SJA #12 : Enemy of the Bane

"In my day UNIT battled Daleks, Cybermen, Autons and Zygons and all manner of space-thuggery."

Episode #12:        Enemy of the Bane.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              1st to 8th December  2008.

Gita Chandra is kidnapped by Mrs Wormwood. This turns out to be a snare for Sarah Jane. Mrs Wormwood has joined forces with another of Sarah Jane's enemies, Kaagh. As they prepare to settle old scores, Sarah Jane turns to an old friend.

The final adventure of this season brings back Kaagh and Mrs. Wormwood, this time working together for their own nefarious schemes. They pretend to be allies and then as expected, stab the team in the back. As stories go it isn't very original and I think even the young audience this was aimed at worked it out within the first few minutes. It is the problem with these short episodes that the writers cannot put enough content into the show and keep it good. I know it is kid's television but I am sure CBBC can do better than this.

This episode features the final "proper" appearance in the Whoniverse of fan favourite Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. This was Nicholas Courtney's final appearance before he died in 2011. It's rather heart warming to see him back as the Brigadier and it brought back many fine memories of his time on the show.

Enemy of the Bane introduces us to the Black Archive, which we see later on in Day of the Doctor. I was genuinely surprised by this as I didn't know it existed before that episode. Things have changed though as in this story the Archive is a fortified building outside London so I guess everything gets moved to the Tower of London following the events of this story.

Sitting here writing this review I am having trouble thinking of anything really positive to say for this episode. To repeat myself, I understand that the Sarah Jane Adventures are children's programming so I can't expect the same level of awesomeness as I feel for Doctor Who and Torchwood. But still I find episodes like this are dumbed down somewhat. There just isn't anything to them and it is very frustrating because I know that the writers and everyone behind the show can do so much better.

SJA #11 : The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

"Luke, I have saved the lives of so many people, people I didn't even know, I don't know – miners on Peladon, all the people drinking BubbleShock, without a second thought, but this is my mum and dad!"

Episode #11:        The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              17th to 24th November 2008.

When Sarah Jane returns a boy who has slipped through a time fissure to 1951, she realises she has found a way to meet the parents she never knew. Is it a trap? Sarah Jane and Luke fall victim to a revenge plot by the Trickster.

The Sarah Jane Adventures finally gets a time travel story and long overdue too it is. The story continues with the references to Sarah Jane's parents and this time the Trickster draws her back in time with the temptation of meeting, or rather saving her parents. By preventing their deaths Sarah Jane causes the downfall and eventual enslavement of humanity by the Trickster.

Elements of the story are very similar to the Doctor Who story "Father's Day". Both stories deal with wanting to go back in time to see a deceased parent only for the companion to mess it up and cause some pretty terrible damage to the time line which only the death of the parent can fix. This adventure is different enough though for it to be a good story in it's own right.

This is an entertaining story that uses the expected tropes for the subject matter. I think it rather good though it could always have been better. The only real disappointment for me is the Trickster himself. He doesn't get enough screen time and he's the sort of SJA villain that I want to see more of.

SJA #10 : The Mark of the Berserker

"You don't know what we've seen! Slitheen, Sontarans, we've stopped them, all of them."

Episode #10:        The Mark of the Berserker.

Companions:       Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:             20th to 27th October 2008.

An alien pendant which gives its wearer the power to control others is stolen from Sarah Jane's attic. Luke and Rani enlist the help of Clyde's mum to track down Clyde and his father, who has the alien pendant. The chase leads to a terrifying waterside confrontation when the pendant takes control of Paul and begins transforming him.

This episode is a showcase for Clyde Langer and the backstory that we had hints of with regards to his father. The science fiction element of the berserker amulet is just a tacked on element. With that in mind you can't fault the episode but much the previous episode in this season of Sarah Jane Adventures it doesn't really go anywhere or grab your attention. It does however end on a shot of a photo of Sarah Jane's parents which leads into the next episode's story.

One bonus point for this story is that it at least references the recent Dalek invasion. It doesn't happen often enough in the spin off shows so in this case when Clyde's dad makes mention of Daleks it gets a thumbs up from me.

Although it is nice to have some background on a character like Clyde it feels like a waste of an episode. Maybe if it expanded on the "Berserkers" alluded to in the title and less on the family elements it may have been better.

SJA #9 : Secrets of the Stars

"Some years ago, you travelled far and wide. And oh, the things you have seen! There was a man, a very special man. No, no, let me think. It wasn't a romance, no, it was something much, much more than that. He taught you so much. There was laughter and adventure, and you prayed that your time with him would never, ever end. But then suddenly he left you. The man was lonely. A scientist? No, a doctor. The Doctor. Am I right?"

Episode #9:         Secrets of the Stars.
Companions:       Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer, and Mr Smith.
Air Date:             20th to 27th October 2008.

Astrologer Martin Trueman causes a stir with his uncanny insights and predictions. Sarah Jane doesn't believe in astrology, but she does believe that all is not as it seems with Trueman. Around her, people are falling under Trueman's sinister spell and even Mr Smith doesn't understand what's going on.

After the last couple of decent SJA episodes the show falls back into the usual weird episodes that I expect from the show. Once again, I know it is purely a children's show but does it need to have these weak episodes that I would expect from a cheap low budget science fiction show? This is the Whoniverse so why does it have to have stories like this even for a kids show?

The story uses astrology as it's basis. We see that astrology isn't just something humans do but which exists on other planets in the universe as well. The problem is that it doesn't really work for me in the sense that it is being shown. Star signs allow Mr Trueman to control people of that star sign when it becomes aligned, much like the Sycorax used blood groups to control people when they invaded. That worked for me but I cannot fathom why astrology doesn't in this episode.

The episode feature Russ Abbott, a former household comedy name in the 1980's, in the role of the villainous Mr Trueman. I can only wonder whether he was desperate for money or something. In the story Mr Trueman is "possessed" by an ancient force of starlight that predated the Big Bang. How did it survive and is it somehow related to the Great Old Ones? Who knows?

I'm sure that this story could have been done better had some more thought gone into it. It isn't bad by any stretch but again, like a lot of SJA, but may have been more enjoyable if written for a more teen level audience.

SJA #8 : The Day of the Clown

"I'm going to offer you a choice, Rani. Cross over the road, go back to your parents and the life you lived before you moved here, and nothing will have changed. Or you can come with me. If you do that – nothing will ever be the same again."

Episode #8:         The Day of the Clown.
Companions:       Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer, amd Mr Smith.
Air Date:             6th to 13th October 2008.

Rani Chandra is the new girl on Bannerman Road. She is haunted by a sinister clown. Does it have anything to do with local children who have gone missing? When Clyde's friend Dave disappears, the trail leads to a strange circus museum and the legend of the Pied Piper.

When I started watching this episode I didn't think I was going to be impressed. The Sarah Jane Adventures does have a habit of doing the weird child-friendly type episodes that I just find a bit too odd and well, childish. It is a show for Children though so I can usually forgive it. The Day of the Clown actually grabbed my attention a lot more than I expected it to. Clowns are usually a dead give away for a science fiction story to be a bit too weird for me, but I rather enjoyed this one. Takes a while to get going but once it does you are rooted to your seat.

The episode seems to be based on the exploration of fear and what it can do if you let it control you too much. In this case, fear is personified by a malevolent alien entity that feeds upon fear. Personally I've never found clowns to be frightening but I understand that to many they are perhaps the very personification of that emotion. I was also surprised to realize, as I prepped to do this review that the role of the evil clown was played by comedian and game show host Bradly Walsh. I didn't recognise him at all under the make up.

We are also introduced to a new character on Bannerman road, Rani Chandra, who is the replacement for Maria Jackson. Maria was a bit of a wishy-washy character for me but already I like Chandra a lot. She's much more of a braver character running off to investigate things. I like that. Her father however, the new school headmaster, at least from this episode seems to be a nasty piece of work and I immediately disliked him. Hopefully he'll calm down to be a nice character and we won't have too much of the family trend in the show.

A good episode and worth a watch.

SJA #7 : The Last Sontaran

"If every phenomenon reported as a UFO was in fact an alien spacecraft, I assure you the Earth would be at the centre of a solar gridlock stretching back to the outer rings of Saturn."

Episode #7:         The Last Sontaran.
Companions:       Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer, amd Mr Smith.
Air Date:             29th September to 6th October 2008.

Reports of strange lights around the Tycho Project's radio telescope lead Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Maria into a terrifying forest encounter. Sarah Jane comes face-to-face with her oldest enemy. Meanwhile, Maria wrestles with a huge decision when her dad is offered a new job in America.

The second series of the Sarah Jane Adventures kicks off with a great little two part story that features a Sontaran survivour from the Sontaran Strategem/Poison Sky episode of Doctor Who. One of the Sontarans survived and has been trapped on Earth looking for a way to escape and avenge his battle fleet. Sarah Jane and her friends must find a way to stop the alien before he destroys the world.

Unlike later on in the Whoniverse the Sontaran in this story isn't treated like a joke and feels quite reminiscent of the classic episodes that featured them. Kaagh is a clever opponent for a Whoniverse opponent who feels like he could actually defeat our heroes for a change.

This is the last episode to feature Maria Jackson as her character is leaving to live with her father in America. The actress gave up the show to focus on her exams and this was how her departure was explained in the show. I don't feel anything about the loss of the character as Maria Jackson never really stood out to me like the others do. She'll be replaced by a better character anyway.

The Last Sontaran is a good episode and definitely one of the better SJA adventures so far. It is better written than the previous adventures and doesn't come off as typical of children's television, in other words a little (appropriately) childish. It sets a nice new trend for the show, mostly.

Episode #204 : The Stolen Earth / Journey's End

"The man who abhors violence, never carrying a gun. But this is the truth, Doctor. You take ordinary people and you fashion them into weapons. Behold your Children of Time transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor. You made this."

Episode #204:     The Stolen Earth / Journey's End.
Companions:       10th Doctor, Donna Noble, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones and Gwen Cooper.
Air Date:             28th June to 5th July 2008.

When Earth and twenty-six other planets are stolen and taken to the Medusa Cascade and the Doctor is nowhere in sight, it's up to the combined forces of UNIT, Torchwood, Sarah Jane and Rose to fight off the thieves, who only have one thing to say to the resistance: "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" Davros and the New Dalek Empire prepare to detonate a bomb that will wipe out all of existence. The Tenth Doctor is helpless, and the TARDIS faces destruction. The only hope lies with the Doctor's companions — the "Children of Time" — but Dalek Caan predicts that one will die.

This story is a fan's dream. It brings together not just the Doctor and the Daleks, but brings back old companions from the new show as well as bringing in Torchwood and Sarah Jane Smith. How cool is that? Having everyone together and sharing screen time reminds me of The Five Doctors. They come together to fight to defeat the Daleks.

The story ties together a lot of the elements that have appeared in the show since it was brought back on the air as well as wrapping up some elements of the Time War. The strong point for me is less so much that as the revelations presented by Davros about the Doctor and his companions. Davros points out something that perhaps we never considered. The Doctor may not condone violence but in truth his companions become soldiers to do that things that he couldn't usually bring himself to do. It is quite the revelation that has a huge emotional impact when Davros delivers it and shows the Doctor the truth that he might not otherwise accept.

It is great to see Davros again after so long. We learn that he did survive the events of Remembrance of the Daleks and even fought in the Time War itself. Davros created a new Dalek race from his own cells which seems to be a recurring factor in the Daleks these days.

There is one small bugbear for me with this episode. A lot of media attention was directed to the Doctor regenerating in this episode. In fact he does get exterminated by a Dalek and starts to regenerate. He heals using the regeneration energy and siphons the rest into his old hand that the Sycorax cut off. Now that is all fine but, and it is a big but as well as a spoiler, in the future episode The Time of the Doctor we learn that this counted towards the Doctor's regeneration limit. It's now established canon but it doesn't feel right to me as the regeneration doesn't complete so how does it count? But I can live with it. It just rubs me the wrong way a little bit.

At the end of the story all the companions go their own way again. Rose returns with the new Doctor to the Pete's World universe never to be seen again. Unfortunately this is the end of things for Donna. It all goes a bit wrong with the metacrisis and the Doctor is forced to remove any knowledge of him and their time again. It is a sad end for Donna that she spent all this time travelling with the Doctor and then it is all swept away from her.