School Reunion

Okay. I almost shed a manly tear; that was a beautiful and moving episode, with great bits of humour and drama added to the mix. Considering the episode was hyped mainly for the reunion between SJS and the Doctor, the villains and their motivations was brilliantly explored. And for anyone who really still doubts DT as the Doctor, just three words: The Pool Scene. The Doctor was at his best here; playful, powerful and quite prepared to tell an arrogant alien where to stick it. Even though ASH played it perfectly in that scene, the Doctor was actually more terrifying, especially when he said he used to have "so much mercy". You really are left with the impression that this is still as scarred a character as the Ninth Doctor was.

We also get more of an in-depth explanation as to why the Doctor really doesn't like to say goodbye to his travelling companions, why he tries not to form too much of an attachment to them. The loneliness and solitary nature of the Time Lord has been mentioned in passing before, but here it became a focus of the story, and David Tennant rose to the challenge. He seemed close to tears when he talked about how everyone around him would wither and die; interestingly, this is something he seems to be trying to break in his relationship with Rose. Equally interesting is the glimmer of dissatisfaction Rose seemed to hint at in her life with the Doctor, especially with Mickey joining the TARDIS crew.

And that ending..

Wow. I mean, wow. Perfectly played by David Tennant and Elisabeth Sladen, we get the Doctor finally saying goodbye to one of the show's most beloved companions, which allowed Sarah to move on with her life. With a robot dog in tow..

Yes, K9 was a great addition to the story, and the scenes with Mickey realising he was the human equivalent of a tin dog were brilliantly done.

Have to say, I'm somewhat less than impressed with Billie Piper for some reason. Maybe it was the way Rose and SJS spent a lot of their time sniping at each other; funny at first, but then slightly irritating. There's a part of me wishing that Sarah Jane had joined the Doctor. Or perhaps that's just nostalgia speaking!

Anthony Head was wonderfully creepy as the Headmaster (not the Master!), and his scene with David Tennant crackled with energy. It's a real shame that he probably won't be in the series again. If the role of the real Master were ever to crop up, he would have to be considered!

The CGI effects were not quite as good as Tooth and Claw's werewolf (what could be?), but they were still well done, aside from the slightly dodgy scene with Anthony Head on the roof opposite the cafe. Still, that's just one tiny complaint in what was a wonderful episode.The Krillitanes themselves were imaginatively designed (beating Star Trek's numerous bumpy headed aliens every time), with a clichéd idea given an interesting twist. Okay, they wanted to take over the universe, but using school children to solve an equation to give them control over time and space? Certainly different! Perhaps some of the plot didn't really make sense (why exactly did the school explode? Um, using earth school children to take over the universe?!), but who cares? It was fun!!

Amazing, moving, with a great story, imaginative alien creatures, a genuine sense of threat, and of course, the return of Sarah Jane Smith, School Reunion continues the superb run of Doctor Who 2006.