Finally had the time to watch the whole season. Some great stories except, sadly, the final one...
Prisoner of the Judoon
A fairly good start of the season. A cool ability Androvax had, but he was an otherwise boring character. The best part of this story was Elisabeth Sladen's saucy acting. RAWR!
The Mad Woman in the Attic
This had a strong "The Visitor" feel to it, both in the sense it was told in the future by an older version of a character and how that character made a mistake that affected not only his/her life, but the lives of his/her friends (or family). The actual story was fairly mundane, although I did like the past and future glimpses we got for Luke, Rani, and especially Sarah Jane (I love seeing glimpses of The Third and Fourth Doctors!). However, I have to say I like how there was no malevolent beings, rather just some misunderstanding and misguidance. And maybe it's just me, but seeing Harry as the caretaker of an abandoned carnival reminded me of that one Scooby-Doo episode with Dick Van Dyke (in a similar role & setting).
The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith
Easily the best story of the season. The Trickster has become SJA's defining villain and I look forward to his story each season. Better yet, this time the Graske doesn't appear whereas The Doctor does, but the best part is that The Doctor doesn't save the day (nor does K-9, come to think of it). Instead, saving the day falls squarely on the shoulders of Sarah Jane and her friends, particularly Clyde. While I was very excited about The Doctor showing up on SJA, I was afraid what kind of effect his appearance (and his extraordinary abilities) would have on the show. Thankfully, Gareth Roberts made it work. Added bonus of references to the Key of Time and The Doctor's coming doom...
The Eternity Trap
I love a good ghost story, so it's no surprise I enjoyed this story, even if it wasn't really a ghost story (or was it?...silly ending). The only thing I didn't like about this story was Toby Silverman. I didn't like his character was overly nerdish (almost in an autistic sort of way, but in a mockish way). I'm not sure if it was the acting or the writing, but either way, it rubbed me the wrong way
Mona Lisa's Revenge
I really loved the premise of this episode. It took the story of Dorian Gray and went a step further. However, do find it odd that Mona Lisa had a British accent. Surely she would have an Italian one, right? Ah, well, a minor gripe to an overall fun story where Sarah Jane didn't save the day. And just think, this being exist throughout all of The City of Death. Hmmm...The Fourth Doctor could have done something to prevent all of this. Oh, well!
The Gift
Not only is this the worst story of the season, it's also the worst story of the entire show. This was the same level of embarrassment as the first season of Torchwood, but in this case it was just childish. Rupert Laight seemed like he didn't know how to tell would could have been a good story (what would happen if Luke could get sick) in two parts, so he instead filled the story with little stupid moments and over-exaggerating certain parts (like Clyde's failed attempt to cheat on his biology test). This is the kind of thing I expect from a first season episode, not a season three finale. Besides, what happened to the tradition of having the finale villain be the same as the premiere tradition? I was expecting the Judoon to return and instead we got the Blathereen. Bah.
Despite the sour taste left in my mouth by the final story, I can't wait for more Sarah Jane Adventures. I absolutely love Clyde and I think he has become my favorite character, after Sarah Jane, of course. I would love it if after the character gets older and leaves the show (or the show ends), he becomes a companion of The Doctor. Hell, I wouldn't mind both him and Luke, but I especially want to see Clyde travel with The Doctor.
