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.

So, after a patchy start and a much better number two, how was part three? Mixed. We get an alien plot and some emotive companion stuff. Taking those aspects apart from each other. . . . . . .

Nice alien set up in a sinister school. Lovely touch to have the Doctor and Rose already installed and investigating, the sight of Mr Tennant as a physics teacher made that pre-credits teaser for me. The Krillitanes are a well thought out race- here's hoping we see them again sometime. I loved the idea that they absorbed physical attributes from conquered races. They were also further supplemented by Anthony Head's superb star villain turn- if ever RTD or (if things go on) his successor ever bring back the Master, give Mr Head the role- that or the eleventh Doctor. . . . This said, I wasn't altogether convinced by the theoretical algorithm that the Krillitanes were using children to crack. This may be because, unlike LOGOPOLIS, there wasn't time for the concept to breathe, or it may be because there seemed to be a lack of technology to bring the theory into the physical realm. The use of children's imagination for evil is always strong horror material because abuse of children always is, but it was more impacting in REMEMBRANCE OF THE DALEKS. However, the scene at the culmination of this where the Doctor is given the chance to remake history was powerful given all that we learned last season.

The opening scene with Head's headmaster inviting a child into his office to be eaten was a bit silly, despited Head's restrained performance. This was more than compensated for, however, by the impact of later scenes. The bats swarming the corridors, and hanging upside down in the office, were supremely effective. I loved K9's battle with them, and his little farewell scene with the Doctor, but of his self sacrifice I would say this: these 45 minute one parters are getting far too handy at using self sacrifices to advance or resolve the plots. Jabe in END OF THE WORLD, Gwyneth in UNQUIET DEAD, Roses' Dad in FATHER'S DAY (admittedly more in context) half the cast in TOOTH AND CLAW. And now K9. Ok, K9 was remade, but even so, mark III was sacrificed, and sacrifice gets formulaic if we see it too often.

Moving on, the plot generally wound up well. The role played by a small plump boy who then becomes a hero by blowing up the school was nice, a typical touch of RTD's influence- bringing in incidental charcter into a central place where they grow, and making the kind of kid who usually gets picked on a hero. And there wasn't too much running around in the middle taking the place of explanation this time- unlike episode two, everything set-up wise did make full sense and was explained as much as it needed to be. I would just have liked the algorithm bit to be a bit more plausible by having a bit more science given to give it life.

And onto Sarah Jane. Great to see her again - unless I missed something, this flies in the face of books like BULLET TIME which feature her by making this her first adventure since HAND OF FEAR barring the timescooped FIVE DOCTORS. This proves only the TV series is canon- maybe one day the TV show might tell us what happened to Ace so the dreadful Virgin books version of her can be blown out. Understandable that she might resent him never coming back for her, understandable she might resent Rose. Rose's position was kind of understandable too though it isn't really very plausible that neither of knew that there had been, and would be after them, other companions. With this in mind Sarah's crack about the Doctor's assistants getting younger as he gets older didn't work, and their missus-and-ex bitch fighting was tedious. Yes, I can accept that each of them found it hard to relinquish their special place with the Doctor to others, but as I've said they must have known there were others, especially Sarah. Understandable tension didn't have to manifest itself as sexual jealousy and it really didn't work. It could have been dealt with quicker and the time used elsewhere. This said, the Doctor's "curse of the time lords" reason as to why he leaves people behind was magical (though most companions left him , not the other way round!) and the way Sarah was used to demonstrate the aftermath of travelling in the TARDIS and then having to find normality again was deeply poignant.

Altogether, though, a fun and enjoyable story- as I've said, some of the companion stuff rankled and the code that the children were cracking needed more meat on its bones to be plausible, but overall the episode had a good effect. When stories turn on things like the use of the children however, aspects like the said algorithm do need to be allowed to make sense. No amount of emotional realism injected into things replaces solid plots.

And I thought I loved Sarah Jane already…

I need to get something of my chest, something I have been meaning to say for a long time. Elisabeth Sladen, I love you! It isn’t just her beautiful, definitive portrayal of Sarah Jane Smith but it is the woman herself. Have you heard her in interviews, she has a genuine love for the programme, a need to see her character treated with respect, someone who has a lot of time for the fans and their weird obsessions. Frankly, the only ever convention I went to was with Lis Sladen because I wanted to give her a hug. She deserved a place in the new series, just because of who she is and what she means to the fans of the programme. And by golly she’s beautiful, even after all these years.

School Reunion was another brilliantly packed episode of the series full of scenes of tension and menace, some great laughs and real emotional depth. Doctor Who had better watch out, it is giving most other television programmes a bad name! It was gorgeously put together by James Hawkes and featured another excellent score by the ever improving and dynamic Murray Gold.

Lets face it the Krillanite plot didn’t have a chance. And it’s good, its real good but (as usual) deserving of extra screen time but compared to the love story between the Doctor, Rose and Sarah it pales in comparison. I loved the idea of the Krillanites invading other worlds and taking the best of the people they conquer and absorbing it into their genetic make up, that’s a really nasty yet entirely original idea. And their plans for universal dominance is the sort of grandiose scheme we haven’t seen since the good old days of Doctor Who. Using kids’ souls as a part of a universal code breaker is obscene and yet hugely imaginative and the domestic setting sells the horror of the situation magnificently. Scenes of endless rows of kids staring at funky graphics on a screen should be utterly monotonous but thanks to some quick editing and inventive camerawork it is some of the scariest scenes we have seen from the new series yet, especially when you think of the implications. And you’ve got to love Anthony Stewart Head’s silky portrayal of the headmaster; so spooky with his softly spoken threats but turning on the scares in the last third when he bares his teeth.

As usual though there is an awful lot that we didn’t see which I guess is just a fault of comparing new with old. Investigate the aliens, discover their plan, stop them. That’s about all you can fit in 45 minutes but I would have loved to see more of these very interesting and well thought through monsters.

The Krillanites were another gloriously well designed monster and so convincing scratching their away along the school halls to feast upon the students.

Sarah’s entrance was no where near as dramatic and as exciting as I imagined it would be, a rather mundane scene with her chatting to the Head but suddenly she bumps into the Doctor in the faculty and my arm was attacked goosebumps. Was there a single Sarah scene that I didn’t like in School Reunion…not that I can think of. I think her story was handled sensitively and with just enough emotional depth to really hit home much we have all missed her. When the Doctor dropped her off (in Aberdeen!) I pretty much thought she had accepted the situation but it only hits home here when we realise how hurt she felt that he never came back for her. I thought the episode was going to descend into soap operatic but instead it is used to exquisitely explore the Doctor’s curse, living and living and living whilst his friends grow old and die around him. When the Doctor admits that to Rose you realise just how lonely the Doctor really is in the universe, even when he is surrounded by friends. It adds a delicious touch of sadness to Tennant’s jolly portrayal of the Doctor that I liked a lot. I loved how embarrassed that the Doctor was that he has never mentioned Sarah before, how they effortlessly fell back into their old relationship, how she was offered another chance to travel with him and how she demanded a proper goodbye this time, the pair of them closing their relationship and a warm and heartfelt cuddle. I was weeping my eyes off at that point, I never considered the new series an opportunity to tidy up loose ends from the classic series but when it can be done this effectively and satisfyingly I am not complaining at all.

But no matter how good the scenes between the Doctor and Sarah were, the scenes between Sarah and Rose were pivotal. Rose’s reaction frustrated me (I always hate jealousy plots…its just so clichéd and boring…I went of Red Dwarf when Kryten got jealous of Kochanski, I went of Voyager when Neelix got jealous of Tom Paris…) until the episode probed a bit deeper. Rose is terrified of being treated like Sarah was, being dropped off and forgotten and left craving the excitement and warmth he can offer. Also special is when we realise Rose thought she was the first person to travel with the Doctor, what they had was special but discovering the man you love has had these feeling before, possibly over and over and over, is heartbreaking. Sarah tries to appease Rose but her jealousy gets ahead of her and she starts to insult Sarah, and gobbing off about all the wonders they have seen together, climaxing in a hilarious bitch off about the monsters the pair have come up against. I adored the TARDIS scene with every fibre of my being because Rose clearly wants to offer Sarah what she once had but rather than taking the simple route and having Sarah accept she hugs Rose and tells her that if she ever needs her when her travels with the Doctor are over she knows where to find her. Beautifully done, and I love the image of Sarah and Rose investigating together with K.9!

Oh yes what about K.9? What is it about the series bringing back old robots in a state of disrepair (almost as if to say they look tatty before!) before sprucing them up and giving them some spanking CG effects. I have always enjoyed K.9 and was devastated when he heroically sacrificed himself at the climax, I was screaming “No! No! NOOOOO!” at the telly! It is ridiculous to feel such affection for a metal box but my reaction mirrored Sarah Jane’s, absolute horror that one of our series icons has been destroyed for good. So the last scene was doubly tear jerking for me…that last shot of Sarah and K.9 walking off together is just about the most perfect ending either of them could have had.

The performances were all fantastic but special mention must go to Sladen and Tennant who light up the screen with their chemistry. Sladen gets to go much further emotionally than she ever did before and her performance hits all the right notes for anybody who is terrified of getting old and forgotten. Tennant continues to impress, he gets another scene here where he gives a single warning before threatening to bring down his wrath on the enemy and I think this may be leading to something, some kind of retribution for being judge, jury and executioner of the entire universe. Piper and Clarke work superbly together as always and I expect some marvellous stuff next week, especially after Rose’s less than enthusiastic response to Mickey joining the TARDIS.

School Reunion is another favourite, series two rollicking along in fantastic style. I didn’t think anything could top last weeks spook-fest but School Reunion was every bit as good and (thanks to the longing to see Sarah again) possibly even better. The standard of this show just gets better. Lets hope the ratings reflect its excellence.

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...?!

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...