Players
Jocelyn Jee Esien (Carla Langer); Gary Beadle (Paul Langer); Perry Millward (Jacob); Huw Higginson (Mr Cunningham); Elijah Baker (Steve Wallace); Jessica Lewis (Detention Girl); Andrew Phillips (Detention Boy) and Prasanna Puwanarajah (Car Salesman).
NOT South Croydon
We finally have clarification that Maria and Alan have moved to Washington DC, rather than Washington state (which, let’s face it would have made more sense with Alan’s skills and certain software companies in and around Redmond). It is revealed that the Park Vale Comprehensive School is built on the same location as the Park Vale Army base. In 1940 the base was blown up by a German bomb.
Blink and You’d Miss It
Luke seems to have a foot fetish. And, did you see that longing look as he watches Clyde leave the bedroom, almost like he’s afraid to get out from under the bedcovers just yet. Clyde has photos and pictures he’s drawn of all his friends in his room. Paul mentions those “Dalek things” when Clyde is telling him about aliens.
K9 Says…
The Mistress leaves her friends behind for the weekend to hunt down an alien slug that has invaded a hospital.
Generation Gap
Clyde’s dad, Paul, shows up out of the blue after five years away. He ran off with Clyde’s Auntie Mel to Germany, but now that Mel’s pregnant he wants to run away from that problem as well. Paul also gets Clyde’s age wrong. He says Clyde is 16, but he’s only still 15. Paul reason for leaving… “Sometimes, a bloke and his Mrs stop getting off.”
Things That are Really Starting to Annoy Us
This show is called the Sarah Jane Adventures, and we tune in ‘cause it’s got Lis Sladen in it, the absolute best Who companion ever. So where the hell is she during these episodes? This show doesn’t have the same production schedule as Doctor Who these days so there’s no reason for a Sarah-lite story. The producers better start remembering why people tune in to this series. We realize Sladen’s older than Hartnell was when he left Doctor Who, but no, we don’t show up just for the blossoming Luke/Clyde romance or to see how much Rani’s family can screw her up today – we want Sarah Jane!
Things That Embarrass Us
Rani likes to check out the boy’s toilet. Mr Chandra does a pretty embarrassing imitation of Bianca from Eastenders, which sadly your editors can not confirm is decent or not as we can’t be bothered to watch such stuff.
Things That Embarrass Clyde
Quite a bit actually. He doesn’t like Luke calling their sleep-over a sleep-over. He’s embarrassed when Carla outs him as a cook, or an aspiring graffiti artist, and then calls him her baby boy. Not to mention all the kisses. Which are, sadly, from Carla, not Luke.
Classified/Top Secret
Jacob finds the pendant at school where there’s some construction work is going on. The pendant is catalogued in UNIT’s files, which Mr Jackson is able to hack into quite easily. Most hackers take weeks or months trying to get around security. Maybe Alan just knows the secret “buffalo” password. The UNIT files have a full run down on the pendant and the Berserker race – aliens that somehow got mixed up with Norse mythology about vicious warriors. The pendant apparently converts the user into a Berserker to build up their armies.
The Sarah Jane Utility Belt
Sarah Jane shuts down Mr Smith when she leaves. Perhaps she still doesn’t trust the Xylok. But, you have to admit that things may not have turned out so bad if he had been awake to deal with the pendant when Rani brought it over. Sarah Jane still leaves a key under the flower pot – not the best security if she’s worried about all the artifacts stored in her attic.
Sarah Jane’s Got the Coolest Duds
Sarah Jane in a medical smock. Hey, that’s as close to a nurse’s uniform as we’re ever likely to get. Brings back those teenage fanta…uhm, we mean yeah, she looked all right..
“And He Goes… And She Goes…”
“Well, there is something. There’s this thing I do that I haven’t really told anyone about. But, I can’t really say what it is.” – Clyde
“You a rebel like your old man. What is it? You drop litter on the streets? Come on, we shouldn’t have secrets.” – Paul
“Dad… Dad, I save the world.” – Clyde
“So, yeah, aliens… Aliens come to Ealing and meet you. – Paul
“Yep, who’s the daddy now.” – Clyde
“You’re right, I don’t need you. I’ve got mum, Sarah Jane, Luke, Rani, Maria… so, I don’t need you, but I think that baby does. Try not to mess it up.” – Clyde
“Clyde, you don’t have to be cool all the time.” – Sarah Jane
“There’s a lot of my dad in me, saw that today. And I think, if it wasn’t for you lot I’d be weaker. Like him. – Clyde
“And I think you underestimate yourself.” – Sarah Jane
Things That Don’t Make Sense (even to a six-year old)
Why do the toilets in the school have two signs? When Mr Cunningham and the other kids are released by Jacob, why does the teacher just go running out of the school? He obviously sees Rani in the hallway. You’d think he would at least feel obligated to try and get her to safety as well. The UNIT files are very through on something that happened years before the organization was even formed. Sarah Jane says that Clyde knows what to do with the pendant, and he throws it in the marina. Was this what she was expecting? Surely she should have made certain it was destroyed rather than put back out there for someone else to find in the future. Can we all say S – E – Q – U – A – L.
Snafus
When Maria receives the image of the pendant on her computer, the very recognizable Windows XP “device connected” sounds bings. Clyde’s phone once again (see Secrets of the Stars) is nonsensical, as he seems to have a white ‘hotkey’ that’s giving a ‘cancel’ option, right next to the red button, which traditionally rejects calls. As shown when both Jacob and Paul get rid of the pendant, all of the commands were undone. So, logically, Clyde’s command for Carla to forget about everything he does is erased when he throws the pendant away.
Also Known As
Jocelyn Jee Esien is best known for her work as a comedienne in 3 Non-Blondes (2003) and Little Miss Joycelyn (2006-8). Gary Beadle played Paul in Eastenders (2001-4) but outside that has also done plenty of comedy, including The Comic Strip Presents… (1990-3) and Absolutely Fabulous (1992-6). Prasanna Puwanarajah appeared in The Path to 9/11 (2006), while Huw Higginson and Elijah Baker return from their appearances in The Day of the Clown.
Photographic Proof
