels anachronistic. In the 1970s and 1980s, porn was much harder to come upon, so strip clubs might have seemed more attractive, but the idea of a 30 year old man bothering with them in 2010 is a bit far-fetched. I am aware they still existed in 2010, and I used to walk past the Spearmint Rhino on Tottenham Court Road several times a week when I was at university in London, but Dean fantasising about that feels forced to me. It really does seem much more like a Boomer thing to do, unless one is going there with friends like Prince Harry sometimes did.

Alas, I never saw Prince Harry when I was in London, but I do remember the episode of Dark Angel when Alec went to a strip club. Good times, goooooood times.

In conclusion, this episode was alright but requires a lot of suspension of disbelief to work, otherwise the cracks are too obvious.

Thus concludeth the analysis. You can read more of my analyses here:

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Series 4

Series 5

Sundry

You can read Paula’s review here and TwP’s here.