The Sarah Jane Adventures 4.5 + 4.6.
Oct. 27th, 2010 06:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn a word used by my beloved Jo in this very two parter, groovy!
First of all, I was expecting Jo to have had a good post-Doctor life after the RTD interview in which he rejected book canon for her where she was unhappy, so while the listing of her hippie adventures made me squee in delight, it wasn't a surprise. What was a surprise was that good old Rusty, while he was at it, demolished some more tie-in canon with that list of what-other-companions-were-up-to at the end and provided Tegan, Ben and Polly, Barbara and Ian and "Dorothy Something" (there are two possible candidates here, and one of them is Ace because Dorothy was her given name) with fabulous and exciting lives as well. (And Harry; I suppose the implication that he's dead now, since Sarah Jane talks of him in the past tense, is due to the actor being dead and meant as a homage?) Which was lovely; I'm especially happy for Tegan because I had heard the books give her cancer which on top of everything that happened to her on screen really would have been awful. What RTD lets Sarah Jane say about her is so much better. And Barbara & Ian being unaging professors in Cambridge amused and pleased me as much as Liz Shaw being on the moon did. Well done, Welsh Writer Currently In The US!
He was also having one of his "let's mess with fandom and have some in-jokes" days, aka the Sound of Drums' "you watch too much tv" when Martha asks whether the Master is the Doctor's brother; here, it's Clyde asking Eleven two endlessly debated questions (whether he always has to regenerate into a whilte man or whether that could change and how many regenerations he has). (For the record, on a Watsonian level, I think the Doctor meant the first reply seriously and was just making a number up to mess with Clyde in the second.)
The plot was as usual just a macguffin, though I liked the Shansheen (why do I always think Shanshu?)'s motivation being not the usual "wanna take over the universe/earth" variety but one that made sense with their background as given. The character moments, also as usual, were pure gold starting with the little Clyde/Luke angst and resolution at the very beginning. Jo's entrance, interrupting the pseudo solemnity of the funeral, was perfect, perfectly her, and if there was any doubt that RTD could write Jo and Katy Manning could still play her, it was settled right then and there. Sarah Jane/Jo friendship throughout the two parter was lovely (and should make for some great icons with all the hugs, snuggles and handholding). Eleven rude to Jo when first seeing her was a parallel to Three being rude to Jo when first encountering her (which is why it didn't upset me - I recognize a homage when I see one), and was balanced quite soon with the great revelation about him knowing all about her life, down to details of her adventures and number of grandkids. (And the implication that Ten really looked up all the companions, not just the ones we saw on screen.) Yes, RTD couldn't resist the "I kept hoping you'd visit" but you know, Jo would, plus it's not like this stopped her from enjoying her life and fighting the good environmentalist, save the whales, anti-dictators fight.
Flashbacks: to figure out just where the Four and Three ones came from is going to take fandom only a day or two is my guess (the soundclips of Ainley! and Delgado!Master in Utopia were identified within that time as I recall); for now let me say I'm amused and satisfied Jo's memories contained a lot of the Master because all the run-ins with him were a significant portion of her time with Three. Also the Second and First Doctor from The Three Doctors.
Moment I know some of fandom will hate but which I found touching: Sarah Jane asking Eleven about the regeneration, and Eleven's reaction. Oh, and Jo innocently making that crack about getting the Doctor in trouble with the Time Lords, and the small beat of Eleven's silence before Sarah Jane covered the moment was just the right amount, not too much and not too little.
Element that made me roll my eyes: yet another UNIT bad egg after the imposter in the Brigadier story from s2. Though at least there was a hint about her motivation, too (with the "there is nothing left for me here"), but still.
Jo's grandson Santiago: can stay. Or rather, go on fighting the good liberal causes fight.
In conclusion: Joooooooo!
First of all, I was expecting Jo to have had a good post-Doctor life after the RTD interview in which he rejected book canon for her where she was unhappy, so while the listing of her hippie adventures made me squee in delight, it wasn't a surprise. What was a surprise was that good old Rusty, while he was at it, demolished some more tie-in canon with that list of what-other-companions-were-up-to at the end and provided Tegan, Ben and Polly, Barbara and Ian and "Dorothy Something" (there are two possible candidates here, and one of them is Ace because Dorothy was her given name) with fabulous and exciting lives as well. (And Harry; I suppose the implication that he's dead now, since Sarah Jane talks of him in the past tense, is due to the actor being dead and meant as a homage?) Which was lovely; I'm especially happy for Tegan because I had heard the books give her cancer which on top of everything that happened to her on screen really would have been awful. What RTD lets Sarah Jane say about her is so much better. And Barbara & Ian being unaging professors in Cambridge amused and pleased me as much as Liz Shaw being on the moon did. Well done, Welsh Writer Currently In The US!
He was also having one of his "let's mess with fandom and have some in-jokes" days, aka the Sound of Drums' "you watch too much tv" when Martha asks whether the Master is the Doctor's brother; here, it's Clyde asking Eleven two endlessly debated questions (whether he always has to regenerate into a whilte man or whether that could change and how many regenerations he has). (For the record, on a Watsonian level, I think the Doctor meant the first reply seriously and was just making a number up to mess with Clyde in the second.)
The plot was as usual just a macguffin, though I liked the Shansheen (why do I always think Shanshu?)'s motivation being not the usual "wanna take over the universe/earth" variety but one that made sense with their background as given. The character moments, also as usual, were pure gold starting with the little Clyde/Luke angst and resolution at the very beginning. Jo's entrance, interrupting the pseudo solemnity of the funeral, was perfect, perfectly her, and if there was any doubt that RTD could write Jo and Katy Manning could still play her, it was settled right then and there. Sarah Jane/Jo friendship throughout the two parter was lovely (and should make for some great icons with all the hugs, snuggles and handholding). Eleven rude to Jo when first seeing her was a parallel to Three being rude to Jo when first encountering her (which is why it didn't upset me - I recognize a homage when I see one), and was balanced quite soon with the great revelation about him knowing all about her life, down to details of her adventures and number of grandkids. (And the implication that Ten really looked up all the companions, not just the ones we saw on screen.) Yes, RTD couldn't resist the "I kept hoping you'd visit" but you know, Jo would, plus it's not like this stopped her from enjoying her life and fighting the good environmentalist, save the whales, anti-dictators fight.
Flashbacks: to figure out just where the Four and Three ones came from is going to take fandom only a day or two is my guess (the soundclips of Ainley! and Delgado!Master in Utopia were identified within that time as I recall); for now let me say I'm amused and satisfied Jo's memories contained a lot of the Master because all the run-ins with him were a significant portion of her time with Three. Also the Second and First Doctor from The Three Doctors.
Moment I know some of fandom will hate but which I found touching: Sarah Jane asking Eleven about the regeneration, and Eleven's reaction. Oh, and Jo innocently making that crack about getting the Doctor in trouble with the Time Lords, and the small beat of Eleven's silence before Sarah Jane covered the moment was just the right amount, not too much and not too little.
Element that made me roll my eyes: yet another UNIT bad egg after the imposter in the Brigadier story from s2. Though at least there was a hint about her motivation, too (with the "there is nothing left for me here"), but still.
Jo's grandson Santiago: can stay. Or rather, go on fighting the good liberal causes fight.
In conclusion: Joooooooo!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-27 07:02 am (UTC)I have a personal theory about why all those companions seem to be alive after being declared dead in spin-offs, which I really ought to make a post about ...
no subject
Date: 2010-10-27 07:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-27 07:49 am (UTC)Anyway, I just made a rambling post on the subject.