January 23, 2022

Retro Rewind: The Sarah Jane Adventures “Warriors of Kudlak” Review

Doctor Who, Other Reviews, Sarah Jane Adventures

Gustaff Behr takes a look back at the fourth story of the spin-off series.

The Sarah Jane Adventures was a spin-off series of Doctor Who which ran for five seasons, from 2007 to 2011. The show followed former companion, Sarah Jane Smith, after being reunited with the Tenth Doctor, and her friends/companions as they deal with alien incursions…all from an attic in Ealing, London. Retro Rewind travels back in time to see how this decade and a half old show holds up today. Has it aged like a fine wine or some chicken that’s been left out in the sun for too long? This is Series 1, Episode 5 and 6: Warriors of Kudlak!

Warriors of Kudlak was written by and aired 15 to 22 October 2007. It was notable for dealing with Luke’s struggles fitting in with his peers, as well as being the first time that he and Clyde traveled into space.

Other than that, this story, along with Eye of the Gorgon are easily the weakest entries of the season. This is mostly down to these episodes feeling the most kid-friendly. You have bug-eyed monsters, laser tag and disappearing children. If I had to sum up this story, it would be that it’s just boring.

There are some genuinely human bits here. Luke is learning to fit in as a teenager, and this episode is an important part of showcasing that journey. His problem in this serial – not knowing the difference between teasing and genuinely hurting someone with words – is, likewise, something that every child has experienced growing up. But other than that, there isn’t much to praise about this story. As of writing this review, it’s been one week since I rewatched the episode, and I can barely remember what happened. I recall Sarah Jane and Maria snooping around, looking for missing children, but I don’t remember their interactions. The same with Luke and Clyde. I know they are captured and go to space and win, but other than that, this serial is devoid of any memorable moments that stick in your brain.

The idea of using games to prepare soldiers for combat is hardly a new concept, even back in 2007. Various military around the world have flight simulators, but to use a simple game of laser tag to recruit children is both genius and horrific if you’re a parent. The story tries to end on a positive note, but it doesn’t. Dozens of children are probably already dead and there are so many families that will never see their sons or daughters again…except as a corpse.

The antagonist for this serial is Kudlak. Note how I said ‘antagonist’, not ‘villain’. Throughout the story, Kudlak is characterized as short-tempered, easily agitated, and quick to justify his cause of kidnapping children. Initially, this paints him as being one-note until the reveal that he desires nothing more than to live in peace and put an end to his race’s war. He views kidnapping and sending children to their death as a necessary sacrifice to save his people. When we learn that his superior has kept the fact that the war ended ten years ago, Kudlak forfeits going home and finally living in peace to journey to space and retrieve those innocent lives he’s ruined. I stand corrected. This moment sticks out because it shows another layer of creativity that went into writing this story. While he will never be anything more than an easily forgotten Doctor Who monster, Kudlak is a more morally complex character than we are used to in the franchise.

Warriors of Kudlak is a step up from its predecessor, but still falls short of the mark of being a forgettable chapter in season one. Even watching it after so many years, I can’t decide what parts to rewrite to make it stand up against what follows it.

So…after so many years, how do you regard Warriors of Kudlak?