Knuckles’ first episode is free on YouTube, making it very easy to just watch that and not see how weird the rest of the series is

Those of you hesitant to pick up a Paramount Plus subscription but want to try out Knuckles are in luck, because the first episode is available for free on YouTube.

It seems like an increasingly common tactic of roping in new subscribers to streaming services is by releasing the first episode of a series for free, which is exactly what Paramount has done with Knuckles. As long as you’re in the US (it isn’t available in the UK, and can’t speak for other territories), the whole first episode is free to watch from start to finish on YouTube. The episode was uploaded earlier today, but there’s no indication how long it will be available for. Your mileage may vary, but typically these aren’t permanently public, so if you do want to watch it without subscribing to Paramount Plus, now is the best time to do so.

It being free might also be a bit of a blessing, as outside of the incredibly odd fourth episode that I still can’t figure out if it’s actually good or not, the first episode is the best one (yes it’s because Sonic and Tails are in it, why are you asking). Seriously, the rest of the show isn’t… great, to put it politely – our own Dom described it as something of a fever dream, which I would certainly agree with as an assessment.

For those that might not have even realised there was a Knuckles series, the show is set between the events of the second film and the upcoming third film. It follows the titular echidna as he trains the slightly bumbling cop Wade Whipple, in an attempt to help him become a warrior. Sonic 3 is due out later this year on December 20, and the film’s producer says it “takes a lot from Sonic Adventure 2.” Best of all, actual ultimate life form Keanu Reeves is reportedly set to portray everyone’s favourite capital-E Edgehog, Shadow.