The Last Sontaran (TV story): Difference between revisions

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'''The Last Sontaran''' is the first story of [[The Sarah Jane Adventures]] [[Series 2 (The Sarah Jane Adventures)|Series 2]].  
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{{real world}}
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{{Infobox Story SMW
|image                = KaaghScreams.jpg
|series              = [[List of The Sarah Jane Adventures television stories|''SJA'' television stories]]
|season number        = Series 2 (SJA)
|season serial number = 1
|story number        = 7
|scripturl      = https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/documents/sja-series-2-episode-1-the-last-sontaran-part-one-green-revisions-08072008.pdf
|scripturl2      = https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/documents/sja-series-2-episode-2-the-last-sontaran-part-two-goldenrod-revisions-11072008.pdf
|main character      = [[Sarah Jane Smith|Sarah Jane]], [[Maria Jackson|Maria]], [[Luke Smith|Luke]], [[Clyde Langer|Clyde]], [[Mr Smith]]
|featuring            = Alan Jackson
|featuring2          = Chrissie Jackson
|enemy                = [[Commander]] [[Kaagh]]
|setting              = {{il|[[Goblin's Copse]], [[2009]]|[[Ealing]], [[2009]]}}
|writer              = Phil Ford
|director            = [[Joss Agnew]]
|producer            = [[Nikki Smith]]
|novelisation        = The Last Sontaran (novelisation)
|broadcast date      = 29 September - 6 October 2008
|format              = 2x30 minute episodes
|prev                = The Lost Boy (TV story)
|next                = The Day of the Clown (TV story)
|network = BBC One, CBBC}}
'''''The Last Sontaran''''' was the first serial of [[Series 2 (SJA)|series 2]] of ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]''. It was written by [[Phil Ford]] and directed by [[Joss Agnew]].


{{Infobox Sarah Jane Adventures
It was the final regular appearance of Yasmin Paige as Maria Jackson, who left the regular cast, along with her father [[Alan Jackson|Alan]], after he received a job offer in [[America]]. He left the decision of moving away up to Maria, who supported him to take the new job. It also featured the last appearance of [[Chrissie Jackson]], who would become directly involved in the alien dealings of Sarah Jane's life. Now that her family was leaving for America, she stopped paying visits to [[Bannerman Road]]. Notably, it acted as a sequel to the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode, ''[[The Poison Sky (TV story)|The Poison Sky]]'', dealing with the consequences of the [[Tenth Doctor]]'s battle with the [[Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet]].
|story name= The Last Sontaran
 
|image= [[Image:Kaagh.jpg|250px]]
== Synopsis ==
|series= [[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]<br>
Reports of strange lights around the [[Tycho Project]]'s [[radio telescope]] lead [[Sarah Jane Smith|Sarah Jane]], [[Luke Smith|Luke]], [[Clyde Langer|Clyde]] and [[Maria Jackson|Maria]] into a terrifying forest encounter. Sarah Jane comes face-to-face with [[Sontaran|her oldest enemy]]. Meanwhile, Maria wrestles with a huge decision when her dad is offered a new job in [[United States of America|America]].
[[List of The Sarah Jane Adventures television stories|TV story]] |
 
|number=
== Plot ==
|featuring= <ul><li>[[Sarah Jane Smith]]</li><li>[[Luke Smith]]</li><li>[[Clyde Langer]]</li><li>[[Maria Jackson]]</li>
=== Part 1 ===
|enemy= [[Sontaran]]
Sarah Jane and Maria discuss the experiences they have shared since Maria's arrival in Bannerman Road, such as [[Invasion of the Bane (TV story)|the Bane]], [[Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)|the]] [[The Lost Boy (TV story)|Slitheen]], [[Eye of the Gorgon (TV story)|the Gorgon]] and [[Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? (TV story)|the Trickster]]. They watch the night sky as they look forward to many more discoveries.
|writer= [[Phil Ford]]
 
|director= [[Joss Agnew]]
In rural [[Goblin's Copse]], at a [[radio telescope]] used in the [[Tycho Project]]'s search for [[alien]] life, [[Lucy Skinner]] and her astronomer dad, Professor [[Nicholas Skinner]], also watch the night sky. They spot strange lights floating about. Professor Skinner investigates, but goes missing. Lucy investigates, and is promptly captured.
|producer=
 
|broadcast date= [[29th September]] [[2008]]
The next day, [[Luke Smith|Luke]] and [[Clyde Langer|Clyde]] play a strategy game with [[Mr Smith]] to learn about battle strategies. Sarah Jane interrupts. She had heard reports of the strange lights the previous night. Despite Mr Smith's assurances that strange lights rarely herald alien activity, she pursues the story.
|format= 2 - 30 minute episodes |
 
|production code=
[[Maria Jackson|Maria]] and [[Alan Jackson|Alan]] have received an important letter, but have found that the implications are far larger than they imagined and will cause an imminent major change in their lives. Alan tells Maria the decision is not just his to make.
|previous story=  ''[[The Lost Boy]]''
 
|next story= ''[[The Day of the Clown]]''
Sarah Jane, Clyde, Luke and Maria head to the countryside to investigate. They arrive at [[Goblin's Copse]] and discuss the size of space. They are watched by something. Inside, the find the building empty and are investigating when Lucy enters. She tells them that her dad is still missing. Luke and Clyde look outside for the professor after Sarah Jane warns them to stay away from the woods. Ignoring Sarah Jane's instructions to stay away from the woods, the boys search the woods and the creature watching them becomes [[Cloaking field|invisible]].
}}
 
While Lucy sleeps, Sarah Jane decides to ask Maria what is troubling her after noticing some unusual behaviour, and Maria reveals that [[Alan Jackson|Alan]] has been offered a job in [[United States|America]] at the head office of his firm. Maria is ambivalent about the news; she is happy for her dad but sad that she must leave her friends behind. Sarah Jane closes herself off from Maria, telling her she's happy for her, but is clearly upset.
 
At his house, Alan discusses the job with Chrissie and how it will change Maria's life more than his.
 
In the woods, Clyde and Luke hear a noise. A Sontaran, armed with a gun, reveals himself and chases them. The boys lose him, but come across a [[Cloaking field|cloaked]] object.
 
[[File:Kaagh_chasing_luke_and_clyde.jpg|thumb|left|Kaagh chasing Luke and Clyde]]
When Lucy wakes up, Sarah Jane persuades her to recall the events of the previous night. Professor Skinner appears, though he seems strangely detached and unemotional. He orders Sarah Jane and Maria to leave immediately, which they do. Lucy makes him some coffee and he approaches her strangely.
 
Luke calls Sarah Jane and when she and Maria arrive, he and Clyde show them the object. When the cloaking field is disabled, Sarah Jane immediately recognises the Sontaran ship. Its Sontaran occupant, [[Kaagh|Commander Kaagh]], appears behind them, armed.
 
Maria tricks Kaagh and the group escape, splitting up, with Kaagh chasing them. Sarah Jane and Clyde attempt to reason with Professor Skinner. They find his mind is controlled by the Sontaran. Outside the observatory, Luke and Maria crawl into a vent that leads into the building.
 
Maria and Luke watch from the vent while Kaagh and Sarah Jane talk. He says he was badly wounded when the [[Tenth Doctor]] defeated the Sontaran army. As the only survivor of the [[Sontaran invasion of Earth|botched invasion]], he has vowed revenge on [[Earth]] for his peoples' humiliation. He reveals his plan to use the Tycho radio telescope to take control of Earth's satellites, and steer them to crash into nuclear reactors on Earth, triggering nuclear annihilation.
 
Clyde protests, so Kaagh says he will experiment on him. Sarah Jane steps in front of Clyde, defying Kaagh. He pulls out his gun and shoots her.
 
=== Part 2 ===
Kaagh shoots Sarah Jane. She sprawls unconscious on the floor. He boasts to Clyde that she will be taken to [[Sontar]] as a prize and he will be hailed as a hero instead of a laughing stock. Luke and Maria, hidden in a nearby vent, watch the scene unfold. They catch Clyde's attention and motion for him to join them.


==Synopsis==
Sarah Jane awakens to find she is in a store room with Lucy Skinner. Kaagh has taken her [[sonic lipstick]]. Undeterred, Lucy and she start to build a device to jam the signal to the satellites. Aware that Kaagh will detect it, they plan to escape when he comes to investigate.
Reports of strange lights around the [[Tycho Project]]'s [[radio telescope]] lead [[Sarah Jane Smith|Sarah Jane]], [[Luke Smith|Luke]], Clyde, and [[Maria Jackson|Maria]] into a terrifying forest encounter, where Sarah Jane comes face-to-face with her oldest enemy.  


Meanwhile, Maria wrestles with a huge decision when her dad is offered a new job in America.
[[File:21 (2).jpg|thumb|right|Maria tells Luke she's moving to America.]]
Luke, Maria and Clyde provoke Kaagh into chasing them through the observatory's corridors and service tunnels. The teens escape into the forest and block Kaagh's exit. They run to his shuttle, where Luke uses the chemicals stored there to synthesise a knockout gas to incapacitate the Sontaran. He sets off the intruder alarm. Knowing it will bring Kaagh, Clyde goes to distract him. As Luke works, Maria tells him about the upcoming move which leaves him upset, but Maria reminds him it won't matter if Kaagh succeeds.


==Plot==
Sarah Jane activates her new invention and just as she expected, Skinner comes to find it. Sarah Jane and Lucy sneak out, locking Skinner in the room, and they try to figure out how to disarm the satellites. They let Clyde in by the same door Luke, Maria and Clyde escaped through earlier, just in time to save him from Kaagh, whom they lock out. Kaagh enters through the main door, breaks down the door to the room Skinner was locked in and rages at him.
===Part 1===
At a [[radio telescope]] used by the [[Tycho Project]]'s search for [[alien]] life,  in rural [[Goblin's Copse]], [[Lucy Skinner]] and her astronomer dad, Professor [[Nicholas Skinner]], are observing the night sky when they spot strange lights floating in the sky. Professor Skinner investigates, but goes missing--so Lucy investigates, and is promptly captured herself.


The following day, investigative journalist [[Sarah Jane Smith]] hears reports of the strange lights and, despite [[Mr Smith]]'s assurances that strange lights rarely herald alien activity, decides to pursue the story. She recruits [[Luke Smith|Luke]] and [[Clyde Langer|Clyde]] to help; [[Maria Jackson|Maria]] comes, too, though she seems sad and hints that she may be leaving soon.
Maria, uncertain Luke will synthesise the gas in time, decides to ask [[Mr Smith]] for more information on defeating Sontarans. As Mr Smith is still in [[Ealing]], she calls her dad and asks him to contact the computer. Alan does so, unaware he has been followed into Sarah Jane's attic by his ex-wife, [[Chrissie Jackson|Chrissie]]. She demands to know what is going on; Alan quickly brings her up to speed on Sarah Jane's alien hunting and Maria's role as her assistant. Chrissie realises he is telling the truth because his lip twitches when he is lying. Maria's parents, fearful for her safety, decide to join their daughter at Goblin's Copse.


In fact, Maria's dad [[Alan Jackson|Alan]] has been offered a job in [[United States|America]], at the head office of his firm.  Maria is ambivalent about the news: happy for her dad, but sad that she must leave her friends behind.
Sarah Jane, Maria, Clyde, Luke and Lucy all meet up. Sarah takes Luke and Lucy with her to try to deactivate the transmitter, while Maria and Clyde search for the switch that will move the transmitter away from the satellites. However, Kaagh and Skinner get there first and capture them.


At [[Goblin's Copse]], the team finds Lucy, who tells them that her dad is still missing.  But no sooner has she said so than Professor Skinner appears, though he seems strangely detached and unemotional, and orders the investigators to leave immediately.
Luke tries to break into the observatory's main computers, succeeding when he realises that Sontarans, who have three fingers on each hand, use base six mathematics. Kaagh appears and reveals Lucy is a sleeper agent. He activates the mind-control chip implanted in her. He orders her to re-activate the transmitter. He threatened Maria's life if Sarah Jane tries to stop him. All appears lost, but Chrissie, who has been watching from the shadows, swings her [[high-heeled shoe]] into his [[probic vent]], knocking him unconscious but electrocuting Chrissie as a side effect, giving her short term amnesia. The transmitter is deactivated, this time for good. Lucy wakes up, back to normal after her implant was deactivated by Sarah Jane. She then wakes up her dad, who was also deactivated, and he looks confused at the sight of an unconscious Kaagh, but Sarah Jane reassures him that Kaagh is indisposed.


Sarah Jane and her friends have no choice but to leave the observatory.  Luke and Clyde have found a strange invisible spaceship in the woods around the observatory; when the cloaking field is disabled and Sarah Jane sees the ship, she immediately recognises a Sontaran ship--and, as the group discovers too late, its Sontaran occupant has just found ''them''.
Kaagh is escorted back to his ship and ordered to return to [[Sontar]], which he is only too glad to do; he is humiliated that he was defeated by "half-forms" and a woman. Sarah Jane is relieved, even if she is not entirely convinced that the Sontaran is gone for good.


The Sontaran is [[Kaagh|Commander Kaagh]], badly wounded when [[Tenth Doctor|the Doctor]] defeated the Sontaran army in [[DW]]: ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem]] / [[The Poison Sky]]''.   The only survivor of the botched invasion, he has vowed revenge on [[Earth]] for his people's humiliation.
[[File:ChrissieTellsTheTruthToSJS.jpg|left|thumb|Chrissie tells Sarah Jane that she remembers everything]]
Six weeks later, Maria and Alan say their goodbyes to Sarah Jane, Luke and Clyde as they leave for their new life in America. As father and daughter pull away, Chrissie whispers to Sarah Jane that she was not entirely ignorant of her daughter's alien-hunting hobby; the amnesia wore off a while ago (she remembers what happened to her shoe, and the Sontaran), but Chrissie wanted to give Maria a fresh start. The group smiles and waves good-bye to Maria and Alan as they wave back, watching their cab leave Bannerman Road and send the Jacksons on their journey to America.


The humans quickly manage to escape, with Kaagh chasing them.  Outside the observatory, they split up: Luke and Maria crawl into a vent that pierces the observatory, while Sarah Jane and Clyde attempt to reason with Professor Skinner--only to discover that he is under mind control by the Sontaran. Kaagh's plan is revealed: he will use the Tycho radio telescope to take control of Earth's satellites, and steer them to crash into nuclear stockpiles on Earth, triggering nuclear annihilation.
Later that night, Sarah Jane, Luke, and Clyde are looking out at the stars through one of her telescopes. Luke and Clyde tell Sarah Jane they will miss Maria, but Sarah Jane gives them a piece of advice:


===Part 2===
{{Quote|I learned a long time ago that if you're missing somebody, just... look up at the night sky. Whoever it is, wherever they are, chances are they're looking at the stars just like you. Sometimes, for all its size, the universe isn't such a big place after all.|[[Sarah Jane Smith]]|The Last Sontaran (TV story)}}
Kaagh shoots Sarah Jane, who sprawls, unconscious, on the floor. He then boasts to Clyde that she will be taken to [[Sontar]] as a prize, and he will be hailed as a hero instead of a laughingstock--perhaps even given a more honourable epithet, such as "Kaagh the Avenger".


Luke and Maria are hidden in a nearby vent, watching the scene unfold.  They catch Clyde's attention and motion for him to join them.  
The trio turn their attention skyward, hoping the best for their friend.


Sarah Jane awakens to find that she is being held in a store room, along with Lucy Skinner, and that Kaagh has taken her [[Sonic lipstick|sonic lipstick]].  Undeterred, she and Lucy start to build a device to jam the satellite, hoping that it will attract Kaagh's attention away from the observatory's control centre.
== Cast ==
* [[Sarah Jane Smith]] - [[Elisabeth Sladen]]
* [[Maria Jackson]] - [[Yasmin Paige]]
* [[Luke Smith]] - [[Tommy Knight]]
* [[Clyde Langer|Clyde]] - [[Daniel Anthony]]
* Voice of [[Mr Smith]] - [[Alexander Armstrong]]
* [[Alan Jackson]] - [[Joseph Millson]]
* [[Chrissie Jackson]] - [[Juliet Cowan]]
* [[Nicholas Skinner|Professor Nicholas Skinner]] - [[Ronan Vibert]]
* [[Lucy Skinner]] - [[Clare Thomas]]
* [[Kaagh]] - [[Anthony O'Donnell]]


Luke, Maria, and Clyde provoke Kaagh into chasing them through the observatory's corridors and service tunnels; the teens escape into the forest and block Kaagh from getting out. They run to Kaagh's shuttle, where Luke uses the alien chemicals stored inside to synthesise a knockout gas that will incapacitate the Sontaran.  
== Crew ==
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Sarah Jane activates her new invention; just as she expected, Kaagh soon appears to search for it. Sarah Jane and Lucy sneak out, and try to figure out a way to disarm the satellites.  
== Worldbuilding ==
=== Individuals ===
* [[Pittman|Mrs Pittman]] is a teacher at the [[Park Vale Comprehensive School]].


Maria, not sure that Luke will be able to synthesise the gas in time, decides to ask [[Mr Smith]] for more information on defeating Sontarans. As [[Mr Smith]] is still in [[Ealing]], she calls her dad and asks him to contact the computer. Alan does so, unaware that he has been followed into Sarah Jane's attic by his ex-wife [[Chrissie Jackson|Chrissie]].  Chrissie demands to know what is going on; Alan quickly brings her up to speed on Sarah Jane's alien hunting and Maria's role as her assistant.  Chrissie realizes he is telling the truth as his lip twitches when he is lying. Maria's parents, fearful for her safety, decide to join their daughter at Goblin's Copse.
=== Locations ===
* The [[Tycho Project]] watches [[Rigel Beta Five]].
* The [[Hall of the Fallen and the Brave]] is a structure on the Sontaran homeworld of [[Sontar]].
* [[Sontar]] is located at the [[Metasaran Galaxy]].
* Maria and Alan move to [[Washington DC|Washington, DC]].


Luke tries to break into the observatory's main computers, eventually succeeding when he realises that Sontarans, who have three fingers on each hand, probably use base six mathematics. But Kaagh reveals that Lucy is a sleeper agent, activates the mind-control chip he had implanted in her, and instructs her to re-activate the transmitter.  All appears lost--until Chrissie bursts into the observatory and attacks Kaagh's probic vent with her high-heeled shoe, incapacitating him more effectively than Luke's knockout gas was able to.  The transmitter is de-activated, this time for good.
=== Organisations ===
* Sarah Jane says she will phone [[UNIT]] to deal with the Sontaran.
* Kaagh is a member of the [[Special Assault Squad]] in the [[Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet]]
* [[Archer & Lewis]] sell [[36 Bannerman Road]].


Kaagh is escorted back to his ship and ordered to return to [[Sontar]], which he is only too glad to do; he is humiliated that he was defeated by "half-forms" (children) and a woman. Sarah Jane is relieved, even if she is not entirely convinced that the Sontaran is gone for good.
=== Objects ===
* Chrissie apparently wears size 5 [[shoe]]s from [[Jimmy Choo]] and jams the heel of one stiletto down Kaagh's [[probic vent]]. She gets shocked with a heavy dosage of [[electricity]] when she rams the metal tip of her shoe heel down Kaagh's probic vent.
* Kaagh uses a [[Sontaran arm control]] to activate his [[perception camouflage matrix]].
* [[Neural control implant]]s can be used to control human minds.
* Luke creates a knock out gas, by mixing [[Korazic acid]], [[Lyzirium phosphate]] and [[Dylixium chloride]], which he puts into a [[Sontaran gas canister]].
* Sarah Jane has [[futuristic controller]]s, a [[MITRE headset]], a [[Bubble Shock!]] bottle, a [[Sontaran blaster]], [[entanglement shell]]s and a [[portable scanner]] inside her attic.


Six weeks later, Maria and Alan say their goodbyes to Sarah Jane, Luke, and Clyde, as they leave for their new life in America.  As father and daughter pull away, Chrissie whispers to Sarah Jane that she was not ''entirely'' ignorant of her daughter's alien-hunting hobby.
=== Species ===
* The [[Vorkazian]] Hordes are native to [[Meta Vorka 6]].


==Cast==
=== Cultural references to the real world ===
*[[Sarah Jane Smith]] - [[Elizabeth Sladen]]
* Chrissie calls Kaagh "[[Humpty Dumpty|Humpty]]".
*[[Maria Jackson]] - [[Yasmin Paige]]  
* Sarah Jane mentions the ''[[Mary Celeste]]''.
*[[Luke Smith]] - [[Tommy Knight]]
* Clyde and Luke are doing a history project for school about [[Napoléon Bonaparte|Napoleon]] and the [[Battle of Waterloo]].
*[[Clyde Langer]] - [[Daniel Anthony]]
* Clyde mentions ''[[The Land That Time Forgot]]''.
*[[Kaagh|Commander Kaagh]] - [[Anthony O'Donnell]]
* Chrissie mentions she and Alan going treasure hunting for a "golden rabbit", this is in reference to the book 'Masquerade' by Kit Williams, which contained cryptic clues to locate a buried golden hare.
*[[Mr Smith]] - [[Alexander Armstrong]]
*[[Alan Jackson]] - [[Joseph Millson]]
*[[Chrissie Jackson]] - [[Juliet Cowan]]
*Professor [[Nicholas Skinner]] - [[Ronan Vibert]]
*[[Lucy Skinner]] - [[Clare Thomas]]


==Production crew==
=== Music ===
''to be added''
* Lucy Skinner listens to [[indie]] music. She likes the bands ''[[Women of War]]'', ''[[Rain Green]]'', ''[[Giddy Nuisance]]'' and ''[[The Motorboats]]''.


== References ==
=== Other ===
*Sarah Jane refers to her two previous encounters with Sontarans: one a long time ago ([[DW]]: ''[[The Time Warrior]]'') and one in the future ([[DW]]: ''[[The Sontaran Experiment]]'')
* Chrissie refers to Sarah Jane as "[[Calamity Jane]]" and "Mary Jane".
*The Sontaran is a survivor of [[DW]]:''[[The Sontaran Stratagem]]''/ ''[[The Poison Sky]]''.  He was on his way to Earth when the spaceship was destroyed by [[The Doctor|the Doctor]], and his ship crashed on Earth.
* Skinner mentions [[ball lightning]] to explain the sighting of Sontaran drones.
*The events of stories in [[Series 1 (The Sarah Jane Adventures)|Series 1]] are referred to.  Maria mentions the [[Bane]], the [[Slitheen]], [[Uvlavad Kudlak|Kudlak]], the [[Graske]] and [[The Trickster]], while Alan refers to the moon coming towards Earth ([[SJA]]: ''[[The Lost Boy]]'').
*Sarah Jane says she will phone [[UNIT]] to deal with the Sontaran.
*Sarah Jane mentions the war between the Sontarans and the [[Rutan Host]].
*Upon entering the empty observatory Sarah Jane likens it to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Celeste Marie Celeste], the ship made famous for being found deserted. The reason for the Marie Celeste's abandonment, in this universe, is due to Dalek activity. ([[DW]]:''[[The Chase]]'')
*As Chrissie breaks into Sarah Jane's house she notes "Some people never learn." This is in reference to how she broke into Sarah Jane's house through the same window in [[SJA]]: "[[Eye of the Gorgon]]".
*Sarah Jane's initial reaction to Maria's departure is uncannily similar to the Fourth Doctor's when Sarah herself threatened to leave in [[DW]]:''[[The Hand of Fear]]''. As in the said episode however, Sarah became far more sensitive later on.
* When Sarah-Jane asks [[Mr Smith]] if he has developed a sense of humour, he produces the sound effect used in "[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]" when somebody accesses an entry in the eponymous book.


== Story notes ==
== Story notes ==
*Episode 1 was shown on BBC 1, followed by the second episode on the CBBC channel later on the same day.  Episode two will be shown on [[6th October]] on BBC1.
* This story replaced a proposed story entitled "The Trial of Sarah-Jane Smith", which would have seen Sarah Jane put on trial by the [[Judoon]].<ref>http://www.shannonsullivan.com/doctorwho/sarahjane/2008ab.html</ref>
*This is Maria Jackson's last story. Actress Yasmin Paige is in her GCSE year, so chose to concentrate on her studies.
* This was the first episode to air after the crossover episodes ''[[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]]'' and ''[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'', and this story appears to take place following those events; the episode contains dialogue references to alien life being widely known on Earth. Although she didn't appear, Maria and Alan were also referenced as still being in England at that point.
* Mr Smith's display now shows him in a fluid like state, instead of the crystalline shape that had been depicted in Series 1 and ''The Stolen Earth'' / ''Journey's End''.
* This is Maria Jackson's last story as a main character. Actress Yasmin Paige was in her GCSE year and chose to concentrate on her studies.{{Fact}} She made a guest appearance in part 2 of ''[[The Mark of the Berserker (TV story)|The Mark of the Berserker]]'' and Maria is referenced either visually (through photos, art and flashbacks) or in dialogue in all other Series 2 stories and at least once throughout the other series of the show.
* This story marks the final appearance of [[Chrissie Jackson]] on the series. Her appearance and attire has changed considerably from what she looked like in [[Series 1 (SJA)|series one]]. Her hair is now longer, curly, and a shade of auburn rather than dark red.
* The plot of this story is similar to that of ''[[Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)|Revenge of the Slitheen]]'' from the previous series, as both involve an appearance from an enemy the Doctor has faced off against previously and who want revenge on the Doctor, only to encounter Sarah Jane.


=== Ratings ===
=== Ratings ===
*Episode 1 - 0.7 million (BBC 1)
*Episode 2 - 477,000 (CBBC channel)
** 0.6 million (BBC 1)


=== Myths===
* Part 1 - 0.82 million viewers, with an AI score of 85. ([[DWMSE 23]])
''to be added''
* Part 2 - 0.48 million viewers ([[DWMSE 23]])


=== Filming Locations ===
''Part One aired on BBC One, whilst Part Two aired on CBBC.''


*Back in series one, Alan Jackson's original house was set in a real life house on a normal surbuban street instead of in a studio. The first episode of the second series entitled The Last Sontaran has the house set in a studio and has been redecorated extremely accuratley by the production crew.
=== Filming locations ===
* In series one, Alan Jackson's house was filmed in a real house on a normal suburban street instead of in a studio. From the second series, the house was set in a studio and was redecorated by the production crew.


=== Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors ===
=== Production errors ===
*There is no indication of where this story fits in with [[The Stolen Earth]] / [[Journey's End]] - no references to the [[Daleks]] or [[Davros]] are made, and [[Mr Smith]]'s reset is treated as having happened recently. It is possible that the phone transmission Mr Smith carried out in the episode damaged him which required him to reboot again.
{{SJA discontinuity}}
*To add further confusion to where this story lies in relation to [[DW]]:''[[The Stolen Earth]] / [[Journeys End]]'', [[Chrissie Jackson]] is incredulous about the existence of aliens. Which she wouldn't be after experiencing the [[Daleks]] pulling Earth across the universe.''As in Doomsday the Government probably made a cover story for this event.'' ''But a BBC News report in Journey's End broadcasted worldwide, the fact that Earth had returned to its original position after being moved. Yet this didn't mention aliens. However most mysterious occurrences in the whoniverse are related to aliens.''
* When Kaagh's ship opens after it crashes, Kaagh's scars are visible underneath his blood.
* About thirteen minutes into part two, a shot of the countdown is shown as a video playing in VLC Media Player.


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
''to be added''
* Maria mentions the [[Bane (Invasion of the Bane)|Bane]], ([[TV]]: {{cs|Invasion of the Bane (TV story)}}) the [[Slitheen]], ([[TV]]: {{cs|Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)}}) the [[Gorgon]], ([[TV]]: {{cs|Eye of the Gorgon (TV story)}}) and [[the Trickster]], ([[TV]]: {{cs|Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? (TV story)}}) while Alan refers to the moon coming towards Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Lost Boy (TV story)}})
* Sarah Jane refers to Mr Smith being rebooted. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Lost Boy (TV story)}})
* On entering the empty observatory Sarah Jane likens it to the ''[[Mary Celeste]]'', the ship famous for being found deserted. The reason for the ''Mary Celeste{{'}}''s abandonment was due to [[Dalek]] activity. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Chase (TV story)}})
* Sarah Jane refers to her two previous encounters with the Sontarans: one "sometime ago" ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Time Warrior (TV story)}}) and one "sometime yet". ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Sontaran Experiment (TV story)}})
* Kaagh is a survivor of the [[Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet]]. He was on his way to Earth when the spaceship was destroyed by [[Luke Rattigan]], though he blames the act on the [[Tenth Doctor]], and the resulting explosion from the spaceship jettisoned his ship into Earth. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Poison Sky (TV story)}})
* Kaagh, like other Sontarans, has green blood. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Two Doctors (TV story)}})
* As Chrissie breaks into Sarah Jane's house she notes, "Some people never learn." She earlier broke into Sarah Jane's house through the same window. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Eye of the Gorgon (TV story)}})


== DVD and Other releases ==
== Home video releases ==
''to be added''
* This story, along with the rest of Series 2, was released on [[DVD]] on 9th November 2009 (UK) and 10th November 2009 (North [[America]]).
* It was also released in the Complete Collection Series 1-5 boxset release (Region 2 release: 6th February 2012).


==See also==
== Footnotes ==
''to be added''
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
== External links ==
''to be added''
{{dwrefguide|sja_07.htm|{{StoryTitle}}}}
* {{briefhistory|sarahjane/2008ab.html|{{StoryTitle}}}}
* {{locguide|lastsontaran|{{StoryTitle}}}}


{{SJA series 2}}
{{SJATV}}
{{Sontaran stories}}
{{Sontaran stories}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:SJA television stories]]
[[Category:Sontaran television stories]]
[[Category:2008 television stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in Buckinghamshire]]
[[Category:Series 2 (SJA) stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in Washington DC]]


[[Category:The Sarah Jane Adventures episodes|Last Sontaran]]
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[[Category:Stories set in 2009|Last Sontaran]]

Latest revision as of 18:01, 31 March 2024

RealWorld.png

The Last Sontaran was the first serial of series 2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was written by Phil Ford and directed by Joss Agnew.

It was the final regular appearance of Yasmin Paige as Maria Jackson, who left the regular cast, along with her father Alan, after he received a job offer in America. He left the decision of moving away up to Maria, who supported him to take the new job. It also featured the last appearance of Chrissie Jackson, who would become directly involved in the alien dealings of Sarah Jane's life. Now that her family was leaving for America, she stopped paying visits to Bannerman Road. Notably, it acted as a sequel to the Doctor Who episode, The Poison Sky, dealing with the consequences of the Tenth Doctor's battle with the Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

Reports of strange lights around the Tycho Project's radio telescope lead Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Maria into a terrifying forest encounter. Sarah Jane comes face-to-face with her oldest enemy. Meanwhile, Maria wrestles with a huge decision when her dad is offered a new job in America.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Part 1[[edit] | [edit source]]

Sarah Jane and Maria discuss the experiences they have shared since Maria's arrival in Bannerman Road, such as the Bane, the Slitheen, the Gorgon and the Trickster. They watch the night sky as they look forward to many more discoveries.

In rural Goblin's Copse, at a radio telescope used in the Tycho Project's search for alien life, Lucy Skinner and her astronomer dad, Professor Nicholas Skinner, also watch the night sky. They spot strange lights floating about. Professor Skinner investigates, but goes missing. Lucy investigates, and is promptly captured.

The next day, Luke and Clyde play a strategy game with Mr Smith to learn about battle strategies. Sarah Jane interrupts. She had heard reports of the strange lights the previous night. Despite Mr Smith's assurances that strange lights rarely herald alien activity, she pursues the story.

Maria and Alan have received an important letter, but have found that the implications are far larger than they imagined and will cause an imminent major change in their lives. Alan tells Maria the decision is not just his to make.

Sarah Jane, Clyde, Luke and Maria head to the countryside to investigate. They arrive at Goblin's Copse and discuss the size of space. They are watched by something. Inside, the find the building empty and are investigating when Lucy enters. She tells them that her dad is still missing. Luke and Clyde look outside for the professor after Sarah Jane warns them to stay away from the woods. Ignoring Sarah Jane's instructions to stay away from the woods, the boys search the woods and the creature watching them becomes invisible.

While Lucy sleeps, Sarah Jane decides to ask Maria what is troubling her after noticing some unusual behaviour, and Maria reveals that Alan has been offered a job in America at the head office of his firm. Maria is ambivalent about the news; she is happy for her dad but sad that she must leave her friends behind. Sarah Jane closes herself off from Maria, telling her she's happy for her, but is clearly upset.

At his house, Alan discusses the job with Chrissie and how it will change Maria's life more than his.

In the woods, Clyde and Luke hear a noise. A Sontaran, armed with a gun, reveals himself and chases them. The boys lose him, but come across a cloaked object.

Kaagh chasing Luke and Clyde

When Lucy wakes up, Sarah Jane persuades her to recall the events of the previous night. Professor Skinner appears, though he seems strangely detached and unemotional. He orders Sarah Jane and Maria to leave immediately, which they do. Lucy makes him some coffee and he approaches her strangely.

Luke calls Sarah Jane and when she and Maria arrive, he and Clyde show them the object. When the cloaking field is disabled, Sarah Jane immediately recognises the Sontaran ship. Its Sontaran occupant, Commander Kaagh, appears behind them, armed.

Maria tricks Kaagh and the group escape, splitting up, with Kaagh chasing them. Sarah Jane and Clyde attempt to reason with Professor Skinner. They find his mind is controlled by the Sontaran. Outside the observatory, Luke and Maria crawl into a vent that leads into the building.

Maria and Luke watch from the vent while Kaagh and Sarah Jane talk. He says he was badly wounded when the Tenth Doctor defeated the Sontaran army. As the only survivor of the botched invasion, he has vowed revenge on Earth for his peoples' humiliation. He reveals his plan to use the Tycho radio telescope to take control of Earth's satellites, and steer them to crash into nuclear reactors on Earth, triggering nuclear annihilation.

Clyde protests, so Kaagh says he will experiment on him. Sarah Jane steps in front of Clyde, defying Kaagh. He pulls out his gun and shoots her.

Part 2[[edit] | [edit source]]

Kaagh shoots Sarah Jane. She sprawls unconscious on the floor. He boasts to Clyde that she will be taken to Sontar as a prize and he will be hailed as a hero instead of a laughing stock. Luke and Maria, hidden in a nearby vent, watch the scene unfold. They catch Clyde's attention and motion for him to join them.

Sarah Jane awakens to find she is in a store room with Lucy Skinner. Kaagh has taken her sonic lipstick. Undeterred, Lucy and she start to build a device to jam the signal to the satellites. Aware that Kaagh will detect it, they plan to escape when he comes to investigate.

Maria tells Luke she's moving to America.

Luke, Maria and Clyde provoke Kaagh into chasing them through the observatory's corridors and service tunnels. The teens escape into the forest and block Kaagh's exit. They run to his shuttle, where Luke uses the chemicals stored there to synthesise a knockout gas to incapacitate the Sontaran. He sets off the intruder alarm. Knowing it will bring Kaagh, Clyde goes to distract him. As Luke works, Maria tells him about the upcoming move which leaves him upset, but Maria reminds him it won't matter if Kaagh succeeds.

Sarah Jane activates her new invention and just as she expected, Skinner comes to find it. Sarah Jane and Lucy sneak out, locking Skinner in the room, and they try to figure out how to disarm the satellites. They let Clyde in by the same door Luke, Maria and Clyde escaped through earlier, just in time to save him from Kaagh, whom they lock out. Kaagh enters through the main door, breaks down the door to the room Skinner was locked in and rages at him.

Maria, uncertain Luke will synthesise the gas in time, decides to ask Mr Smith for more information on defeating Sontarans. As Mr Smith is still in Ealing, she calls her dad and asks him to contact the computer. Alan does so, unaware he has been followed into Sarah Jane's attic by his ex-wife, Chrissie. She demands to know what is going on; Alan quickly brings her up to speed on Sarah Jane's alien hunting and Maria's role as her assistant. Chrissie realises he is telling the truth because his lip twitches when he is lying. Maria's parents, fearful for her safety, decide to join their daughter at Goblin's Copse.

Sarah Jane, Maria, Clyde, Luke and Lucy all meet up. Sarah takes Luke and Lucy with her to try to deactivate the transmitter, while Maria and Clyde search for the switch that will move the transmitter away from the satellites. However, Kaagh and Skinner get there first and capture them.

Luke tries to break into the observatory's main computers, succeeding when he realises that Sontarans, who have three fingers on each hand, use base six mathematics. Kaagh appears and reveals Lucy is a sleeper agent. He activates the mind-control chip implanted in her. He orders her to re-activate the transmitter. He threatened Maria's life if Sarah Jane tries to stop him. All appears lost, but Chrissie, who has been watching from the shadows, swings her high-heeled shoe into his probic vent, knocking him unconscious but electrocuting Chrissie as a side effect, giving her short term amnesia. The transmitter is deactivated, this time for good. Lucy wakes up, back to normal after her implant was deactivated by Sarah Jane. She then wakes up her dad, who was also deactivated, and he looks confused at the sight of an unconscious Kaagh, but Sarah Jane reassures him that Kaagh is indisposed.

Kaagh is escorted back to his ship and ordered to return to Sontar, which he is only too glad to do; he is humiliated that he was defeated by "half-forms" and a woman. Sarah Jane is relieved, even if she is not entirely convinced that the Sontaran is gone for good.

Chrissie tells Sarah Jane that she remembers everything

Six weeks later, Maria and Alan say their goodbyes to Sarah Jane, Luke and Clyde as they leave for their new life in America. As father and daughter pull away, Chrissie whispers to Sarah Jane that she was not entirely ignorant of her daughter's alien-hunting hobby; the amnesia wore off a while ago (she remembers what happened to her shoe, and the Sontaran), but Chrissie wanted to give Maria a fresh start. The group smiles and waves good-bye to Maria and Alan as they wave back, watching their cab leave Bannerman Road and send the Jacksons on their journey to America.

Later that night, Sarah Jane, Luke, and Clyde are looking out at the stars through one of her telescopes. Luke and Clyde tell Sarah Jane they will miss Maria, but Sarah Jane gives them a piece of advice:

I learned a long time ago that if you're missing somebody, just... look up at the night sky. Whoever it is, wherever they are, chances are they're looking at the stars just like you. Sometimes, for all its size, the universe isn't such a big place after all.Sarah Jane Smith [The Last Sontaran (TV story) [src]]

The trio turn their attention skyward, hoping the best for their friend.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

General production staff

Script department

Camera and lighting department

Art department

Costume department

Make-up and prosthetics

Movement

General post-production staff

Special and visual effects

Sound



Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.


Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

Locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Organisations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Objects[[edit] | [edit source]]

Species[[edit] | [edit source]]

Cultural references to the real world[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Chrissie calls Kaagh "Humpty".
  • Sarah Jane mentions the Mary Celeste.
  • Clyde and Luke are doing a history project for school about Napoleon and the Battle of Waterloo.
  • Clyde mentions The Land That Time Forgot.
  • Chrissie mentions she and Alan going treasure hunting for a "golden rabbit", this is in reference to the book 'Masquerade' by Kit Williams, which contained cryptic clues to locate a buried golden hare.

Music[[edit] | [edit source]]

Other[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Chrissie refers to Sarah Jane as "Calamity Jane" and "Mary Jane".
  • Skinner mentions ball lightning to explain the sighting of Sontaran drones.

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This story replaced a proposed story entitled "The Trial of Sarah-Jane Smith", which would have seen Sarah Jane put on trial by the Judoon.[1]
  • This was the first episode to air after the crossover episodes The Stolen Earth and Journey's End, and this story appears to take place following those events; the episode contains dialogue references to alien life being widely known on Earth. Although she didn't appear, Maria and Alan were also referenced as still being in England at that point.
  • Mr Smith's display now shows him in a fluid like state, instead of the crystalline shape that had been depicted in Series 1 and The Stolen Earth / Journey's End.
  • This is Maria Jackson's last story as a main character. Actress Yasmin Paige was in her GCSE year and chose to concentrate on her studies.[source needed] She made a guest appearance in part 2 of The Mark of the Berserker and Maria is referenced either visually (through photos, art and flashbacks) or in dialogue in all other Series 2 stories and at least once throughout the other series of the show.
  • This story marks the final appearance of Chrissie Jackson on the series. Her appearance and attire has changed considerably from what she looked like in series one. Her hair is now longer, curly, and a shade of auburn rather than dark red.
  • The plot of this story is similar to that of Revenge of the Slitheen from the previous series, as both involve an appearance from an enemy the Doctor has faced off against previously and who want revenge on the Doctor, only to encounter Sarah Jane.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Part 1 - 0.82 million viewers, with an AI score of 85. (DWMSE 23)
  • Part 2 - 0.48 million viewers (DWMSE 23)

Part One aired on BBC One, whilst Part Two aired on CBBC.

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • In series one, Alan Jackson's house was filmed in a real house on a normal suburban street instead of in a studio. From the second series, the house was set in a studio and was redecorated by the production crew.

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
  • When Kaagh's ship opens after it crashes, Kaagh's scars are visible underneath his blood.
  • About thirteen minutes into part two, a shot of the countdown is shown as a video playing in VLC Media Player.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Maria mentions the Bane, (TV: Invasion of the Bane [+]Loading...["Invasion of the Bane (TV story)"]) the Slitheen, (TV: Revenge of the Slitheen [+]Loading...["Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)"]) the Gorgon, (TV: Eye of the Gorgon [+]Loading...["Eye of the Gorgon (TV story)"]) and the Trickster, (TV: Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? [+]Loading...["Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? (TV story)"]) while Alan refers to the moon coming towards Earth. (TV: The Lost Boy [+]Loading...["The Lost Boy (TV story)"])
  • Sarah Jane refers to Mr Smith being rebooted. (TV: The Lost Boy [+]Loading...["The Lost Boy (TV story)"])
  • On entering the empty observatory Sarah Jane likens it to the Mary Celeste, the ship famous for being found deserted. The reason for the Mary Celeste's abandonment was due to Dalek activity. (TV: The Chase [+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"])
  • Sarah Jane refers to her two previous encounters with the Sontarans: one "sometime ago" (TV: The Time Warrior [+]Loading...["The Time Warrior (TV story)"]) and one "sometime yet". (TV: The Sontaran Experiment [+]Loading...["The Sontaran Experiment (TV story)"])
  • Kaagh is a survivor of the Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet. He was on his way to Earth when the spaceship was destroyed by Luke Rattigan, though he blames the act on the Tenth Doctor, and the resulting explosion from the spaceship jettisoned his ship into Earth. (TV: The Poison Sky [+]Loading...["The Poison Sky (TV story)"])
  • Kaagh, like other Sontarans, has green blood. (TV: The Two Doctors [+]Loading...["The Two Doctors (TV story)"])
  • As Chrissie breaks into Sarah Jane's house she notes, "Some people never learn." She earlier broke into Sarah Jane's house through the same window. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon [+]Loading...["Eye of the Gorgon (TV story)"])

Home video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This story, along with the rest of Series 2, was released on DVD on 9th November 2009 (UK) and 10th November 2009 (North America).
  • It was also released in the Complete Collection Series 1-5 boxset release (Region 2 release: 6th February 2012).

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]