Home

Story: The Nightmare Man
Year: 2010
Written by: Joseph Lidster
Directed by: Joss Agnew

Synopsis: Luke is preparing to leave for Oxford University, having passed his A-Levels a year early. He is nervous but excited, while Sarah Jane, Clyde and Rani wonder and worry about what life will be like with him so far away.

A few days before his departure, Luke has his first nightmare – he dreams that Sarah Jane doesn't really care about him and will be glad to see him gone. He wakes up scared – he was never dreamed before, the Bane didn't design him for it – but Rani reassures him that it's probably down to the stress of leaving home.

The next night, Luke has a second nightmare, that Clyde and Rani are jealous and don't like him any more. A strange man is there, too, and Luke fears that this might be more than just a dream.

Luke confides in Sarah about his nightmare, but Mr Smith can't find anything wrong with him. Clyde calls Luke to school, where a surprise leaving party is waiting for him. As Rani and Clyde enjoy the party, Luke falls asleep again, and once more sees the strange man, who identifies himself as the Nightmare Man and tells Luke that dreams give him power, and Luke can't tell anyone about him.

Luke tries to confide in Rani about the Nightmare Man, but he finds himself unable to explain. Later on, in a message to Maria, he tries to write about what is happening to him, but he cannot type the words, and he falls asleep again. In his new dream, Sarah Jane and the gang show his replacement around the attic – a new son for Sarah. They've all but forgotten about him, and laugh as they burn his pictures and start a new life without him. The Nightmare Man appears again and reveals his plans to steal life from everyone through their nightmares. Luke tries to find out where he is from, to no avail.

On his final night at home, Luke is tense and anxious as the gang hold a goodbye party in the attic. As they go to bed later, Luke asks Rani not to sleep, but she cannot help it. Luke records a video to get around his inability to name the Nightmare Man, but as he makes it, he is unable to stay awake and the Nightmare Man uses the power of his dreams to enter the real world, while Luke wakes up in an empty nightmare land.

With Luke fast asleep, the Nightmare Man moves on to Rani and Clyde, turning their dreams into nightmares. Sarah Jane finds Luke asleep, and takes the video camera he was using to watch the film of the party. Seeing the message he recorded, she desperately tries to wake him, Clyde and Rani, and when that fails, she uses Mr Smith and K9 to communicate with Luke inside his dream. Meanwhile, the Nightmare Man runs about Bannerman Road, stealing life from the dreams of everyone on the street.

In the nightmare land, Luke works out that Clyde and Rani are dreaming too, and they manage to meet in the dream world. Their meeting drains the Nightmare Man's power, but he is still able to cut Luke's link to K9. Sarah Jane confronts him, but she is unable to stop him from returning to the dream world to try to separate the kids. Luke realises that together they are powerful enough to stop him and they lose their fear of him, trapping him in the nightmare world as they wake up. Sarah Jane is thrilled to have them back.

The next morning, the gang say goodbye to Luke and K9 as they set off for Oxford.

Sarah Moments:

* Sarah is sad that Luke is going away, and they talk about how she will miss him
* She sets the kitchen on fire trying to make scrambled eggs
* She gives her old car to Luke as a going away present

* She confronts the Nightmare Man and tries to outwit him
* She sends K9 to look after Luke while he's in Oxford

Capture, Rescue and Mortal Peril:

* Sarah Jane and the kids escape from and explode yet another Slitheen

* The Nightmare Man damages K9! Luckily Sarah is able to fix him

* The kids rescue themselves from the Nightmare Man

Quotes:

* 'Mum – have I made the right choice?' 'Of course you have! Remember your first day at Park Vale? You were terrified – that turned out all right!' 'We were attacked by Slitheen.' 'Yeah, well, apart from that.' 'They turned the sun off?' 'Yeah... and apart from that.' - Luke and Sarah Jane discuss his decision
* 'Listen – for years I was alone, just K9 and me. You gave me my life back. You gave me something real to live for. I'm terrified of what's going to happen when you go, I'm so scared.' 'Why?' 'Because... it feels like I'm losing you.' 'Everything's changing so fast.' I know. But whatever happens, this is your home. Your friends are here, I'm here, and I will always be here for you. Well, of course I'm going to miss you!' - Sarah and Luke
* 'Remember that sentient concrete disguised as a Chiswick flyover?' -Sarah recalls a previous adventure
* 'Perhaps I can help – if I were to connect to K9 I could boost his energy levels.' 'Oh! What do you need, Mr Smith? I have stuff here from planets across the universe – mind control devices, alien plants – you just tell me what you need!' 'I need a USB lead, Sarah Jane.' - Mr Smith and Sarah Jane
* 'This isn't a burger bar, these aren't real burgers, and you – you're not the real Sarah Jane!' - A little nod to The Android Invasion in Clyde's dream
* 'Good to meet you at last!' 'You know me?' 'I feed on every nightmare that every man, woman and child has ever had, and you have had so many – oh the things you have seen! And Luke, your fear about what might happen to him – and the dreams about the Doctor, when he never came back and you thought he was dead, oh, they were good!' 'I'm not scared of you... what's wrong? Not used to someone arguing back? What's the matter, if you're so strong, send me to sleep!' 'You want to have nightmares?' 'Well you've already taken my son, my friends – this is already a nightmare! What else have I got to live for? Oh, come on, do it!' - Sarah Jane tries to trick the Nightmare Man
* 'You're just an alien! Well, I'm called Luke Smith, and I was made by aliens to destroy the world! But this brilliant woman, Sarah Jane Smith, she found me and she made me good. She found others – a boy called Clyde, and a girl called Rani. This world has faced so many nightmares, but there's always been someone there to stop them. Us. I was so scared because I thought my mates wouldn't be there for me – never mind Oxford, they followed me into my nightmares! Three kids, breaking down the walls of dreams to be together! It's something no-one's ever done before – because together, we're unbeatable!' - Luke, being awesome

Wardrobe Appreciation

Another season, another couple of fabulous boots/jeans/waistcoat combinations: