The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (TV story)

The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith was the third story in The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 3. This episode includes an appearance by David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, the first time that the Doctor has been included in any of the spin-off series.

Synopsis
After Sarah Jane starts acting suspiciously, Luke, Clyde, Rani and K9 investigate and find she has a boyfriend, Peter Dalton, and they are going to get married. Clyde suspects Peter may be an alien. At the wedding the Trickster returns and removes the church from time. Can the Doctor save Sarah Jane and the entire planet Earth?

Part 1
Sarah Jane Smith is sneaking out of her home for "a traffic report meeting". It is the fifth time this month she has made an odd excuse to the gang for going out. This time Luke activates Mr Smith and has him to track Sarah Jane. Luke, Clyde and Rani find her on a date, with a suave-looking man; they watch through a restaurant window as Sarah Jane kisses him. As the kids leave, Clyde is puzzled by a strange sound (the distorted sound of the TARDIS engines).

Sarah Jane is upset when she learns from Mr Smith and K9 that the gang have been spying on her. She says that she was about to tell them. The man's name is Peter Dalton. Sarah Jane forgives them and jokes with Luke that she may have to tell Peter about her investigations of aliens. After Sarah Jane leaves, Luke also hears the sound of the TARDIS.

Peter arrives and Clyde, Rani and Gita try to spy on him. Sarah Jane is reluctant to reveal her secrets to Peter right away. She asks Rani to take a parcel that's been delivered to her, but it starts moving. In the Chandras' house, a multi-eyed creature bursts out of the parcel and runs rampant for a short time; it attracts K9, who runs out of the house in front of Peter, but Luke passes off K9 as a prototype toy. With K9's help, Rani and Clyde catch the creature and bring it to Mr. Smith, who transmats it to its home planet, Polongus. Meanwhile, Sarah Jane, Peter and Luke go out for a meal. Luke and Peter quickly bond with one another.

Two days later, Peter proposes to Sarah Jane in a restaurant. She accepts and the surrounding crowd applaud. However, the mysterious engagement ring begins to glow red. At the same time, Clyde starts to investigate Peter and tracks down his house over the Internet. He and Rani go there, but find the place virtually deserted, with newspaper covering the windows.

In the attic, Clyde tries to convince Sarah Jane that Peter may be more than he seems. Sarah Jane claims she knows about the empty house, as Peter now lives in a flat closer to work. Rani and Luke are convinced, but Clyde is still suspicious. He is shocked to learn that Sarah Jane is getting married to Peter in two weeks. Sarah Jane appears to be in a trance, controlled by her glowing engagement ring. Mr Smith attempts to alert Sarah Jane to alien activity. She deactivates him, saying she doesn't want to deal with aliens anymore and may never have to tell Peter about her secret life.

On the wedding day, Clyde attempts to insult Peter subtly, saying the wedding has been arranged too fast. Luke becomes angry, and suggests Clyde is projecting his attitude towards his own father onto Peter. Luke is curious as to why none of Peter's family are attending the wedding; Peter explains that he has no living relatives. Sarah Jane arrives in a limousine, accompanied by Rani as bridesmaid. The boys react with surprise and appreciation at her dress. Clyde reveals K9 is at the wedding, further enraging Luke. When the registrar invites anyone who wants to object to speak now, the Tenth Doctor bursts through the doors shouting, "Stop this wedding now!". Everyone is baffled as to why he wants the wedding stopped, but the Doctor firmly repeats that he wants the wedding stopped. Wind begins to blow inside the room and K9 emerges from hiding, saying he has detected alien activity. A white-cloaked Trickster materialises and disappears with Sarah Jane and Peter as the Doctor calls out to her.

Part 2
As Luke, Clyde and Rani regain consciousness, the Doctor introduces himself, swiftly revealing K9 and they are the only people in the hotel. It now exists in a white void trapped at 15:23:23. The Trickster has literally trapped them in a second, cutting them off from the rest of the world and, more importantly, cutting them off from the TARDIS, which cannot materialise properly. Using K9's sensors and his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor determines that Sarah Jane is trapped in another second, deducing that the Trickster has separated the two groups to prevent them helping Sarah Jane.

When Sarah Jane realises what has happened, she removes her engagement ring, recognising that it has been influencing her actions and clouding her judgment. Peter protests that the 'angel' (the Trickster) told him that the ring would only ensure everything worked out at the wedding. He points out that Sarah Jane accepted his proposal on her own. Peter explains that the Trickster came to him when he had fallen down the stairs at home and had offered him his life and the love he never had. The Trickster declares that Sarah Jane and her allies will only be returned to the real universe when she says, "I do".

While searching for a way out of the hotel, the Doctor confronts the Trickster, revealing that he is the personification of the Pantheon of Discord, a group of aliens from a different universe thriving on chaos and trying to break into this universe. The Trickster reciprocates with his own knowledge of the Doctor. He explains that, with her marriage marking the beginning of her new life, Sarah Jane will forget her old life of defending Earth; he also mysteriously comments that 'the Gate' is waiting for the Doctor.

As the TARDIS appears, attempting to 'lock on' to its pilot, the Doctor explains that they can use the artron energy that powers the TARDIS to fight the Trickster, but his attempt to help Luke, Rani and Clyde into the TARDIS fails. The TARDIS and the Doctor are cut off from the hotel. However, Clyde's attempt to enter the TARDIS results in him becoming charged with artron energy, allowing him to attack the Trickster within the Void space.

The Trickster's power momentarily disrupted by Clyde's attack, the Doctor materialises the TARDIS in Sarah's second. He reminds her there is only one way to end the Trickster's deal. As the Trickster and Clyde appear, both weakened by Clyde's attack, Sarah Jane tearfully informs Peter that the only way to stop the Trickster is for Peter to take back the deal, even though this will mean his death. Peter really died in the accident. He is only living a half-life that will become real only when he marries Sarah Jane. Although the Trickster claims that Peter is too weak to make that decision, Peter says that his love for Sarah Jane has strengthened him and that he was right, they are the perfect match for each other. He ends the deal, throwing his ring into the Trickster, who bursts into flames, screaming in agony. Peter then disappears forever.

Everyone returns to the hotel at the moment before the Doctor's arrival. Peter has vanished and nobody but the heroes remember the presence of the Trickster or the Doctor. People begin to whisper and a tearful Sarah Jane informs the guests that the wedding is off.

Later, as Sarah Jane cries in the attic, she is joined by Luke, Rani and Clyde, who console her on her loss. The TARDIS materialises in the attic. The Doctor tells Sarah Jane that he wouldn't just take off without a proper goodbye, and allows the three youngsters to come inside and look around the TARDIS control room. He departs on his travels once more, assuring Sarah Jane that she still has an incredible life ahead of her, and suggests that they may still see each other again...

Cast

 * Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
 * The Doctor - David Tennant
 * Luke Smith - Tommy Knight
 * Clyde Langer - Daniel Anthony
 * Rani Chandra - Anjli Mohindra
 * Voice of Mr Smith - Alexander Armstrong
 * Voice of K9 - John Leeson
 * The Trickster - Paul Marc Davies
 * Peter Dalton - Nigel Havers
 * Gita Chandra - Mina Anwar
 * Haresh Chandra - Ace Bhatti
 * Registrar - Zienia Merton

Individuals

 * Maria is mentioned by Luke. She is unable to attend the wedding due to exams and the fact Alan was tied up with work.
 * The Brigadier is back in Peru and unable to attend the wedding.
 * Clyde states — possibly untruthfully — that his mother, Carla Langer, is unable to attend Sarah Jane's wedding because she is attending another wedding.
 * Clyde's formal outfit is uncannily like the Doctor's: a pinstripe suit with trainers.
 * The Doctor refers to Sarah Jane Smith as "Sarah", as he often did during her time-travelling with him.
 * The Doctor says "spit spot" to Rani and Clyde, a phrase used by Mary Poppins.
 * Sarah Jane's aunt left her money, presumably a reference to Aunt Lavinia.

Objects

 * The Trickster mentions that the Doctor once held the Key to Time. (DW: The Armageddon Factor)

Planets

 * Metebelis III was mentioned by Sarah Jane, when just before her wedding she wondered aloud where she would have sent the Doctor's invitation.

Story notes

 * This was the first episode of any Doctor Who spin off to feature the Doctor himself in new footage, although some of the footage was featured in the previous episode as a vision. The Tenth Doctor also previously appeared as a flashback clip in Series 2, as did the Third and Fourth Doctors in the previous episode.
 * This marks the third appearance for the Trickster, the first two being in SJA: Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? and SJA: The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith. Though he did not appear, the Trickster was also involved in the events of DW: Turn Left and TW: Immortal Sins.
 * Production of this story occurred after the filming of DW: The End of Time, making this David Tennant's final work as the Doctor. Shortly before the episode aired, Tennant gave an interview in which he mentions that his last line playing the Doctor was, "You two, with me, spit spot!" — which appeared in Part Two when the Doctor went upstairs, taking Clyde and Rani with him.
 * The Trickster tells the Doctor that the "gate is waiting for you", alluding to the Immortality Gate as seen in DW: The End of Time.
 * Clyde and Rani meet the Doctor for the first time and Luke meets the Doctor in person for the first time (having seen him via subwave network in DW: The Stolen Earth and DW: Journey's End).
 * The Pantheon of Discord was mentioned in a letter from the Doctor in the Doctor Who Storybook 2010.
 * The TARDIS prop used in this episode was actually that of the Eleventh Doctor, built for the new 2010 season. Its shape and colour were slightly altered from the Tenth Doctor's TARDIS prop so it would show up better on HD. The St John's ambulance badge was not present.
 * The week of this episode's broadcast would prove to be a big treat for fans of K9, as this story featured K9 Mark IV and the very next day after the airing of part two, Regeneration, the premiere of the original K9's own spin-off show and his regeneration into a new model was broadcast.

Ratings
to be added

Myths

 * There were rumours of the Brigadier attending Sarah Jane's wedding. He did not and a rumour circulated that Nicholas Courtney had suffered a stroke that prevented him from participating. Both true. Although under-reported at the time, publications such as Doctor Who Magazine confirmed the stroke in its coverage of Courtney's death, while Tennant and others have confirmed that Courtney was originally intended to appear. The lost scene involving the Brigadier would appear in SJAN: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith.

Filming locations
to be added

Production errors

 * Any close-up on the Trickster reveals Paul Marc Davies's teeth behind the false ones.

Continuity

 * The Travist Polong was previously seen in SJA: The Mark of the Berserker.
 * Sarah Jane mentions Metebelis III in regards to the Doctor. This was a planet that Sarah Jane and the Third Doctor visited, where they fought the Eight Legs, resulting in the Doctor's regeneration. (DW: Planet of the Spiders)
 * Luke says he saw the Doctor save the world and the Doctor replied that Luke helped him. (DW: The Stolen Earth/ Journey's End)
 * The Trickster mentions a time that the Fourth Doctor once held the Key to Time. (DW: The Armageddon Factor)
 * Sarah Jane mentions Clyde and Rani being grounded on Earth by the Judoon. (SJA: Prisoner of the Judoon)
 * The Trickster mentions that the Gate is waiting for the Doctor, foreshadowing the events of DW: The End of Time
 * When the Doctor and Sarah Jane say goodbye to each other it almost mirrors their original parting in DW: The Hand of Fear. This time Sarah Jane says, "Until we meet again" and the Doctor says, "Don't forget me".
 * To get the youngsters' attention at one point, the Doctor uses a football rattle. (DW: The Masque of Mandragora, DWM: Doctor Who and the Nightmare Game)
 * The sound heard from the Doctor trying to break through is also used in DW: Spearhead from Space and DW: Logopolis.
 * Ship had recently shown Sarah Jane her future, including the TARDIS appearing in her attic. (SJA: The Mad Woman in the Attic)
 * The Doctor says "K9" in the same surprised way he did before. (DW: School Reunion)
 * The Doctor utters the phrase, "I'll explain later", a which has been used many times by both the Doctor and companions of the Doctor (and parodied in DW: The Curse of Fatal Death). He also says "Allons-y". (DW: Army of Ghosts, et al)
 * The Eighth Doctor previously promised to attend Sarah Jane's wedding in EDA: Interference - Book Two.
 * The Doctor mentions that he has fought the Tricksters' "shadows" and "changelings". This is an oblique reference to Donna, and the Doctor indirectly, fighting the time changing beetle, a member of The Trickster's Brigade. (DW: Turn Left )
 * Gita remarks that one of the guests is Clarissa, who "used to be her editor". This is interpretable as a reference to Sarah's editor in The Paradise of Death and The Ghosts of N-Space.

Timeline
For the the Tenth Doctor:
 * This story occurs after NSA: The Krillitane Storm.
 * This story occurs before DW: The Waters of Mars.

For Sarah Jane:
 * This story occurs after SJA: The Mad Woman in the Attic.
 * This story occurs before SJA: The Eternity Trap.