Presents of Mind

"I'm complaining about a dog that talks."

Writer: Mark Wright

Format: Audio

Released: December 2025

Series: Christmas 1.03

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Harry, K9

Synopsis

On the Winter Solstice, Sarah and Harry are filled with festive anticipation for their trip to Aunt Lavinia's house. What they aren't expecting is to be trapped on a train during a frosty alien assault. 

Can they get home for Christmas, or will this journey turn into their longest night?

Verdict

Presents of Mind was a fun little episode to continue my way through the Christmas boxset! I really enjoyed the Smith & Sullivan spinoff series earlier this year and I like how this another instalment basically serving as a bonus. I don't think it's been decided yet as to whether the range will continue but I do hope it will as it's really fun to basically have a continuation of K9 & Company and fill the gap in Sarah Jane's life between A Girl's Best Friend and her own Big Finish spinoff. I think a feature role of Aunt Lavinia was fun because she was a little sceptical about the life of Sarah Jane and Harry. But having now experienced things first hand, it did appear that she was going to have a little more leniency towards things. However I'm not so sure judging by her scepticism at the end despite going through everything she did over the course of this episode! I thought the setting was very 1970s and getting involved with the Winter Solstice was intriguing because that was not the kind of Christmas story I was expecting. I appreciated that because not everything needs to be festive and we got enough of that with Harry having a Christmas present in hand for Sarah Jane. I'm really enjoying their relationship but I'm not sure how I feel about them seemingly becoming a packaged item. I hope things don't get romantic as I don't think they had that kind of chemistry in the TARDIS and they just feel like really good friends. Lavinia seems to indicate that they might become more, but I guess we'll need another series now to see if that comes into fruition! The Frankenite crystal that Harry had obtained on their travels with the Doctor as a present for Sarah Jane was a good element of the story because it was realistic as a threat. In its natural habitat it was harmless but now on Earth it exposed a lot of telepathic and mental issues. Sarah being thrown psychically into the past and a childhood Christmas with Aunt Lavinia in the 1950s was quite powerful after she inadvertently upset her aunt by mentioning that Christmas never felt special. I thought that was a little heartless and slightly out of character for Sarah Jane which was a shame. It was harmless and no intent at all but she's usually better at thinking before she speaks! She got a newfound appreciation though by the end of the episode which was nice. I thought the reference to The Ark in Space from Harry was good in recognising similarities to past situations and that is just going to be natural with the extent of their travels in the TARDIS. The story was a pretty simple one at heart really in that the crystal was out of place and that meant the psychic creature just wanted to get home. That tied in nicely with the Winter Solstice and the historic superstition surrounding it. I'm interested in that kind of history and still need to visit Stonehenge! But Lavinia actually playing a crucial role was fun as she realised Sarah was actually telling the truth all along in getting her vision of the past. That was good that she could experience it too even with her sentiments at the close of the episode. Overall, a solid episode which felt very real life. I just think a little more urgency and action (yes I know there was a train crash!) for Sarah and Harry could really push things to the next level. Still, a good continuation of the series for sure. 

Rating: 7/10