Spoilers Below

This is the end 

Beautiful friend

This is the end 

My only friend, the end*

So we’ve reached the end of Season 6 of Sonic For Hire, with the latest episode picking up right where the previous Sonic et al. decide they need to kill their newly discovered clones to set everything right, except for Earthworm Jim, who instead mates with his clone. Meanwhile, the universe is starting to crumble, pixel by pixel. The backgrounds, character appearances, and animation types begin to shift (including a scene where the characters appear as live-action, crude, paper cutouts.) Then, in a deux-ex-machina, Sonic decides to simply hit the reset button on a giant Sega Genesis that happened to be just off-screen. The screen blinked out, the SEGA logo appeared on a white background (just like the beginning of every single Sega game) and the characters reappeared – although now as tiny, colored specks, just a pixel or two in size.

The show ends here, followed by Pixel Sonic thanking viewers for watching the “weird, short season finale,” saying, “it’s been a crazy, mostly-stupid ride,” and encouraging viewers to suggest (in the comments section)how they’d like the finale season of Sonic For Hire to end. As far as finales go, it was rather unsatisfying; then again, what the hell could they really do to make it satisfying? I suppose turning to the fans for ideas isn’t a half-bad idea for a show who’s bread-and-butter is random, nonsensical plot-lines and plot twists that are so common that the creators would be hard-pressed to find something that to throw at fans to actually surprise them.

Though I sometimes find myself looking forward to some (generally Mario-themed) episodes, for the most part this season’s episodes seemed even shorter and with less plot than usual. Maybe it’s because the show seemed a bit more driven when it was still Sonic looking for work to make his nut each episode, and when it broke form this season after Sonic’s revelation (and subsequent desire to go back in time and fix his past) the episodes became hit-or-miss, relying heavily on dialogue instead of video game spoofs and snarky observations.

However, I will once again mention that I applaud the creators’ decision to reach out to the fans to decide the ultimate fate of the characters and the show itself. If YouTube (and the success of series like Sonic For Hire) has proven anything, it’s that regular people really can be funny. (They can also be total douches/idiots/possible mental patients – another thing very apparent thanks to YouTube.) Because of this, I am optimistic in regard to the ability of this fan-creator coalition to give a proper last hurrah to a great show. If you’re a fan of the show, you should consider it your duty to contribute some guidance – you could be the reason it goes out with a bang.

Consequently, if it fails, I’ll just assume it’s all your fault.

7 out of 10

 

(It’s also your duty to follow @Gonzo_Green on twitter, or give me a shout on facebook.)

 

* Lyrics from ”The End” by The Doors. RIP Ray Manzarek (1939-2013). Founding member and keyboardist for The Doors, Manzarek also played the bass parts, on a second keyboard that sat atop the first.