The Gift (TV story)

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The Gift was the sixth and final story in The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 3.

Synopsis

When the Slitheen's latest scheme is foiled, the Blathereen arrive - can they be trusted? The gang receive a gift, which could save millions. But, when the gift runs wild Sarah Jane faces the battle of her life to save Luke.

Plot

Part One

Sarah Jane and the gang chase a child Slitheen into a warehouse, where a disguised Slitheen sets up the countdown for a matter compressor that forms a web around the Earth's orbit to squash it into a very large diamond. However, two orange-skinned Blathereen arrive and teleport the Slitheen onto their ship. They reveal that they hunt Slitheen without profit. They reveal their names as Tree and Leef Blathereen, and invite themselves to tea at Rani's house.

The Slitheen's plan begins.

Whilst there, the Blathereen reveal that Raxacoricofallapatorius was once the most admired planet in the Raxas Alliance, governed by the Blathereen, until the Slitheen came into power. Their economy was destroyed, and eventually the Raxacoricofallapatorians revolted against the Slitheen; some were brought to justice, but some escaped into distant planets to gain money. The Blathereen returned to power and started to capture the various Slitheen.

Tree presents the gang with the Rakweed.

The Blathereen then give Earth a gift: the Rakweed. They reveal that it can survive in even the harshest conditions, and would end Earth's famine. With Sarah Jane as their ambassador, the Blathereen could begin an alliance with Earth. Clyde is suspicious. After the Blathereen leave, Mr Smith says that the Rakweed is harmless. Clyde, Rani and Luke have a biology test tomorrow, and with Mr Smith's help, Clyde is able to smuggle K-9 into school.

Whilst getting dressed, Luke can't find his tie and goes into the attic to look for it. The Rakweed had mutated and released harmful spores into the atmosphere. Luke accidentally swallows some spores and becomes properly ill for the first time, since the Bane gave him perfect health. Sarah Jane decides that Luke has to stay home, and Rani is concerned. In school, Rani learns that Clyde has K-9 to help him, and will talk to him through an earpiece

Sarah Jane discovers the Rakweed and Mr Smith explains that the plant has mutated and is releasing spores across the Earth that will infect humans that may pose as a threat to the Blathereen, and more Rakweed has grown outside Sarah Jane's house on Bannerman Road. Mr Smith also reveals that the Rakweed will put humans into a coma which they will never awaken from. Sarah Jane sees red and black spots on Luke's chest and the Rakweed releases a massive wave of spores that head to Sarah Jane and Luke, and Sarah Jane shouts for Mr Smith to somehow stop them as the Rakweed spores come closer.

Part Two

Mr Smith activates at the last moment and, using the cooling mechanism built into his system, diverts the spores towards the fans and away from Sarah Jane and Luke. However, doing this has depleted energy from him. To prevent it from creating more spores, Sarah Jane throws the Rakweed into her safe. Mr Smith explains that the Blathereen use the Rakweed as a weapon to destroy anyone who stands in their path, and while Luke is a lot stronger than other humans, being able to resist the effects for longer, he inhaled the spores directly into his lungs meaning that he can stand the spores for longer but not forever.

Mr Smith vents away the spores.

Meanwhile, Clyde and Rani prepare to begin their exam. Clyde slides the question papers under the table for K-9 to analyse and asks for the answers to be relayed to him via the metal earpiece. K-9 initially refuses, stating that his order is unethical, but is soon persuaded by Clyde, who said to K-9 "you said a test was one human demonstrating intellectual superiority over others. I brought a supercomputer into school, that's pretty smart, wouldn't you say?" K-9 considers by flashing his eye lights, he finally agrees and Clyde says he wants the answers "short and to the point". In the attic, Mr Smith analyses Luke and determines that they have half an hour before he is completely poisoned, being at 63%, and that he is unable to find an antidote as the spores are constantly adapting. Sarah Jane learns that others have already been infected in the London area. Clyde is caught cheating when K-9 is discovered by the teacher, but everyone is distracted when the Rakweed plants spawn in the classroom, infecting the teacher and creating panic among the students.

Sarah Jane asks Mr Smith to locate the Blathereen using the teleportation co-ordinates she recorded, and learns that they are hiding in Antarctica. In their base, the Blathereen mock Sarah Jane's greed for glory upon accepting the Rakweed and gloat over their plan's success. Mr Smith teleports Sarah Jane to the Blathereen base, despite the fact that he only has enough energy for a one-way trip, armed with a Jet-Powered Water Pistol loaded with vinegar. Rani learns about the Rakweed's effects after finding some of the students unconscious, and calls Luke, who is now 87% infected and falls unconscious mid-conversation. Sarah Jane bargains with the Blathereen to destroy the Rakweed, but she is tricked and strapped into a chair which they say "Costs a fortune!!".

The Rakweed spores attack.

Clyde, Rani and K-9 discover that the Rakweed has spread throughout the school grounds and find themselves trapped in the building. Meanwhile, Sarah Jane discovers that the Blathereen are addicted to using the Rakweed as a drug, and plan to repopulate the Earth with it, as it has a high value on the galactic market. It is soon after that they reveal their true identities - members of a family descended from both the Slitheen and the Blathereen, who unfortunately tend to take after the greedy Slitheen more than the noble Blathereen. Clyde and Rani discover from news reports that the spores are spreading across the whole of London. They are nearly infected when the school bell rings, neutralising the Rakweed spores and some actual Rakweed. Sarah Jane then learns that the Rakweed plants somehow rely heavily on communication with each other in order to spread. She breaks out of her restraints and manipulates their teleportation device to return home, only to discover Luke unconscious.

K-9 utilises the school bells to defeat the Rakweed within the building. Clyde uses K-9 to connect with Mr Smith to send the frequency level required to spread the noise across London (1421.09 Hertz). After setting off every single device that could emit those levels of noise, Luke and the other infected people recover from the deadly spores, and he and Sarah Jane embrace. The Slitheen-Blathereen teleport into the attic and confront Sarah Jane and the gang. Mr Smith activates the alarm, which eventually causes the Slitheen-Blathereen stomachs to swell then explode, covering everyone and everything in their gory remains; the undigested Rakweed reacted to the alarm, causing them to "fart themselves to death." As punishment for trying to cheat, Clyde is told to clean up the mess, while the others prepare a barbecue.

The Slitheen-Blathereen attack.

During the epilogue, Sarah Jane comments that, one day some alien races will want to help humanity, the importance of friendship and that "Earth could become a shining example to the entire universe".

Cast

Production Crew

  • Co-Producer - Phil Ford
  • K9 originally created by - Bob Baker and Dave Martin
  • First Assistant Director - Guy de Glanville
  • 2nd Assistant Director - Sarah Davies
  • 3rd Assistant Director - Wil Cummins
  • Location Manager - Nicky James
  • Production Co-Ordinater - Ceri Hughes
  • Continuity - Nicki Coles
  • Script Editor - Gary Russell
  • Camera Operator - Martin Stephens
  • Focus Pullers- Mani Blaxter Paliwala and Anna James
  • Grip- John Robinson
  • Boom Operator- Kevin Staples
  • Gaffer- Dave Fowler
  • Set Decorator- Joelle Rumbelow
  • Standby Art Director- Jackson Pope
  • Standby Props- Dewi Thomas
  • Graphics- BBC Wales Graphics
  • Costume Supervisor- Barbara Harrington
  • Assistant Editor- Lee Bhogal
  • Post Production Supervisor- Nerys Davies
  • Post Production Co-Ordinator- Marie Brown
  • Colourist- Jon Everett
  • Sound Editors- Matthew Cox and Howard Eaves
  • Dubbing Mixer- Mark Ferda
  • Title Music- Murray Gold
  • Music- Sam Watts
  • Casting Directors- Andy Brierley and Andy Pryor CDG
  • Production Executive- Julie Scott
  • Production Accountant- Dyfed Thomas
  • Sound Recordist- Ray Parker
  • Costume Designer- Stewart Meacham
  • Makeup Designer- Emma Bailey
  • Visual Effects- Craig Higgins
  • Special Effects- Any Effects
  • Prosthetics- Millennium X
  • Editor- Ceres Doyle
  • Production Designer- Arwel Wyn Jones
  • Director of Photography- Mark Waters
  • Production Manager- Steffan Morris

References

Cultural References

  • While Luke is getting changed Everybody in Love by JLS can be heard.
  • Clyde says he should apply for Masterchef after the Blathereen enjoy his cooking.

Story notes

  • A CBBC literature statement confirmed both the Slitheen and Blathereen would appear in the series.
  • In an interview with Nikki Wilson for SFX she confirmed the Blathereen as appearing in these episode. A series preview by Digital Spy also confirmed the Blathereen as appearing in the Finale.
  • The Blathereen and Slitheen both appeared in the book NSA: The Monsters Inside. The Gift is the first appearance of the Blathereen in a TV story.
  • The Slitheen leader referred to the Blathereen in SJA: Revenge of the Slitheen.
  • This episode marks the return of the Slitheen in the Sarah Jane Adventures. They previously appeared in SJA: Revenge of the Slitheen, The Lost Boy, From Raxacoricofallapatorius With Love
  • The Blathereen are orange compared to their green cousins.
  • Simon Callow previously played Charles Dickens in DW: The Unquiet Dead
  • Sarah Jane's line "But this isn't how it should end, there should have been another way" mirrors the Fifth Doctor's comment after destroying the Silurians and Sea Devils in Warriors of the Deep.
  • When K9 gets out of Sarah Jane's car, he says 'Hover Mode Activated'. This solves the mystery of how K9 can get down stairs, and walk around. He also has a 'sense of smell'.
  • The Slitheen's plan to compress Earth into a Diamond is reminiscent of Baltazar's plan in Episode One of DW: The Infinite Quest. However unlike their plan which was to turn all the Carbon in Earth's atmosphere into one gigantic diamond, Baltazar's plan was to turn every single Carbon-Based life form on Earth into Diamonds.
  • In Part two, Clyde asks Rani what Sarah Jane would do. Rani replies, "She'd do what she always does; improvise." This is how the Third Doctor described his own approach to Sarah Jane in DW:The Five Doctors.
  • Clyde uses the expression, "I'll explain later.", a line which is often associated with the Doctor (although probably not used as often as people think.)

Ratings

to be added

Filming locations

to be added

Myths

  • The Judoon would appear. This was a rumour, because in the previous two series the alien from the first episode appeared the the finale. This turned out to be false.
  • It was rumoured that someone would die. It was highly rumoured that that person would be Luke. The effects of the Rakweed were reset and Luke didn't die. Nobody else did either. Simply, this rumour was false.

Production errors

  • When Sarah Jane is held hostage in the Blathereen ship, the screen shows the Rakweed have spread all over London. But when it cuts to Sarah in the chair the screen changes. They used the same footage twice.
  • When the Blathereen are eating Rakweed, they aren't actually eating it
  • When the Blathereen are eating dinner there are countless times where in the reflection of their eyes you can see stage lights or lighting systems

Continuity

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.

Timeline

Footnotes

v • e
SJA television stories
Series 1
Series 2
Regular episodes
Mini-episodes
Series 3
Series 4
Series 5
Stories listed here are only those that have been officially licensed by the BBC.
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