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This review was made possible by early screeners of Knuckles. All episodes of Knuckles premieres Friday, April 26 on Paramount+.
After helping defeat the evil Dr. Robotnik, Knuckles is struggling to find his place on Earth. What is a warrior to do now that he has no enemies to fight? The answer, train the next great warrior! Knuckles (voiced once again by Idris Elba) must embark on a cross country road trip with his new protégé, Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) to teach him to find his inner warrior spirit!
KNUCKLES IS GETTING HIS OWN SHOW?
Knuckles the Echidna has been a fan favorite character in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe since his introduction in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ in 1994. After his big screen debut in 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 his popularity rose to new heights. Knuckles was used to great effect as not only an antagonist to Sonic, but as another source of comedy in the film. With his role as stoic comic relief, it was hard to imagine him headlining his own event series. Could he become the main character after his role as “straight man” side character was cemented? This was the big question I had going into this series.
When I realized that his costar in this endeavor would be Wade Whipple, the bumbling Sheriff’s Deputy from the films, I became even more skeptical that this series could be anything other than a silly, slapstick, kid’s show. I am happy to say that my fears were not warranted. While this show is, in fact, a silly, slapstick, kid’s show; it is also a story about overcoming trauma, believing in oneself, and growing into a more balanced person. I know it seems crazy to say that a show about Knuckles, a CGI red Echidna from space, would have heart and a deep meaning, but that is what I saw when I watched this series.
WHAT A CAST!
One of the biggest wins of this show is the cast. Idris Elba and Adam Pally are a great duo that you can’t help but root for, they have great chemistry (even though one of them is a CGI character). With Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey reprising their roles from the films in guest appearances, this show easily fits into the universe. On top of the returning cast we get great performances from veteran actors, Stockard Channing, Carey Elwes and Christopher Lloyd. Another positive is all of the Easter Eggs to other great comedies! I won’t list them here for fear of spoiling any of them, but I found myself pointing at the screen like Leonardo DiCaprio more than once. The final thing I want to focus on is the soundtrack. The Sonic films have set a standard for great needle drops and Knuckles does not disappoint. I have had the title track stuck in my head since the opening minutes of Episode 1!
ARE THESE VILLAINS REALLY NECESSARY?
While most of the cast was great, unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the villains of the show. While actors Rory McCann, Ellie Taylor, and Scott Mescudi did a fine job, their characters left a lot to be desired. I never felt like any of the villains were important to the story being told, nor did I ever feel like they were an actual threat to the characters. There were solid action scenes and fun times to be had but, at the end of the day, the villains are just forgettable. Another issue I had with this series was that, at times, it seemed to forget that Knuckles was even there. For multiple episodes, the titular character feels like an afterthought. While I still enjoyed these episodes overall, I found myself asking “Where is Knuckles right now?”
While this show is a must watch if you are a fan of the franchise, forgettable villains and a lack of focus keep it from being as great as the Sonic films. The cast, soundtrack, and surprisingly emotional story were enough to pull me through the bits that felt lack luster. In the end, I would recommend checking this series out. Knuckles is a fun dive back into this world that will hold you over until Sonic the Hedgehog 3 drops later this year.
