Sarah Jane vs. Miss Quill
Ooh, this is a tricky one to start with. They're so different as
people, with Sarah Jane being more of a kind mentor figure and Miss
Quill more badass antihero. But Quill has a softer side as well, so
I'll give her the point for more versatility, even though they're
both fantastic characters.WINNER: CLASS
Luke Smith vs. Charlie Smith
Two rather similar characters. Charlie does have an intriguing
darker side, and his sexuality is actually there on the screen,
rather than we would have added it later, honestly! Ultimately,
though, I think Tommy Knight has the better performance, completely
selling the confusion and vulnerability inherent in being brand new
on earth, and so I give the point to Luke.WINNER: SJA
Maria Jackson vs. April MacLean
They're both fairly nice girls, and April has that badass
Shadowkin connection, but it's to Yasmin Paige's credit that Maria
is just as interesting without any burning scimitars to call upon.
She carries the audience expy role with honour, bringing a lot of
personality to her girl next door type of role.WINNER: SJA
Clyde Langer vs. Ram Singh
No no no no no, you can't make me choose between these two, it's
not fair! They both have that capacity to go seamlessly between
stroppy confidence and heartbreaking vulnerability. Ram may have
captured my heart quicker, but Clyde laid the ground there. I'm
calling a draw.WINNER: BOTH
Rani Chandra vs. Tanya Adeola
Rani's a lovely character, clever, brave and inquisitive, but
she doesn't quite reach the heights that Tanya does in either
category. Not to mention that Tanya can sit around talking to a
ghost at length and make it one of the most riveting episodes of
the bunch.WINNER: CLASS
Sky Smith vs. Matteusz Andrzejewski
Matteusz. Come on. This isn't even close. The best Sky ever got
was not so irritating anymore. Matteusz is a supporting character
in the best sense, offering a lot of heartfelt support, but also an
opposing viewpoint when one is needed.WINNER: CLASS
Slitheen vs. Shadowkin
This is another easy one. The Shadowkin aren't perfect as
recurring villains go, but the Slitheen are an atrocity, a blight
on an otherwise great show.WINNER: CLASS
Mrs. Wormwood vs. Dorothea Ames
I like Mrs. Wormwood. She was a good, suave villain. But
Dorothea Ames was a more nuanced character, with more time to
shine, and not entirely antagonistic.WINNER: CLASS
Parents
Okay, this is tricky. First, should Sarah Jane be counted?
Because she's hard to beat. But I've already had her once, so I'm
saying no. With her gone, the Class parents are definitely better
no more RTD era caricature mums, and while Alan was nice, Varun is
a treasure. On the other hand, the tally of downright shitty
parents is up to three, where in SJA there was only the one.And at
least the SJA parents make it out alive. I'm not sure I want to
give points for good characters that are instantly taken away. So I
have to make it a draw.WINNER: BOTH
FINAL TALLY
SJA: 4 POINTSCLASS: 7 POINTS
Both shows have a good set of characters, but Class wins!Now go
watch it, all of you who haven't!
