S01E09: 'The Lost Boy' Part One

What are the makers of Sarah Jane trying to do to us? A nice, cosy teatime treat following some jovial encounters was what many expected, especially following the lightweight encounter with the Slitheen that kicked off the series. But since then, dark emotions have been regularly encountered, often to do with human loss, and a fascinating morbid tone has descended. More jarring disorientation was on offer in the first part of the season finale.

In the previous story, poor Maria woke up to discover that no one knew who Sarah Jane Smith was. Now Luke has to endure the revelation that he has a new set of parents, leading him to be dragged away from his new friends and surrogate mother. This is understandably harrowing for both Sarah Jane and Luke, but dealing with the dissolution of the family unit has been dealt with enough during the show.

Nonetheless, the intriguing storyline constantly keeps us guessing and subverts what we think we know about the origins of Luke. The explanation surrounding his disappearance (as the missing Ashley) sounds plausible and our sympathy starts to lean towards the grieving parents. Their seemingly heartfelt appeals on television are eerily reminiscent of recent high profile cases. Ashley's parents are in fact concealing a fart-free secret beneath their skins, but we don't learn that until the cliffhanger.

As with recent Doctor Who finales, the formula of an old enemy from earlier in the series returning has been closely adhered to. Such a shame it had to be the Slitheen then, rather than any evil nuns or General Kudlak's brethren. Still, there's less gas in the air now as the Slitheen have apparently fixed their wind problems by investing in some new body suits. Let's hope this sees a new direction for the impressive looking monsters, whose earlier Sarah Jane appearance was ruined by some annoying pantomime gurning from some of the actors.

There was a more impressive shock in store with the sudden revelation that supercomputer Mr Smith was an evil entity. There was no signposting or hints about this, meaning that the reveal was deliciously effective.

The merits of this first part now depend a great deal on the pay-off in the final 25 minutes of the excellent series. But can it possibly live up to the burden of expectation?