* Elisabeth Sladen – Sarah Jane Smith
* Tommy Knight – Luke Smith
* Daniel Anthony – Clyde Langer
* Anjli Mohindra – Rani Chandra
* Alexander Armstrong – Mr Smith
* Nicholas Courtney – Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart
* Samantha Bond – Mrs Wormwood
* Anthony O'Donnell – Commander Kaagh
* Mina Anwar – Gita Chandra
* Ace Bhatti – Haresh Chandra

Plot Outline by Wikipedia

Gita is kidnapped from her florists late one night by Mrs Wormwood, who leaves a cheque with her name on it. In the morning, Rani calls upon Sarah Jane to help her find her mother. Upon investigating the flower shop, they discover the cheque and take it back to Mr Smith for analysis. Mr Smith's scan reveals that the sort code and account number are fake, but are actually a code. When translated, they give an address of an abandoned warehouse. Rani and Sarah Jane find that the door is open and find Gita in a trance. Mrs Wormwood enters and remarks on Rani being taller than Maria. Mrs Wormwood tells Sarah Jane she needs her help. She says that since the Bane's plan to take over the Earth failed, she has been exiled and is being hunted. The Bane attack, but they manage to escape.

Sarah Jane takes Mrs. Wormwood back to her house and Mr. Smith locks her in a force field. Mrs. Wormwood says that an ancient immortal, Horath, tried to take over the galaxy, but was defeated three thousand years previously. Unable to destroy him, Horath's body and consciousness were separated and placed at opposite ends of the galaxy. Mrs. Wormwood says that the Bane have discovered Horath's consciousness, and are trying to find his body, which is located on Earth. Once united, she says the Bane will be able to conquer the galaxy. The only clue to the body's location is in the Tunguska Scroll, which is kept in UNIT's Black Archive, a secure storehouse of alien artefacts.

Sarah Jane visits her old friend, the Brigadier, to get his help to enter the Archive. Sarah Jane and Rani obtain the Tunguska Scroll, which has information on the location of the body of Horath. UNIT personnel stop her, but she uses her sonic lipstick and escapes with Rani and the Brigadier. Meanwhile Luke talks to Mrs. Wormwood and when the Bane attack the house, he releases her from the force field. She is about to escape when a Bane tries to eat her. Sontaran Commander Kaagh shoots it and reveals himself to be her agent.

Mrs Wormwood saves Luke, then Clyde and Sarah Jane arrive. Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, the Brigadier and Mrs Wormwood all hide in Gita's Flower shop so that UNIT cannot find them. Mrs Wormwood asks Sarah Jane for the Scroll but she refuses. Commander Kaagh arrives and forces Sarah Jane to give it up by threatening Luke, Clyde and Rani. With the scroll in hand, Mrs Wormwood forces Luke to go with her and Commander Kaagh. Mrs Wormwood, Kaagh and Luke arrive at a factory where Kaagh has hidden his space pod. He places the Consciousness of Horath in a scroll. Meanwhile the others go to Sarah Jane's House to speak to Mr Smith, to try to find the whereabouts of Luke, Mrs Wormwood and Kaagh. Once they find out, they borrow Gita's van and go after them. Mrs Wormwood, Luke and Kaagh arrive at a stone circle where they force Luke to insert the scroll. Sarah Jane arrives. Mrs Wormwood betrays Kaagh and he stops her by jumping into the portal and dragging her in with him.

Analysis by Leather Tuscadero

Bane, Sontarans, The Brig!!! Blimey It’s like “This is your life” for Sarah Jane Smith!

Ok so this episode seems to be the least liked by a lot of people in the business, but I think it was awesome! Mostly cuz of The Brig!! Isn’t he just awesome, isn’t he the most awesomest person ever!!
It had other good qualities too, Mrs Wormwood is one of the best villains ever on Doctor who and Sarah Jane, and probably Torchwood too actually, plus Kaagh is great too and I love Sontarans.
I think there’s been a theme over the course of this season, Family, Maria and her dad moving away in the first episode, Clyde and his dad in The mark of the berserker, Sarah and her parents in the temptation of Sarah Jane smith, and then this episode see’s Luke come face to face again with his first mother Mrs Wormwood, cue lots of face touching and Luke getting that confused puppy dog look on his face! Isn’t he adorable when he does that!

I’m still not too sure what exactly was going on with the plot in this episode, what exactly was the consciousness of Horath? And why would a Sontaran work for someone else, that’s just not right! I still liked the episode though I’m just not entirely sure why.

The best part of this episode was definitely seeing The Brigadier again; It’s great that he was exactly like he was in the 70’s, and still attached to UNIT which was awesome, I think he probably was just there for a bit of nostalgia but hey what’s wrong with that? What’s the point of having a back catalogue of cool characters if you never use them, that’s why Sarah Jane is here after all.

Mrs Wormwood was great too, I never did think she died during Invasion of the bane I knew she’d come back eventually and I’m glad she did cuz she’s so cool! Although I don’t get all that face touching she does, that’s creepy, especially with a young boy.

Sarah was cool too especially coming up against Mrs Wormwood again, it was an awesome throwback to the pilot episode with poor Luke in the middle again, I can see why Luke got all tormented during this episode, after all Mrs Wormwood is kinda like his real mum and of course Sarah’s his adopted mum so he was torn between trying to sympathise with Mrs Wormwood and staying loyal to Sarah, it’s like Carla said in The Mark of The Berserker, “Don’t forget your mum”. I think Luke dealt with it in a good way by going with Mrs Wormwood and protecting his mum and his friends, I loved the bit where he took the scroll from Mrs Wormwood and then ran, that was funny!

I have to give credit to the other characters too, I love it when Sarah Jane gets defensive about Luke, and I loved the way she put Clyde in charge of looking out for Luke, Clyde was awesome too although I think he made too many jokes in this episode, I did like the way he tried to help Kaagh at the end though, very cool, plus Kaagh himself was great, his redemption scene was awesome especially when he pushed Mrs Wormwood into the portal, I’m a bit confused about the whole consciousness of Horath thing though, I haven’t figured that out yet, and I have doubts about a Sontaran working for another Alien…still he is the last sontaran so maybe he didn’t have a choice.

I have mixed feelings about Rani, I’m still not sure if she’s a good character or not, apart from the beginning when her mum disappeared I think she was a bit redundant in this episode after that.

I really don’t think this episode deserves the criticism it’s been getting, I really liked it, and I think The Brig did a great job as well, I keep hearing people saying he was redundant and that he didn’t do anything, well what do they expect? Did they want him running around and shooting aliens like he used to do back in the 70’s? The mans gotta be at least 80 by now he can’t exactly do all that stuff anymore!
I do have a few criticisms, I think the whole Horath thing was a lame plot device, we could have at least seen it in the end, and also I was shocked when the sonic lipstick was destroyed but then Sarah just whips out another from nowhere, what was that about?? That was such a lame get out of a bad situation attempt, they could have at least left it destroyed until the next season!

And there will be a next season, it’s been confirmed, I hope no more of the kids leave between now and then, they seem to have the life span of a Spinal Tap Drummer!

Review by Brandon Tempany/Leather Tuscadero