SJA 2.1 - more or less non-spoilery reaction

[tree_and_leaf]

Well, that was rather good, wasn't it? Very reminiscent of Old Who, in the best possible way ("a scary old house... lights in the sky... a radio telescope!") - well, apart from the way in which they would have succeeded in half-concealing the identity of the antagonist until the big reveal half way through the episode, if it weren't for the way the title gave it away (why hallo thar, numerous 'X of the Y' stories throughout the parent show's history). Was Clyde always that brilliant? Maria and Luke continue to be good, too. Sarah really is turning into the Doctor (right down to her bracing, wise yet totally unhelpful response to Maria's non alien related problems), though I don't know why she couldn't have actually stopped and phoned UNIT like she said she was going to. And the lone enemy is brilliant - the right mix of admirable determination and courage, pathos and wounded honour, so that you feel sympathy for him, until you're suddenly forced abruptly to face the ugliness of a warrior code that would wipe out a planet in order to erase a stain on that honour.† And, oddly enough, it's even more shocking precisely because he is, morally, considerably superior to the Cybermen and the Daleks.

Scary cliff-hanger: how will they get out of that? And will Maria's dad prove as competent as his daughter?

† All the same, note to Ten. Yes, I know you seem to have decided that picking up a gun makes you totally morally bankrupt, with nothing to chose between UNIT and the Dalek - or Sontaran - invasion fleet, despite your own rather uneven record on the subject. All the same, and despite the unfortunate business with the Silurians, can you, even for a moment, imagine the Brig doing that?

Thought not.

Comments

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

It's difficult for me to respond in some ways, as I have seen both parts 1 and 2 thanks to CBBC, but while I found the setting of the Tycho base difficult to believe in (scientific research funding cuts have evidently struck deep) it wouldn't have bothered the target audience and the script did seem to emphasise that this was low key reuse of Cold War infrastructure (which itself gains a point as I'm sure that many of those children who didn't already know what the Cold War was would go away and look it up). I'm very pleased that Maria receives a proper leaving story; to a great extent The Sarah Jane Adventures was set up as her show, though Clyde now seems to be emerging as the stronger character (and performer, though he is older) among the 'kids'.

I preferred Anthony O'Donnell's Karg to either of the Sontarans seen in Doctor Who this year - though the lone Sontaran is very Old Who. Sarah's mention of UNIT was both a nod to The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky and foreshadowing for what's to come later this series.

[tree_and_leaf]

I... have to confess that I haven't seen any Old Who Sontarans.

You're right about the research base, of course.

I couldn't find part 2 on the iPlayer previously. I must look again tonight.

[thisbluespirit]

Of course The Brigadier would never do a thing like that. And, please. Like the Doctor hasn't committed genocide himself. Just 'cos he angsts over it... ;-)

(And, interestingly, during Silurians the Brigadier is the only human on the base who doesn't start demanding that someone go and kill the creatures. He just reluctantly does what he has to at the end.)

Um. Yes. It was a good episode, wasn't it? :-D It's been fun so far.