#just rewatched that farewell short and absolutely sobbed through it

[trekkingthroughthestargate]

We're less than a month away from the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials, and I can't help but think back on Sarah Jane Smith, inarguably the most important Companion in the history of Doctor Who and one of two Companions who was brought back for every single anniversary special until her untimely death. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, the other Companion who was in every special until his death just 2 months prior to Elisabeth Sladen's, has had his legacy brilliantly upheld through his daughter Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. While the Brigadier himself has been absent from the past 2 anniversary specials, his daughter carries on his legacy and has appeared in every one that he missed.

But Sarah Jane, so beloved, so deeply missed, was not so honored in the 50th anniversary special. And that's partly because Lis' death was so sudden and unexpected nobody knew whether Sarah Jane should canonically be gone or not. But now, semi-canonically, the world of Doctor Who has also said farewell to Sarah Jane, and my most desperate hope is that, since she's canonically gone, the 60th anniversary specials will take a moment to recognize her or honor her in some way. We deserve to see the Doctor mourn her, the way we saw him mourn the Brigadier. We, as fans of Sarah Jane, deserve to see her honored in the show proper, and not just in the lockdown short that was made in her honor.

I desperately need Sarah Jane to get just one moment to be honored in the 60th anniversary specials, since she cannot grace them with her presence, whether that be through the appearance of her children, Luke and Sky, or through the appearance of her own companions, Maria, Rani, and Clyde. Because for so many young people, Sarah Jane Smith was their Doctor, even more so than the Doctor himself, and she deserves to be honored and remembered in Doctor Who's specials.

Until the main show actually honors her the way she deserves, I'm glad we got this:

There is no one single piece of media that makes me cry more than this right here, and I really hope that the 60th anniversary specials can manage to surpass this by honoring her in some way.

We deserved at least another 20 years with her, but at least in the world of Doctor Who we got Sarah Jane for almost ten years longer than we got Elisabeth.