Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

So, I must admit, I wasn’t one of those people who wanted to see a ‘Knuckles’ spin-off series from the world of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’. Not that I don’t like the character. I’ve enjoyed Knuckles in the movies, and he’s voiced well by Idris Elba, especially for this series.

But in terms of ideas of what you can do with the character in being an Echidna warrior and talking tough a lot of the time, you’d have to be very clever in terms of what stories you can tell with Knuckles. I don’t think the recent Paramount+ series does that very well.

Now correct me if I’m wrong on this. I enjoyed the six-episode series enough, but I do wonder what Knuckles is like in the Sega video games and cartoon shows made over the years. I wonder if stories featuring Knuckles in those games and shows were any different.

Also, because I’m not a Paramount+ subscriber compared to being a Disney+ subscriber, I wasn’t able to appreciate the series when it came out in April 2024. I’m pleased the series came out on DVD when it did and I was able to receive it for Christmas last year. 🙂

The series ‘Knuckles’ takes place between ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’. It follows Knuckles struggling to settle in and live in Green Hills, following the events of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’. He ends up training the deputy sheriff Wade Whipple. 🙂

Wade is hoping to win a bowling tournament in Reno in Nevada and Knuckles gets to train him in the ways of the Echidna warrior. Along the way, Knuckles and Wade come across mercenaries that want to capture Knuckles as well as Wade getting to reunite with his family.

Now, the first episode of ‘Knuckles’ is pretty enjoyable, especially with featuring Sonic, voiced by Ben Schwartz, and Tails, voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey. Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski also appears in this. A shame James Marsden as Tom didn’t appear. Ozzie (or is it Ozzy), Tom and Maddie’s dog appears in the series though.

I was hoping for Sonic, Tails, Maddie and Ozzie to appear at least at the end of the sixth episode to make the series feel complete and bridge the gap between ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’. Sadly, that didn’t happen, which I do feel is a missed opportunity.

Plus, ‘Knuckles’ tended to veer away from the titular character and focused more on Adam Pally as Wade, the deputy sheriff. Like Knuckles, I don’t dislike Wade. In fact, I’m pleased he got a chance to shine in the ‘Knuckles’ series compared to the ‘Sonic’ movies.

But the series tended to be less action-packed and more comedy-focused, especially when Wade and Knuckles find refuge at the Whipple family home. The third episode is mostly dedicated to Wade reuniting with his family and Knuckles joins them for dinner. 😐

We get to meet Stockard Channing as Wendy, Wade’s mother and Edi Patterson as Wanda, Wade’s sister. Not that I object to seeing them in the series, but it’s sad ‘Knuckles’, as a series, tended to be more about Wade’s journey as a character than about Knuckles. Incidentally, Wade and his family happen to be Jewish. I wouldn’t have guessed that.

The fifth episode has Knuckles mostly absent in the episode, especially when Wade is competing in the bowling tournament against Cary Elwes as his estranged father ‘Pistol’ Pete Whipple, who is an eccentric 27-time championship bowler. It wasn’t what I expected.

The series’ cast also includes Scott Mescudi (a.k.a. Kid Cudi who did the song ‘Stars in the Sky’ for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’) as Mason and Ellie Taylor as Willoughby. Mason and Willoughby are two former G.U.N. agents that try to capture Knuckles for the evil Buyer. 😐

The latter is not a joke by the way. Rory McCann plays the series’ villain named the Buyer, who is a former agent of Dr. Robotnik that seeks to obtain Knuckles’ power. A shame we didn’t get to see much of him in the series and a pity he doesn’t get to have a name either.

Julian Barratt guest stars as Jack Sinclair, a bounty hunter who is allegedly Wade’s best friend that kidnaps him in the fourth episode, which happens to have a musical number. At least the musical number in that is better than the one in ‘Doctor Who’s ‘The Devil’s Chord’.

A new character from the ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ world gets introduced in the ‘Knuckles’ series, and it happens to be Pachacamac, the deceased elder of Knuckles’ tribe. He appears in the series as a ghost. He’s voiced by Christopher Lloyd from ‘Back to the Future’. 🙂

The series also features Alice Tregonning as Susie Barnes, an 8-year-old girl who is Wade’s bowling rival turned teammate in the series. There’s also Rob Huebel as Dylan Beagleton and Paul Scheer as Gary N. Sinclair III Esq., who are bowling commentators. 🙂

‘Knuckles’ as a series wasn’t really what I was expecting. It wasn’t a great series for me, but I enjoyed what I saw and it was fascinating to see Knuckles paired with Wade Whipple. I wish more focus was on Knuckles and that Sonic and Tails appeared in the last episode.

I don’t think if ‘Knuckles’ has potential in earning a second season, but I could be wrong about that. I enjoyed the series for featuring an opening theme song in the form of ‘The Warrior’ performed by Scandal and featuring Patty Smyth, which was released in 1984. It’s got a lot of energy to it. 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now!

Tim 🙂