3.4 The Eternity Trap

**SiHart** · 5th Nov 2009, 12:42 PM

It's Thursday, it's the start of a brand new Sarah Jane Adventure!

But what did you think of it?

Si xx

**SiHart** · 5th Nov 2009, 6:31 PM

Excellent stuff tonight. Really creepy in a scare the little buggers kind of way. There were some really creepy moments and it was pretty well played on the whole. OK some of the moments may have been obvious, but that didn't stop them being really effective.

Always good to see Floella Benjamin too.

Si xx

**shada pavlova** · 5th Nov 2009, 9:54 PM

It's okay...but it just pales in comparison to its predecessor. They really should have left TWOSJS for the season finale, IMO.

**Si Hunt** · 5th Nov 2009, 11:27 PM

Who-ever wrote this (i.e Phil Ford) knows what buttons to push to scare kids - it was like he had a checklist: slamming doors, ghost children, old rocking horses, cobwebby tunnels, ancient magicians... if I was 9, this would scare the absolute crap out of me.

What was with the bizarre performance from that boy playing the assistant though? Is he a special needs actor or something? It was like he had an affliction; quite the weirdest acting style I've ever seen. And he looked like a grown up Hale Joel-Osmet.

Si.

**Dino** · 5th Nov 2009, 11:36 PM

And that piece of music heard when they saw the watery footprints...
Do I get a prize for recognizing it as the same piece of music used in "The Shining"? or do I have to name it?
Argh! It's on the tip of my tongue! It's not the same bit of Glenn Miller from "The Doctor Dances"? (The one that wasn't "In The Mood"?)
I'm not desperate for this series to end, but how many more stories have we got to look forward to?

**Andrew Curnow** · 5th Nov 2009, 11:56 PM

I've just watched it and was really quite scared - if I was a kid watching it, it would be 'Scooby Doo and the headless horseman' all over again!!

**Si Hunt** · 6th Nov 2009, 7:34 AM

Can I just say that I absolutely adore Sarah Jane Adventures from the very bottom of my heart? It's almost so good that I can't watch it without part of me actually feeling sad that it won't literally go on forever. It's not so much any tangible moment, just that the whole premise, the soul of it, the characters are so utterly right that I know we'll never get anything so heart warmingly homely and lovable ever again.

Truly, Good Times.

Si. :mobile

**Rob McCow** · 6th Nov 2009, 8:29 AM

Four stories in and no stinkers yet! And as Si said, this one was absolutely spot on in terms of the frighten factor.

And Floella Benjamin gets more utterly iconic with every scene. Here she tells us a bedtime story, which is revealed to be a story she's telling Sarah - and then we have her screaming! If Sladen leaves the show somehow, I'd love to see the Floella Benjamin Adventures. I wonder what her character's name is - Doctor something?

**Perry Vale** · 6th Nov 2009, 2:00 PM

Originally Posted by Si Hunt

What was with the bizarre performance from that boy playing the assistant though? Is he a special needs actor or something? It was like he had an affliction; quite the weirdest acting style I've ever seen.

I was under the impression they were making him out to be Autistic, in that he's not comfortable with people, but happier with his technology & experiments.

I actually found this one a bit boring, but can accept it would be scary for kids. Maybe I'll have to rewatch it as everyone seems to be praising it.

Pip Madeley · 6th Nov 2009, 5:25 PM

Just watched part one pre-recorded before part two went out live. It was alright, spooky Scooby Doo-esque etc and well made etc but I agree with Steve that it was a bit boring at times, the second episode in particular seemed to go on forever and the fact that we didn't see the monster was a total anti-climax (sometimes it's better not to see something but in this case I actually would have preferred to). Plus Floella Benjamin has a very unusual acting style which I'm sure kids love but... maybe it's just me, but I don't think she's a great actress.

Good, but as Shada said, it paled in comparison to the previous story.

By the way, did anyone get a feeling of 'Zygons' when Sarah took the torch and went through the secret underground passage hidden behind the bookcase?

**Lord President** · 7th Nov 2009, 12:17 AM

Loved it! Scary, well written and well acted. I loved Toby too, what an excellent character, I wonder if he's related to Malcolm from Planet of the Dead?

**shada pavlova** · 7th Nov 2009, 9:58 AM

I'm a bit annoyed that you never really found out what the scary thing in the bushes actually was.

Also, what's with the trailer for the next episode? I mean, how can a simple painting do all that? (especially one with "this is a fake" written under the paintwork, in felt tip.

Now don't tell me you're denying a continuity issue on that one.

**Andrew Curnow** · 7th Nov 2009, 3:39 PM

I'm amazed you have a problem with painting coming to life, SP. What about 8th Doctor adventure Demontage then, eh?

**shada pavlova** · 7th Nov 2009, 4:06 PM

Yes, but that's entirely different. In this case, the painting in question has already been established (in irrefutably canon media, I might add) as just a normal painting. No aliens trapped inside, no crazy computers inside it, nothing.

Although, it is a very pretty painting...

**Jon Masters** · 7th Nov 2009, 9:59 PM

Originally Posted by shada pavlova

Yes, but that's entirely different. In this case, the painting in question has already been established (in irrefutably canon media, I might add) as just a normal painting. No aliens trapped inside, no crazy computers inside it, nothing.

Although, it is a very pretty painting...

But that was the Mona Lisa as it was in 1979 - who says something can't have changed about it by the time it gets to 2009 ?

**shada pavlova** · 7th Nov 2009, 10:26 PM

Are you saying an alien's trying to steal the Mona Lisa?

**Andrew Curnow** · 7th Nov 2009, 10:44 PM

Well, it is a very pretty painting...

**Rob McCow** · 8th Nov 2009, 9:27 AM

Well, perhaps you should wait and see the episode before worrying about canon.

And think on this - what if Count Scarlioni was lying? And we never actually saw da Vinci painting over the canvasses, he could have used different ones.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Eternity Trap. I'm a bit worried though, because I didn't really miss Luke even though he wasn't in it. Could Rani, Clyde and Sarah carry the series on their own?

It was gently creepy, it had a good atmosphere to it and Donald Sumpter was simply deeeeeeelicious as Erasmus Darkening. He couldn't have been more evil if he had been wearing a special 'I'm Evil!' hat... oh wait! He was.

**SiHart** · 8th Nov 2009, 9:31 AM

Who says it's the actual Mona Lisa?

Si xx

**shada pavlova** · 8th Nov 2009, 4:38 PM

Fair point.

Originally Posted by Andrew Curnow

Well, it is a very pretty painting...

I knew somebody would take the bait. I just knew.

**Andrew Curnow** · 8th Nov 2009, 7:19 PM

You see, I'm an anorak, and Shada here, he's a fellow anorak who's been good enough to give an obvious cue. Our two lines of work dovetail beautifully...

**SiHart** · 8th Nov 2009, 8:47 PM

You can't make an omlette without breaking eggs. Is that right?

no?

Si xx

**Perry Vale** · 8th Nov 2009, 11:42 PM

Just watched episode 2, and still feel the same about it. Well directed, a good cast, but it just didn't hold my attention very well. The balance/tone just didn't feel right to me, possibly due to Luke's non-appearance. And the Clyde/Rani Scooby stuff didn't work well enough.

**Simon R** · 8th Nov 2009, 11:56 PM

I thought it odd that they were using torches in the tunnel when there were electric lights on the wall.

Flo Benj is a legend but golly gosh she's a bad actress!

**Si Hunt** · 9th Nov 2009, 8:49 AM

It was enjoyable, but now we've seen Part 2 it was a very 'superficial' adventure. Lots of scares, and made very well, but something of a confused plot - the story seemed to be leading up to the mysterious 'creature' in the garden (the Next Time trailer even showing a pair of glowing red eyes!) but then we never found out what it was! The 'ghost people' on the stairs was a great idea but not quite executed well enough - they should have been translucent, and wandering around like phantoms. And there was an overwealming air of cheapness about it all.

It wasn't bad, by any means - it still stands above "Warriors of Kudlak" in the rankings, Erasmus was very well acted and Part 1 was top notch. But for me it felt overall like it was a bit of a forgettable episode compared to the earlier ones this year.

Si.

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3.4 The Eternity Trap

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