Originally
Broadcast: January 1st 2007
Length:
60 minutes
Directed
By: Colin Teague
Cast:
Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), Maria Jackson (Yasmin Paige),
Luke/The Archetype (Tommy Knight), Kelsey (Porsha Lawrence Mavour),
Mrs Wormwood (Samantha Bond), Davey (Jamie Davis),
Alan Jackson (Joseph Millson), Chrissie Jackson (Juliet Cowan)
Plot:
The episode starts with a thirteen year
old girl, Maria Jackson, and her recently divorced father moving into a
house opposite Sarah Jane Smith. The night after they have moved in,
Maria is woken by an etheral light emenating from Sarah Jane's house,
which she discovers, to her horror, to be Sarah conversing with
butterfly-like alien species.
The next morning, a local girl, Kelsey
Harper visits and welcomes her. She invites Maria into town, using the
free "Bubble Shock!" bus to travel and tour the factory. Once
they arrive at the factory, they are lead to a security scanner, which
surreptitiously collects their DNA to transfer to an
"Archetype" under the supervision of the factory's owner, Mrs
Wormwood.
Sarah Jane, having overheard the girls
making plans, follows them to the factory and interviews Mrs Wormwood,
and how she was able to get approval for the drink so fast, and why the
Bane ingredient was "resisting" analysis, to which she is told
that all that Bubble Shock! is doing is satisfying the needs of the
Western world. On Sarah's way out, she is almost killed by Wormwood's
secretary.
Kelsey wanders from the tour and
attempts to phone her friend, but disturbs an unknown beast, the Bane
Mother, to the annoyance of the staff, to which Wormwood orders the
alarms switched off and Sarah Jane killed. Maria attempts to phone
Kelsey, but sets off the alarms again and causes the Archetype to
escape, transferring the focus upon him. Maria, while escaping,
encounters the Archetype which just mimics her, and they escape into a
women's bathroom. Sarah Jane then enters, and although they are
surprised to see each other, they manage to escape the factory, however
without Kelsey. When they arrive back on Bannerman Road, Sarah warns
Maria not to get involved as her life is too dangerous, even though
Maria saw the alien the previous night.
Meanwhile, Kelsey is accosted by the
factory guards, which causes her to rant about the treatment she has
received. Wormwood subdues her by revealing her true form, and having
discovered Kelsey and Sarah Jane live on the same street uses her PR
rep, "Davey", to escort her home. Once there, Maria realises
upon sight of Kelsey that Davey had discovered Sarah and tries to runs
into Sarah Jane's house. Eventually realising their intent, Sarah Jane
brings them inside, the now-Bane Davey giving chase. Sarah Jane is able
to subdue the Bane. She then, upon discovery of the attic by Kelsey,
tells the teenagers about aliens: years ago, she met a man like no
other, who took her through time and space. The adventures suddenly
ended, but when they met by chance not long ago, they realised they were
still fond for each other.
Once Sarah Jane has analysed that the
Bane ingredient was sentient, she contacts Wormwood and politely
requests that she leaves Earth. Wormwood refuses and in retaliation
takes control of the human race. Sarah Jane races to the factory, but
cannot enter until she drives the bus into a wall. Wormwood reveals the
Bane Mother, and explains the Archetype is a conglomerate of human DNA
designed to be investigated so that Bubble Shock could be improved. The
Archetype then gets an idea to use a mobile phone and an alien
communicator Sarah Jane had been given by the alien Maria saw to kill
the Bane Mother. The plan works and causes the factory to explode.
The following evening, Sarah Jane agrees
to adopt the Archetype and agrees with Maria to call him
"Luke". The episode closes with a monologue by Sarah Jane that
while space may be strange, adventures may be had on Earth, if one knows
where to look.
