Sky

"An alien baby? I need help."

Writer: Phil Ford
Format: TV
Broadcast: 3rd-4th October 2011
Series: SJA 5.01

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis

Sarah Jane, Clyde and Rani try to figure out why a baby abandoned on Sarah's doorstep is undergoing rapid maturation, and how she's connected to a war between the Metalkind and the Fleshkind. With impending doom, the only way to secure peace lies with a baby...

Verdict

Sky was a decent start to the fifth series of the Sarah Jane Adventures but I was hoping that it would be a little better. This was my first ever viewing of the story and to see brand new content with Sarah Jane was quite a treat but the story was not void of faults. I got the sense that the series was heading in a direction of accommodating for the children who watched the show with the introduction of Sky to the team. Sadly, it won't last too long as there are only two more stories of the spinoff left but the intention is good to see. I think it's a decent idea but from a personal viewpoint, I wasn't a fan of her in this adventure. I realise she is only twelve but she seemed to be a little too childish for my liking. Her lack of knowledge for some words seemed inconsistent which was a shame and I was also a little put off that Mr Smith was scared to come out when Sky was present. Sarah Jane opening her door to a baby on her doorstep was quite a surprise and I liked how she quickly called upon Rani and Clyde for some help. With Luke gone, Sarah Jane may have a void in her life and Sky seems like she's going to fill it for what remains of the show. Miss Myers was a pretty good character but I was hoping that she would be a little more ruthless. The concept of the war between the Fleshkind and Metalkind was actually excellent and getting a snippet of it was good but I do think that it could have been a whole lot more. The Metalkind looked actually quite reminiscent of the creature from The Shape of Water which was comically mentioned by my girlfriend with whom I have been watching the SJAs with since series four which was intriguing. The resemblance really was quite striking. I thought Rani was very good in this story and she has more than established herself as a strong character which is crucial. The humour that came from Gita and Haresh was brilliant and the moment the TV and blender malfunctioned was terrific. The revelation that Sky was a bomb linked to the Metalkind was good but I thought the way she was diffused was a little easy. Everything was saved and then the Metalkind just teleported back to the war-torn planets with the last burst of energy. It was a little convenient for my liking. The story finishing with the reveal that the Captain had returned to give Sky a home was a nice touch. I really liked the reference to Invasion of the Bane but as a whole, I was just hoping for a little more to get a better rating. I probably have been a tad generous with the rating but the story wasn't bad at all - it was actually decent! Overall, still a positive beginning to series five.

Rating: 7/10