The eighth episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
While Scratch and Grounder try to catch Sonic using Robotnik's Electrosuction Plate, two aliens, the squid-like Prince Charnock and his amoeba-like advisor Splorg, crash land on Mobius. Sonic and Tails find out that Prince Charnock is on his way to be crowned king of the planet Rhombus, and if he isn't there in time, his baby brother (who wants to blow up Mobius) will be king instead! The ship lost some parts when it crashed, but particularly a red nosecone with a built-in navigation chip they need to get to Rhombus in time. There's just one problem - Grounder's nose fell off when the ship crashed, and he grabbed the nosecone, thinking it's his nose. Sonic has to get it back in time to have Prince Charnock go back to Rhombus, be king and keep the planet from becoming a pile of kibble in the starstream.
This episode provides examples of:
- Badass in Distress: Near the end of this episode, Sonic surrenders to Robotnik in exchange for the nosecone, and has to be saved by Prince Charnock.
- Cassandra Truth: Robotnik refuses to believe Splorg's explanation that Prince Charnock's baby brother will destroy Mobius if they don't get home in time. He only agrees to hand over the nosecone as long as Sonic surrenders to him.
- Chekhov's Gag:
- While searching for the nose cone, Sonic, Tails, Prince Charnock and Splorg come across a rock formation that look like a set of dominoes. Near the end of the episode, when Robotnik captures Sonic, who surrenders himself for the nosecone, Prince Charnock deliberately backs into the rocks to flatten Robotnik with them.
- Similarly, Robotnik has a tough time starting up his Egg-O-Matic hovercraft because he forgot to have it tuned up. He attempts to escape on it when Prince Charnock causes the domino rocks to fall, but because it has a hard time starting up, he ends up getting flattened.
- Disguised in Drag: When Scratch smashes Grounder's nose with the electrosuction plate, Sonic shows up, dressed up like Carmen Miranda. He then turns to the viewers and tells them that he was going to do something really clever and funny, then trash the Electrosuction plate, but he decided against it because they're already engaged in silly bickering.
- Embarrassingly Painful Sunburn: In this episode's "Sonic Says" segment, the Sunfish suffers one as the result of not using sunscreen.
- Enfante Terrible: Prince Charnock's baby brother is only two years old, but wants to become king of Rhombus so that he can destroy Mobius.
- The Face of the Sun: An anthropomorphic sun appears in this episode's "Sonic Says" segment, where it gives a particularly painful sunburn to the Sunfish.
- Kids Hate Vegetables: Prince Charnock's baby brother is revealed to hate eating vegetables at the end of the episode.
- Race Against the Clock: Prince Charnock and Splorg only have two hours to repair their spaceship and return to Rhombus before his baby brother becomes king and destroys Mobius.
- Shout-Out:
- This episode's title is a reference to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
- Sonic tells Prince Charnock and Splorg that he'll get them back to Rhombus before they can say, E.T. Go Home!"
- Squashed Flat: Happens to Robotnik when Prince Charnock backs into the domino rock formation.Robotnik: I hate that hedgehog!
