A reunion both of heart and mind with the Doctor and Sara topping the class Doctor Who does not get much better than thisВ…

I missed the first Season of the new В‘Doctor WhoВ’ and only seen David Tennant becoming the 10th Doctor. He had a lot to follow up though but SaturdayВ’s episode proved that an old re-vamped show can outdo anything from all those American imports (CSI, Lost etc) and that it has something timelessly epic in its making something that those shows have not even heard off:

It was not only in the writing but the timing, the delivery, the old and new going hand in hand. With some great one liners - and though both K9 and Sara were just a little before my time, there impact on the current Doctor was all inspiring and heart rendering at the same time.

Combined with Rose and SaraВ’s jealousy which was played to perfection and nice seeing them coming to an understanding however it was both David Tennant and the actress who plays Sara that gave this episode the absolute anguish and the shadow that forever hangs over the doctorВ….

The ending was justified and endearing and highly appropriate but it was the middle section the precise moment where we seen right into the 10th doctors soul which brought an ache to the heart В– that and perhaps the fact maybe someday very soon this doctor might in someway go to the dark-side.

Not the greatest thought but it brought the hero and everything the doctor is boiling to the surface and Tennant shone because of it. This episode was pistols at dawn and more.

Humour adding to it and Anthony Stewart Head made the most of his character I was left begging for more and K9 was ace, I never knew we made shows like this any more but it was the mastery of the performances and the new understanding Rose had of the doctor as well and where on earth that will go next.

9.5 out of 10 for I know thatВ’s them just cutting the surface the 10th doctor has it in everyway and itВ’s the light to dark and then back again the depth was outstanding the emotions so real and I cannot wait to get this episode on DVD.

Minor further comment В– Having the doctor with that coat and suit (along with cute tie) and well the whole outfit to be precise is every bit the image of the doctor who of my childhood only reborn. Nice work and lets hope the rest of the season brings the heart and soul of this doctor to the surface.

The only question I want to ask after watching the latest episode, School Reunion is "why"?

That is, why bring Sarah Jane back for a "proper happy ending" which involves letting us know that since we last saw the character, she has spent around three decades living a life of quiet heart-break, unable to forge romantic attachments due to having discovered that she is in love with the Doctor....?!

A few people have mentioned the character of Sarah being treated with respect. I can't see it myself, nor can I see her being treated with much in the way of compassion.

Yes, OK, she might conceivably have been in love with the Doctor, although heaven knows if you watch her run of stories with Pertwee and Baker there is little evidence to suggest that they were anything less than best buddies. But to turn her into a sort of tragic eternal spinster with only a robot dog for company....? Come on, this is Sarah! Plucky, independent Sarah Jane!

The real tragedy of all this is that what we had before (a wonderfully subtle farewell in Hand Of Fear, ending with a big question mark) has been completely bull-dozed by the new show's usual lack of subtely. A rush of shmaltz, a whirlwind of Hollywood strings and tearful eyes, big hugs and moon-eyed looks all combine to totally ruin the Doctor and Sarah forever!

Come on people, how can you bring yourself to buy this...?!

I loved this episode. Absolutely loved it. Which is why I was shocked when my housemates, who never followed the old series that much, told me they hated it. Why? Because it was full of dumb moments and plot-holes, like only 1 kid in the whole school not being part of the code breaking program, and the computers in the computer lab all switching off when the Doctor smashed the large screen. And the worst thing is, they're right. It IS full of dumb moments and lazy plot devices. But I don't care, because I loved it.

I loved the moment when the Doctor first saw Sarah Jane again after all those years; when she first realised who the Doctor was; the tear jerking goodbye; Sarah Jane telling Rose why she should stay with the doctor; K9 Mark 4; 'we are in a car'; the Doctor actually considering (if only for a fraction of a second) siding with the villain to save his race; David Tennant's powerful, understated, performance (particularly in the swimming pool scene); Elisabeth Sladen; Mickey being slightly more funny than annoying; and the whole show being genuinely funny and touching and moving and wonderful.

Yes, if you took out Sarah Jane Smith and K9 the main story of the episode isn't particularly strong, Tony Head switches from brilliant creeping menace to over the top panto at the end, and since when does the sonic screwdriver get stopped by as clunky a plot device as special deadbolt locks. Why do only the chips get coated in the special oil; what exactly were the rats for again; where did all the computer rooms come from; how does unplugging one socket switch off rooms full of computers and causes then to start sparking; why bother switching to human form again during the final confrontation; why is Torchwood splashed across every top secret website when it's supposed to be a top secret organisation even the UN doesn't know about; and what's the unending montage of computer screens and typing, twice!

But I don't care, because I loved this episode.

Crikey. What an episode! Again thin on plot but luckily, for once, plot wasn't the point. It was a character piece and that character was most definitely Sarah Jane Smith.

Like a lot of US TV the episode started with our heroes already on the scene, having skipped the tedium of an old episode 1, which would have introduced things a slowly and allowed us to actually get to know the kids in the school. Still, who gives cares about them, we want to see Sarah...

Which is true. Let's face it, although we should have given a damn about the Krillitanes plot, who can really hold their hand up and say they actually did? Not me, and I'll cheerfully admit it.

Funnily enough, I do care about having a coherent and sensible plot and yes, I am critical about RTDs seeming inability to put one together. Toby Whithouse's debut script for Doctor Who didn't have the greatest plot either (monsters using schoolchildren's imagination to unearth the secrets of a device that would give them control over creation - *yawn*) but it did have some of the strongest characterisation seen in the series so far. The dialogue was sharp and witty, the scenes between the Doctor and Sarah were super-charged with emotion and drama, as were the few scenes between Tennant and Anthony Head, and Mickey continues his progression into better companion material than Rose.

Its difficult to give a fair review of the episode though, as all fans of the show were waiting for the moment where Sarah meets the Tenth Doctor. And it wasn't disappointing in the slightest. Sarah is arguably the companion most memorable in the eyes of both fans and the general public and its hard to imagine any other past companion being re-introduced as successfully. Lis Sladen has aged beautifully over the last thirty years and it felt as if she'd never been away. I think my favourite line has to be:

Sarah: "You look amazing."
Doctor: "So do you."
Sarah (shakes her head): "I got old."

And this is where we discover that she has no family ("There was this man I travelled with. He was a hard act to follow."), she never got over him not coming back for her - and Rose realising (finally) that she's not the big deal she thought she was. There have been others in the Doctor's life that have meant as much to him as she does - and that he constantly moves forward by necessity rather than desire.

Rose has, for me, become less and less likeable over time. She's selfish, manipulative, insanely jealous, rude, stroppy and demanding. Yes, she's a "real" person but a fine line was drawn in this episode with her attitude to Sarah and, interestingly, Mickey. Who'd have expected the Doctor to accept Mickey as a companion before Rose did? Her expression said it all and her possessiveness of the Doctor is extraordinarily irritating, particularly as she's been so uncaring towards Mickey and owes him more respect than she seems prepared to give. However I get the impression we're leading up to a big event later in the season - something that will forever change her and the Doctor's relationship - and hopefully teach her a few harsh lessons about the life of a time-traveller. Queen Victoria mentioned their attitude to consequences in Tooth & Claw, and I wonder whether the whole "tin-dog" analogy will result in a self-sacrifice by Mickey that mirrors K9's...?

As usual, the episode wasn't faultless but there seemed far less to pick over this time than in previous weeks. The children were ciphers and I couldn't have cared less about them if I tried (don't even get me started on the token fat kid). I still think that 45 minutes is too short and that the relentless pacing is too much. I know a lot of people will say that I'm out of touch, that's how TV is these days, or that I'm a grumpy old fan who wants to live in the past. None of these are true, as I enjoy the new series a lot. I just feel that for all the time and effort going into the production, the stories need to be allowed to develop. An extra fifteen minutes could make all the difference. I'd rather have 10 episodes a year, all running to an hour if it gave us that extra time.

But despite this, I did love School Reunion and the last five minutes had me, like everyone else, blubbing like a five-year old. Pitched absolutely perfectly, David Tennant and Lis Sladen took me back to when I was a kid, blubbing that Sarah had been left behind by the Fourth Doctor!

Tennant IS the Doctor and gets better each week. He is Troughton to Eccleston's Hartnell and I accepted him immediately. My faith was not misplaced and this season feels like Doctor Who to me more than last year. It feels as though the confidence of the production team is much stronger and as a result the quality has been ramped up several notches. Now if we could just have a few more two-parters which would allow some plot and character development then I would be a truly happy fan.

Things I Loved: Elisabeth Sladen, Rose as a dinner lady, Mickey, the scene by the swimming pool, Elisabeth Sladen, the scene outside the cafe between the Doctor and Rose, Elisabeth Sladen, Anthony Head, the last five minutes inside and outside the TARDIS. Oh and did I mention Elisabeth Sladen?

Things I Didn't Love: The wafer-thin plot (again), Rose's attitude towards Sarah and Mickey, the schoolchildren (particularly the "stupid fat kid" cliche), 45-minute episodes...