The Empty Planet

"Everybody's gone..."

Writer: Gareth Roberts
Format: TV
Broadcast: 1st-2nd November 2010
Series: SJA 4.04

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis

Clyde and Rani are apparently the only survivors of the human race. The whole of Earth is empty - even Sarah Jane has vanished. A deserted London holds terrors of its own, mainly in the form of two mysterious and menacing robots...

Verdict

The Empty Planet was a brilliant story and a really great continuation of the fourth series of the Sarah Jane Adventures! If it wasn't for the astounding Death of the Doctor, this adventure really would have stood out as the best of the series in my opinion. However, I am getting a little ahead of myself as I haven't watched the remaining two stories since they first broadcast back in 2010 so it is a little early to judge. The idea behind this story was excellent and for much of the story I was hoping for a legitimate reason as to why just Clyde and Rani would have been left behind with the rest of humanity having vanished from the face of the Earth. Thankfully, I got a brilliant one with a wonderful link and flashback to Prisoner of the Judoon. I really liked that explanation and after some nervous conversation about the prospect of just Clyde and Rani being left on Earth, the pair worked brilliantly together to save the world. I think it's testament to how good these two characters are as Sarah Jane wasn't really missed that much. She wasn't needed which is quite a shock given how great she is. The deserted town was intriguing and I think it really would be quite daunting to see the streets empty in the middle of the day. The arrival of the robots brought a good cliffhanger and I liked how Clyde showed them a newspaper so they could develop the language and communicate. At first it appeared like they were threatening and demanding the sun and air of the planet but Rani brilliantly worked out that was not actually the case. They were referring to the son and heir of their alien planet and that meant that Gavin still being on Earth was now explained. There was a bit more to his childhood than his father simply running of and abandoning him. He was actually an alien king and now it appeared that he died and the robots needed a new monarch. Once Gavin realised this, he was thrilled to oblige and was quick to command his new multicoloured subjects. He set off back to the alien planet from which his dad ruled and saw that humanity was restored on Earth. Not too shabby for a kid who was scared of pretty much anything at the start of the story. Haresh being concerned about Rani was good and I loved how Sarah Jane was quick to give a normal explanation for how an hour and a half simply advanced without trace. Clyde and Rani being dubbed Lord and Lady was a nice touch and I liked how grateful they were to Sarah Jane for everything that she has shown them. The two also admitted that they always had each other which was rather nice. Overall, an excellent adventure!

Rating: 9/10