Written by Gareth Roberts
Directed by Michael Kerrigan
I think this qualifies as the weakest episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures to date. It’s not bad at all…it simply shallow and unremarkable, compared to its stable-mates.
Maybe it’s the acting — it certainly left me feeling rather perplexed. Russ Abbot gives one of the strangest performances ever as chief villain Martin Trueman. It’s part classic Doctor Who baddie…and part over-the-top caricature. Together, it makes for a very uncomfortable combination: lots of old-school villainy one moment, mind-boggling, can’t-take-it-seriously howling the next. It’s as if someone decided to steal the alter-ego of Dr. Morpheus from The Venture Brothers and shove him into a Sarah Jane episode.
The plot isn’t exactly stimulating or gripping. More hypnotic-alien possession…and the result is a bit of Doctor Who’s The Christmas Invasion done on the cheap. As a matter of fact…that might be my biggest complaint about Secrets of the Stars. Overall, it seems VERY cheap, as if they’ve decided to save money on story and actors for something bigger down the line. Even the big zodiac wheel, symbols lighting up one-by-one in part 2, gives it the flavour of a daytime game show.
It’s not a complete waste of time: all the regulars put in great performances, with special kudos to Daniel Anthony — a young man who is having a very good season so far. Clyde is the only one of the possessed characters who doesn’t seem over-the-top (no mean feat, in the Doctor Who universe). It certainy bodes well for his future acting career, and it’s one of the few reasons to stick with Secrets of the Stars. Otherwise, best to forget this one and move on…and put it down to a Gareth Roberts/Michael Kerrigan brain fart.
