Written by Joseph Lidster
Directed by Alice Troughton
“Sarah Jane’s got this metal dog, and he’s trapped in this space void dimension thing, stopping Earth being sucked up by a black hole.”
“That is rather…improbable.”
MUCH better than last week…the real Sarah Jane Adventures has returned to our screens.
Ghost stories and nostalgia seem to be this series’ most successful stock & trade. Some of its best episodes explore people who are lost, and the redemption involved in regaining a purpose, or an identity, or a family…even if it’s just a brief moment. The Mad Woman in the Attic certainly spins this plotline for all its golden potential.
Much of the success of this story can be put down to Souad Faress’ wonderful, biting, devastating portrayal of a destroyed, empty, & oh-so-lonely Rani of 2059. In a virtual two-hander with Gregg Sulkin’s Adam, she fully conveys the terrible agony of losing everything that was precious…and the joy in regaining it. Kudos also go to Elisabeth Sladen’s real-life husband, Brian Miller - he really does play the creepy-yet-loveable older man effortlessly. Though I’m not sure he’d find that a compliment. ;-)
There are many other moments that sing in this story: an orphaned alien linked to the time war, a sentient ship that is FAR more than it seems, the flashback sequences, the teaser of the Doctor’s return (SQUEE for next week!), the wonderful banter between Sarah and Clyde, and moments of surprising character development, with Sarah’s realization that her years of being on her own have led to her becoming mistrustful of the people around her…far more than she ever realized.
Two episodes of a “children’s show” that once again offers more drama, comedy, and overall satisfaction than much of the “adult” shows surrounding it. It even confounds expectations with an emotional happy ending, when you’re sure the story is heading for an altogether different conclusion. The Mad Woman in the Attic qualifies as a suitable primer for all other Sarah Jane Adventures.
And K9 is back! Hehehe! :D
