Character Highlight: Alan Jackson (The Sarah Jane Adventures)

When it comes to family of companions and other people in the know, alien-wise, in the Whoniverse, there’s quite a range.  There’s the lovely (Rose’s parents, Wilf) the decidedly not-so-lovely (Martha and Donna’s moms, Clyde’s dad) the good but mainly oblivious (Rani’s parents,) and the all-but-nonexistent (whoever Amy and Clara’s parents are.)  Alan, Maria’s dad, definitely falls on the lovely side of the spectrum (a few Alan-related spoilers.)

While I now rate Rani and Maria pretty equally, maybe even giving a slight edge to Rani, I still love Maria and Alan’s relationship from series 1.  Maria’s parents are recently divorced when she and her dad move to Bannerman Road, and right away, it’s clear how much Alan is All About Maria.  He’s very attuned to how she’s handling all the changes and does his best to mitigate her sadness and other distressed feelings – a sharp contrast to Chrissie, Maria’s basically well-meaning but self-absorbed mom.  He looks out for her emotional well-being, even when he doesn’t know why she’s upset because he doesn’t realize how many crazy alien things happen in his neighborhood and how thoroughly his teenage daughter is involved in them.

So, yeah, he plays the oblivious family member quite a bit.  Much of this is for the usual reasons – most people are still eager to glom onto “rational” explanations despite the rampant alien activity in London in the early 21^st century, Maria wants Alan to stay in the dark to protect him – but it’s also because Maria isn’t about to admit to her dad what she gets up to.  After all, alien-fighting is dangerous business, and Maria’s no dummy; she knows Alan wouldn’t be thrilled about the idea of her going up against Slitheen or Uvodni in her spare time. 

When Alan does find out just what goes on in Sarah Jane’s attic, he’s predictably horrified that Maria has been secretly putting herself in so much danger.  Right away, he starts planning to relocate them, wanting to keep Maria out of harm’s way, but as she rails against that plan, he does listen to what she says, and he comes to realize that the adventure and good work are both worth the risk (even if he still just wants to keep Maria safe.)  What’s more, he gets a chance to help out in a few adventures, proving himself a useful ally to have around.  He works with computers, and in RTD-era Who, that means he’s brilliant with computers and can do all sorts of improbable stuff with his mad skills.  A little goofy?  Yes, but I like Maria seeing how good her dad is at what he does and realizing that he can contribute.

Caring, protective, helpful dad – all good, naturally.  But we’re not quite done yet.  Alan is also a fun, at-times cheesy and slightly embarrassing dad, which I like.  He and Maria play off of each other so well.  During Sarah Jane’s first days with Luke, she envies the Jacksons’ easy rapport, the way they share jokes, tease each other, and just have fun together.  Maria has her share of “Daaaad!!” moments, like when Alan wants to prove he can ollie with Clyde’s skateboard, but really, it’s clear how much she loves him and loves spending time with him.  Just from the way the personalities run in that family, I can imagine Maria having always been something of a daddy’s girl, and after the divorce, it seems that bond just got stronger.  In a wild show about out-of-this-world threats, Alan and his relationship with Maria provide a nice grounding element, keeping present the reminder of that “ordinary world” Sarah Jane and co. are fighting to protect.