Unraveling entertainment history allows us to realize that each day marks the anniversary of some curious event. For instance, on April 28, two big celebrities broke out, one in the music industry and the other in the cinema.

Katy Perry traded gospel for lesbian music and became a hit

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson began her journey to stardom with 2001’s gospel album Katy Hudson. The album was a complete failure, as the singer’s brand of Christian music failed to resonate with the public. Hudson was determined to find a way to overlap her faith and her passion for singing, so she moved to Los Angeles to try her luck in secular music. God had different plans for Hudson, though, as she would become world famous only after adopting the stage name of Katy Perry and releasing a single about girls kissing girls.

To say that 2008’s “I Kissed a Girl” was a success would be an understatement. Even if Katy Perry didn’t have a name and a cult following at the time to back her single, she still hit first on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 list. In addition, “I Kissed a Girl” is one of the defining songs of the 2000s, an undisputable classic that still plays at parties. It would be safe to say that Katy Perry’s actual career began on April 28, when her first pop single first played on the radio.

Hard Candy was Elliot Page’s breakout role

April 28 is a big date for another beloved celebrity, Elliot Page. That’s because on this day in 2006, Hard Candy got a wide theatrical release in the U.S. and debuted the story of Page’s underaged character who’s seduced by a charming and dangerous sexual predator (Patrick Wilson). However, the tables soon turn as Page is revealed to be hunting the man down to punish him for his crimes. It’s a gruesome thriller with stomach-turning scenes that flipped the revenge horror trope upside down.

Even though Page was not even 18 when he shot Hard Candy, his performance grabbed the critics’ attention since the movie’s international premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. However, due to the movie’s sensitive subject and Page’s unknown status in Holywood, Hard Candy was condemned to have a limited release on April 14, 2006. The surprisingly positive reception of the movie led to a broad release on April 28, allowing the whole country to witness the actor’s mesmerizing acting skills.

Say “Happy Birthday” to Jessica Alba

April 28 is also important because today is Jessica Alba‘s birthday. While no introductions are required for Alba, thanks to her prolific Hollywood career, today is a good day to remember some of the major milestones in her road to stardom. Alba had her breakout role in 2003’s Honey, a dance film that was mandatory at every slumber party in the early 2000s. After that, she starred in comic book adaptations such as Sin City and Fantastic Four. Director Robert Rodriguez liked working with Alba so much in Sin City that she would be cast in many of his movies, such as Machete, Machete Kills, and Spy Kids: All the Time in the World.

Outside the silver screen, Alba is also a successful entrepreneur, having co-founded The Honest Company, which specializes in baby, personal, and household products. She also has a long history with charity that helps her stand apart from other Hollywood stars.

On April 26, fans of the procedural crime series NCIS: Hawai’i received the bitter news that CBS canceled the show. Hawai’i’ was the fourth title in the iconic NCIS franchise.

NCIS follows a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a U.S. Navy unit responsible for investigating crimes in the Navy and Marine Corps and working for the security of America, including in terrorism cases and cybersecurity issues. Airing since 2033, NCIS is one of the biggest hits in the history of television, which of course, led CBS to invest in several spinoffs. NCIS: Los Angeles lasted fourteen seasons, airing from 2009 to 2022, reaching a natural end for the story of its special team. On its turn, NCIS: New Orleans aired for seven seasons between 2014 and 2020 – still a good run for a TV show.

Unfortunately, NCIS: Hawai’i joined the CBS cemetery after only three seasons.

NCIS Hawai’i failed to bring the same audience as its sibling series

CBS didn’t provide any official statement explaining why NCIS: Hawai’i got canned. However, we can make an informed guess based on the series ratings.

While the procedural drama still managed to grab the attention of millions of viewers, NCIS: Hawai’i‘s ratings were still below those of the main series and the previous spinoffs, according to the Nielsen scale. In fact, for the three seasons it aired, NCIS: Hawai’i numbers remained close to the last seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans. So, it’s not exactly a surprise that the spinoff won’t return for a fourth season.

While we can understand CBS’s decision to cancel the show and invest in more profitable spinoffs for the NCIS franchise, it is still a shame that NCIS: Hawai’i won’t return for Season 4. The show was the first entry in the franchise to be led by a woman, i.e., Vanessa Lachey’s Special Agent in Charge, Jane Tennant. The spinoff was also the first chapter in the NCIS franchise to feature an LGBTQ+ agent, Yasmine Al-Bustami’s Lucy Tara. So, as cast member Tori Anderson said, Hawai’i being axed “is a huge loss for representation.”

This cancelation doesn’t mean the franchise is at risk. The mother series, NCIS, got renewed for its 22nd season. Meanwhile, the first international spinoff of the show, NCIS: Sidney, will return for season 2. Finally, a prequel series called NCIS: Origins is in production for a 2024 premiere. Origins will follow the early days of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the NCIS team, revealing more about the iconic character played by Mark Harmon in the main series. There’s also a spinoff based on Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo and Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David in early development but concrete information about when or if it will come to CBS has not been revealed.

The series finale of NCIS: Hawai’i premieres on CBS on May 6.

Baseball fans know Steve Garvey for his sports achievements in the 1970s and 1980s. As for everyone else, they will have to live with the unpleasant experience of learning about Garvey as he tries to be a good Republican by attacking anti-war students.

Garvey fell in love with baseball from an early age, becoming a batboy for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Yankees, and the Detroit Tigers during spring training when he was only seven years old. His interest in baseball continued in college when he started a prolific first baseman career. Garvey began playing in the big league after joining the Dodgers in 1969. He helped the Dodgers win the World Series in 1981 before signing with the Padres in 1982. He would go on to end his career as a baseball player there in 1987.

Over almost two decades of professional baseball, Garvey was an NL All-Star for 10 seasons. Given
his impressive streak of 1,207 games, he holds the record for most consecutive games played. He won two MVP awards from the National League and four Golden Glove Awards. His importance for the Padres is so great that the team officially retired their number six position, as no one could ever take Garvey’s place. For anyone, it would be an honor to enjoy retirement knowing how much they’ve achieved. Unfortunately, Garvey decided to launch a political career as a Republican and is furthering the same by making controversial declarations against college students’ right to free speech.

Steve Garvey’s controversial statement about college students, explained

On October 7, 2023, a barbaric attack by the fundamentalist Islamic organization Hamas left a trail of destruction in Israeli territory. Israel decided to respond to the terrorist attack with a declaration of war, using its military to lay waste to Gaza. Seven months later, the war still rages on, with the count of civilian casualties hitting the thousands. It’s a complex situation. On the one hand, it’s easy to understand why Israel spared no effort to hunt down the terrorists responsible for the attack on October 2023. However, in their supposed pursuit of justice, Israel has killed mostly women and children. So, not everyone is happy with the U.S. direct support of the Israeli war machine.

Over the past week, students from colleges all over the country organized protests against the Israel-Hamas war and the constantly rising number of civilian lives it has cost in Gaza. As it turns out, Garvey had something to say about it, declaring that these protests are made by “terrorists” at a press conference (via Politco). According to Garvey, free speech is important, but denouncing the indiscriminate attack on civilians is the same as being a “Hamas supporter.” For the Senate candidate, interrupting classes instead of using an opportunity to learn is a terrorist attack in itself.

“They’re pro-terrorists. They’re supporting terrorism.”

It is evident that Garvey is determined to show how a baseball career doesn’t prepare anyone for politics. He is on the run to replace the late California Senator Laphonza Butler, with Democratic candidate Adam Schiff being the last obstacle before he takes the chair. So, since the baseball player-turned-politician doesn’t have anything worthwhile to say, his strategy is to compare students to terrorists in the hope this puts him in the media spotlight. But the only thing he is accomplishing with his thoughtless words is proving why he should not be the Senator.

Tom Holland and Zendaya are one of the hottest power couples in Hollywood. And, for the joy of their fans, they may take the next step in their relationship and tie the knot sooner rather than later.

Holland made his silver screen debut with 2011’s disaster movie The Impossible. However, he became famous worldwide after appearing as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. With five other MCU movies on his portfolio, Holland has already weaved a web of fame and success for himself. The star has also been diversifying his acting portfolio in recent years with critically acclaimed movies such as Onward, The Devil All the Time, and Cheery.

Holland met Zendaya while shooting Spider-Man: Homecoming, where she played the role of Peter’s high school colleague and romantic interest, MJ. She was already used to being recognized everywhere she went before the MCU due to her prolific career as a model, actress, and singer. Still, joining the buzziest Disney franchise did help her land parts in major box-office successes such as Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and Dune: Part Two. She has also scored a leading role in Challengers, arguably the best movie of beloved director Luca Guadagnino.

Curiously, a Spider-Man project led to Holland and Zendaya’s relationship, which also happened with the lead actors behind previous live-action iterations of Peter Parker and their romantic interest. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone eventually split up, following the fate of Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. However, it seems that the third time is the charm, as Holland and Zendaya are reportedly discussing marriage.

Tom Holland and Zendaya’s busy schedules might delay their marriage

As People reports, Zendaya and Holland have been talking about marriage. But, since their professional lives are so important to the couple, they are taking things slow and planning the next steps carefully. That doesn’t mean they are not committed to each other, though. While Holland and Zenday prefer to keep their private lives away from the public eye, their public appearances do underline the fat that they are extremely happy together. Still, it might be just a matter of time before their schedules align and Peter Parker marries MJ.

Their fictional reunion might happen first as Holland and Zendaya are seemingly set to return to the MCU together. After the billionaire success of the latest Spider-Man trilogy, Sony and Marvel Studios are working to bring Holland’s Web Head back into the MCU. The latest rumors even tease Holland has already signed a contract for six more MCU movies. If that’s officially confirmed by Marvel Studios, Zendaya is also most likely to return as MJ. Who knows? Maybe the heartbreaking ending of No Way Home will not stick around for long, allowing Peter and MJ to get their happy ending and vanish into the sunset in the MCU.

And maybe, just maybe, the silver screen triumph of love over the ever-chaotic multiversal shenanigans will also convince Holland and Zendaya to walk the aisle and say “I do” in the real world.

The entertainment industry is a multibillion-dollar monster that must push new content daily to survive. That means even on a seemingly random day, such as April 27, we have something to be celebrated, such as big stars’ birthdays or iconic cinematic events.

With Avengers: Infinity War, the MCU was at its most ambitious

On April 27, 2018, Marvel Studios released its most ambitious movie. Avengers: Infinity War was the culmination of ten years of movies and TV shows carefully planned to give birth to the ultimate crossover. In the early 2000s, if a studio asked people to watch a dozen films to understand a new release, we could bet on the project’s failure. Yet, Infinity War hauled more than two billion dollars at the international box office.

Even before Infinity War, MCU fans were sure Marvel Studios wouldn’t kill the heroes. So, after Thanos (Josh Brolin) won the battle and snapped away half the sentient life in the universe, people expected the deed to be undone by Avengers: Endgame. That doesn’t change the emotional impact of seeing some fan-favorite characters reduced to dust. Infinity War knows it’s telling a lie and still manages to hit the audience as hard as possible. As such, it is not only a great superhero movie. It’s a great movie, period.

Never Have I Ever wished for a spicier teen show on Netflix

Netflix constantly releases new content on its streaming platform, so most of it gets buried inside a choice-paralysis-sized pile of movies and series. However, on April 27, 2020, the streamer took the world by surprise with a funny and witty TV show that dared to explore high school drama while accepting the obvious fact that every teenager is a horny beast. There is nothing like Never Have I Ever out there, as few creative teams would manage to balance a story that’s all about teenagers discovering their sexuality but doesn’t sexualize said teenagers.

With four seasons of 10 episodes each, Never Have I Ever remains one of the most bingeable Netflix shows, boasting solid performances, good pacing, and an honest look at life in high school. The series is also queer-friendly and focused on a layered female protagonist. In short, four years ago, on this very day, Netflix released an original production that suddenly took traction and amassed a legion of followers, ensuring its longevity.

Lizzo just turned 35

Born Melissa Viviane Jefferson on April 27, 1988, Lizzo has become a rap icon in her twenties. The young and talented artist slowly climbed the ladder of fame, one album at a time, while also releasing singles that rocketed her to the top of the Billboard chart. Regardless of what kind of music you enjoy, everyone knows the name Lizzo, which shows how influential the pop icon has become.

2020 was a decisive year for Lizzo, as she received eight nominations at the 62nd Grammy Awards, ahead of every other artist nominated for the prize. She scored three trophies: Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Traditional R&B Performance. Lizzo would one-up herself in 2022 by taking home the Grammy Award for Record of the Year thanks to her album Special. It was the first time a Black woman won this Grammy since 1994, when Whitney Houston was granted the honor.

Lizzo has been involved with some serious allegations of racial and sexual harassment in a case that’s still following the slow pace of justice. When the facts emerge to confirm Lizzo’s guilt or innocence, her April 27 birthday will become even more meaningful. It will either be the date of birth of a revolutionary rapper unjustly attacked or of a singer who used her fame to abuse other people.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Luca Guadagnino’ Challengers.

While director Luca Guadagnino is no stranger to success, Challengers is arguably his best movie yet. With a trio of Oscar-worthy performances by Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, Challengers is a sports game like no other, where tennis is secondary to the intricate web of human emotions Guadagnino weaves on the silver screen.

As the movie’s title betrays, the story occurs in a Challengers tournament, where tennis players compete to get to the qualifiers of big professional tournaments. On one side of the field is Patrick Zweig (O’Connor), a struggling player who never got a chance to play in the big leagues. His opponent, Art Donaldson (Faist), is one of the top players in the world, attending a small competition to build up his confidence before going for the US Open. In the crowd, there’s Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), who watches closely as the duel between Patrick and Art escalates.

Instead of sticking to the present moment, Challengers uses extensive flashbacks to explain the complicated relationship between the movie’s three main characters. In doing so, Guadagnino reveals what’s really at stake – and it’s not a trophy.

What’s really at stake in the final match?

Tashi was a fierce tennis player who signed an Adidas contract before beginning her professional run. She was destined to make tennis history, but an accident during a match robbed her of her glory. Now, Tashi is married to Art, who she coaches to achieve everything she can’t. By winning the US Open, Art will get his Carrer Grand Slam, which in tennis lingo means winning all four major international championships in the same season. Winning is everything for Tashi, who pushes Art to the brink so he can get what she never could.

In turn, Art worships Tashi and sacrifices his individuality to make his wife happy. He wants to quit tennis and pursue other dreams but keeps playing because that’s what Tashi thinks is better. It’s tragic, as Art trades his happiness for Tashi’s glory. Meanwhile, the fact that Art never challenges her pushes the couple apart since Tashi needs more than an obedient servant.  Despite their success and beautiful daughter, the power couple drowns in resentment and regret, all in the name of tennis victory.

To make matters even more complicated, Patrick was once Art’s best friend and Tashi’s lover. Patrick is wild, impulsive, and always stands his ground. He excites Tashi, and they have a primal sexual connection. However, she needs to control her partner, which Patrick can’t accept. That’s why they eventually broke up, and Tashi ended up with Art. As for Patrick and Art, their unbreakable bond was shattered because of Tashi, with Art taking her side on the separation and feeding his jealousy for years. Art knows he can never fulfill Tashi’s needs as Patrick did. This fact turns into a bitter grudge after Art sees things that raise a red flag about Tashi and Patrick having an affair, burying the two men’s friendship.

Tashi did cheat on Art with Patrick eight years before the Challengers competition. She does it again on the evening before the finals when Art and Patrick will face each other for the first time since they were teenagers. Tashi tries to convince Patrick to lose the match on purpose so Art can boost his ego and win the US Open. Patrick agrees but underlines that it is a bigger treason than just having sex with his former best friend.

That’s what’s at stake in the final match of the Challengers. Art wants to prove himself and beat his old friend, which he never did when they were young. The victory would prove Art is a true champion. It would also symbolize Art’s ultimate triumph against Tashi’s lover, who’s always casting a shadow over their marriage. 

On the other hand, Patrick must beat Art to get his last chance as a professional tennis player. However, we want to keep his word to Tashi, as he still feels terrible about everything that went down in their past. Finally, Patrick wants Art to have his glory, so he tells Tashi he will put up a challenge before forfeiting the match.

Tashi is playing with the fate of Patrick and Art to get what she wants, and she wants it all. Nevertheless, things don’t go as planned, with all three characters meeting a surprising ending.

Who wins the Challengers tournament?

The short answer could be: Art. Yet, things are more complicated than that, and we could argue everyone wins.

After an intense match, Patrick intentionally misses a couple of shots to give Patrick the victory. However, when Art is one point away from victory, Patrick changes his mind, making a hand signal that reveals he had an affair with Tashi. Art is furious and lets Patrick score some free points so they can both be one step away from victory. The rules are settled. The differences must be solved in the field, and no one will give up this time.

An exhilarating montage follows in which Patrick and Art show their tennis prowess. The ball ricochets from one side of the field to the other as each player lets all their rage melt away all the walls they built between them. Art performs a mighty blow that wins him the victory, and the two old friends lock their arms in a warm embrace. From the stand, Tashi screams with joy, celebrating Art’s victory.

When Patrick decides to tell Art the truth in the middle of the game, he shows how much he respects his old friend. Patrick cannot do what Tashi wants because he understands Art must be free to achieve his goals regardless of his wife’s desires. Patrick is tired of seeing Art as Tashi’s puppet, and he pushes his friend’s limits to set him free. That’s precisely what he gets.

Art wins more than the Challengers’ trophy in the match. He rediscovers his tennis passion, which he first found when he played with Patrick as a friend. Years of duty and obedience shatter, and he feels joy playing for the first time in many years. He also understands the gift Patrick is offering him and realizes how foolish he has been for shunning away his friend. Art and Patrick’s bond is stronger than Tashi’s grasp, and their embrace heals all old wounds, turning them into brothers once more.

Finally, while Tashi has dedicated her life to becoming a champion, she yearns for a tennis match in which the sport reveals the truth about the players. That kind of connection got severed due to her injury, and she never again witnessed the intensity of the sport — at least until the Challengers’ final match. When Patrick and Art play the final set, they bare their souls in front of the audience, a spectacle that reminds Tashi of how she felt while playing. It’s a moment of utter jubilation for Tashi and the thrill she needs to feel complete.

Tennis is just a ball, two players, and a few rules. Yet, Guadagnino turned it into a beautiful and intense festival of raw human emotion.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for multiple Sonic the Hedgehog games, including Sonic Frontiers.

With dozens of games, comic books, animated series, and even a cinematic universe, Sonic the Hedgehog is the face of a thriving multimedia franchise. In addition to featuring fan-favorite characters such as Tails and Knuckles, all these different media tell stories that revolve around mysterious relics, the Chaos Emeralds.

What’s the history of the Chaos Emeralds in the Sonic games?

The Chaos Emeralds were introduced in the first Sonic the Hedgehog game, released in 1991 for the Mega Drive. In that game, Chaos Emeralds were unique collectibles that represented your ability to beat unique challenge levels. There were six different Chaos Emeralds, each tied to a bonus level. 

In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Team Sonic introduced the Super Transformation of Sonic as a reward for collecting all the gems. The sequel also increased the number of Chaos Emeralds to seven, which has remained mostly stable for the rest of the franchise. The only game that bends the rules is Sonic the Fighters, in which there are eight Chaos Emeralds. However, the extra Emerald had been added because eight playable characters are in the fighting arcade title, not for lore reasons.

The origins of the Chaos Emerald remains a mystery. Still, the seven jewels are at the center of almost every major conflict that has ever taken place in the Sonic universe. As years went by, new Sonic titles have also made collecting the Chaos Emerald a prerequisite to beating the game or having access to a good ending. As such, Chaos Emeralds became inseparable from Sonic’s gaming history.

In 2022, Team Sonic expanded the lore of the Chaos Emeralds with Sonic Frontiers, the franchise’s first open-world game. In the game, we learn that the Chaos Emeralds were relics from the Antiants, an alien civilization whose planet got destroyed by a mysterious force, leading them into exodus. This revelation underlines the alien origin of the Chaos Emeralds and raises a whole new set of questions about the Master Emerald. 

The Master Emerald seems to have a different origin from the Chaos Emeralds, despite both emanating a similar energy and being intertwined in several Sonic stories. Team Sonic will undoubtedly explore the lore of the Chaos Emeralds in sequels for Sonic Frontiers, which became a sales and critical success.

Where do the Chaos Emeralds come from in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies?

While the games’ Chaos Emeralds are separated entities from Master Emerald, Sonic the Hedgehog movies retconned their history. As the film reveals, the Master Emerald was forged by the Echidnas from the union of the seven Chaos Emeralds. The Echidnas wanted to create the ultimate weapon, so they used the unlimited energy of the Chaos Emeralds to fuel their warmongering ambitions.

The movies have not yet explored the origins of the Chaos Emeralds nor explained how the Echidnas managed to unite them all. However, the ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 shows how Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) uses the Chaos Emerald to become Super Sonic after the Master Emerald is shattered. Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) manages to reforge the Master Emerald, but it’s unclear if the new relic holds the Chaos emeralds or if they are now separated. Considering the jewel’s central role in the gaming franchise, Paramount will likely bring the Chaos Emeralds back for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Other versions of the Chaos Emeralds

Beyond the gaming world, Sonic has also inspired many comic book runs and animated series. Some of these alternative stories offer their spin on the Chaos Emeralds. For instance, in Fleetway Editions’s Sonic the Comic, the Chaos Emeralds were initially regular green emeralds dug from mines by the Echidnas. These jewels were later imbued with magical power by the Drakons, an alien race that tried to conquer the world. In this version of the story, the Master Emerald is one of the Chaos Emeralds, able to control the other six.

In its turn, Archie Comics’ Sonic the Hedgehog explains how numerous Chaos Emeralds spread all over the cosmos before they were brought together to Sonic’s planet, Mobius, and banished to the Special Zone. The ruler of the Special Zone would compress all the Chaos Emeralds into seven gems to be delivered to those worthy of completing his challenges. This version sticks closer to the games, giving even a lore reason for the existence of the Special Zone levels.

The animated series Sonic Underground takes a note from Archie Comics by claiming multiple Chaos Emeralds spread worldwide, each containing incredible power. Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, another animated series, takes an opposite direction and claims there are only four Chaos Emeralds, each capable of granting its bearer a superpower such as invisibility or superhuman strength. In Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, the jewels are bound to the past, which means time travel is the only way to collect them.

Other comic books and animated series stick to the games, keeping the Chaos Emerald’s origin a secret or pointing out their alien origin. The Sonic cinematic universe can adapt many different materials to live-action. The future of the Chaos Emeralds should become clearer after the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on Dec. 20, 2024.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Paramount Plus’ Knuckles.

Knuckles is a delightful road trip adventure that perfects Sonic the Hedgehog’s winning formula of heartfelt character development and unbound goofiness. The spinoff series also nods at how Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will expand on the cinematic universe.

Set in the aftermath of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Knuckles explores how the red Echidna warrior is dealing with his new earthly life. Since the Master Emerald is secured and Dr. Robotnik is defeated, Knuckles no longer has a reason to fight. This is the first time the warrior has the time to lie down and relax, but Knuckles simply doesn’t know how. That’s why he embarks on a road trip with Wade Whipple, a loser Green Hills cop that Knuckles is determined to train in ways of the Echidna.

While Knuckles expands on its titular character’s past and explains what’s happening to the Sonic Team after Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the spinoff series mostly tells a self-contained story. There is no big reveal regarding Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and the threequel is still shrouded by mystery. However, looking closely at Knuckles, we find some interesting clues about the future of the Sonic cinematic universe.

Knuckles is a standalone adventure, but it still teases the future of Sonic

Knuckles introduces a new villain, the Buyer, a former lackey of Dr. Robotnik who became a powerful weapons dealer in the black market. The Buyer is a clever inventor, but his success is due to G.U.N. agents Mason and Willoughby. The duo has been selling G.U.N. assets to The Buyer, including robots created by Dr. Robotnik. Knuckles doesn’t specify how many weapons are born from The Buyer’s criminal activities. However, it explains how Dr. Robotnik’s technology is still circling the world, waiting for Team Sonic to take them down.

Knuckles also teases a different alien activity that happened in Reno, Nevada. In the series’ last episode, the host of the Bowling Championship reveals that the competition had faced an intergalactic threat once before, in 1974. The only information they give about this event is that the alien wasn’t red the previous time. We know when Sonic and Tails arrived on Earth. So, the series is teasing a different character. 

The most obvious option is Shadow, who’ll appear in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 after being revealed in Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s post-credits scene. In the scene, Shadow is locked in a research facility, which means unknown parties have captured him. While we’ll have to wait for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to be sure, Shadow could have been locked away since 1974, which would explain Knuckles‘ strange mention of the date.

All six episodes of Knuckles are currently available on Paramount Plus. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 races to theaters on December 20, 2024.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Paramount Plus’ Knuckles.

Knuckles is a delightful spinoff of Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog movies. But, surprisingly, the series isn’t wall-to-wall Easter Eggs and references. 

Instead of betting on nostalgia and video game nods to grab Sonic fans’ attention, Knuckles puts all its creative energy into telling a wacky story with a lot of heart. As such, Easter Eggs pop up sporadically, never stealing the spotlight from the series’ main characters. Nevertheless, there are some clever references to the Sonic video game franchise and pop culture in general. Here’s every Easter Egg and reference we spotted in Knuckles’ first (and hopefully not last) season.

Episode 1: The Warrior

• The story of Knuckles begins in Green Hills, a small Montana town that serves as headquarters for Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and his friends. The city has already appeared in both Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Still, for those needing a reminder, “Green Hill Zone” is the first level in 1991’s Sonic the Hedgehog game, the blue speedster’s first adventure.
• At the start of Episode 1 of Knuckles, we watch as the red echidna (voiced by Idris Elba) runs through an obstacle course. At the end of the course, Knuckles taps a sign, which spins a few times before showing its backside. Knuckles face is painted on the back of the sign. The scene is a nod to the classic Sonic the Hedgehog video games, where you turn a sign with your face at the end of every level, precisely like Knuckles does in the obstacle course.

• During Knuckles’ fight against the construction workers, he mistakes them for trespassers, and the furry warrior digs himself into the ground to surprise his enemies. In the games, the ability to dig was first introduced in Sonic Adventures, where Knuckles could collect the Shovel Claws to find treasures and hidden passages on the ground. Because of that, digging became an ability associated with the character.
• When Sonic tries to share his hobbies with Knuckles, he shows him VR equipment, underlining how video games “came a long way since the 1990s.” That’s an obvious nod to the first Sonic the Hedgehog game, released in 1991 for the Mega Drive.
• G.U.N. is back for the Knuckles spinoff after playing a significant role in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The Guardian Units of Nations is an international government organization responsible for surveilling alien activity and protecting humanity from intergalactic threats. G.U.N. first appeared in 2001’s Sonic Adventures 2.

• The bowling alley that becomes the stage for the first episode’s big fight is named Neon Nightz. No “Neon Night Zone” level exists in any official Sonic game. However, there is a “Neon Palace Zone” in Sonic Rivals 2 and a “Casino Night Zone” in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The bowling alley name could be a mash-up of these two different levels. Or it could be an homage to a fan-made game named Sonic Axiom, which indeed has a “Neon Night Zone.”

Episode 2: Don’t Ever Say I Wasn’t There For You

• The resort where the villains trap Knuckles is called Ice Cap Ski Resort. That refers to the “Ice Cap Zone” level in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
• When Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) has a flashback to his time studying to become a cop, we learn that he got all his police knowledge from movies. In the flashback, Wade is watching 1995’s Bad Boys, starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.
• Knuckles’ ability to glide was used first in Sonic & Knuckles. Since then, gliding has become a signature move of the red echidna. If you are wondering how Knuckles can glide, the official explanation is that he can hold pockets of air under his dreadlocks to break his fall.

• While Wade and Knuckles are gliding, they pass in front of the full moon. The scene nods to Steven Spielberg’s E.T., which introduced the wildly famous shot of children riding flying bikes.

Episode 3: The Shabbat Dinner

• The third episode of Knuckles takes us to Wade’s childhood bedroom. The walls are covered with posters from 1990s movies and TV shows, which Wade introduces to Knuckles as his personal pantheon, the people who inspire him to be who he is. In case you missed any reference, there are posters for Beavis and Butt-Head, Ren & Stimpy, Total Recall, Karate Kid, Robocop, The Addams Familly, The Big Lebowski, Speed, Robin Hood, The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear, and Wayne’s World 2. In addition, Wade’s bed linen is from the 1990s animated series of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• The movie Mama Whipple (Stockard Channing) is watching with Knuckles in the living room is Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts as a sex worker who falls in love with a client. Knuckles does not know why people treat Roberts’ character with disdain in the movie, but Mama Whipple is there to explain people are judgmental and closed-minded. Who had “The Sonic franchise is sex-positive” on their bingo card?

Episode 4: The Flames of Disaster

• During Episode 4’s rock opera sequence — which is a masterpiece of television storytelling, by the way — Wade puts on a Knuckles costume and experiences a fever dream about the Echidna’s past. The sequence makes another nod to Green Hill Zone by having Wade-Knuckles traverse obstacles inspired by the first level in Sonic’s gaming history, wasps enemies included.
• Episode 4 reveals Knuckles fought a demon after the Echidna Clan was slaughtered, and he was forced to wander alone through the galaxy. While the demon in the rock opera remains unnamed, he is most likely a member of the Zeti species. The Zeti are ancient demons determined to conquer Earth, serving as Sonic Lost World‘s main enemies. The creature’s design even resembles Zavok, the leader of the Zeti in the game.
• When Knuckles was introduced, he had sparkle powers similar to Sonic’s. However, in Sonic Adventures 2, the designers decided to give Knuckles’ attacks a twist by adding fire particles to them. Since then, Knuckles has been associated with fire attacks in multiple games, including the successful Sonic Frontiers. The series gives a new origin for Knuckles’ flaming fists, as the warrior won his powers after defeating a mighty demon.

• Before dueling Wade, Jack Sinclair (Julian Barratt) reveals that Hattori Hanzo forged his swords. Hanzo is a legendary Japanese historical figure known for his combat prowess and ninja skills.

Episode 5: Reno, Baby

• The bowling championship of Episode 5 has been graced with the presence of Kevin James. James is known for his stand-up comedy career and for appearing in movies such as Hitch, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, Pixels, and Becky.

Episode 6: What Happens in Reno, Stays in Reno

• Episode 6 finally reveals Knuckles Flames of Disaster, which increases the warrior’s attack power and turns his fists into incandescent weapons.
• At the end of the episode, the bowling championship hosts reveal the competition had another incident involving an alien in 1974. The only difference is that the previous alien wasn’t red. There’s no record in Sonic lore about an alien incident in 1974, but the year has two galactic events in the real world. First, in 1974, we sent the Arecibo message, a radio wave containing basic information about humanity for aliens to find in the cosmos. 1974 was also the year a family found the Betz mystery sphere, a metallic artifact of unknown origins that many believe to be alien. The year 1974 might also be foreshadowing Shadow’s cinematic story. As the post-credits scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 reveals, Shadow is kept in a secret facility. So, he might have been captured in 1974.

All six episodes of Knuckles are currently available on Paramount Plus. The next chapter in the cinematic universe is Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which comes to theaters on December 20, 2024.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Paramount Plus’ Knuckles.

Knuckles takes everything Sonic the Hedgehog does and amps it to the max, delivering a heartfelt adventure filled with nonsensical wonders. What’s better still is that Knuckles’ ending leaves plenty of space for a second season or more Sonic the Hedgehog spinoffs.

Knuckles follows the titular character as he tries to find a new purpose on Earth. Since the Master Emerald is safe and Dr. Robotnik has been defeated, Knuckles doesn’t know how to spend his days. Since childhood, the Echidna knew nothing but a warrior’s life, and he’s not used to times of peace.

Knuckles finds his calling after receiving a visit from the ghost of Pachacamac, the deceased leader of the Echidna clan. Pachacamac tells Knuckles he must reforge the clan by training a new discipline in the Echidna way, the goofy cop Wade Whipple. The duo embarks on a road trip to Reno, Nevada, where Wade will fulfill his warrior destiny by facing his stranded father, “Pistol” Pete. It’s a surreal concept that works, thanks to all the loose threads tying up perfectly at the series’ ending.

What happened to Agents Mason and Willoughby?

While trying to get to Reno, Knuckles and Wade are chased by Agents Mason and Willoughby. The duo has used their G.U.N. access to sell weapons and technology to a mysterious villain named The Buyer, who wants to use the aliens’ power to create the ultimate weapons. Mason and Willoughby know Knuckles is a prize that can get them a fortune, so they try to capture the Echidna for The Buyer.

The final confrontation with Mason and Willoughby happens at “Pistol” Pete’s suit in Reno. Wade’s father betrays his family and helps the villains track Knuckles down, but Wade manages to help Echidna fight back. It’s a thrilling battle since the Agents use weapons powered by Knuckles’ quills, making them a mighty threat. However, Knuckles manages to use the Agents’ equipment against them.

Willoughby tries to teleport Knuckles inside a cage by shooting Rings at him. Knuckles uses his fists to reflect the Rings, creating two connected portals inside the room. The proximity of the portals turns them into a black hole, sucking everything in their path. Knuckles manages to hold on to the ceiling, but Mason and Willoughby are dragged into the rings. The rings collapse once they suck one another, closing the space rift they had created. It’s unknown if Mason and Willoughby ended up on a distant planet or if they were crushed by the weight of space folding over itself. In any case, the villains’ greed proved to be their doom.

Did Wade get closure with his father, Pistol Pete?

Wade wants to go to Reno to compete in the country’s most prestigious Bowling Championship. The current champion is Wade’s father, who abandoned him when he was a child. Wade hopes to show his father his bowling skills as an ice-breaker so that they can forge a new relationship. Of course, things don’t go as Wade expects because Pistol Pete is a narcissistic schmuck.

Pistol Pete helps Agents Mason and Willoughby to kidnap Wade’s mother, Wendy (Stockard Channing), and sister, Wanda (Edi Patterson). The Agents want Wade to betray Knuckles, but people only wish his son to give up the Bowling Championship.

After Knuckles defeats the Agents, Wade faces his father in the lanes in a fierce competition for the title of best bowler. Pete tries to humiliate Wade in public, telling his son he will always be a failure. However, by then, Wade learned from Knuckles that a warrior’s true strength comes from his heart. Wade uses impressive bowling skills to win the Championship, proving he doesn’t need his father, and the support of his mother and sister is enough for him. It’s a thrilling moment that gets interrupted by The Buyer.

How did Wade and Knuckles defeat The Buyer?

While Wade is showing Pet who’s the best bowler, The Buyer comes to Reno inside a giant mecha to steal Knuckles’ powers himself. The battle ends in the bowling lane, where Wade sees his red friend beaten to a pulp by the Buyer. The Buyer not only best Knuckles in combat but also drains his power using the metallic tentacles of his mecha. All hope seems lost, but Wade is no longer a coward, thanks to Knuckles.

Using Agent Mason’s power gloves and bowling balls, Wade challenges The Buyer. Meanwhile, Wade also tells Knuckles he’s a true friend who showed him how to be a warrior. Moved by Wade’s words, Knuckles gets up, igniting his fists and attacking The Buyer. The Buyer is surprised, as he thinks he drained Knuckles’ energies. A warrior’s heart power is unlimited, and Knuckles easily overcomes the villain. The Echidna takes his power back and uses it to crush The Buyer’s robot, burying him in the rubble.

Did Knuckles find his home?

At the end of the journey, Wade learned about his true strength and got closure with his family. Knuckles, on his turn, found a friend for life who taught him that home is where your loved ones are. After spending so many years alone, Knuckles learns to count on those close to him. The series post-credits scene even shows how Knuckles found his jam, which means he’s ready to accept life on Earth and to enjoy the world for a while instead of looking for the next big fight. It’s a happy ending for a thrilling adventure, and we can’t wait to see where these characters go next.

All six episodes of Knuckles are currently available on Paramount Plus. The Echidna warrior will return for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which will be released in theaters on December 20, 2024.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Paramount Plus’ Knuckles.

Sonic the Hedgehog is a surprising box office hit, which means Paramount jammed their thumb on the “cinematic universe” button as fast as they could. Hollywood’s IP expansions can often dilute quality, but Knuckles proves the Sonic cinematic universe has rich spinoff potential.

Knuckles follows the titular Echidna as he goes on a road trip to Reno, Nevada, where Wade Whipple will meet his fate and become a warrior. While the series sounds like it’s copying the first Sonic the Hedgehog structure, the spinoff takes a vastly different path. In fact, Knuckles is arguably better than both Sonic movies, as it isn’t afraid to get weird.

It’s not surprising that Knuckles is bursting with creativity and taking significant risks. Theatrical releases usually have more executive intervention, as a movie is an expensive investment that has to pay off. So, when it comes to the main chapters of the Sonic franchise, Paramount has to play it safe, lest they lose their profitable box office. 

Even if spinoffs also want to capitalize on an IP success, their eventual failure is less of a concern, as they can ultimately be ignored by fans and producers alike. On the contrary, spinoff series can serve to test the waters and measure public interest. Knuckles, for instance, tells a story that supposedly bridges the gap between the second and third Sonic movies, but it’s not essential viewing. Instead, the spinoff series is determined to tell an entertaining story filled with heart and surreal sequences. 

By giving the Knuckles team more creative freedom, Paramount can understand how far it can push the franchise and succeed. Plus, since the TV show is not tasked with setting up Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Knuckles can be its own thing, to be enjoyed by old and new fans in equal measure. That’s the best approach for spinoffs, as it allows each part of a cinematic universe to be independently enjoyable in place of mandatory homework for understanding a franchise. With that in mind, we hope Paramount releases more Sonic the Hedgehog spinoffs. Fortunately, many characters could already get the Knuckles treatment.

Which Sonic the Hedgehog characters could star in upcoming spinoffs?

Even if Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set to hit theaters in December 2024, Paramount is developing the project under absolute secrecy. We know Jim Carrey will return as Dr. Robotnik, even though the actor announced his possible retirement after Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Plus, Keanu Reeves was chosen to voice Shadow the Hedgehog, the only new character confirmed. However, the threequel’s cast includes big names such as Krysten Ritter, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, James Wolk, and Jorma Taccone. So, the Sonic cinematic universe is getting ready to add many characters that could star in their spinoffs. Still, with what we already know, Paramount already has a lot of working material.

Tails and Tika Sumpter should get their own road trip

In the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) embarks on a journey with father figure Tom Wachowski (James Marsden). The trip allows both characters to get their arcs, with Tom and Sonic becoming a family and finding purpose together. Something similar happens in Knuckles, as the Echidna and Wade help each other to discover their place in the world.

Do you know who hasn’t gotten their road trip yet? Miles “Tails” Prower (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), the flying fox from the second movie. Plus, Paramount already has the perfect travel partner for Tails, Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter). While Maddie has been a key character in the movies, she didn’t have enough screen time for us to truly know her, so partnering up with Tails for a spinoff series would serve a double purpose.

Do an Agent Stone and Dr. Robotinik Rom-Com, you cowards!

Even if Dr. Robotnik is the big baddie of the Sonic movies, Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub) does a lot of heavy lifting. While Stone begins his career as an assistant, he takes over Robotnik’s enterprise after the villain vanishes in the Mushroom Planet. There’s a lot of history we don’t know about these two characters, and a spinoff focused on Dr. Robotnik and his crew would be great. The only way to improve it is to turn it into a rom-com, making the best of Agent Stone’s eye-heart energy towards his master.

Keanu Reeves’s Shadow deserves a John Wick-like spinoff

Casting Keanu Reeves as Shadow is a brilliant move. For those who do not know the Sonic games, Shadow is a gun-fu antihero who isn’t afraid to shoot his enemies dead. Yes, that’s right, Shadown is the John Wick of the Sonic universe, so why not use Reeves’s star power to carry a spinoff of his own? A Shadow spinoff can occur after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 or explore the alien’s past. Either way, we hope Reeves is part of the cinematic universe moving forward.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Paramount Plus’ Knuckles.

We all expected Knuckles to be as entertaining as the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. However, it may be a shock that the spinoff has one of the best episodes in TV history. Seriously!

Set after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Knuckles follows the titular Echidna as he struggles to adapt to life on Earth. Since childhood, Knuckles followed the warrior precepts of the Echidna Clan and traveled the galaxy in search of the Master Emerald. However, now that the artifact is safe on Earth, he has no goal. In addition, since his childhood was stolen due to the war between Echidnas and Owls, Knuckles cannot relax and enjoy his free time. 

In the spinoff series, Knuckles is visited by the spirit of the deceased leader Pachacamac, who gives the last member of the Echidna Clan the task of rebuilding their lost tribe. To do that, Knuckles must train Wade Whipple, the incompetent Green Hills cop who serves as a comedic relief in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. In his turn, Wade is going to Reno, Nevada, where he hopes to win a bowling championship. 

The seriousness of Knuckles’ mission and the apparent low stakes of Wade’s objective create a laughable contrast that helps the series spinoff remain lighthearted. However, in Episode 4, “The Flames of Disaster,” Knuckles proves you can be goofy while still hitting the audience right in the feels.

“The Flames of Disaster” is a prime example of great television

In Episode 4, “The Flames of Disaster,” Wade is captured by bounty hunter Jack Sinclair, the cop’s former best friend. Instead of rushing to Wade’s rescue, Knuckles decides his disciple must escape alone if he ever wishes to become an Echidna warrior. Right from the start, “The Flames of Disaster” introduces a new problem that must be solved in half an hour, as a good TV episode must do. Meanwhile, Episode 4 shows how the journey is way more important than the destination by giving Wade the trippiest life experience.

While trapped inside an electrified cage, Pachacamac transports Wade to the afterlife. There, Wade is forced to wear Knuckles’ shoes and learn about Echidna’s past. It’s a classic spiritual journey through which Wade can understand what moves Knuckles and unleash his inner strength. What’s so surprising is that “The Flames of Disaster” decides to do that as an imaginary rock opera set in a bowling alley, where Wade is dressed as Knuckles in a theatrical presentation. There’s singing and jokes, and the practical effects are so well-crafted that you’ll wish Paramount to release a Sonic musical on Broadway. 

Technically, “The Flames of Disaster” is impressive. Still, our admiration for the episode grows when we consider what’s happening. The Sonic the Hedgehog movies are nonsensical and corny, so, of course, Knuckles had to be too. Mimicry was not enough for the spinoff, though, as the series amps the wackiness to unimaginable levels thanks to its rock opera number. Yet, the mindblowing episode reveals tragic details of Knuckles‘ past that give the character an emotional depth Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was incapable of doing. At the same time, Wade is finally realizing that his worth shouldn’t be measured by his physical prowess but by the fire burning inside his heart.

As if the rock opera wasn’t enough, Episode 4 of Knuckles takes things further by having Wade duel Jack Sinclair for his freedom. Jack has his motorcycle and a pair of Japanese swords, so he proposes a joust. Instead of riding a horse, Wade grabs a child’s bicycle to pedal against Jack’s mechanical beast. Everything in this scene is funny, from the subversion of the joust structure to Wade’s clumsy ride. Yet, Knuckles manages to perfectly balance the comedy with the tension that comes from the battle.

Episode 4 of Knuckles has it all. First, it’s a visual spectacle in which the creative minds behind the spinoff series find new and surprising ways to tell a somewhat cliché story. Then, it’s a miraculous work of art that allows the series to be at its weirdest while maintaining high emotional stakes. There’s no way a fever dream like “The Flames of Disaster” could work on paper. Yet, Knuckles brings it to life with flying colors.  It’s an incredible feat that defies expectations and results in one of the best episodes in TV history.

All six episodes of Knuckles are currently available on Paramount Plus.