The Sarah Jane Adventures 2x07 - The Mask of the Berserker Part I

Clyde's dad is a dick.

As much as I want to leave the whole writeup as that, I do have to point out that they did an excellent job of writing around Liz Sladen's absence-for-whatever-reason (possibly filming her part at the end of S4 Who).

It's strange, though, that we still don't have any idea what the motiviation of the medallion is, given that it's the antagonist. What does it get from having people go glowy veiny?

We shouldn't have it's full plot at this point, but not knowing at all is borderline. Still, the cliffhanger coming from paranormally enhanced personal drama is a nice change. The writers on this show are actually really good about playing with the form and its bounds.

Now they just need to write for the other shows in their 'verse, and we'll be gold.

The Sarah Jane Adventures 2x07 - The Mask of the Berserker Part I

Clyde's dad is a dick.

As much as I want to leave the whole writeup as that, I do have to point out that they did an excellent job of writing around Liz Sladen's absence-for-whatever-reason (possibly filming her part at the end of S4 Who).

It's strange, though, that we still don't have any idea what the motiviation of the medallion is, given that it's the antagonist. What does it get from having people go glowy veiny?

We shouldn't have it's full plot at this point, but not knowing at all is borderline. Still, the cliffhanger coming from paranormally enhanced personal drama is a nice change. The writers on this show are actually really good about playing with the form and its bounds.

Now they just need to write for the other shows in their 'verse, and we'll be gold.

The Sarah Jane Adventures 2x08 - The Mask of the Berserker Part II

Well. The explanation was decent enough, because the second part made even clearer than the first that this was not about the paranormal part.

This show is exactly what kids need, and it's just as open to moral gray areas as Who ever gets. It's like a primer in relativistic morality. For god's sake, Sarah Jane encouraged Clyde to mindwipe his mother, basically for their own convenience. That's deliciously sick, and something I've been noticing about Sarah Jane the whole series is that she's really... not healthy. It's subtle, but clear, that the time she's spent alone since the doctor has fucked her in the head but good.

On top of all that, Alan hacks into UNIT, no questions, including satellite networks. While hot, but still.

And Clyde's dad seems presented as bad-but-typical. To be upset but not surprised by. As though children should expect people to suck. I mean they do, but damn.

Of all the children's shows I've ever seen, of all the genres and so on, it's this ridiculous little sci-fi spin-off that only gets six hours of airtime a year that presents the most accurate picture of the world I've seen presented to children. I mean, I talk about how much suck they manage to portray, but they get away with some amazing goodness as well. It's just less notable that they do.

Next week: THE TRICKSTER IS BACK FUCK YEAH.

The Sarah Jane Adventures 2x08 - The Mask of the Berserker Part II

Well. The explanation was decent enough, because the second part made even clearer than the first that this was not about the paranormal part.

This show is exactly what kids need, and it's just as open to moral gray areas as Who ever gets. It's like a primer in relativistic morality. For god's sake, Sarah Jane encouraged Clyde to mindwipe his mother, basically for their own convenience. That's deliciously sick, and something I've been noticing about Sarah Jane the whole series is that she's really... not healthy. It's subtle, but clear, that the time she's spent alone since the doctor has fucked her in the head but good.

On top of all that, Alan hacks into UNIT, no questions, including satellite networks. While hot, but still.

And Clyde's dad seems presented as bad-but-typical. To be upset but not surprised by. As though children should expect people to suck. I mean they do, but damn.

Of all the children's shows I've ever seen, of all the genres and so on, it's this ridiculous little sci-fi spin-off that only gets six hours of airtime a year that presents the most accurate picture of the world I've seen presented to children. I mean, I talk about how much suck they manage to portray, but they get away with some amazing goodness as well. It's just less notable that they do.

Next week: THE TRICKSTER IS BACK FUCK YEAH.

The Sarah Jane Adventures 2x09 - The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part I

On the one hand, it's a bit Father's Day all over again.

On the other hand, it's so damn good, it doesn't matter. And where Father's Day was about tearing down Rose's view of her father, that she might rebuild it both smaller and more magnificent, this seems to be about Sarah Jane facing the resentment she had and replacing it with understanding.

It also continues to show just how warped and human she is, even after all her time with the Doctor. "Why does everything have to be so horrible? After all the time I've spent working for other people, what if this is my reward?" It's so understandable and so, so wrong at the same time. Yes, Sarah Jane is out of her right state, but for this to come out now, it still need to be there, even if infinitessimally, the rest of the time. She's been doing good her whole life, and what did she get of it? Repeatedly possessed, abandoned by the doctor, forced to live alone or give up the life... it's impossible not to feel like there must be something to counter that.

And there is. She got to see the universe, and still sees so much more here on Earth than most. She got her closure with the Doctor. She isn't alone anymore. She has Clyde and Maria and Hot Dad and even Chrissie. She has Luke.

But when faced with having her parents, what does any of that mean? It still means everything, of course, but she's human. She can't see it. And the Trickster knows that, because the Trickster is Chaos. It is everything that doesn't make sense. That's why it's so fucking creepy. It feels vengeance, yes. It feels anger, and it feels wounded pride, for what Sarah Jane did to it before, for having been defeated.

But that's secondary.

What matters is that it has a chance to remove the Sarah Jane Smith, savior of worlds, companion to the Doctor and leader of her children, from the timeline. Yes, the Trickster revels in getting her to do it to herself, but in the end all that matters is that she's out of the way.

The fangs and the eyelessness and the mannerisms creep you out. The motives and lack thereof frighten you. I want to see Moffat write the Trickster.

Well. I'm terrified of Moffat writing the Trickster, actually, but I need to see it happen nonetheless.

And god, Sarah Jane's parents. They're so earnest that you can't help but love them, but at the same time there's something almost pathetic about them. I can't pin it - possibly because I don't have the ties to British history and culture the the audience being written to have, but more likely because it's not meant to be obvious why. It's just a sense that they're a bit plain, I think. They're textbook nice. Sarah Jane would have a pleasant life growing up with them there, ignoring the Trickster, but I get the feeling it would never amount to a terrible lot. Not in a worthless way, just... I don't know, empty?

Next up: POST APOCALYPTIC GOODNESS!

The Sarah Jane Adventures 2x09 - The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part I

On the one hand, it's a bit Father's Day all over again.

On the other hand, it's so damn good, it doesn't matter. And where Father's Day was about tearing down Rose's view of her father, that she might rebuild it both smaller and more magnificent, this seems to be about Sarah Jane facing the resentment she had and replacing it with understanding.

It also continues to show just how warped and human she is, even after all her time with the Doctor. "Why does everything have to be so horrible? After all the time I've spent working for other people, what if this is my reward?" It's so understandable and so, so wrong at the same time. Yes, Sarah Jane is out of her right state, but for this to come out now, it still need to be there, even if infinitessimally, the rest of the time. She's been doing good her whole life, and what did she get of it? Repeatedly possessed, abandoned by the doctor, forced to live alone or give up the life... it's impossible not to feel like there must be something to counter that.

And there is. She got to see the universe, and still sees so much more here on Earth than most. She got her closure with the Doctor. She isn't alone anymore. She has Clyde and Maria and Hot Dad and even Chrissie. She has Luke.

But when faced with having her parents, what does any of that mean? It still means everything, of course, but she's human. She can't see it. And the Trickster knows that, because the Trickster is Chaos. It is everything that doesn't make sense. That's why it's so fucking creepy. It feels vengeance, yes. It feels anger, and it feels wounded pride, for what Sarah Jane did to it before, for having been defeated.

But that's secondary.

What matters is that it has a chance to remove the Sarah Jane Smith, savior of worlds, companion to the Doctor and leader of her children, from the timeline. Yes, the Trickster revels in getting her to do it to herself, but in the end all that matters is that she's out of the way.

The fangs and the eyelessness and the mannerisms creep you out. The motives and lack thereof frighten you. I want to see Moffat write the Trickster.

Well. I'm terrified of Moffat writing the Trickster, actually, but I need to see it happen nonetheless.

And god, Sarah Jane's parents. They're so earnest that you can't help but love them, but at the same time there's something almost pathetic about them. I can't pin it - possibly because I don't have the ties to British history and culture the the audience being written to have, but more likely because it's not meant to be obvious why. It's just a sense that they're a bit plain, I think. They're textbook nice. Sarah Jane would have a pleasant life growing up with them there, ignoring the Trickster, but I get the feeling it would never amount to a terrible lot. Not in a worthless way, just... I don't know, empty?

Next up: POST APOCALYPTIC GOODNESS!

The Sarah Jane Adventures 2x10 - The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part II

THAT WAS AMAZING.

Totally called that it was about Sarah Jane breaking down her resentment and discovering how amazing her parents were.

Also: "Racial minority in the fifties, I know" was both hilarious and really, really depressing. Though it seemed clearly to be Rani laughing so not to cry.

I think I understand why her parents were so plain to start, beyond what I said before. They had to shine that much more when theyher mother figured it out. Which isn't to say that her father didn't shine just as brightly, but clearly Sarah didn't get her brains straight from him - indirectly, maybe, 'cause his sister and all, but not straight from him.

And man, the Trickster is an ass.

But mostly: SO MUCH WIN to the show for explicitly acknowledging that Sarah Jane was incapable of sending her parents to their deaths. Not only is it more real, but it makes the Trickster's defeat that much more scary, because he wasn't wrong. The flaw in his plan wasn't that he misjudged, but that something unexpected got involved.

Which is ironically chaotic, really. Well done, SJA. Have a cookie.

Next up: MRS. WORMWOOD! UNIT! YESSSSSS. (CHEESY BANE CGI LOL)

The Sarah Jane Adventures 2x10 - The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part II

THAT WAS AMAZING.

Totally called that it was about Sarah Jane breaking down her resentment and discovering how amazing her parents were.

Also: "Racial minority in the fifties, I know" was both hilarious and really, really depressing. Though it seemed clearly to be Rani laughing so not to cry.

I think I understand why her parents were so plain to start, beyond what I said before. They had to shine that much more when theyher mother figured it out. Which isn't to say that her father didn't shine just as brightly, but clearly Sarah didn't get her brains straight from him - indirectly, maybe, 'cause his sister and all, but not straight from him.

And man, the Trickster is an ass.

But mostly: SO MUCH WIN to the show for explicitly acknowledging that Sarah Jane was incapable of sending her parents to their deaths. Not only is it more real, but it makes the Trickster's defeat that much more scary, because he wasn't wrong. The flaw in his plan wasn't that he misjudged, but that something unexpected got involved.

Which is ironically chaotic, really. Well done, SJA. Have a cookie.

Next up: MRS. WORMWOOD! UNIT! YESSSSSS. (CHEESY BANE CGI LOL)