How can a character as gruff and stoic as Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba) carry a whole TV show? The answer lies in a loveable, dim-witted human companion: Wade Whipple (Adam Pally). Wade may play second banana to James Marsden’s Tom Wachowski in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, but the new Paramount+ miniseries Knuckles is his time to shine – and to become the next warrior of the Echidna Tribe. Well, sort of: His Tournament of Champions is actually a nationwide bowling competition in Reno, and he’s already been dumped by his team in favor of an 8-year-old girl with rich parents. Thankfully, Knuckles is on hand to straighten Wade out, and the pair set off for an almost-epic clash of the 10-pin titans.

Let’s be honest – it makes zero sense. But pairing Knuckles with Wade is an absolute master stroke. The bumbling, ’80s obsessed man-child is the perfect counterpoint to the last of the Echidna warriors, and their unlikely friendship becomes the backdrop for an adventure that inverts Sonic and Tom’s relationship in the movies. Here, Knuckles is playing it straight while Wade amps up the comedy with a never-ending series of daydreams, misadventures, and slapstick gags. Elba is wonderfully steely as Knuckles, while Pally hams up just about every scene he’s in. It’s a fantastic dynamic: Knuckles’ determination in the face of Wade’s constant blunders keeps both the plot and the laughs rumbling along.

It’s great to see other members of Team Sonic return for the show, with both Ben Schwartz and Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprising their movie roles, plus a delicious cameo from Christopher Lloyd as great Echidna elder Pachacamac. There’s plenty of action, too, and with two former G.U.N agents – in the form of Kid Cudi and Ellie Taylor – tailing Knuckles and Wade, getting to Reno isn’t quite as easy as they both hoped. This results in plenty of face offs, and a boss fight at the end of the series that offers some true exhilaration. The production value here is surprisingly high for a streaming series, and the combat feels chaotic, well-paced, and a lot of fun. The introduction of Wade’s family – a killer combo of Stockard Channing as his mom and Edi Patterson as his sister – is a high point, and their disastrous Shabbat dinner culminates in a fight scene that spins wildly around the Wade family kitchen to the sound of “Hava Nagila.”

Knuckles does a neat variation on the formula from the Sonic movies, with the baddies deriving their power from one of the echidna’s own quills. But there’s enough variety and novelty here to prevent things from feeling stale. It’s not speed that’s the factor in the miniseries, but pure brute force – one that Wade hilariously hopes to adopt through his training with Knuckles. Naturally, there’s a training montage, along with a kick-ass soundtrack of ’80s classics and alt-rock hits from the ’90s and early ’00s. Watching Wade rock out to Scorpions’ “Rock You Like a Hurricane” is a delight.

Knuckles is pure joy, but it’s so much more than that, too. The bowling competition adds a quirky twist that leads to motorbike-back duels, an epic bowl-off, and a mid-season rock-opera hallucination featuring the voice of Michael Bolton and The Mighty Boosh’s Julian Barratt in a low-budget owl costume. It’s a madcap vibe that suits such an outrageous premise and perfectly offsets Knuckles’ prickly nature.

Knuckles is riotously funny with a ton of heart, and while the little red guy lends his name to the series, it’s Wade who ultimately steals the show. Pally’s brand of zany comedy brings a lot of laughs, and the whole caper is stitched together with some high-stakes action that feels just as grand as the movies’. Knuckles deftly channels the buddy cop energy of Sonic the Hedgehog in surprising directions, and it’s a welcome addition to this growing cinematic saga. It’s not just more of the same, either – this adventure feels funny and fresh in ways that are completely unlike the films. The titular lead often takes a back seat to Wade’s over-the-top personality, but that’s not a bad thing – it’s an exciting twist on the Sonic formula that sets Knuckles apart. Throw in a fistful of frenzied fight scenes and a main quest that’s touching and hilarious, and Knuckles adds a burst of chaotic energy to the franchise.

Verdict

Knuckles is an absolute riot. Wade Whipple’s over-the-top antics give the stoic echidna a much-needed foil, and the result is a laugh-a-minute road movie that just happens to be a six-part miniseries. It’s bold, creative, and takes some big swings. And there’s some heartwarming payoff, too, as Knuckles and his hapless human sidekick grow ever closer with each passing episode. Knuckles really nails what made Sonic and Sonic 2 so great, but with its own unique style and a bit of ’80s flare.