TV Club Extra: SJA: Prisoner of the Judoon

Television TV Club
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Sarah Jane and the gang face the most dangerous day of their lives as the rhino-like Judoon return. When prisoner Androvax the Annihilator crash-lands on Earth, the Veil is set free to turn Earth’s technology against itself. His next intended victim is Sarah Jane.

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TV Club Backlog
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I liked some of the things in this story but I especially love Captain Tybo!

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Closing my eyes and covering my ears to the inevitable deluge of people who think this episode is naff because it is maybe my favourite SJA ever <3 the best? No. But my favourite, certainly. It’s silly, it’s fun, Tybo is a great side character, I love Androvax, and basically I cannot overstate what effect Sarah’s look in this episode had on my impressionable young mind <33

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7/10

Coincidentally watched this last night haha. A decent episode though Liz Sladen starts to ham it up a bit too much by the end. My review below.

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And so, from the golden era of Torchwood, we enter the golden era of The Sarah Jane Adventures (series 3 & 4). For me, series 3 is where the show goes from ‘a kids show that’s remarkably a pretty good watch’ to ‘a genuinely good TV show in its own right’. Prisoner isn’t the strongest of the season, but it’s still great. I’m HYPED to dive in.

Part One

  • Oh yeah, Clyde’s new intro. A decent idea objectively speaking, but it doesn’t take long for it to start grating.
  • Sarah’s monologue is a bit much too but I guess it became the thing to bookend each season with those moments.
  • The nanotech stuff is all very convenient for this story. Certainly feels miles ahead of anything humans should be doing at this point in history, I don’t remember whether that’s explained or not.
  • The Judoon are absolutely perfect for this show, it’s a great idea and this story does a great job of adding to their mythos.
  • Androvax is also a brilliant villain. Properly menacing and a captivating performance from Mark Goldthorp.
  • The little girl is a decent actor. A fun twist to have her possessed, although you can tell from the start that something is up.
  • Tybo driving is hilarious. ‘Handbrake unnecessary.’ And the moment telling the hoodlum to reduce the volume of his music. I remember on broadcast some people felt this got too silly but come on, it’s properly funny.
  • Sarah being possessed for the millionth time in her life. It’s a pretty strong performance, I can’t quite pinpoint why it occasionally makes me cringe a bit.
  • The Haresh/Gita subplot is so random. But again, pretty entertaining.
  • Decent cliffhanger too!

Verdict after Part One - This one is just a huge heap of fun. Sarah being possessed is a little tiresome, but it makes way for the absolutely brilliant interactions between Tybo and the teenagers, which are absolutely the highlight. I don’t really remember what happens over the course of Part Two so I’m hoping it doesn’t take too much of a downturn, because I’m having a lot of frivolous fun.

Part Two

  • Hey, Dreamland reference. I’d remembered that The Vault of Secrets was something of a sequel to this story and to Dreamland, but hand’t appreciated that the initial seeds were intentionally (presumably) planted here.
  • ‘You pay, you display’. I love Tybo.
  • I’d completely forgotten that more Judoon end up showing up.
  • Haresh and Gita are two of the greatest characters in the whole franchise and they don’t get enough love. Hilarious but also hearts of absolute gold, I love them.
  • Possessed Sarah talking to real Sarah in the reflection is a nice moment but it’s odd it hadn’t happened sooner.
  • Luke saves the day. We’re a year on in production terms and, sadly, I still really don’t buy into Tommy Knight’s performance. I find him very irritating and always have.
  • The Bannerman Road crew playing dumb to the Chandra parents is a great moment. Really fun way to end the serial.

Verdict - The second half manages to stick the landing remarkably well, despite almost all of my memories of this serial coming from the first half. It actually gets quite dramatic and tense successfully, where the first part is largely comedic romp. My main gripe is that we get so little of Androvax as Androvax himself, as I think both the design and Goldthorp’s performance are really strong. I think this may be rectified when he returns but still feels a shame here. Otherwise, a lot of fun, as ever!

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Gita’s reaction when she saw the Judoon! :sob::sob::sob:

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something I say alllll the time haha

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I had so much fun with this story!! Captain Tybo was fun, and him being like ‘method not working’ before spraying Clyde with a spray bottle like a misbehaving cat to wake him up was hilarious! And poor Sarah Jane being possessed once again as the Chandra family are having their own strange but comical adventure.

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