The gang’s all here!
Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), Luke Smith (Tommy Knight), Rani Chandra (Anjli Mohindra), and Clyde Langer (Daniel Anthony) are back and once again protecting the Earth from alien visitors. An escaped prisoner takes possession of Sarah Jane, Rani accidentally creates an alternate timeline, a haunted house is explored, Mona Lisa comes to life, and the Blathereen of Raxacoricofallapatoria could doom the Earth with a dangerous plant…plus, Sarah Jane gets a special visit from the Doctor (David Tennant) as she prepares to marry, and the Trickster returns.
The Sarah Jane Adventures—Season 3 (or Series 3) aired from October 15, 2009 to November 20, 2009 on BBC One. The series was often honored as children’s programming.
Sarah Jane is having fun…way too much fun
I kind of enjoy this series, and despite being aimed at children, the stories are often very in line with Doctor Who (of which is spun off). The stories and characters are all tied together and the world of Doctor Who feels alive in this series.
The Sarah Jane Adventures—Season 3 especially feels tied to Doctor Who in that it features the last appearances of David Tennant as the Doctor. The series “The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith” actually was recorded after Tennant’s death and Matt Smith’s regeneration in “The End of Time”. It is always nice to see the Doctor interact with Sarah Jane due to their long history together and the last moments of the series mimic Sarah Jane’s last moments in her final regular serial appearance in “The Hand of Fear” in 1976.
Guess who’s back!
Despite the high stakes of series, the characters don’t ever feel really in danger. The final episode “The Gift” has Luke’s character near death, but unlike something like Doctor Who where bad things do happen it never feels like it could get very dark. The series also feels a bit unbalanced with the fun “Wedding” episode in the middle when it feels like it should be a final episode.
The Sarah Jane Adventures—Season 3 is a good season, and the show is a fun series that unfortunately was cut short not by ratings, but by the untimely death of Elisabeth Sladen during season 5. It feels like these few seasons of the show should be enjoyed since there aren’t many episodes of a fun series; I just wish the seasons were a bit longer.
The Sarah Jane Adventures—Season 3 Complete Episode Guide:
“Prisoner of the Judoon–Part 1”
3.1 Prisoner of the Judoon: Part 1 Airdate: 09/15/09
A Judoon prison ship crashes on Earth and releases its prisoner. As Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) and Clyde (Daniel Anthony) search for the alien prisoner Androvax (Mark Goldthorp), Luke (Tommy Knight) and Rani (Anjli Mohindra) must keep the Judoon Captain Tybo occupied. When Sarah Jane is possessed by Androvax, Clyde, Luke, and Rani must team with Captain Tybo to save her. Androvax goes after the nanoforms being made by a company, and she leaves a trap with Mr. Smith (voiced by Alexander Armstrong).
“Prisoner of the Judoon–Part 2”
3.2 Prisoner of the Judoon: Part 2 Airdate: 10/16/09
Androvax (possessing Sarah Jane) plans to use the nanoforms to destroy Earth and cover her tracks as she escapes. Rani, Clyde, and Luke stop Mr. Smith from exploding and set out to stop to free Sarah Jane before the Earth is destroyed. Rani finds even more problems when she discovers her parents Gita and Haresh (Mina Anwar and Ace Bhatti) have made their way to the nanotech company.
“The Mad Woman in the Attic–Part 1”
3.3 The Mad Woman in the Attic: Part 1 Airdate: 10/22/09
Rani (Souad Faress) is an old woman living in an attic. When Adam (Gregg Sulkin) comes to see Rani, he asks Rani to tell him the truth of what happened to her and her friends. Rani tells how she found herself competing for Sarah Jane’s attention and told her former friend Sam (Toby Parkes) about her time with Sarah Jane. When Rani decides to investigate strange goings on at a closed amusement park, she meets a strange caretaker named Harry Sowersby (Brian Miller) and an alien named Eve (Elanor Tomlinson) who can make people happy by giving them their desires.
“The Mad Woman in the Attic–Part 2”
3.4 The Mad Woman in the Attic: Part 2 Airdate: 10/23/09
Sarah Jane and Clyde go to the amusement park to rescue Rani but find Eve has taken control. As Eve tries to make everyone happy to keep her friends, the future might be set in stone due to Rani’s errant wish. Sarah Jane gets a glimpse of the future that shows the return of an old friend.
“The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith–Part 1”
3.5 The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith: Part 1 Airdate: 10/29/09
Sarah Jane has a new man in her life named Peter Dalton (Nigel Havers). Peter wins over Luke, but Rani and Clyde remain suspicious. When Peter pops the question, Sarah is headed to the altar, but an intervention from the Doctor (David Tennant) will reveal the truth.
“The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith: Part 2”
3.6 The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith: Part 2 Airdate: 10/30/09
The Trickster (Paul Marc Davis) has Sarah Jane and her fiancé hostage on their wedding day, and Sarah Jane learns the truth of what the Trickster has told him. Ordered to marry and forget her life, Sarah Jane learns that if she doesn’t give in to the Trickster, Luke, Rani, and Clyde might pay the price. The Doctor, Rani, Luke, and Clyde find themselves fighting to escape an eternity trapped in time.
“The Eternity Trap–Part 1”
3.7 The Eternity Trap: Part 1 Airdate: 11/05/09
Sarah Jane, Clyde, and Rani head to investigate the Ashen Hill Manor with a group of ghost researchers named Professor Rivers (Floella Benjamin) and Toby Silverman (Adam Gillen). When strange events begin occurring, the tale of an alchemist named Erasmus Darkening (Donald Sumpter) who lived at the house with Lord Marchwood (Callum Blue) and his children is told. When Professor Rivers disappears like other inhabitants of the house, Rani, Toby, Clyde, and Sarah Jane must uncover if Darkening’s tale is a ghost story before they disappear also.
“The Eternity Trap–Part 2”
3.8 The Eternity Trap: Part 2 Airdate: 11/06/09
The truth about Erasmus Darkening is revealed while Lord Marchwood tries to protect Sarah Jane, Clyde, Rani, and Toby. As Darkening’s lab reveals his secrets, Sarah Jane must find a way to save the “spirits” of the house from Darkening and stop Darkening forever.
“Mona Lisa’s Revenge–Part 1”
3.9 Mona Lisa’s Revenge: Part 1 Airdate: 11/12/09
Sarah Jane and Luke find themselves at odds over Luke’s behavior when he starts acting like a teenager. Luke turns in Clyde’s artwork to a contest that gets a tour of the Mona Lisa coming to London. When the Mona Lisa seems to absorb a museum assistant, the real Mona Lisa escapes into the museum. Luke tries to solve the mystery without his mother, and Sarah Jane infiltrates the museum on her own. Sarah Jane is confronted by Mona Lisa and learns that she is searching for something.
“Mona Lisa’s Revenge–Part 2”
3.10 Mona Lisa’s Revenge: Part 2 Airdate: 11/13/09
Sarah Jane is trapped in a painting by Mona Lisa, and Luke, Rani, and Clyde must free her. Mona Lisa searches for her “brother” a legendary creation called the Abomination, but Luke, Rani, and Clyde realize that the Abomination could destroy the world.
“The Gift–Part 1”
3.11 The Gift: Part 1 Airdate: 11/19/09
The Slitheen are back and intent on transforming Earth into a giant diamond. When the Blathereen of Raxacoricofallapatoria come to stop the Slitheen, Sarah Jane questions if they can be trusted. When the Blathereen ask for a truce between Earth and Raxacoricofallapatoria, Sarah Jane realizes her life could be changed if her ties to aliens are revealed. The gift of a Rakweed causes the spread of a plant and illness for Luke. Clyde’s “borrowing” of K-9 could lead to trouble in school.
“The Gift–Part 2”
3.12 The Gift: Part 2 Airdate: 11/20/09
The Rakweed spreads and Sarah Jane learns that the Blathereen intend to harvest the Rakweed for profit. Sarah Jane tracks down the Blathereen as Rani, Clyde, and K-9 race to save Luke.
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Related Links:
K-9 and Company: A Girl’s Best Friend
The Sarah Jane Adventures—Season 1 Review and Complete Episode Guide
The Sarah Jane Adventures—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
The Sarah Jane Adventures—Season 4 Review and Complete Episode Guide
The Sarah Jane Adventures—Season 5 Review and Complete Episode Guide
