So I just finished watching episode 3 of TSAS, and I have some... Thoughts.

In episode 6 of TSAA, we're left off with "Shadow's the next recruit". Then, episode 1 of TSAS came out, and it's obvious that Shadow's 100% gonna get recruited. Rouge is obviously the red herring (lured Shadow into The Gloom, ignored him when he demanded to go back), and will be revealed to be an imposter in the final episode. Episode 1 and 2 both put emphasis on Maria (The Heart has power over life and DEATH, Rouge "can't compete with a ghost"), so Maria's probably going to be used to manipulate Shadow into joining the Perfection Squad.

In episode 3, we're properly introduced to The Clawman (the Eggman variant that's teased in episode 2), who attacks Shadow and Rouge in The Gloom. With Rouge's life under threat, Shadow hands the map to The Clawman, who promptly knocks Shadow into the trench below. Shadow is presumed dead for about 30 seconds, before coming back and killing The Clawman. He then tells Rouge that they should keep going, despite his previous protests, and offers no explanation for the change of heart as they ride deeper into The Gloom on a badnik. But why would Shadow suddenly change his mind so drastically after nearly dying in The Gloom, which is the main reason why he didn't want Rouge to stay there and why he wanted to take her back to the town?

Because that, my dear poor soul that clicked on this, is not Shadow. Shadow died at the bottom of the trench. The Clawman killed Shadow.

We know that the Perfection Squad can shapeshift with Miles's tech, (TSAA episode 6, Miles turns into Amy to manipulate a version of Sonic). We know they're good at pretending to be something/someone else to recruit people (Miles pretending to be Tails in TSAA, Amy pretending to be Knuckles's intrusive thoughts in TSAK). One of them could easily have taken Shadow's form after he died, and it would explain why he suddenly wanted to find The Heart. But why? Why would they do that if their goal is to recruit Shadow?

Because Shadow is dead. And dead recruits don't get them anywhere. There is, however, a second powerful magic user that is conveniently right next to their dead recruit. Rouge. They want Rouge. Rouge already wanted to go to The Heart. The Heart is obviously where the Perfection Squad wants her to go. They don't even need to manipulate her to get her to go there. But, even then, what's the point of The Heart? Just prey on her dead situationship and recruit her already!

The Heart has the power over life and death. It's the first thing we're told about it, and what almost convinces Shadow to go to The Gloom with Rouge. Clearly, it can bring people back to life. Perhaps there's a certain someone that the Perfection Squad would want to bring back? Maybe a certain edgy hedgie they were going to recruit before he fumbled and died?

"But how will this end, then?" Well, dear reader that's already tired of my rhetorical questions, I have a few theories about that. Three to be exact.

Theory A: Shadow gets recruited. This is the boring ending. Rouge brings Shadow back, the Perfection Squad kill her and recruit Shadow. Bland, boring, and anticlimactic as fuck, so you already know this isn't what's gonna happen unless Mashed suddenly changed their writing team.

For the next two, this image is very important evidence.

Theory B: Rouge gets recruited. This one has the most evidence to back it, and is definitely more interesting, but a bit lame and lazy. In this scenario, Rouge is corrupted by The Heart and recruited into the Perfection Squad. Rouge is obviously not who they originally wanted, but now that who they wanted is dead, she's an okay-ish plan B. She gets a fancy powered-up form like Kaiju Knux and is welcomed to The Perfect World. It would be kinda lazy if she got a new form like Knuckles did, especially since it would be twice in a row. You and I probably want something more unique, more creative.

Theory C: Shadow and Rouge both get recruited. Rouge finds out that she wasn't with Shadow and attempts to bring him back with The Heart. Something messed up, perhaps a finger curls on the monkey's paw, and the two end up fused together in a grotesque amalgam. The poor thing has both Shadow and Rouge completely conscious, their bodies conjoined in a body horror-ish manner. This creature would be brought on by the Perfection Squad, becoming the new recruits. By far the most interesting and unique idea. Would be a very satisfying ending for TSAS.

Anyways, thank you for reading this whole thing. It took me, like, an hour at most, excluding rewatching the episode three times.