The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 4 episode 11 "Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith" part 1
We start the final story of the season with Mr. Smith detecting a meteor heading for Earth. The meteor threatens to release a pathogen which threaten life on Earth. Arriving at the meteor crash site, the gang is surprised to learn that the threat has already been eliminated by the mysterious arrival of a strange woman. Seeking to learn more about the stranger, and wishing to determine if she's a threat to humanity, the gang chase her, but quickly lose track of her. The are surprised to find her, as she's moved into their neighborhood. The confront her at her home, and learn her name "Ruby White", but the woman rudely cuts them off and little else is learned of her motivations.
Sarah, Clyde, and Rani go to intercept an alien invasion force. Sarah is starting to act oddly, as she shows little concern about putting the kids in danger, and gives Clyde a ray gun. The aliens, soldiers for the Dark Horde, are an advance squad of three here to determine the threat level of humanity. Sarah fails to bring her sonic lipstick, and failed to have the ray gun she had given Clyde charged, leaving the group in mortal danger. They are saved when Ruby arrives, and drats the kids in a maneuver involving three devices to which seem to imprison the alien soldiers and encourages them to teleport back to their ship.
Sarah continues to show an alarming failure of memory, as Ruby takes over as mentors for the teens. Sarah forgets that Luke's away at college, forgets K-9's name in a webcam conversation with Luke, and perhaps most alarmingly forgets the Doctor's name. Ordering a scan from Mr. Smith, it is determined that she is experiencing an onset of dementia, and that there is no cure.While it seems to us viewers that this condition is not natural, seeing her reaction is heartbreaking knowing that Liz was just a year away from succumbing to cancer.
Her uncharacteristic behavior continues as she invites Ruby to the attic, where she basically gives everything she has to Ruby. She gives her her house, Mr. Smith, and her role as the planet's protector. Of course, it comes to no surprise that it was all a ruse, and with Sarah no longer able to command Mr. Smith, and with her growing degradation of her mental faculties, she is powerless to prevent Ruby's scheme from succeeding. Ruby transports Sarah to her basement, where she introduces her to her "stomach" (ooookay?), chains her to the wall, and proceeds to suck her lifeforce in order to feed her external stomach. One of the more bizarre cliffhangers this show's had, that's for sure...
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
25th January, 2013
BBC America is showing some recent episodes tonight, providing us with a day's break from The Sarah Jane Adventures. "The Power of Three is being broadcast while I'm travelling home from work, disqualifying this airing from this project. That leaves us with the "The Angels Take Manhattan" which Elaine and I last saw on its fall broadcast, and "The Snowmen" which we have seen twice before. I'm choosing to do less of a blow-by-blow account of the plots, and focus more on general impressions, specially any different takes I have from this viewing.
Series 7 episode 5 "The Angels Take Manhattan"
I'm looking forward to seeing this again, as we haven't seen it since its original broadcast. The film noir setting fits the pattern of season 7 of each episode being a self-contained take on a classic movie genre. My wife notices the poster of the statue of liberty in the elevator in the apartment building being used by the Angels. Many people have complained that the statue would not have had a chance to move, as at any time many eyes are actively watching it. Maybe the image from a poster (or any number of postcards, photos, etc.) could have created the statue we view on the buildings roof? Probably a bit of a stretch of an explanation, as this could have created any number of statues, but the rules are vague enough to create any number of explanations for the Statue of Liberty's appearance.
The scenes in modern New York provide us with a chance to see The Doctor relax with the Ponds. This won't last of course. The Melody Malone novel drives the plot as the typical tight-plotting of Steven Moffat is in evidence. I had always thought that the definition of a "fixed point in time" hinged on the Doctor's specific knowledge of the events, and I was delighted to see that confirmed in this story. Back in the 30's, we get our first River sighting, and she is absolutely stunning in that black gown.
Chasing Rory back to the past puts the story into high gear. Matt Smith's chemistry with Alex Kingston is wonderful, as usual, in the scene with River trapped in the grasp of the injured Angel. You never feel the age difference in their interactions, and I think both actors should be credited for this. River's reaction to the Doctor using regeneration energy to heal her broken wrist implies that he probably cost himself years of his life. This seems to recall a similar use of life force in "Rise of the Cybermen", and I think it's safe to assume he's lost a similar amount of time here.
We reach the story's climax back at Winter Quay. Its funny how Rory himself comments on how cliche' its become for him to die. The scene on the roof between Rory and Amy is spot on, and really provides the emotional resolution to their entire relationship. I know they grow old together in the past, but as far as the Doctor (and us) are concerned it is the end. Amy's resolve to return to the past to be reunited with Rory shows those us who had our doubts about the sustainability of their marriage how wrong we were. It was never a choice between a life of adventure with the Doctor and a life of domesticity with Rory. I think I never gave Amy enough credit for how much she loved Rory. I'm glad I was wrong.
The Doctor ends this story in a really dark place, and that leads into the Christmas special. River's still around to provide the occasional appearance, but one feels that her story's due to come to an end as well. I have no desire to see her interact with any future Doctors, so once Matt's done with the role, I hope she'll be done as well. I suspect that is the plan.
This story works better as an emotional goodbye for the Ponds than it does as a creepy encounter with the Angels. It introduces some typical noir character types, but disposes of them as soon as they serve their purpose to the plot. The plot is as twisty and tight as any Moffat script, but for once you don't feel that the show is holding its arms up in victory in how it pulled it off. It sets up the Christmas special and second half of series 7 well, with the Doctor's devastated reaction to losing Amy. The use of the scenes with young Amelia Pond to wrap up Amy's story in a nice bow is pure gold. Oddly, I had more of an emotional reaction to this 2nd viewing than I did the first. A wonderful finale for a wonderful pair of companions. Rory and Amy, you will be missed.
Series 7 episode 6 "The Snowmen"
Having seen this twice already in less than a month, Elaine declines to watch this with me. I gain little from this third viewing, as unlike the previous two, the episode is edited by BBCA to fit into an hour-long slot. It originally aired in an hour and twenty minute slot. There was little extraneous, as like most Moffat scripts it is densely plotted and the story moves at a break neck pace. We lose major scenes, which for anyone viewing this for the first time, were vital to understand what was happening. The distaste for this edit provides me with little motivation to analyze this story in depth here.
I'll just say that I loved this episode the first 2 times I saw it. I think it is easily the best Christmas special since "The Christmas Invasion". Clara Oswin Oswald is a wonderfully eccentric and perky companion. The mystery of her multiple deaths gives us the ongoing story arc for the second half of this season. The second time I viewed it, I took notice of the odd glowing orb above her as she lay dying, and the Doctor's dialogue during her "deathbed" scenes hint at some preparation having been made. He never seems overly affected by her death, as his recent rise in spirits returning him to a life of adventure overwhelms any other emotion he may be feeling. Or perhaps he knows something we don't about her death....
24th January, 2013
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 4 episode 10 "Lost in Time" part 2
We return with each of our heroes stuck in time facing their own perils. Although the sands in the Shopkeeper's hourglass run out (so they were running out, apparently), the gang has a bit more time as the time portal doesn't automatically close, even as this does threaten to suck in the entire world. Each of our gang has been distracted from accomplishing their task by trying to solve the problems of the people they've encountered. We can't expect our heroes to turn their back on the innocent, can we?
Rani prevents Matilda from stabbing Jane Grey and we learn that the handmaiden's motive was to make the erstwhile Queen a martyr for the protestant cause. Rani gives Jane a pep talk as Mary's troops surround the tower, encouraging her to show courage, as her memory will live on for centuries. Sensing her other-worldly nature, Ms. Grey assumes Rani's an angel, reinforcing her trust and belief in her treatment of history. Rani takes the dagger and returns to the present, shocking the older handmaiden, but confirming the Queen's belief in her angelic nature.
Clyde and George escape the church and come across an apparent ally in a young (and armed) townswoman. They return to the church to stop the Nazi force, where the lady shows her true allegiance in helping the Germans to recapture the boys. Clyde and George escape, yet again, when Clyde uses his cell phone to make the Germans believe that he has a bomb. George grabs "Thor's Hammer" (because if Clyde did the mini-adventure would come to a premature end), and Clyde's phone gets smashed and left behind (oh that can't be a good thing), but the kids do manage to alert the Home Guard. The Home Guard capture the invaders, George expresses a desire to join the military, and Clyde grabs the hammer and returns to our time.
Sarah Jane and her erstwhile companion Emily wish to attempt to save the future children from the fire, but Sarah doesn't have 24 hours to wait for the next time the clock hits 8pm. Apparently the time stream is stupid, since physically resetting the clock does the trick. This time the mansion appears as it does in the time of the fire, although our heroes can't interact with the people or any physical objects. They learn they can walk through the door leading to the children, but the kids can't hear or see them. Emily's distress over being helpless to help the kids as they begin to set the fire allow her to communicate with them, and the fear allows her to turn the key on the door to allow the children to escape. Sarah is then able to take the key, which is the item she was searching for, but her effort to pass back through the time portal is thwarted when Emily in a panic accidentally grabs the key and keeps her from taking it with her.
The Shopkeeper has placed Clyde's and Rani's pieces of the Chronosteen in a box, but all seems lost when Sarah fails to give him her piece. A woman enters the shop with the key in the nick of time, allowing them to avert disaster. The woman is Emily's granddaughter, who was given instructions to return the key to Sarah Jane on the day and place from the article in the newspaper Sarah had left in the past. (121 years seems like a long time for merely 2 generations to have passed. The lady bringing the key didn't seem that old.) The Shopkeeper and his parrot who was the one in control, apparently, take their leave and vanish into thin air without us learning anything about what the hell had just happened.
The granddaughter's name is Angela Price, and through her we learn of Emily's becoming a medical Doctor. Internet searches allow us to discover Clyde's and Rani's companions' fate. Jane Grey's faith in her was confirmed in a letter to her sister. George is still alive, having entered the armed forces towards the end of the war at the age of 16. Recently, at age 83, George received a decoration from the Queen for his work in radar technology. (maybe the technology from the abandoned cell phone helped?) I'd like it if Clyde could go visit him someday.
Trips to the past are always fun on this show, and this story is no exception. The world of the past is somewhat sanitized, as is understandable for a kids' show. Once again, each of the regulars having their own separate adventure allows each to shine. Having dropped down to three regulars has allowed the remaining characters to reap the benefit of the greater focus. I do feel that the show doesn't do a good job of explaining the origins of the Shopkeeper, or of the Chronosteen, but in the Shopkeeper's case, the mystery is at least part of the character's appeal. I suspect the writers intended for the character to return, although Sarah's passing probably didn't allow enough time for this. Overall, I'd rank it my second favorite story of the season to this point, only failing to overcome the nostalgic appeal of "Death of the Doctor".
We return with each of our heroes stuck in time facing their own perils. Although the sands in the Shopkeeper's hourglass run out (so they were running out, apparently), the gang has a bit more time as the time portal doesn't automatically close, even as this does threaten to suck in the entire world. Each of our gang has been distracted from accomplishing their task by trying to solve the problems of the people they've encountered. We can't expect our heroes to turn their back on the innocent, can we?
Rani prevents Matilda from stabbing Jane Grey and we learn that the handmaiden's motive was to make the erstwhile Queen a martyr for the protestant cause. Rani gives Jane a pep talk as Mary's troops surround the tower, encouraging her to show courage, as her memory will live on for centuries. Sensing her other-worldly nature, Ms. Grey assumes Rani's an angel, reinforcing her trust and belief in her treatment of history. Rani takes the dagger and returns to the present, shocking the older handmaiden, but confirming the Queen's belief in her angelic nature.
Clyde and George escape the church and come across an apparent ally in a young (and armed) townswoman. They return to the church to stop the Nazi force, where the lady shows her true allegiance in helping the Germans to recapture the boys. Clyde and George escape, yet again, when Clyde uses his cell phone to make the Germans believe that he has a bomb. George grabs "Thor's Hammer" (because if Clyde did the mini-adventure would come to a premature end), and Clyde's phone gets smashed and left behind (oh that can't be a good thing), but the kids do manage to alert the Home Guard. The Home Guard capture the invaders, George expresses a desire to join the military, and Clyde grabs the hammer and returns to our time.
Sarah Jane and her erstwhile companion Emily wish to attempt to save the future children from the fire, but Sarah doesn't have 24 hours to wait for the next time the clock hits 8pm. Apparently the time stream is stupid, since physically resetting the clock does the trick. This time the mansion appears as it does in the time of the fire, although our heroes can't interact with the people or any physical objects. They learn they can walk through the door leading to the children, but the kids can't hear or see them. Emily's distress over being helpless to help the kids as they begin to set the fire allow her to communicate with them, and the fear allows her to turn the key on the door to allow the children to escape. Sarah is then able to take the key, which is the item she was searching for, but her effort to pass back through the time portal is thwarted when Emily in a panic accidentally grabs the key and keeps her from taking it with her.
The Shopkeeper has placed Clyde's and Rani's pieces of the Chronosteen in a box, but all seems lost when Sarah fails to give him her piece. A woman enters the shop with the key in the nick of time, allowing them to avert disaster. The woman is Emily's granddaughter, who was given instructions to return the key to Sarah Jane on the day and place from the article in the newspaper Sarah had left in the past. (121 years seems like a long time for merely 2 generations to have passed. The lady bringing the key didn't seem that old.) The Shopkeeper and his parrot who was the one in control, apparently, take their leave and vanish into thin air without us learning anything about what the hell had just happened.
The granddaughter's name is Angela Price, and through her we learn of Emily's becoming a medical Doctor. Internet searches allow us to discover Clyde's and Rani's companions' fate. Jane Grey's faith in her was confirmed in a letter to her sister. George is still alive, having entered the armed forces towards the end of the war at the age of 16. Recently, at age 83, George received a decoration from the Queen for his work in radar technology. (maybe the technology from the abandoned cell phone helped?) I'd like it if Clyde could go visit him someday.
Trips to the past are always fun on this show, and this story is no exception. The world of the past is somewhat sanitized, as is understandable for a kids' show. Once again, each of the regulars having their own separate adventure allows each to shine. Having dropped down to three regulars has allowed the remaining characters to reap the benefit of the greater focus. I do feel that the show doesn't do a good job of explaining the origins of the Shopkeeper, or of the Chronosteen, but in the Shopkeeper's case, the mystery is at least part of the character's appeal. I suspect the writers intended for the character to return, although Sarah's passing probably didn't allow enough time for this. Overall, I'd rank it my second favorite story of the season to this point, only failing to overcome the nostalgic appeal of "Death of the Doctor".
Thursday, January 24, 2013
23rd January, 2013
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 4 episode 9 "Lost in Time" part 1
The preview promises a time warping adventure this time out, which should provide a good contrast with the other stories this season. We jump right into the story, with Sarah Jane, Rani, and Clyde following up on a report of an alien in a shop downtown. They encounter "The Shopkeeper" who purposefully led them there to recruit them on a mission to retrieve three metal objects hidden throughout Earth's history. Retrieving these objects is necessary to prevent some sort temporal disaster and The Shopkeeper is "forbidden" to retrieve these objects himself. Sarah Jane is left to ponder several unanswered questions: Who hid these objects in Earth's history? For what purpose? Are these objects forged from the Time Vortex the solution to whatever is putting the Earth in peril or the cause? How is the Shopkeeper aware of their previous adventures in time,and can he be trusted? Before she can decide the wisdom of taking this character at his word and putting all of their lives in danger, the Shopkeeper sends each of the gang into a different period of time, informing them that they should appear near the object, they'll know when they've found it, and they'll be returned to the present when they've obtained it.
Rani travels to the tower of London on July 19, 1553, the final day of Jane Grey's 9 day reign. She pulls a Doctor patented move in being mistaken for an expected visitor and manages to become a lady-in-waiting for the ill-fated Queen. She forms an instant bond with the young monarch, but raises the suspicions of another of her handmaidens, Lady Matilda. With Mary I's troops right outside the tower, Rani uncovers a plot by Matilda to assassinate Jane Grey, and observes her unwrapping a dagger made of a suspicious looking metal....
Clyde winds up in a locale right out of "The Curse of Fenric" as he meets a lad named George whose family had been relocated because of WWII. The year is 1941, which is supported by the uniforms of the 3 Nazi invaders they observe landing on the beach. The kids follow the soldiers to a church, where they are found out and captured while trying to hide. The Lieutenant in charge describes the plan to block radio transmissions to provide cover for an invasion, and pulls out a "Thor's hammer" that is much smaller than the one we saw last summer in "The Avengers" (A Norse artificat...hmmm...) to power the scrambling device they are constructing. Clyde realizes that the hammer is glowing and is undoubtedly the item he is looking for...
Sarah Jane comes to in a small room under a flight of stairs. After being unable to locate Harry Potter, she exits the room to encounter a young lady Emily Morris who informs her that the year is 1889. Ms. Morris had arrived at the obviously haunted mansion in order to do a little ghost-busin' apparently. As per normal, the odd events begin at 8pm precisely. They hear voices, and from their use of modern slang, Sarah surmises that they are hearing events from the future, not from the past. Sarah forgets her current task and endeavors to save the future children they're hearing from being burned in the fire the kids are in danger of starting.
We finish the episode back in the present, with the Shopkeeper fretting that the sands in the hourglass he's using to provide the episode's obligatory deadline have about run out. It looks about half full to me, but whatever. Hopefully we'll learn more about his purpose and motivations next week as we've reached the cliffhanger and the end of part 1.
The preview promises a time warping adventure this time out, which should provide a good contrast with the other stories this season. We jump right into the story, with Sarah Jane, Rani, and Clyde following up on a report of an alien in a shop downtown. They encounter "The Shopkeeper" who purposefully led them there to recruit them on a mission to retrieve three metal objects hidden throughout Earth's history. Retrieving these objects is necessary to prevent some sort temporal disaster and The Shopkeeper is "forbidden" to retrieve these objects himself. Sarah Jane is left to ponder several unanswered questions: Who hid these objects in Earth's history? For what purpose? Are these objects forged from the Time Vortex the solution to whatever is putting the Earth in peril or the cause? How is the Shopkeeper aware of their previous adventures in time,and can he be trusted? Before she can decide the wisdom of taking this character at his word and putting all of their lives in danger, the Shopkeeper sends each of the gang into a different period of time, informing them that they should appear near the object, they'll know when they've found it, and they'll be returned to the present when they've obtained it.
Rani travels to the tower of London on July 19, 1553, the final day of Jane Grey's 9 day reign. She pulls a Doctor patented move in being mistaken for an expected visitor and manages to become a lady-in-waiting for the ill-fated Queen. She forms an instant bond with the young monarch, but raises the suspicions of another of her handmaidens, Lady Matilda. With Mary I's troops right outside the tower, Rani uncovers a plot by Matilda to assassinate Jane Grey, and observes her unwrapping a dagger made of a suspicious looking metal....
Clyde winds up in a locale right out of "The Curse of Fenric" as he meets a lad named George whose family had been relocated because of WWII. The year is 1941, which is supported by the uniforms of the 3 Nazi invaders they observe landing on the beach. The kids follow the soldiers to a church, where they are found out and captured while trying to hide. The Lieutenant in charge describes the plan to block radio transmissions to provide cover for an invasion, and pulls out a "Thor's hammer" that is much smaller than the one we saw last summer in "The Avengers" (A Norse artificat...hmmm...) to power the scrambling device they are constructing. Clyde realizes that the hammer is glowing and is undoubtedly the item he is looking for...
Sarah Jane comes to in a small room under a flight of stairs. After being unable to locate Harry Potter, she exits the room to encounter a young lady Emily Morris who informs her that the year is 1889. Ms. Morris had arrived at the obviously haunted mansion in order to do a little ghost-busin' apparently. As per normal, the odd events begin at 8pm precisely. They hear voices, and from their use of modern slang, Sarah surmises that they are hearing events from the future, not from the past. Sarah forgets her current task and endeavors to save the future children they're hearing from being burned in the fire the kids are in danger of starting.
We finish the episode back in the present, with the Shopkeeper fretting that the sands in the hourglass he's using to provide the episode's obligatory deadline have about run out. It looks about half full to me, but whatever. Hopefully we'll learn more about his purpose and motivations next week as we've reached the cliffhanger and the end of part 1.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
22nd January, 2013
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 4 episode 8 "The Empty Planet" Part 2
Clyde and Rani escape from their respective robots (Rani with a little help from Gavin) and gather together in the cafe they've turned into an HQ of sorts. They work out that they were spared from the mass kidnapping due to their being "grounded" by the Judoon in an earlier episode, although this still doesn't explain Gavin's presence. This disproves my alternate world theory, but it is a good tie-in with a previous adventure. This implies that whatever race is responsible for the event recognizes the authority represented by the Judoon (perhaps they recognize the Shadow Proclamation, as the Judoon have been shown to be working for them in the past).
The robots attack again, and the kids split up to better evade their would-be captors. The robots catch up with Clyde and Rani, and use the devices on their arms to scan them (aha! I knew it was a scanner!). Using a tabloid newspaper to help the robots assimilate English, the teens are able to communicate with the robots in order to make out their purpose. The screens translate into a countdown of about 25 minutes remaining (a lot of symbols for a simple countdown if you ask me) and the invaders require the air and the sun in order to complete their mission and return the rest of humanity, although if they don't accomplish this before the countdown the people will be trapped permanently. Why, exactly, the countdown exists, and why the force behind the robots would be willing to risk sending humanity to its permanent exile remain a mystery. Rani works out that they're searching for the "son and heir" and comes to the realization that they're searching for Gavin. Well, now they've figured out why Gavin wasn't taken, they just need to figure out where the guy ran off to before the countdown ends.
They find Gavin using clues from his apartment, and try to explain that he's really royalty from another planet. He's wearing a ring given to him by his mother preventing his being detected by the robots (maybe the motivations of those locating him are not as noble as they may seem. The mother must've been frightened for Gavin's safety to want him to remain hidden, either from his father or from his people.) Once he removes the ring and receives the transmission that was being blocked by it he rather quickly accepts who he is and is excited to be leaving this stinking planet that has been the only home he has ever known (maybe there was some memories that had been suppressed by the mother that were revealed when he received the message from his people?). He rather leisurely bestows alien knighthoods on Clyde and Rani, the robots transport Gavin back to their ship, and decide to have a laugh by watching Clyde and Rani shit their pants by waiting until the last second before returning everyone home.
Rani returns home with Clyde to find her father rather frantic to find out their whereabouts. Everyone jumped in time from 7 to 8:30 AM, but nobody seems to be freaking the shit out about it. Sarah Jane comes in, speaking with Luke on the phone (this is the first story we don't see him), and offers to take Clyde home after he tells her what happened. Eventually everyone gathers in Sarah's attic, where we learn that Mr. Smith has set up a cover story for Gavin, having falsified records that he moved to Australia (some guardians his aunt and uncle are turning out to be). Everyone has a chuckle over Clyde's and Rani's new found titles and another adventure comes to a conclusion.
It was inevitable that the series would have a letdown after all the geeky goodness provided by "Death of the Doctor", but this story does an adequate job of holding its own. My wife and I enjoyed the growing signs of attraction between Clyde and Rani. Clyde's joke about starting the human race over with Rani, and her reaction were priceless. Also, following up on Clyde's and Rani's grounding by the Judoon by using it as a major plot point here was very clever. The countdown didn't really make any sense, and was just a device to add a little suspense to the second half of the story. The motivations of the aliens could have been explained better, and the actions take by Gavin, his parents, and his guardian aunt and uncle don't really add up. Still, giving Clyde and Rani a chance to shine on their own, without the other kids and Sarah Jane was a good way to strengthen their characters, and we look forward to seeing how their relationship develops from here.
Clyde and Rani escape from their respective robots (Rani with a little help from Gavin) and gather together in the cafe they've turned into an HQ of sorts. They work out that they were spared from the mass kidnapping due to their being "grounded" by the Judoon in an earlier episode, although this still doesn't explain Gavin's presence. This disproves my alternate world theory, but it is a good tie-in with a previous adventure. This implies that whatever race is responsible for the event recognizes the authority represented by the Judoon (perhaps they recognize the Shadow Proclamation, as the Judoon have been shown to be working for them in the past).
The robots attack again, and the kids split up to better evade their would-be captors. The robots catch up with Clyde and Rani, and use the devices on their arms to scan them (aha! I knew it was a scanner!). Using a tabloid newspaper to help the robots assimilate English, the teens are able to communicate with the robots in order to make out their purpose. The screens translate into a countdown of about 25 minutes remaining (a lot of symbols for a simple countdown if you ask me) and the invaders require the air and the sun in order to complete their mission and return the rest of humanity, although if they don't accomplish this before the countdown the people will be trapped permanently. Why, exactly, the countdown exists, and why the force behind the robots would be willing to risk sending humanity to its permanent exile remain a mystery. Rani works out that they're searching for the "son and heir" and comes to the realization that they're searching for Gavin. Well, now they've figured out why Gavin wasn't taken, they just need to figure out where the guy ran off to before the countdown ends.
They find Gavin using clues from his apartment, and try to explain that he's really royalty from another planet. He's wearing a ring given to him by his mother preventing his being detected by the robots (maybe the motivations of those locating him are not as noble as they may seem. The mother must've been frightened for Gavin's safety to want him to remain hidden, either from his father or from his people.) Once he removes the ring and receives the transmission that was being blocked by it he rather quickly accepts who he is and is excited to be leaving this stinking planet that has been the only home he has ever known (maybe there was some memories that had been suppressed by the mother that were revealed when he received the message from his people?). He rather leisurely bestows alien knighthoods on Clyde and Rani, the robots transport Gavin back to their ship, and decide to have a laugh by watching Clyde and Rani shit their pants by waiting until the last second before returning everyone home.
Rani returns home with Clyde to find her father rather frantic to find out their whereabouts. Everyone jumped in time from 7 to 8:30 AM, but nobody seems to be freaking the shit out about it. Sarah Jane comes in, speaking with Luke on the phone (this is the first story we don't see him), and offers to take Clyde home after he tells her what happened. Eventually everyone gathers in Sarah's attic, where we learn that Mr. Smith has set up a cover story for Gavin, having falsified records that he moved to Australia (some guardians his aunt and uncle are turning out to be). Everyone has a chuckle over Clyde's and Rani's new found titles and another adventure comes to a conclusion.
It was inevitable that the series would have a letdown after all the geeky goodness provided by "Death of the Doctor", but this story does an adequate job of holding its own. My wife and I enjoyed the growing signs of attraction between Clyde and Rani. Clyde's joke about starting the human race over with Rani, and her reaction were priceless. Also, following up on Clyde's and Rani's grounding by the Judoon by using it as a major plot point here was very clever. The countdown didn't really make any sense, and was just a device to add a little suspense to the second half of the story. The motivations of the aliens could have been explained better, and the actions take by Gavin, his parents, and his guardian aunt and uncle don't really add up. Still, giving Clyde and Rani a chance to shine on their own, without the other kids and Sarah Jane was a good way to strengthen their characters, and we look forward to seeing how their relationship develops from here.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
21st January, 2013
The Sarah Jane Adventures series 4 episode 7 "The Empty Planet" part one
Am I the only one who feels like they should have saved "Death of the Doctor" for the end of the season? Given the task of following that is this little story which reduces the cast to Clyde and Rani for most of the episode.
Sarah Jane takes on a motherly role in making Clyde and Rani go home to get some sleep and prepare for their studies on a school night. Perhaps she's feeling some need to take on this role, as she can no longer mother Luke as he's away in college. As it is, does this indicate that the other adventures happen conveniently on the weekend, or during a school holiday? More likely, it's meant to make alien energy patterns seem to be not much of a threat, although we know better by now, don't we? This leads to some nice scenes between Rani and her Dad, and Clyde and his Mom. I liked the touch the makeup artists used in having Rani look a bit more plain as she's going to bed, as if she wasn't wearing any makeup. A nice attention to detail that speaks well of the professionalism of the production.
Rani wakes up to find the neighborhood deserted. While there does seem to be electrical power, there are no radio, television, or cell phone services. Rani begins a frantic search for other humans when she runs into Clyde, who is experiencing the same phenomenon. As they explore the city, Elaine is reminded of other post apocalyptic programs we've been watching such as "Revolution". The difference, as explained by the "survivors", is that there is no evidence of accidents from the people's disappearances. While Clyde and Rani speculate that whoever is responsible for taking the others may have provided for the safe removal of any at motion vehicles, I'm wondering if Clyde and Rani might have been removed to another world, perhaps an imaginary one, which is modeled on the real one.
We meet a third "survivor" as Clyde and Rani chase a younger boy through the streets to his apartment. His name is Gavin, and as observed by Clyde, his odd behavior and circumstance leads Elaine and I to believe that he is somehow involved with what is happening. Gavin mentions that he lives with his uncle and aunt, and complains about not having a father, in which Clyde can relate. Hmm, Clyde and his Mom discussed his father the night before and Rani had a heart to heart with her father. Coincidence? Gavin also mentions that his aunt was very specific about not believing in aliens. I'm starting to think that humanity has become split between those who acknowledge the multiple alien invasions which have occurred in recent years, and those who refuse to give up their notion that aliens don't exist. This could spark more debate among the public on this issue, which would explain why Gavin's Aunt made it a point to tell him of her disbelief.
We get some action at last, when the televisions and phones intercept some alien messages, and the gang hear noises of some sort of activity in the street. Investigating the noises, Clyde and Rani each confront a different robot, one red and one yellow, which corner them and start to raise their arms in a threatening manner. I think we're being lead to believe that the robots are threatening them with some sort of weapon, but I'm betting its some sort of scanning device. We'll find out tomorrow.
Am I the only one who feels like they should have saved "Death of the Doctor" for the end of the season? Given the task of following that is this little story which reduces the cast to Clyde and Rani for most of the episode.
Sarah Jane takes on a motherly role in making Clyde and Rani go home to get some sleep and prepare for their studies on a school night. Perhaps she's feeling some need to take on this role, as she can no longer mother Luke as he's away in college. As it is, does this indicate that the other adventures happen conveniently on the weekend, or during a school holiday? More likely, it's meant to make alien energy patterns seem to be not much of a threat, although we know better by now, don't we? This leads to some nice scenes between Rani and her Dad, and Clyde and his Mom. I liked the touch the makeup artists used in having Rani look a bit more plain as she's going to bed, as if she wasn't wearing any makeup. A nice attention to detail that speaks well of the professionalism of the production.
Rani wakes up to find the neighborhood deserted. While there does seem to be electrical power, there are no radio, television, or cell phone services. Rani begins a frantic search for other humans when she runs into Clyde, who is experiencing the same phenomenon. As they explore the city, Elaine is reminded of other post apocalyptic programs we've been watching such as "Revolution". The difference, as explained by the "survivors", is that there is no evidence of accidents from the people's disappearances. While Clyde and Rani speculate that whoever is responsible for taking the others may have provided for the safe removal of any at motion vehicles, I'm wondering if Clyde and Rani might have been removed to another world, perhaps an imaginary one, which is modeled on the real one.
We meet a third "survivor" as Clyde and Rani chase a younger boy through the streets to his apartment. His name is Gavin, and as observed by Clyde, his odd behavior and circumstance leads Elaine and I to believe that he is somehow involved with what is happening. Gavin mentions that he lives with his uncle and aunt, and complains about not having a father, in which Clyde can relate. Hmm, Clyde and his Mom discussed his father the night before and Rani had a heart to heart with her father. Coincidence? Gavin also mentions that his aunt was very specific about not believing in aliens. I'm starting to think that humanity has become split between those who acknowledge the multiple alien invasions which have occurred in recent years, and those who refuse to give up their notion that aliens don't exist. This could spark more debate among the public on this issue, which would explain why Gavin's Aunt made it a point to tell him of her disbelief.
We get some action at last, when the televisions and phones intercept some alien messages, and the gang hear noises of some sort of activity in the street. Investigating the noises, Clyde and Rani each confront a different robot, one red and one yellow, which corner them and start to raise their arms in a threatening manner. I think we're being lead to believe that the robots are threatening them with some sort of weapon, but I'm betting its some sort of scanning device. We'll find out tomorrow.
Monday, January 21, 2013
20th January, 2013
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 4 episode 6 "Death of the Doctor" Part 2
The body hopping continues as the gang escapes from the Shansheeth after the cliffhanger resolution. Clyde and the Doctor change places several times during the chase, conveniently between cuts in the scenes after the first couple of swaps. The frantic chase ends with the Doctor taking Sarah Jane and Jo on his final planet swap, and leaving the kids to be "rescued" by the Groske. The conversation on the alien world between the Doctor and his former companions is just wonderful. The fondness for these women is very well expressed in the acting of Matt Smith. We learn that the 10th Doctor's regeneration involved him looking in on all of his former companions, not just the ones we saw on screen. Boy, and I thought it was long as presented!
The Doctor perfects his transportation machine so he can return to Earth without sending Clyde back to the penalty box. He helps the gang escape from the Groske's pizza party, allowing for an amusing scene between the 11th Doctor and Clyde where the Doctor claims he has 507 regenerations left. Before any classic series fans get there noses out of whack, he seems to be joking, and RTD has admitted that in interviews.
The former companions get captured and hooked up to some sort of memory extraction machine. We learn that the Shansheeth are trying to use the machine to build a copy of the key to the TARDIS, which they have captured. Why then were they trying to get the ladies to remember in the first episode when they weren't hooked up to the machine? The Shansheeth are trying to use the time machine to prevent any further deaths. They need to be shown "Miracle Day" to see how that is likely to turn out. Even if they don't get the message, watching "Miracle Day" will be punishment enough for their actions. We don't really learn much about the motivations of Colonel Karim, however. She's helping them in order to be able to travel space, since she feels that she has nothing else left for her on Earth. This implies that she's suffered some sort of tragedy recently, although none are specified.
The Doctor encourages Jo and Sarah to confuse the memory machine, since as we all know from watching Star Trek, when you confuse a computer, it explodes. The women survive the explosion by invading each other's personal space and squeezing into the Doctor's coffin, conveniently located in the same room as the TARDIS and the memory extracting machine. Everyone jumps into the TARDIS to return to Bannerman road where the Doctor says his goodbyes to the gang. Jo puts her foot in her mouth by telling the Doctor to say hello to the Time Lords, whom she doesn't know are dead. The Doctor has enough class to not point this out, but there is a well acted pause and wistful look given by Matt Smith in the scene.
Jo and her grandson grab a cab to the airport to meet the rest of the Jones' clan in Norway. After having whined this episode about living life as a greenpeace hobo, Santiago does the unexpected thing and not ask to stay here where he can have a real home and replace Luke in the cast. Sarah updates Jo about the whereabouts of other former companions since Jo has no access to Facebook, not having a home or a computer or other such modern convenience. All kidding aside, this scene does really touch all of my geek g-spots, and leaves me wanting to learn more about what's happened with these companions. On to the expanded universe!
While the plot of this adventure is probably the weakest of the seasons' three so far, everyone knows that's really not why this is here. I find it interesting that a show that's aimed for children who weren't born when the classic series ended would do such a great job of mining nostalgia for that show. The references confirm some information provided by spin off novels, audios, etc. , but also contradicts some other info as well. Of course, this series is canon, so what's said here goes (except for the bit about Ian and Barbara not ageing. Sarah did say this was merely a rumor, after all). I only touched the surface in mentioning the classic series references in this recap, but each and every one were welcome and warmed this old-fogie's heart. The most enjoyable story of the season, perhaps of the entire series, even if the plot is laughable.
The body hopping continues as the gang escapes from the Shansheeth after the cliffhanger resolution. Clyde and the Doctor change places several times during the chase, conveniently between cuts in the scenes after the first couple of swaps. The frantic chase ends with the Doctor taking Sarah Jane and Jo on his final planet swap, and leaving the kids to be "rescued" by the Groske. The conversation on the alien world between the Doctor and his former companions is just wonderful. The fondness for these women is very well expressed in the acting of Matt Smith. We learn that the 10th Doctor's regeneration involved him looking in on all of his former companions, not just the ones we saw on screen. Boy, and I thought it was long as presented!
The Doctor perfects his transportation machine so he can return to Earth without sending Clyde back to the penalty box. He helps the gang escape from the Groske's pizza party, allowing for an amusing scene between the 11th Doctor and Clyde where the Doctor claims he has 507 regenerations left. Before any classic series fans get there noses out of whack, he seems to be joking, and RTD has admitted that in interviews.
The former companions get captured and hooked up to some sort of memory extraction machine. We learn that the Shansheeth are trying to use the machine to build a copy of the key to the TARDIS, which they have captured. Why then were they trying to get the ladies to remember in the first episode when they weren't hooked up to the machine? The Shansheeth are trying to use the time machine to prevent any further deaths. They need to be shown "Miracle Day" to see how that is likely to turn out. Even if they don't get the message, watching "Miracle Day" will be punishment enough for their actions. We don't really learn much about the motivations of Colonel Karim, however. She's helping them in order to be able to travel space, since she feels that she has nothing else left for her on Earth. This implies that she's suffered some sort of tragedy recently, although none are specified.
The Doctor encourages Jo and Sarah to confuse the memory machine, since as we all know from watching Star Trek, when you confuse a computer, it explodes. The women survive the explosion by invading each other's personal space and squeezing into the Doctor's coffin, conveniently located in the same room as the TARDIS and the memory extracting machine. Everyone jumps into the TARDIS to return to Bannerman road where the Doctor says his goodbyes to the gang. Jo puts her foot in her mouth by telling the Doctor to say hello to the Time Lords, whom she doesn't know are dead. The Doctor has enough class to not point this out, but there is a well acted pause and wistful look given by Matt Smith in the scene.
Jo and her grandson grab a cab to the airport to meet the rest of the Jones' clan in Norway. After having whined this episode about living life as a greenpeace hobo, Santiago does the unexpected thing and not ask to stay here where he can have a real home and replace Luke in the cast. Sarah updates Jo about the whereabouts of other former companions since Jo has no access to Facebook, not having a home or a computer or other such modern convenience. All kidding aside, this scene does really touch all of my geek g-spots, and leaves me wanting to learn more about what's happened with these companions. On to the expanded universe!
While the plot of this adventure is probably the weakest of the seasons' three so far, everyone knows that's really not why this is here. I find it interesting that a show that's aimed for children who weren't born when the classic series ended would do such a great job of mining nostalgia for that show. The references confirm some information provided by spin off novels, audios, etc. , but also contradicts some other info as well. Of course, this series is canon, so what's said here goes (except for the bit about Ian and Barbara not ageing. Sarah did say this was merely a rumor, after all). I only touched the surface in mentioning the classic series references in this recap, but each and every one were welcome and warmed this old-fogie's heart. The most enjoyable story of the season, perhaps of the entire series, even if the plot is laughable.
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