The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith (TV story)

The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith is the fifth serial in Series 2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures

Synopsis
When Sarah Jane returns a boy who has slipped through a time fissure back to 1951, she realizes she has found a way to meet the parents she never knew. But is it a trap? Sarah Jane and Luke fall victim to a revenge plot by The Trickster.

Part 1
A boy appears through a time fissure. Sarah Jane and Luke find the fissure as Clyde and Rani chase after the boy. They bring the boy back and Sarah Jane opens the fissure so the boy can return home. The boy is scared, so Sarah Jane takes him through. Before she can leave, Sarah Jane discovers that it is 1951. She stops herself from something then returns through the fissure. The boy asks if he completed his task and the Trickster appears, saying he did it perfectly, and that this is the time when Sarah Jane will not be able to resist temptation. Rani, Clyde and Luke try to convince Sarah Jane to let them go through, using her travels with the Doctor as leverage, but she tells them that it is too dangerous and the Doctor knew what he was doing, mostly. She closes the fissure up and they head home.

At home, the kids agree that something is wrong with Sarah Jane and they ask Luke to find out what. In the attic, Sarah Jane asks Mr Smith the status of the fissure, which is in-active. She then asks him the history of Foxgrove. After telling her, Sarah Jane puts Mr Smith away and looks at a black and white photograph.

Luke enters and convinces Sarah Jane to tell him the truth. She explains about her parents, their death, and how she was raised by her aunt. Luke asks why she doesn't go back, Sarah Jane telling him it could be a trap. Luke notes that it could just be a coincidence but Sarah Jane stays strong and decides not to go.

That night, Sarah Jane gets ready to go through the fissure and attempts to leave, but is caught by Luke. He questions her fashion before the two head out. At the fissure they discuss the dangers of crossing your own time-line. Sarah Jane passes through and the fissure closes, but not before Luke jumps through. The fissure is still active and can be opened, so Sarah Jane and Luke head towards the village, whilst being watched by Oscar, the boy they rescued.

Clyde discovers Sarah Jane's house empty and after failing to get either of them on their mobiles, heads to Rani's house and, with the aid of Gita, gets her out of bed. On entering the house they find that it is empty and Mr Smith has no idea where they might be. He has a theory that Sarah Jane may have gone back in time through the time portal. Mr Smith then detects that the box that the Verron Soothsayer had given Sarah Jane earlier has become active again and is glowing blue. Clyde explains what it is and Rani asks how it will protect them. Clyde suggests that it will protect them use its boxy goodness.

Sarah Jane and Luke arrive in the village, where they meets her parents at a fete. Luke sees Oscar and follows him, but finds only a newspaper. Sarah Jane helps out serving tea and talks to her mother, learning more about her parents.

On taking the box to the portal, neither Rani nor Clyde are able to find a way to use it, but then the box changes colour to red.

Sarah Jane leaves the fete as her emotions begin to get the better of her. Luke tells her that their deaths are today. Luke wants to go home and the two argue, but Sarah Jane disables her parents' car engine, stopping them from being killed and changing the future. They leave the village and head for the fissure as the weather begins to turn.

Clyde and Rani watch as the time portal opens and out steps Oscar. When Oscar changes into a Graske they run off. They succeed in evading it by hiding behind some bins. Time starts to change so Clyde puts his arm round Rani and they experience the transition from their version of the future into a new post apocalyptic version.

Sarah Jane and Luke arrive back in 2009. London has been destroyed and the Trickster reveals himself. She asks how he gained control and he tells her that she did when she stopped her parents' deaths.

Part 2
He explains how he gained control of the world. Sarah and Luke tell him they are going to travel through the portal, but the Trickster tells Sarah Jane that the battle is over. When they eventually travel through the portal. When they arrive they notice the clouds changing colour. The weather is changing and so the fête is moved to the village hall. Sarah and Luke arrive at the memorial and see the Big Ben destroyed and so the Trickster appears and tells Sarah Jane it was all her fault as she gave the world to the Trickster. Sarah Jane demands to know how saving her parents could have altered time so drastically, to which the Trickster explains the village was built on a fault in time. Sarah Jane's tampering with a fixed point in time opened this fault, allowing the Trickster to physically enter their reality and ravage Earth for the last half century. Sarah Jane and Luke go back through the fissure as the Trickster gloats he has already won. Meanwhile, Clyde and Rani explore the ruined London, reduced to rock formations and worked by the last surviving human slaves who are led by the Trickster's Graske. The slaves are being made to mine resources so that the Trickster may create a ship and extend his reach to the rest of the universe. Clyde and Rani implore the Graske to help them restore the original timeline but he explains that if he did the Trickster would punish him; years ago the Graske had nearly died in space, but had been saved by the Trickster in return for eternal servitude. Clyde promises the Graske that if he helps them, they will give him the puzzle box to free him from the Trickster. The Graske agrees and reopens the fissure so that Rani can tell Sarah Jane the new information. In the past, Sarah Jane's parents come to realise who she is and what she was trying to prevent. However, their touch now instantly withers any organic life they hold and they realise it is their destiny to drive off this day. After telling their daughter how proud they are of her, they both enter the new repaired car and drive off. The Trickster begins to fade, unable to see how the timeline could have been restored. Sarah Jane proudly states that the Trickster's plan never considered that her parents would willingly sacrifice themselves to save the world. The Trickster vanishes, howling in pain. Back in the modern day, the timeline is restored around the Graske and Clyde, who gives the alien the box. The Graske teleports away, beaming over its newly returned freedom. The fissure reopens as Sarah Jane, Luke and Rani return. Later at home, Sarah Jane reminisces over her parents. Although she could not save them, she finally knows why they left and is incredibly proud of them. The scene ends with Sarah Jane hugging her son and her picture of her parents saying on the back, "Mr Smith, I need you."

Cast

 * Sarah Jane Smith - Elizabeth Sladen
 * Luke Smith - Tommy Knight
 * Clyde Langer - Daniel Anthony
 * Rani Chandra - Anjli Mohindra
 * Voice of Mr Smith - Alexander Armstrong
 * Gita Chandra - Mina Anwar
 * Barbara Smith - Rosanna Lavelle
 * Eddie Smith - Christopher Pizzey
 * The Trickster - Paul Marc Davies
 * Graske - Jimmy Vee
 * Mrs King - Georgie Glenn
 * Oscar - Robert Madge
 * PC Ferguson - Andrew Bullivant

Production Crew
to be added

Story notes

 * On the BBC iplayer page, Alan, Maria, Paul and Carla are all listed in the credits, even though they did not appear in the televised episode.
 * The story and its ending bears many similarities with the mainstream Doctor Who episode Father's Day.

Ratings

 * Episode 1 - 483,000 (CBBC channel)
 * Episode 2 - To Be Added

Myths
to be added

Filming locations
to be added

Production errors

 * Luke doesn't get questioned for his clothing, which was not in fashion in the 1950s, yet Rani does.

Continuity

 * The Graske appears in this episode. It appeared in SJA: Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?' in Series 1, as well as DW: Attack of the Graske and Music of the Spheres.
 * Eddie and Barbara make sure their deaths happen just as Pete Tyler did. (DW: Father's Day)
 * Rani encounters racial tension in the 1950s, as did the Doctor's companion, Martha Jones, in 1913 (DW: Human Nature / The Family of Blood.)

Novelisation
No novelisation of this story has been announced for publication, although other episodes have been adapted.

Home video releases
This story, along with the rest of Series 2, is scheduled for release on DVD on 9th November 2009 (UK) and 10th November 2009 (North America).