32x01 5x01 The Eleventh Hour [Part III] ****
This installment continues only moments after the end of the previous installment, yet this is clearly the beginning of a new chapter in the life of the Doctor. The episode is very nearly a reboot of the series, serving as the newly regenerated 11th Doctor's first real adventure. It also introduces a new TARDIS interior, a new Sonic Screwdriver, new companions Amy Pond & Rory Williams, new riddles about the cracks in the universe, the Pandorica & the Silence. We also get a new opening titles sequence and new music. Behind the scenes there are still more changes. This is the next chapter in a continuing story...yet it's the beginning of a brand new one, all at the same time. The series itself has regenerated here, and quite successfully. There's also a brilliant little scene featuring footage of the previous 10 Doctors! Nice.
32x02 Meanwhile in the TARDIS 01 [Part IV] ****
A mini-Special included on the DVD set, this installment bridges the gap that originally existed between 'The Eleventh Hour' & 'The Beast Below'. It's short but it's brilliant. A very cool bonus.
32x03 5x02 The Beast Below [Part V] **
Picks up almost directly after the mini-special. This installment is a good story marred by a visual continuity problem...and a serious dumbing down of The Doctor. Suddenly Amy is smarter than 11 and this just feels wrong. On the flip side, the score music for the episode is brilliant. The cracks in the universe storyline continues. The episode ends with a scene setting up the next installment. Two characters introduced here return in later episodes.
32x04 5x03 Victory of the Daleks [Part VI] *
Picks up soon after the previous installment, with a 2nd appearance by Winston Churchill & the Daleks. It's possible an adventure could be tucked between the two, but with the set up scene at the end of the previous adventure it feels odd to have an episode there. This episode is ok...until it gets really horribly stupid. The episode is slightly redeemed by the fact that the events of the episode has lasting consequences and that several characters featured here will return giving some incredibly silly story points more weight than they deserve.
32x05 3x11 The Gift, Part I *
32x06 3x12 The Gift, Part II *
32x07 3x07 The Eternity Trap, Part I ***
32x08 3x08 The Eternity Trap, Part II ***
The gap between 'Victory of the Daleks' & 'The Time of Angels' while not that big, has no set up scene in one episode that's paid off in the next, so this felt like a good spot to catch up with Sarah Jane. The pacing of this season's Sarah Jane episodes is deliberate so that the seasons may crossover when possible. These episodes feature no crossovers but make way for episodes that do. 'The Gift' episodes could have been included in the longer gap between 'The Vampires of Venice' & "Amy's Choice' but there's an episode of Sarah Jane later in the season ('Sarah Jane's Alien Files 04') which retells the story of 'The Gift', which plays best around midseason and I wanted as many episodes between those installments as possible to help keep them feeling fresher...which is also why I switched the 2 Sarah Jane stories; nothing continuity wise is damaged by the switch, and it also adds 2 more episodes to the gap. The reason why Torchwood isn't revisited here is that Season 4 of that series takes place a considerable amount of time after Season 3 so I wanted as much time between those episodes as possible, plus it's 10 episode serialized story would be hard to break up. I even considered not using it in this season of the Whoniverse at all, but the story structure of the next season of Doctor Who made the inclusion of Torchwood much more appropriate than it would have otherwise been.
32x09 5x04 The Time of Angels [Part I] **
32x10 5x05 Flesh and Stone [Part II] **
A 2 part story featuring the return of River Song and the Weeping Angels. The River Song aspects play out very well and bring forward a new mystery that will be explored this season: who exactly is River? The Weeping Angels however have nearly no continuity with their previous appearance, which is annoying. Perhaps this would have been ok if their introduction in Season 29's 'Blink' had been stupid but most people I know consider their introduction episode to be one of the best and most terrifying episodes of Doctor Who ever filmed! Several glaring continuity problems are apparent, not the least of which is, if the Weeping Angels 'weep' for fear of crossing gazes with another Weeping Angel when there are only 4 or 5 of them in 'Blink' then why is it that a whole army of them can run around with no such 'weeping'? If they'd gotten the Angels right this could have been an awesome adventure - and there are several very cool scenes here. There are also several very IMPORTANT scenes here - just as there are in 'The Beast Below' and 'Victory of the Daleks' - scenes that will affect later (thankfully better) episodes.
32x11 Meanwhile in the TARDIS 02 [Part III] ****
Another brilliant mini-special featured on the DVD set, with another fantastic scene bridging another gap between episodes. This one features cameo images of many, many previous female TARDIS companions and references K9.
32x12 5x06 The Vampires of Venice [Part IV] ***
Picks up shortly after the mini-episode and while it's not a perfect episode, it's the first episode in awhile that doesn't have anything glaringly wrong with it. It's good to have Rory back. The 1st Doctor appears in a photograph.
32x13 4x01 The Nightmare Man, Part I **
32x14 4x02 The Nightmare Man, Part II **
The placement of 'The Nightmare Man' just before 'Amy's Choice' helps throw the audience of the latter installment off the scent of who the Dream Lord is. Is this perhaps a direct crossover with a new Nightmare Man? The episodes themselves are similarly themed at the least and so I thought it might be fun to pair them. These Sarah Jane episodes also reference the Doctor, with a veiled reference to Torchwood as well me thinks...and they also feature Luke & K9 Mark IV leaving Sarah Jane for college, though they continue to recur throughout Season 32 of the Whoniverse. That's all good, but for some reason these episodes just don't connect with me. They're not HORRIBLE, but I don't like them either.
32x15 5x07 Amy's Choice ***
See the previous entry for this one. As far as the rating, this is another episode of Who with nothing wrong, yet that's really the only good thing about it.
32x16 4x03 The Vault of Secrets, Part I ***
32x17 4x04 The Vault of Secrets, Part II ***
Another set of episodes set as early in the season as possible because of a later installment (Sarah Jane's Alien Files 06) retelling the story. It's a fun couple of episodes bringing back familiar elements of Sarah Jane like Luke & Androvax with elements of Doctor Who as well...like the "Pyramids of Mars" & the android Men In Black from Season 31's "Dreamland". Very cool.
32x18 5x08 The Hungry Earth [Part I] ***
32x19 5x09 Cold Blood [Part II] ***
Another story with nothing wrong per say, yet it's rather dull. Classic Who monsters the Silurians return here. We also get a major twist in the cracks in the universe storyline.
32x20 Sarah Jane's Alien Files 01 ***
This spin-off of The Sarah Jane Adventures features the characters of that show working on files dedicated to the enemies they've faced so that future generations of alien fighters may have their knowledge when they are gone. These clip shows consist mostly of 'flashbacks' to previous adventures, but they also feature new footage of Sarah Jane, Mr. Smith, Clyde, Rani & Luke - along with new references and information. This installment features Sarah Jane & Mr. Smith discussing / retelling their encounters with the Trickster & his Graske, who featured in 3 previous Sarah Jane stories: "Whatever Happened To Sarah Jane?", "The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith" & "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith". The 10th Doctor is featured in the flashback clips. Donna Nobel is referenced! :)
As to why these spin-off episodes start being placed here, the storyline of the spin-off - set after Luke's departure in "The Nightmare Man" is one reason. Another is that the next official episode of Sarah Jane takes place after the 2010 Christmas Special and the other episodes in the season are written in such a way that they can't be viewed out of their air date order without continuity flaws. So these Sarah Jane spin-offs work out quite well. The only trouble with them is that 2 of 6 installments recount adventures from this season ("The Gift" & "The Vault of Secrets") which reduces their impact to a degree I think.
32x21 5x10 Vincent and the Doctor *****
A really great episode. This is where the season of Who starts picking up in my opinion. The rough patch of episodes from "The Beast Below" - "Cold Blood" are proven to be just that: a rough patch; nothing more.
The 1st Doctor appears in a photograph. The 2nd Doctor appears in a photograph. In my reckoning of the Whoniverse this is the 900th installment.
32x22 Sarah Jane's Alien Files 02 ***
The 2nd spin-off episode, this one features Rani & Mr. Smith imparting information on The Entity, Eve & Ship, who featured in 2 previous Sarah Jane stories: "Day of the Clown" & "The Mad Woman in the Attic".
32x23 5x11 The Lodger ****
A fun and important episode.
32x24 Sarah Jane's Alien Files 03 ***
The 3rd spin-off episode, this one features Luke & Mr. Smith imparting information on The Bane, Mrs. Wormwood & the Sontarans, who featured in 3 previous Sarah Jane stories: "Invasion of the Bane", "The Last Sontaran" & "Enemy of the Bane". The Sontarans return in the next episode of Who.
32x25 5x12 The Pandorica Opens [Part I] *****
32x26 5x13 The Big Bang [Part II] *****
A massively fantastic, epic 2 part adventure that reveals how the cracks in the universe came to be...though not who the direct cause is. These episodes also unite almost ever plot thread from the season so far and features many returning characters & alien villains including the Uvodni who's only previous appearance was in Sarah Jane's "Warriors of Kudlak", and the Weevils & Blowfish who had previously only appeared in episodes of Torchwood. This sort-of-mini-crossover continues in the next few installments. These episodes also introduce a character or two who appear later in the season.
32x27 Sarah Jane's Alien Files 04 ***
The 4th spin-off episode features Sarah Jane & Mr. Smith imparting information on the Slitheen, Blathereen & Rakweed, covering the Sarah Jane stories: "Revenge of the Slitheen", "The Lost Boy" & recent installment "The Gift". In a slight crossover with the "The Pandorica Opens", Mr. Smith reveals that the Slitheen were part of the Alliance of aliens featured in that installment, also mentioning the Uvodni, Sontarans, Cybermen & the Daleks. Watching this installment so soon after that Doctor Who adventure makes it feel like the 2 shows are playing off each other.
32x28 Space [Part I] ****
32x29 Time [Part II] ****
These mini-episodes of Who feature Amy attempting to ask the Doctor a question which in the end is never fully asked and is definitely not answered. Later in the season, Amy is pregnant, and it's implied that the child was conceived in the TARDIS on the night of Amy & Rory's wedding, while they were traveling in the TARDIS through the time vortex...just after the events seen in the previous Who installment, "The Big Bang". It is also later revealed that when Amy believes she's pregnant that she tells the Doctor as soon as possible because she fears that the TARDIS might affect the child. These mini-episodes foreshadow that, as I believe Amy was already thinking ahead and attempting to ask the Doctor if there might be a consequence of sex in the TARDIS. Amy & Rory are next seen on their honeymoon, which seems slightly odd, since traveling to different worlds and times could be seen as the ultimate honeymoon, yet if Amy was afraid she may have insisted on getting away for a little while. Also, the Doctor sees first hand in these installments, the danger of having horny newlyweds on the TARDIS which may have allowed him to be more open about letting them go off on their own for a bit. Did I mention that these are incredibly fun, fantastic little episodes as well? Because they are! The Whoniverse is on a roll again!
32x30 Sarah Jane's Alien Files 05
32x31 A Christmas Carol (2010 Christmas Special) *****
My favorite Christmas Special so far. Following the events of "The Big Bang" & the previous mini-adventures, Amy & Rory are on their honeymoon when this installment begins. Near the end, when the Doctor has saved the day but Amy & Rory have been through a horrible time, Rory asks the Doctor if he has any other honeymoon ideas with the Doctor suggesting one - this implies that Rory, not having had a satisfactory honeymoon is planning on giving it another go.
32x32 4x05 Death of the Doctor, Part I *****
32x33 4x06 Death of the Doctor, Part II *****
The 11th Doctor appears in these installments and mentions that Rory & Amy are on their honeymoon (not the one from "A Christmas Carol" so set after that). These episodes feature tons & tons of continuity with previous Sarah Jane episodes, recent Doctor Who episodes and even Classic Who episodes - with many, many old faces, races & places seen in flashbacks or referenced or back in the flesh - such as former companion to the 3rd Doctor, Jo Grant. A true love letter to fans of the Whoniverse. It also centers on the faked by aliens death of the Doctor; we'll see a seemingly much more serious Doctor death in the next Who story. These episodes also feature Sarah Jane & the Doctor just before a long break in stories for them which seemed like a good idea. The final line of this episode seems rather eerie when the next Torchwood and Who stories arrive...and what happened to Lis Sladen before this season of the Whoniverse was completed.
32x34 4x01 Miracle Day - The New World [Part I]
32x35 4x02 Miracle Day - Rendition [Part II]
32x36 4x03 Miracle Day - Dead of Night [Part III]
32x37 4x04 Miracle Day - Escape to L.A. [Part IV]
32x38 4x05 Miracle Day - The Categories of Life [Part V]
32x39 4x06 Miracle Day - The Middle Men [Part VI]
32x40 4x07 Miracle Day - Immortal Sins [Part VII]
32x41 4x08 Miracle Day - End of the Road [Part VIII]
32x42 4x09 Miracle Day - The Gathering [Part IX]
32x43 4x10 Miracle Day - The Blood Line [Part X]
The placement of Torchwood here solves a big story problem for me. When we see the Doctor in the previous installments, he's still traveling with Amy & Rory, though they are on their honeymoon, but in the next Doctor Who episode, the Doctor has left Amy & Rory behind - and 2 months have passed for them, while he's a year older when they're reunited...so having a big story in between those episodes helps make the jarring changes to the TARDIS gang less jarring or at least easier to accept. The reason why having several Sarah Jane stories here isn't an option is that in April 2011, Lis Sladen, who played the key role of Sarah Jane Smith, sadly, passed away unexpectedly from cancer. 6 episodes (3 stories) were filmed last year, and will air at a later date, but that will be the end of The Sarah Jane Adventures. It may spin-off into a new permutation...or not, that's not known as I type this. Another good reason to place this story here is that we've just had a series of Sarah Jane / Doctor stories that seem to play off each other and it's neat to have Torchwood in the mix as well as a reminder that there are 3 series going on. Also, there was a bit of Torchwood included in Who just 8 episodes back with the inclusion of the Torchwood aliens: the Weevils and the Blowfish. Also, the previous Sarah Jane story ends with Sarah Jane saying that with friends like her little gang the Doctor will never die...then in Miracle Day we see the horror of what life would be like if nobody were to die...and then the real death of the Doctor shortly after that.
On another note, this season heralds a new iteration of the Torchwood storyline in a perfect continuation which simultaneously regenerates the Torchwood universe, much like "The Eleventh Hour" did for Doctor Who, thematically linking the two shows. Last season's 5 episode story saw the fall of Torchwood; things that were central to the series were destroyed (the Hub / Ianto) and Jack left Gwen the only member remaining on Earth - some fallout of which we saw in the 10th Doctor's final story "The End of Time" (which mentions the fall of Torchwood and features a cameo appearance of Jack in an alien bar somewhere). Now we see what has become of our beloved characters...and the story continues.
More to come...