The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

"I will do battle once more with Sarah Jane Smith."

Writer: Gareth Roberts 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 17th-24th November 2008

Series: 2.05

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis 

When Sarah 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 and Luke fall victim to a revenge plot by the Trickste

Verdict 

The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith was an incredible adventure and has quickly overtaken Secrets of the Stars as my favourite story from the Sarah Jane Adventures so far! It was simply outstanding and a real treat to watch. We had a brilliant recurring villain, a very strong plot and all the focus on Sarah Jane herself which despite the spinoff series being based around her, hasn't happened too much so I was glad of that here. I liked how the story got straight into the thick of the action and wasted no time in revealing that the Trickster was returning to do battle with Sarah Jane. His methods this time though were different and instead of taking her out of time, he was hoping to lure her into a trap to cause chaos. It was more than that though, as the Trickster wanted to manifest in reality. Before we've seen him in mirrors and through the shadows but he wanted a physical being and came very close to securing it. Sarah knowing that the time fissure was a trap but wanting to go and meet her parents anyway was interesting and a little bit surprising as well because she's usually so cautious when it comes to dealing with aliens or time disturbance. But the temptation really was too much to resist. The Graske had lured her in with the disguise of Oscar and when Sarah Jane found out that she was in the village she was born a month before her parents abandoned her, despite admitting to herself that she couldn't stay, she always knew she would go back. The reveal of Oscar being the Graske was good and although it was expected, it was still a terrific moment to see the reactions of Clyde and Rani. The references to Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? were brilliant and I liked how Clyde remembered that Maria used the Verron puzzle box to keep her memory whilst the world changed around her. That box would be vital in fixing the problems present here as Sarah Jane was not only tempted to go and meet her parents, but she actually went as far as saving them. That gave the Trickster a new lease of life and as he physically formed, Sarah Jane went back through the fissure and saw London ravaged. She refused to believe that a small change like that could have a huge effect but the world was now the Trickster's domain. The cliffhanger was superb and I also thought that Clyde getting through to the Graske on an emotional level and offering him freedom from the Trickster was terrific. Rani being able to go back to 1951 and help Sarah Jane and Luke put things right was good and her knowing where the arrival of the Trickster occurred was a big help. Barbara, Sarah Jane's mother, was a fantastic character and after Rani arrived and blew the Victoria Beckham disguise, she worked out what was meant to happen. It was a bittersweet moment then as Luke pointed out that Sarah Jane was not abandoned by her parents, she was saved by them. They drove off to their destiny and would die but the world was saved and the Trickster tasted defeat. Throughout the story we had excellent references to The Monster of Peladon, Invasion of the Bane, Revenge of the Slitheen and The Last Sontaran which were terrific but I think the highlight for me was Sarah Jane wanting a reward for all the good she has done. She more than deserves it. She had met her parents and saw that they loved her. That's all she could have asked for. Overall, a simply wonderful story.

Rating: 10/10