Paramount+'s Surprisingly Good 6-Part Action Series Is The Perfect Weekend Binge For '90s Kids

Successful franchises have a habit of pushing their luck too far, and Sonic the Hedgehog ran that risk in 2024 with the release of Knuckles. The iconic SEGA character had already defied all logic by recovering from a disastrous first design to smash straight through the video game adaptation curse. That Sonic the Hedgehog then delivered two sequels without dropping in quality is a frankly ridiculous feat.

The combination of genuine love for the Sonic universe, great CGI action sequences, and Jim Carrey in top gear has proven a winning formula. When a Paramount+ spinoff series starring Knuckles was announced, however, there was a skeptical feeling that the franchise was finally about to drop its rings.

Thankfully, those concerns weren’t warranted, and Knuckles is the perfect short binge for anyone with a vague interest in the Sonic franchise or, indeed, anyone who likes fun.

How Does Knuckles Connect To The Sonic Universe?

Set between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3, Knuckles is essentially about Idris Elba’s crimson echidna finding his place after taking residence on Earth. To do this, he teams up with Adam Pally’s Wade Whipple, the hapless deputy who debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog‘s first movie.

Knuckles‘ main villains are G.U.N. agents, continuing the thread from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 but, predictably, larger ties to Dr. Robotnik emerge as the series progresses. There are brief cameos from Sonic the Hedgehog‘s main characters, but the story really belongs to Knuckles and Wade. Still, that doesn’t mean the spinoff lacks star power, with appearances from Cary Elwes, Christopher Lloyd, Stockard Channing, Rory McCann, Edi Patterson, and Kid Cudi.

Returning to the format the original movie had with Sonic and Tom, Knuckles is, at heart, a buddy adventure between a cop and a brightly-colored spiny mammal with superpowers.

Why Knuckles Is Worth Your Time For A Binge Watch

Wade dressed up as Knuckles during the The Flames of Disaster musical number in Knuckles

It’s unwise to enter Knuckles expecting Sonic the Hedgehog 2.5. The scale is smaller, the tone is different, and some of the slapstick is a little too on-the-nose. When all is said and done, the TV series doesn’t quite live up to the franchise’s stellar trio of cinematic entries.

What truly makes Knuckles worth watching are the moments it fully commits to outlandish, offbeat comedy. Knuckles really comes into its own around episodes 3 and 4, firstly with a disastrous, sitcom-worthy Wade family dinner, and then with the season’s highlight, “The Flames of Disaster.”

Directed by The Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone and co-starring Julian Barratt of The Mighty Boosh fame, “The Flames of Disaster” is a gloriously silly slant on Sonic’s world, featuring trippy musical numbers, a larger-than-life villain who gives Jim Carrey a run for his money, and the most tragic feud between two grown men you’ll ever see.

The episode sets the tone for the rest of the series, where Wade’s relationship with his father and Knuckles’ final battle take center stage. Knuckles gets away with a level of surrealist humor that would never work in a blockbuster movie, and is all the better for it. Weirdly, Knuckles is a lot better when it stops trying to be Sonic the Hedgehog.

With only 6 episodes, each around 30 minutes in length, Knuckles is hardly a time-intensive binge-watch. The ’80s-style rock opera telling Knuckles’ origin story is worth the price of admission alone.