Sonic Boom - Strike

Hey, guys. Today, I will be reviewing an anger-inducing episode of the show: Strike. As much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, this will be my last Sonic Boom review. Why I say this is because this was the episode that made me give up on the show, and I will explain why later.

Before I begin, I have to warn you: this review contains spoilers. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, I suggest you do that for reading what I am about to say. Let’s begin.

The episode starts with Team Sonic (minus Sticks and Knuckles) battling Eggman in a grenade shooting tank thing. Tails take three hits during and after the battle because… comedy. I really don’t think this is fair on Tails. Just one or two hits is enough.

After Eggman loses the battle, Orbot suggests that Eggman should go for grenades that explode on impact, instead of timed ones. Eggman gets offended (for no reason) and leaves Orbot and Cubot to find their own way home. What is wrong with that guy? Doesn’t he know that Orbot is only trying to help, by giving him constructive criticism?

We then cut to the robots unsuccessfully trying to hitch a ride (from the Gogoba chief and Soar the Eagle) until Amy shows up, wondering why they put up with Eggman’s behaviour. To which they respond that Eggman truly cares about them. Yeah, I’m sure he does. Then Sonic shows up, and Amy asks him to help the robots get back to the lair. He refuses because the vehicle he’s driving is called ‘Blue Force One’, not ‘Blue Force Three’. That joke got a chuckle out of me.

In the style of Castaway, with discount Lawrence of Arabia music playing in the background, Orbot and Cubot head home. Eggman wants to know where they have been, but then changes his mind and wants them to get rocks for his garden. While the robots are carrying heavy sacks of rocks to the lair, Amy see this and announces how pathetic this is. Amy, I don’t think that’s the word you should be using. A better choice of words would be ‘getting out of hand’. She then suggests that they go on strike if Eggman continues belittling and berating them, but they claim that now is not the time and get back to work.

Orbot and Cubot show up, having done what Eggman told them to, only to find out that Eggman had changed his mind and forces them to put the rocks back where they belong. He even goes as far as to call them ‘lazy good-for nothings’. EGGMAN is the lazy good-for-nothing. It's HIS fault for building his two robot assistants to behave like incompetent idiots. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually built them to be like this, just to make himself stand out. Unbelievable. No wonder Sonic and friends defeat him all the time.

Anyway, Orbot and Cubot have had enough and decide to go on strike. Eggman sees this and doubts that this last for long. He makes a mess and, instead of cleaning it up himself, orders them to the job for him, before remembering that they are on strike. He gets Burnbot to clean up the mess, he isn’t able to because of his huge claws. Eggman insults Burnbot, infuriating the robot and causing him join Orbot and Cubot in their strike. After they blow their horns at Eggman, Burnbot does the same and nearly burns Eggman. Another joke that amused me. Haha.

Eggman then tries to get his other robots (Ballot Bot and Firebot, along with the rest) to clean up his mess and end up insulting them on their failure to do so, causing them to go on strike as well. I swear, Eggman deserves a punch in the face and is THAT close to finding himself a new home, and it is NOT anywhere on this planet!

With all the robots on strike, Eggman decides that he could move on without his minions before deciding that he couldn’t. Well that escalated quickly. He then goes to the village to hire the villagers to become his minions, but they are disinterested… until Eggman offers them money. Three villagers (Mike, the beaver and the wolf postman) agree to this and take on their first day as his minions. Sonic and Amy are shocked about this, and the show parodies the ‘to the Batmoblie’ scene (logo and music). That’s the third funny joke in this episode.

After cleaning up the mess Eggman made, he takes the new minions out for ice-cream. Sonic goes to Mike and tells him to blink twice if he is in danger, which he doesn’t, so Sonic runs off. That moment right there made me cringe. I mean, the hero asks one hostage to respond if they are in danger and when they don’t, the hero just… runs off. Groan.

Eggman orders his minions to destroy the ice-cream cart and steal the ice-cream, to which the Beaver suggests that it should be the other way around. Let’s think about this: ice-cream is a frozen treat and if fire is used to destroy the cart, the ice-cream will melt. Then what do you get? No ice-cream. Wow, Eggman. You really are a genius(!) Eggman insults his new minions and compares them to his robots. Then Sonic shows up to stop Eggman. Eggman orders his new minions to attack but they refuse. He orders again, and they run away. So, does Eggman. Groan.

Meanwhile, at Eggman’s lair, Amy is trying to keep the robots’ spirits up, but they have already given up and are convinced that Eggman has replaced them. Eggman shows up and begs for mercy, Amy steps in and suggests that Orbot and Cubot get better upgrades and oil changes. She even includes treating the robots with more respect… to which the robots decide to… yeah, just roll with it. They bid Amy goodbye and Amy is forced to get back home, in the style of Castaway.

Ugh. This was the episode that really messed me up and made me give up on the show. I know that Eggman is supposed to be evil and unlikable, but this was just too much. I really wish that Sonic scolded Eggman for putting his robots through this. But, no. Amy was the one who stepped up, and I suppose that’s a good thing. It shows that she is willing to help without being bossy and arrogant. If that’s the case, why didn’t she behave like that in the previous episodes?

Well, that’s it for my final Sonic Boom review. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Thank you guys for reading, and take care.