Doctor Who fans were gifted with something very special today as the BBC released a new short which acts as an epilogue to beloved spinoff show The Sarah Jane Adventures. The series came to a premature end after five seasons back in 2011, following leading lady Elisabeth Sladen tragically passing away. Nine years later, creator Russell T. Davies has managed to regroup many of the cast – remotely, of course – for a poignant tale that wraps up the SJA team’s adventures.
In doing so, it reveals where Sarah Jane’s young friends Rani Chandra (Anjli Mohindra), Clyde Langer (Daniel Anthony) and her son Luke Smith (Thomas Knight) are now, with them all going on to successful careers. Once an aspiring journalist, we learn Rani is about to publish an expose that will topple the British government. Meanwhile, Clyde – who dreamt of working in comics in the show – is said to be the guest of honor at New York Comic-Con and is working on a movie based on one of his characters.
But it’s the catch-up with Luke that will mean the most to fans. In the short, we learn that he’s working with UNIT, the alien-busting military organization. More importantly, though, he also explains that it was Sarah who first told her son that his friend Sanjay “was looking at [him] in that way.” Luke goes on to reveal that he and Sanjay have now been married for five years.
This finally makes Davies’ plans for the character canon. The writer intended for Luke to come out in future episodes of the show, but this idea was never realized due to its early cancellation. So, it means a lot that we’ve finally got on-screen confirmation of Luke’s sexuality, and fans are loving that he found happiness since we saw him last.
There are plenty more revelations packed into this short, titled “Farewell, Sarah Jane,” as well, including cameos from classic companions Katy Manning and Sophie Aldred and what happened to K-9. If you haven’t already, make sure to catch it via the Doctor Who YouTube channel at the link below.
