The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 2 Episodes 1 & 2 - The Last Sontaran

Well what a start for series two of the Sarah Jane Adventures! Thankfully no Slitheen this time, instead we have a Sontaran milling about in show woods. It’s like ‘Time Warrior’ all over again!

Sadly though, this episode she the departure of Maria Jackson, as Yasmin Paige (who plays her) was studying for her GCSE’s at the time. Don’t understand how this would be a problem – a young Cyber Colin used to get drunk off Morrison’s knock-off Scrumpy, at the shops, every night after each exam and I did okay!

After some ‘strange lights’ are shown in the sky, next to a radio tower, the team investigate. When they get there however, they find that the tower’s head man has disappeared in the woods and his daughter is left holding the fort.

As Luke and Clyde snoop around near the woods, they stumble upon an invisible space ship, which turns out to be Commander Kaagh’s. The Sontaran wants revenge on planet earth after his fleet’s defeat during the events of the Doctor Who episodes The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky.

It’s a well written two-parter and the cliffhanger leaves those without the CBBC channel hanging! With everything set up, part two is the ‘run around and catch me’ episode, with Clyde and Kaagh exchanging some great banter. It is worth watching the episode just for that!

In fact I’ve been really impressed by young Clyde (Daniel Anthony), he’s the only one out of the teenagers that acts like a teenager and I think that’s great! It seems with Maria leaving, he will take a much bigger role this year, as his parents are due to be introduced.

Maria’s mum, Chrissie, stumbles upon the problems as she follows Alan into Sarah’s attic. She would be the one to save the day – hitting Kaagh with the heal of her shoe! Apparently that scene was originally written for the two Doctor Who episodes but Catherine Tate refused to wear anything but trainers!

So with Kaagh sent back to Sontar with his tail between his legs, Maria and father Alan leave for America. Hopefully she can return to the series one day, as her performances during series one really helped those episodes to be watchable!

8/10

Next Time – In ‘Day of the Clown’, we are introduced to Maria’s replacement – Rani. No not THE Rani, at least I hope not!