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We're counting down Sarah's top ten cliffhangers! Needless to say, spoilers lurk, for three episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures, four classic Doctor Who stories, one Big Finish audio and one obscure short audio play! Proceed with caution! 10 - The Blinovitch Link What Happens:Sarah has been talking to a mysterious stranger on the phone, who claims to be from the future - she tries to warn Sarah of an imminent danger, but she is in danger too and doesn't have enough time - but as there is a knock on Sarah's door, she cries out a desperate warning: 'Don't answer the door, Sarah! Whatever you do, don't answer that door!' Why it's Awesome:This is only a really short play, a matter of minutes, but it builds up such a tense atmosphere and the stranger on the phone hints at such a horrifying future that, when the knock on the door comes, you're convinced that Sarah's utterly doomed... 9 - The Last Sontaran  What Happens:Kaagh announces that he will experiment on Clyde, and when Sarah refuses to allow it, he shoots her... Why it's Awesome:It's so unexpected - shooting the main character, as the cliffhanger of a kids' show? Sarah's at her best, too, willing to protect Clyde with her life if necessary. 8 - The Android Invasion  What Happens: The Doctor, realising that the woman he's talking to is not the real Sarah, grabs her, and as she struggles and falls, her face comes off, revealing that she is an android. Why it's Awesome:OK, so, it's not technically Sarah Jane, but this is one of those images that sticks with you for a long time. The clues are all there to tell us that this isn't really Sarah, but it's still a shock to see our suspicions confirmed this way. Did we mention her face falls off? 7 - The Brain of Morbius  What Happens:Sarah, having been temporarily blinded, is delighted to find that her vision is beginning to return. Unfortunately she's facing the wrong way to see the horrifying monster creeping up behind her... Why it's Awesome:It's nothing new to have Sarah threatened by the villain as a cliffhanger, but what makes this one great is her complete obliviousness - don't you just want to shout 'Behind you!' at the screen as the monster approaches? 6 - Invasion of the Dinosaurs  What Happens:Sarah wakes up on a spaceship heading to a new Earth colony, with no memory of how she got there, and finds that she's been there for three months! Why it's Awesome:The audience gets to share Sarah's shocked reaction - who saw this coming in a million years? And we're not quite sure enough of ourselves to dismiss it as a trick. 5 - Genesis of the Daleks  What Happens:Sarah is leading the Mutos in an attempt to escape the Thal rocket silo. They climb up the gantry as soldiers shoot at them, but Sarah loses her grip and falls... Why it's Awesome:Who can help gasping with shock when Sarah loses her grip? The shot of her falling out of view is a classic. 4 - The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith  What Happens:Sarah Jane is about to make her wedding vows to Peter Dalton, when the Doctor appears, and cries: 'Stop this wedding, now!' But before anyone can do anything, the Trickster appears and whisks Sarah and Peter away! Why it's Awesome:The Doctor stops Sarah Jane's wedding. I'm not sure what else needs to be said here. 3 - Dreamland  What Happens:In space, trapped in the cockpit of the world's first space tourism craft with only a murderous, fanatical cultist and an unconscious, dying friend for company, Sarah sees a bright light approaching, hears a roaring sound, and realises that she has finally found what she is searching for... Why it's Awesome:Everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong, Sarah is utterly helpless in an unfamiliar and desperate situation, there seems to be no way out. Then a bright light appears, and Sarah seems to recognise it - what could it be? What does it mean? Unfortunately, unless they decide to make more Sarah Jane Big Finish stories, we're never going to know! 2 - The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith  What Happens:Finding themselves in a devastated version of London, Sarah and Luke meet the Trickster, who tells her that it is her intervention in history that led to all of this. Why it's Awesome:The wasteland that used to be London is an impressively creepy sight, but even better is the idea that it's all down to Sarah - her quest to save her parents has doomed humanity. 1 - Genesis of the Daleks  What Happens:Running through the wastelands, Sarah finds a building, and inside, she sees Davros himself, testing one of the first Daleks, before concluding that their weapons are perfect and he is now ready to begin. Why it's Awesome:This is a huge, huge moment in the history of the universe, and the first appearance of Davros in Doctor Who - and Sarah is the person who gets to witness it. |