‘It’s always the innocents that suffer.’ This feels a bit less toned down than the previous episode, with Sarah Jane darkly hinting at what happens to men like Grantham in prison, and an eleventh-hour twist that reveals the real monster is the military-industrial complex (or something like that). It’s also nice to see the series spread its wings a bit with a trip into Earth’s orbit for the team. The show continues to be engaging and fun kid’s TV.

That said, the first two stories were a bit more than that, delving into the nature of parent/child relationships. Despite a nod towards “the horrors of war”, this is a less interesting piece. There are many good bits, like Mr Smith’s alien identikit, the (Smith and Jones) Slabs serving Kudlak, and Maria’s increasingly Sarah Jane-like ability to jump in and save the day. It ends with everyone laughing, in a very Star Trek way, at Luke wanting to learn about ‘girls’.

Next Time: Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane – Part One