#but it WASN'T!

[thelediz]

Sonic Underground Episode 21: The Jewel of the Crown

I’m watching Sonic Underground in search of inspiration to finish a fic I’ve been writing forever. It’s a sad state of affairs. See the recap of the first three episodes here, if you're interested!

The plot (for want of a better word): Legend says the jewel from Aleena’s crown will glow brighter as it comes closer to her, and Robotnik thinks he’s found it! Can the Sonic Underground find the jewel—and their mother—before their enemies, or is there more to this jewel than meets the eye?

Aleena starts off this episode talking about resilience (though she calls it determination), which is nice. I think that might have been better with last episode, but egh.

Manic has made an electronic bug to spy on Robotnik. Can I just say this is very impressive given that while I didn’t mention it, it was only episode 13 where he said something about how he’d never thought of himself as a mechanic. You’re not supposed to notice this evolution – the series never draws attention to Manic’s technical skillset (because he’s a Tails clone) but if you are a problem like I am, it’s a nice little bit of Manic growing as a member of the Resistance.

So once again, we have Robotnik technically engaging in his city country kingdom’s economy, by having a pawn broker offer to sell Aleena’s jewel to him. Robotnik instead wants Sleet to steal it. As a dictator, or indeed as any legitimate head of state, he could just confiscate it, but he doesn’t. I am a problem, so I take this as more political manoeuvring to make sure the aristocrats remain happy with him.

He also offers Sleet half the money the pawn broker wanted, which builds on something @shinymisty-blog draws attention to in other posts: Sleet is still acting as a bounty hunter with Robotnik. Dingo is the only one being a proper indentured servant… except when he isn’t. Stop questioning the character motivations.

Meanwhile, the Sonic Underground debates how they can get the jewel before Robotnik. Sonia points out that they’re broke, and Manic suggests they ‘liberate it’.

I am entirely on Manic’s side this time, but hey. +1 to Manic’s Thievery is a Problem.

Sonic, on the other hand, suggests that Aleena wouldn’t have sold something that could lead her enemies directly to her because that would be incredibly dumb valuable, so clearly the pawn broker stole it first, which Manic jumps on by saying they’re just recovering the stolen goods. Sonia is immediately on board now because she wants to wear a pretty jewel. We sigh.

Emporium, the town of today’s episode, is another not!Constantinople city. Furthering the comparison is the fact it’s basically empty.

Meanwhile, we discover that Aleena is actually working with the pawn broker! Apparently she’s set a trap!

You know, I feel like these things would work better if she found a way to communicate with her children about her little plots.

Somehow, despite talking about how hard it will be, the triplets find the right pawn shop without any issue. But when it comes down to it, Sonic refuses to steal even for the right reasons. Are all the kids in the audience paying attention to this lovely Sonic Says moment? Yes? Yes? Everyone paying attention to the lesson?

Before it can come to a head, the rug they’re standing on turns out to be Dingo. I am actually going to give the siblings this one, for once, because I also didn’t twig to it. Although in hindsight I should have – we saw Sleet earlier, but no Dingo, and they did mention the rug was an offer from Robotnik, but I absolutely didn’t notice the colour. Maybe I’m tired.

Anyway. Both the siblings and the jewel are now in Sleet and Dingo’s hold!

Except they leave the siblings behind.

THEY LEAVE THE SIBLINGS BEHIND.

THESE. TERRIBLE. VILLAINS.

The pawnbroker stops Sonic from chasing Sleet and Dingo down immediately, but can’t stop him properly. So it feels a little pointless to have that moment, especially when Sonic does still stop their van from escaping.

Sonic’s plan to get the jewel back is almost as dumb and convoluted as… honestly, Sonic.

For some reason, he chooses to flood Sleet and Dingo’s transport with olive oil. You’re the fastest thing alive and you can take on half a battalion of SWATbots single-handedly. When Sleet opens the hatch to look around, squirrel past him, grab the jewel, get away. It is THAT SIMPLE.

Idiot boy.

But it gets the same result, and he very clearly hasn’t stolen it from anyone because Dingo just dropped it. Totally different to some moral guardian or another, I’m sure.

The song: The Cosmic Dance. I… yep, I’m tired, I can think of no comparisons. It’s actually pretty good though, I don’t hate it. It’s quite cute, like the sort of thing you sing to three year olds to encourage them to play Imagination… except it’s using some stereotypical imagery about yoga, hot coals, turbans… what culture do you think you’re referencing, song, because right now I’m just getting ‘vaguely foreign’.

It also references MC Hammer pants, which is very funny.

Okay, so everyone has the idiot ball today. The triplets are literally standing two metres back as Sleet loudly tells Dingo he’s put a tracking device on the van, and yet they happily jump in the van to run away from a bunch of snakes without removing said device. TRIPLETS.

So Aleena’s trap for the jewel has led the triplets (and therefore Sleet and Dingo) to a building that is actually a living plant. Dingo and Sleet are appropriately creeped out by this, and call Robotnik. For… some idiot monetary reason, Robotnik saying he’s going to come and catch Aleena himself bolsters Sleet’s confidence enough for him to be excited to go after Aleena again despite being creeped out.

Also, weird hoodoo magic, Aleena. Interesting. Sonic’s connection to Gaia says what

Sonia’s super strength +1

The tree goes after the triplets until Sonic cuts it off, but weirdly also doesn’t keep attacking Robotnik’s forces. What?

The episode ends with the triplets realising this was Aleena’s trap, and Aleena quietly standing on the sidelines as they leave, professing that someday they’ll be reunited.

Honestly, that ending feels VERY final. A bit of a downer ending, but there’s something bittersweet and hopeful that makes it feel like a proper ‘and the adventure continues’ that should have finished the series.

Basically I’m saying this should have been episode 40, but it wasn’t.

The counters:

Sonic implying less than 100% American heterosexuality: 5

Sonia in love with Bartleby: 4/37

Sonia in love with someone who is not Bartleby: 1/37

Sonia’s got super strength: 4

Manic’s thieving Is A Problem: 4

So come back tomorrow if you’re interested in the next 18 episodes that probably should have happened before this one!

[weltonreject]

just reread a rewrite of Lost & Stolen i submitted during grad school and teared up because it was... kinda good? but i remember, when i was writing it, i thought everything i made at that time was horrible and worthless...

[charlesoberonn]

Mammu! Finius and Ferbingetorix built Rome in a day!

[glindauplland]

KPOP DEMON HUNTERS (2025) + TUMBLR REACTIONS

[beholdthemem]

My fellow bitches under 5'5. Whatever the money, do not take a job working at a middle school. A fellow adult tried to put me in detention last month and would NOT give up until I showed her my badge proving Yes, The School Hired Me To Work Here. It's not meant for people our height.

[communist-hatsunemiku]

x_cast_x

[idcaboutart]

all that remained were fields of dreamless solitude

only you can show me this

[inkskinned]

it's extremely critical that you see the photo of the perp walk for luigi mangione as being propaganda. i've seen so many people wave it off and instead fawn over his looks. and trust me, i know it ended up being kind of pathetic and weird - but please don't brush it off as a "modelling opportunity" for him. it's a fucking terrifying message the police are sending.

i want to make a few comparisons here, in case you're not from the US or familiar with why the perp walk thing is something to pay attention to. just to set the groundwork for why this is a purposeful, unusual, and cruel act by the nyc police - for why this is not a common occurrence and for why that matters.

the prosecution alleges the show of force is due to the charge of "terrorism." for comparison, in june 2015, tsarnaev was found guilty for the boston marathon bombing, which killed 3 people and injured hundreds. his actions are considered to be an act of domestic terrorism. i have spent the last hour looking through google for pictures of similar to mangione's perp walk - and so far, i have found zero. i also just do not personally remember a moment like that, despite living in boston at the time.

they allege that luigi is a stone-cold killer who carried out a longterm plan, making him particularly dangerous. again for comparison: in nyc, recently cory martin was found guilty of the killing of brandy odom. the murder was planned and premeditated to steal insurance money. and yet no staged perp walk. why didn't her life matter enough for a "show of force"?

but mangione gets paraded by a veritable army of police officers as if he is a rabid animal. for a single citizen who allegedly killed one other single citizen, the "largest perp walk ever" occurs.

so what is the "strong message" that the mayor and the police were trying to send here? the mayor speaks as if mangione is already convicted of terrorism. there is a very thin number of people who feel threatened by the CEO's death. none of us felt like mangione needs to be under massive armed guard.

the message is that you shouldn't resist. they are trying to "make an example" of him - that if you behave badly and kill a single rich person, you'll be treated as if you killed hundreds of people. you will be treated worse than a man who was found guilty of terrorism. you will be considered guilty without trial. the message is that the rich are a protected class, and you cannot touch them without massive punishment. they are trying to prevent a revolution by showing dominance and force against you.

the message is that the police are a puppet of the wealthy and that the law is not equally applied across class disparity. it is "some are more equal than others." it is "one life is more precious than another."

the show of force wasn't for luigi. it was for us. it was a warning. they are trying to remind us who is really in control.

[antennatoheaven]

[halcyoncyrus]

Liking a character who sucks is silly because yeah I hate him and yeah I want people to bully him and say mean things but if you say the Wrong mean thing I'm going to get defensive

[koboldfactory]

Do you see the vision

[blanchebees]

Drawing a lot of yearning lately

Tip jar

[ceeejus]

🪴🐈‍⬛

[edit: prints available here!]

[yesokayiknow]

thirteen: hey just popped in to tell you you're tearing apart reality btw. you're gonna destroy the world and also us

fifteen, not taking in a single word: god so true bestie i DO miss being blonde