As Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Rani attempt to escape the building, Spellman reveals himself to have been the legendary Pied Piper of Hamelin and now Odd Bob the Clown seeking to take children away and feed off the fear of children going missing.
However, Mr Smith uses the cellular phone system to interfere with Odd Bob's control and the children are released.
Odd Bob requires fear to exist, and without it, he is in a weakened state and forced to return to the meteorite he used to come to Earth.
[5] Writing for Dreamwatch, Matt McAllister asserts that there may not be "quite enough here to sustain a double-episode worth" but observes that there are "memorable scenes, including an ingenious final showdown."
He states that Walsh is "appropriately sinister...as Odd Bob the Clown" and describes Rani as "likeable", noting that having her father as the new Headteacher is "a nice little twist".
McAllister thinks that the story "owes a big debt to Stephen King's It" (1986) and that it has shades of Torchwood episode "From Out of the Rain" and Doctor Who serial The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.
In conclusion, McAllister notes that "[t]his may not be earth-shattering kids' TV, but it’s good creepy fun nonetheless.