|
The Sarah Jane Adventures The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith |
|
| Story No. | 15 | 
|
| Production Code | Series Three Episode Three | |
| Dates | October 29-30, 2009 |
|
With Elisabeth Sladen, Daniel Anthony, Anjli Mohindra, Alexander
Armstrong, Tommy Knight, John Leeson
Featuring David Tennant Written by Russell T Davies Directed by Ashley Way Executive Producers: Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner. |
| Synopsis: Sarah has fallen in love with Peter and is getting married. But will an old friend show up in time? |
"Raggedy man, you are late for my wedding!" by Thomas Cookson 7/9/15
I think the reason Torchwood generally sucked as a spin-off and was rightly killed off for good by Miracle Day's failure is because the show lacked any real sense of identity or integrity. Ultimately, Torchwood just didn't stand alone well. It was derivative and it was almost wholly dependent on the viewer's good will from its main show - and boy did it squander it. Even some of RTD's biggest fans have said it was a terrible show.
The Sarah Jane Adventures, however, worked perfectly both as a spin-off and a show in its own right. If not for the shocking and tragic passing of Elisabeth Sladen, the series probably could have gone on for many years more. Some have even said the show single-handedly saved British Children's TV.
Had Doctor Who never come back, and if this loosely connected spin-off to the old show was all we'd ever get, then it would still work. Much of this show feels far more faithful to the feel of classic 1970's Who than anything in New Who proper. It still somewhat correlates to RTD's populist, fun, colourful vision for the show, but it's a glimpse of what RTD's stories would be like if they were actually coherent and imaginative and done with good taste.
What appeals to me about this aspect is that, when the old Doctor is mentioned by Sarah or even by the Trickster, he actually feels genuinely mythic. It allows me to envision the Fourth Doctor at his best and forget the somewhat pathetic figure he was reduced to under JNT.
So that's the positives of the Sarah Jane Adventures.
And yet, there are certain issues that prevent it from being consistently compelling viewing, despite its inherent charms. First, the 25 minute two-parter format is limiting; resultantly, the stories tend to feel a bit rushed, prone to unsustainable midway stakes that are spontaneously resolved too easily.
Also, it's often an incredibly pat show. This is in keeping with the old mid-70's Who it's nodding back to, but, put mildly, the show can often come off as insipid. The show's best episodes are ones where there's a separation between Sarah and the kids (like Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane Smith?), or an actual conflict between them (like Invasion of the Bane or The Curse of Clyde Langer). Kids' TV tends to work best when it defines a difference between the children's world and the adults'. This is why I don't understand RTD's need to force Jackie or some other loud, unpleasant mum character into every other story.
I've often felt that maybe New Who had turned Sarah Jane into a less steely and more sappy character. That the old Sarah Jane would have torn Rose to shreds early on in School Reunion. Likewise, I feel that perhaps old Sarah would have been initially grumpy about the prospect of having to babysit these brats and would be somewhat suspicious of Luke. And that you could have made the whole first season about her gradually warming to and accepting them all. Instead, it feels rather too cosy and oversweet that she's so smotheringly fond of them so quickly and is always so approving of them.
Also, is the Sarah who told Sky's people that war and killing is never the answer really the same Sarah who pleaded with the Doctor to destroy the Daleks in their cradle?
Basically, the virtue of this particular story is that whilst it starts in a fairly insipid manner, it does so intentionally and proves to be a mark of something being very wrong. As Sarah says herself, she should be furious that the kids have been spying on her and her new boyfriend behind her back, but the influence of the ring he's put on her is affecting her mood, making her unnaturally happy.
Here we have Sarah Jane Smith being squarely defined as the adult. She is building a separate life to the kids anew, which she keeps secret. She's become interested in adult issues like romance, mortgages and wedding plans again, turning away from the world of fantasist wonder. Her deactivating Mr Smith is an example of her putting away childish things. Likewise, the kids of the group have their own little secrets they're keeping from Sarah Jane, and spying on her is one of their private little adventures that they're having without her. To them, Sarah as an adult has lost touch with them. She's being stubbornly blinkered and is wrapped up in adult concerns that the kids know isn't what's important. Of course, because this is a kid's show, the kids know better.
This aspect is kept low key enough that the budding romance between Sarah and Peter still draws us in. The hints that something's wrong here are there, but the foreshadowing is very light and ambiguous. We're not entirely sure why the Doctor's TARDIS keeps being heard or why Peter is influencing her mood like this. But Peter is not played as a villain. He's played and presented as a genuine romantic interest for Sarah.
We actually find ourselves wanting to put any sense of doubt aside and be happy for Sarah at finding someone to love. So there's a leisurely pace to part one, but subtly there's an underlying tension about the coming days of the wedding itself. Because we know all Sarah's best hopes and dreams rest on this day. And there's a subtle dread that it's all going to go wrong or prove to be a dream shattered. The story does a splendid job of wrapping Sarah in happiness and contentment in this romance. So it actually is a dramatic blow to have it revealed as a deception after all. This gives the story a nice edge and conflict that makes the earlier usual childish frivolity and irksome lines like "no one over 22 should be allowed to do that in public" in the first half endurable.
There's also conflict within the group, with Clyde still trying to pursue his suspicions about Peter, only for Luke to get fed up and confront him with a warning that there'll be hell to pay if he ruins his mum's big day. Luke really has grown here, getting in touch with his angrier emotions and how to channel and express them assertively. In other words, a season or two ago, Luke wouldn't have known how to have this confrontation or to say this without it sounding a bit wet. But Clyde takes him seriously here, and rightly so.
The final reveal of the Doctor was nicely built up. It's a punch-the-air moment. I always found the Trickster far more menacing when dressed in black rather than in white though (the Trickster in white does work from Peter's perspective since he sees him as an angel). So the cliffhanger was a little underwhelming and could have had a bit more spice. They could have darkened the lighting or used the camerawork better to frame and entrap Sarah and give it more impact. Otherwise I was very happy with part one.
I loved part two. I was really gripped and enthralled throughout by it. The script and directing did a great job of separating the characters into unbreachable, imprisoning spaces. Very Sapphire & Steel.
I've often thought of Tennant as one of my least favourite Doctors. Mainly because of how cocky and in-your-face he often came off to me. But here he actually grew on me. Amidst this real hopeless horror, it was reassuring to have him here as chirpy as ever, being light years ahead of the plot. The manic shaman chasing for the way out.
Whilst Human Nature and Blink are my favourite Tennant-era stories, this is my favourite Tennant appearance. The Trickster is such a nasty piece of work that it's a great feeling to root for the Doctor here. Of all the higher species, he really is the lowest of the high.
The Sarah Jane Adventures have always invoked a child's perspective of seeing the daunting tall and magical world from a child's eyes, and even from a child's height. As such, this story allowed me to see Tennant with the same eyes with which many young kids today see him. From the expectant eyes of a child meeting their idol. He really works well with the rest of the gang. He's quick and sharp, ever reassuringly confident, and he really speaks their youthful language well. This is what I do like about Tennant. His ability to strike an easy rapport and dynamic with anyone. This really is how I'd rather remember Tennant's Doctor, rather than the self-worshipping ugliness of The End of Time.
His confrontation with the Trickster is really electric stuff. Tennant does a brilliant stare-down with him, and in that moment really captures the spirit of Tom Baker. Also the hints that the Doctor has known the Trickster ever since being a time tot were very welcome. The story manages State of Decay's trick of fitting the Trickster into old Time Lord mythology and making him feel like he'd always been there. It makes sense since The Nightmare Fair was originally going to do the same for the Celestial Toymaker, so the Trickster fits like a glove there.
It really helps having a writer like Gareth Roberts who conjures this old mythology and the sense of who the Doctor was to 1970s' audiences and makes it modern and accessible.
The Doctor's greater knowledge and abilities make the outcome seem initially self-assured. But it becomes clear after a certain point that the Doctor is still peripheral and mortal and that he can't save the day without a price. All he can do is use his power of words and persuasion to ask Peter to do the impossible.
Sarah Jane and Peter's scenes are performed with real earnestness that conveys a sharp sense of a tragedy in the making. When it happens, the emotional devastation and shattered dreams cut deep. Nigel Havers really brings Peter to life and gives him remarkable dignity amidst his existentialist horror. His self-sacrifice is grand stuff, and the line "you were my strength" is actually very elating.
Sarah's shattered announcement that the wedding has been cancelled and that she lost someone dear to her really could be Elisabeth Sladen's strongest, most hard-hitting performance. It hits like a ton of lead, as a bittersweet victory at a terrible price. I really did feel so much for Sarah, at how no one has caused her more cruel heartache than the Trickster.
There are several things I regret about the Sarah Jane Adventures ending before its time, and not seeing the Trickster get his final comeuppance for this is a big one of them, along with never knowing whether Clyde ever finds Ellie again.
It doesn't end here though. It could've easily felt jarring to go from Peter's death and Sarah's grieving to the children's treat of having the Doctor return. But it wasn't going to end any other way, was it? In fact, it's an uplifting enough ending to elate us without completely overturning the tragedy. Tennant's feigning furious affront at being asked if the kids can view inside his TARDIS before letting them in is a charming moment. The inner TARDIS tour was a nice way to end on an upbeat note, and his and Sarah's second goodbye was especially poignant and full-blooded and full-hearted. Unfortunately, it immediately makes their next goodbye in The End of Time needlessly redundant and cold.
It was both solid and well varnished to give it that glistening resonance. It was a very strong piece of mature human drama amidst all its high fantasy. I'd say the show reached a new height here, particularly in very conscious, heart-beating characterisation, and began the steps towards full maturity (arguably The Curse of Clyde Langer was the next step). It is instinctively my favourite Sarah Jane Adventures episode of choice.