Secrets of the Stars (TV story)

Secrets of the Stars is the third serial in Series 2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Synopsis

Astrologer Martin Trueman causes a stir with his uncanny insights and predictions. While Sarah Jane doesn't believe in astrology, she does believe that all is not as it seems with Trueman. Around her, people are falling under Trueman's sinister spell and even Mr Smith doesn't understand what's going on.

Plot

Part 1

A young woman, Cheryl, is paying a regular visit to her astrologer, Martin Trueman. When she confides that she is spending her rent money to see him, however, Trueman breaks down and confesses that he is a con artist. As he stands by his window, unable to face her, he is hit by a shooting star... and suddenly, he's found a renewed belief in astrology.

Some time later, Rani and her mum have dragged Mr Chandra, Luke, and Clyde to Martin Trueman's astrology seminar at East Acton New Theatre. Sarah Jane has come, too, thinking she might do a story on Mr Trueman. Before entering the auditorium, each of them fills out a card with his or her birthday and gives it to Cheryl, who is now working as Mr Trueman's assistant. Luke, who was not really "born", does not have a birth date, a fact that seems to trouble him.

Mr Trueman begins his show by naming a random date and asking those born on that date to stand. Clyde stands, despite his stated intention not to; he is unnerved, but Sarah Jane reassures him that it's a trick of persuasion. Mr Trueman selects another audience member and, to the astonishment of all, correctly divines her life story. Sarah Jane can just convince her friends--and herself--that Trueman is just using established cold reading techniques... until Trueman selects her, and reveals an impossible amount of knowledge about seemingly ordinary Sarah Jane's extraordinary travels, more importantly about The Doctor.

Stunned and intrigued, Sarah Jane stays after the show for a chance to talk to Trueman alone. She demands to know the source of his uncanny knowledge, but he insists that astrology alone is responsible for his success. When he concludes the interview by warning Sarah Jane against opposing him, she has no choice but to leave, as baffled and as unnerved as when she met him.

Clyde has also stayed behind; but, unlike Sarah Jane and Luke, he has wandered off and encountered Cheryl. After meeting her, he suddenly seems to gain a new sense of purpose and direction, and stoically sets off to meet Sarah Jane and Luke back at 13 Bannerman Road... where he threatens to kill them, while Mr Smith stands idly by and insists that "nothing is happening".

Part 2

People hypnotised to protect Martin Trueman

Sarah Jane and Luke manage to talk Clyde out of threatening them, a feat Sarah Jane attributes to Clyde's intrinsic goodness overriding any hypnotic techniques Trueman may have used.

The group of friends continue their discussion of Trueman. Mr Smith gives them some background on astrology: a belief system widespread throughout the galaxy, he claims (though obviously the star signs vary from planet to planet), and, in his opinion, it is mere superstition. It is a physical impossibility for "imaginary patterns in the sky" to affect reality, as the computer puts it. Luke theorises that, if that is the case, then maybe the Ancient Lights Trueman speaks of are from another universe... the one that existed before Event One.

Mr Smith interrupts the theorising to patch through a television programme: somehow Mr Trueman has managed to take over the airwaves and broadcast one of his astrology talks. This lecture/demonstration features a large twelve-pointed star, each marked with a different sun sign. As the programme progresses, Trueman lights up the points of the star one by one, giving him control over people born under that sign.

He begins with those born under the sign of Gemini, a group that includes Rani's mum. The investigators return to the theatre to stop the broadcast, but the possessed Children of Gemini threaten to stop them. Clyde bluffs his way through by making up horoscopes.

The Ancient Lights create a portal through to the theatre. Trueman reveals that Luke's theory on the Ancient Lights is true: in the previous universe, he claims, they used to control all lifeforms. The Ancient Lights survived the Big Bang and needed Martin Trueman to rule the world because he was the 'Chosen One'. Sarah Jane tries to talk him out of it, but he will not listen.

Rani and Luke try to shut down the broadcast by flicking the mains switch off, but the Ancient Lights have protected it with a sort of force field. As they struggle to find a way through, Trueman's wheel reaches the sign of Aries--and Rani, an Aries, comes under Trueman's control.

Of the twelve sun signs on Trueman's wheel, only Taurus now remains. Sarah Jane is a Taurus, but cannot think of what she and Luke can do with only seconds remaining before she, too, falls under Trueman's control.

Luke has an idea: since he was not born, he theorises, he doesn't have a sun sign. He won't be under Trueman's control under any circumstances... so he is the only person able to destroy Trueman's wheel. Doing so severs the connection with the Ancient Lights and prevents their entry into the universe. Sarah Jane pleads with Trueman to leave the theatre and escape with them, but Trueman will not. He cannot bear to return to his former life and instead chooses to become one with the stars.

As the friends celebrate back at Sarah Jane's house, the unaware Earth authorities begin what the investigators know will be a fruitless search for Trueman. Luke decides that, since he was able to use his lack of a birthday to save the universe, he will take today's date as his own equivalent of a birthday.

Cast

Production Crew

Co-Producer - Phil Ford
1st Assistant Director - Steffan Morris
2nd Assistant Director - Anna Evans
3rd Assistant Director - Sarah Davies
Location Manager - Johnathan Allott
Production Co-Ordinator - Phillipa Cole
Continuity - Frances Mable
Script Editor - Gary Russell
Focus Puller - Steve Rees
Grip - Clive Baldwin
Boom Operator - Jeff Welch
Gaffer - Mark Hatchings
Stunt Co-Ordinator - Abbi Collins
Supervising Art Director - James North
Standby Art Director - Ellen Woods

References

to be added

Story notes

The story was originally going to use the Mandragora Helix, and act as a sequel to The Masque of Mandragora. However, it was decided that "Mandragora had to change too much, and was too easily defeated, in order to fit this plot" and a new foe was created instead. (DWM: Special Edition - Sarah Jane Smith)
This was the first episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures in which the Doctor appeared in some fashion, though it was in flashbacks from School Reunion and Journey's End. The TARDIS could also been seen in the background of one of the flashback scenes.
This is the third story in a row to involve a significant 'mind control' theme.
The French newscaster says:

La situation est très confuse. Personne ne sait ce qu'il se passe, ni qui pourrait être cet étrange Anglais.

The situation is very confused. No one knows what is going on, or who the strange Englishman could be.

The French crawl reads:

...ont été hypnotisé suivant une émission télévisée imprévue. Ceux qui ont été touchés par l'émission commencent maintenant à agir...

...have been hypnotised during an unplanned television show. Those who have been affected by the programme are now beginning to...

Ratings

Episode 1 - 518,000 (CBBC channel)
Episode 2 - 505,000 (CBBC channel)

Myths

to be added

Filming locations

to be added

Production errors

In the end Taurus can be seen lit up even though Taurus hadn't been said also we don't hear Trueman say Virgo or Aquarius

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.

Mr. Smith mentions Draconia as one of the planets that has astrology (DW: Frontier in Space).
Sarah Jane has a flashback of her reunion with the Tenth Doctor (DW: School Reunion) and her farewell to him after the War in the Medusa Cascade (DW: Journey's End) just after her traveling with him was spoken of by Martin Trueman.
Sarah Jane remarks having been by controlled by other powers in the past, referring to (DW: Planet of the Spiders, The Hand of Fear).
The French news reporter originally appeared in DW: Army of Ghost and again in TW: Children of Earth, making him the second character (the other being Trinity Wells) to appear in both Doctor Who and its spin-offs
When Sarah Jane requests Mr Smith's help, a letter with the ATMOS logo can be seen.

Novelisation

As of July 2010, no novelisation of this story has been announced for publication, although other episodes have been adapted.

Home video releases

This story, along with the rest of Series 2, is scheduled for release on DVD on 9th November 2009 (UK) and 10th November 2009 (North America).[1]

Footnotes