“The missus and the ex. Welcome to every man’s worst nightmare!”

Mickey may have very succinctly put into words just exactly how the tenth Doctor feels about “School Reunion,” but as a long time fan of the series this episode is just about as far from a ‘nightmare’ as you can get. In his first contribution to the series, Toby Whithouse has written both a classic Doctor Who contemporary horror story and a cracking piece of emotional drama. “School Reunion” may bring back characters and dwell on certain events from the classic series, but this is no piece of fanw**k – this is a story that explores the relationship between the Doctor and Rose (and even to a certain extent Mickey) and that is the reason why we have Sarah Jane Smith and K-9 on board.

Like most people, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw how little Elizabeth Sladen had aged. Her understated introduction into the story (being shown to the staff room by Mr. Finch) is beautifully written and performed, and succeeds in establishing the character of ‘Investigative Journalist’ Sarah Jane Smith for the benefit of those new to the series or those with appalling memory. I love the Doctor’s reaction to her; he is clearly overjoyed to see her but can’t say that he recognises her. I love the line “Oh good for you Sarah Jane Smith!” which is delivered with relish by David Tennant; he’s like a proud parent or teacher, over the moon that his star pupil is still doing what she does best.

As I watched Sarah come across the TARDIS I found myself right on the edge of my seat. James Hawes direction is absolutely superb; Sarah turns slowly to face her old friend and the penny finally drops. For the first time in the episode we see that this is not the same Sarah Jane Smith that the fourth Doctor abandoned in Croydon (well… Aberdeen) way back in “The Hand of Fear.” She’s grown up. She’s even become a little bitter. As Sarah herself puts it, “I got old.” The Doctor claims to have regenerated “half a dozen times” since they last met*, and he too has grown older and harder. The ‘President Flavia’ music (as Russell T. Davies calls it!) has become synonymous with pivotal, heart-wrenching Time Lordy moments in the new series and every time I hear it I end up struggling to prevent a single, manly tear trickling down the cheek. If anything I expected “School Reunion” to be a nostalgic, light-hearted romp but in fact I found it almost as sad as the closing moments of “The Parting of the Ways.”

“I thought you died. I waited for you and you didn’t come back and I thought you must’ve died.”

“I lived. Everyone else died.”

“What you do mean?”

“Everyone died Sarah.”

David Tennant’s voice sounds as if it as about to crack as he says “Everyone died Sarah,” and I can’t say exactly why but for some reason it seems so much more tragic for him to confess his loneliness to an old friend – a friend who knew him when there was a Gallifrey; a UNIT; a family - things for the Doctor that are all long gone. I also liked how the moment wasn’t dwelled on; the scene quickly moved on (thanks to a Mickey Smith scream!) and we were back into the action – even when it is at its ‘soapiest’ this show never slows.

“Did I do something wrong because you never came back for me? You just dumped me… you were my life.”

Sarah Jane is quite possibly the most recognisable of all the Doctor’s travelling companions (hence why Liz Sladen was invited to take part in this episode) and it is wonderfully to have her back for a week and to have the Doctor and Sarah to say their big goodbye, but the fact of the matter is that the real story of “School Reunion” lies with Rose. It is no longer 1976 it is 2006, and it is Rose, not Sarah Jane who we will be watching week in week out. Since “Rose” the relationship between the Doctor and his latest ‘companion’ has been shown as a strange sort of love story; a special, one-of-a-kind affair between a young human girl and centuries’ old alien bloke. “School Reunion” hammers the point home that this special, ‘one-of-a-kind’ affair is far from unique. Sarah Jane came before Rose, as did a great many others. One day Sarah was off fighting Daleks, Mummies and the Loch Ness monster, then the next she found herself lost in the middle of Aberdeen. How could she go back to lead a normal life after that? And more to the point, how will Rose be able to go back and lead a normal life after all her adventures with the Doctor? The thought of it terrified her in “The Parting of the Ways” as she cried to her Mother and Mickey “What do I do every day?” At least back then, Rose was under the illusion that what she has with the Doctor is somehow unique, and that in some way he would always remember her. Her jealous mocking of Sarah - “He’s never mentioned you” – soon comes back to haunt her as she realises that one day, she will be Sarah Jane. She will be the one who is never mentioned.

“As opposed to what?”

The Doctor finally asks the question that no one has ever dared to ask.

“I thought you and me were…”

“I don’t age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You whither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you… You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can’t spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That’s the curse of the Time Lords.”

It is still left open, although from the dialogue and the fantastic performances of both Tennant and Piper it is clear that they do love each other. The Doctor just manages to hold himself back from saying it; it’s on the tip of his tongue. I’m glad that he doesn’t actually say that he loves her – or that he has loved any of his companions for that matter – probably because of the whole eighth Doctor / Charley saga. That particular relationship was handled beautifully (“I love you’s” and all) through “Neverland” and “Zagreus,” then when Big Finish tried to ‘get out of it’ (for want of a better phrase) it just got a little bit too messy. More importantly, the words are not necessary. The audience isn’t dumb; and as it is the dialogue just sparkles and most people can reasonably infer what the Doctor is thinking and feeling.

“Oh my God. I’m the tin dog!”

With all the heavyweight drama going on in “School Reunion” it’s easy to forget Mr. Mickey Smith, who is going on an important character journey of his own. Ever since day one Mickey has been the comic relief, and although his bravery and his confidence are growing with each episode he is still the butt of all the jokes, and I dare say he forever will be. He either can’t find the Maths department or is being down told to sit in the car and “… leave the window open a crack.” However, a combination of clever writing and superb acting from Noel Clarke has slowly made me warm to the character more and more. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never disliked the character - I’ve always found him amusing, even when he was just an irritating, selfish coward, but of late I’ve found myself actively championing Mickey. I want him to do well; I want him to save the day or get the girl – God knows he deserves it! Mr. “Safety Scissors and Glitter” brings something special to almost every scene he is in – even when he has no dialogue his facial expressions alone often have me cracking up! Thanks to a little help from K-9, Mickey really does get to be a hero in this episode – he bravely crashes his car into the school so that the fat bespectacled kid can escape, and even better, he frees all the children by simply unplugging their mind-controlling computers! Incidentally, that scene is another example of just how good James Hawes’ direction is – the way you can almost physically follow Mickey’s train of thought as he looks from the computers, to the floor, to the power cables to the socket is simply fantastic.

Of course, hidden behind the character story is a wonderfully chilling horror story waiting to get out, and although it suffers slightly from not having quite enough screen-time (I think “School Reunion” should have been a serious contender for a two-part slot), it is a damn good one. Landing Anthony Stewart Head for the role of Mr. Finch is a real coup for the show, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else on Earth being as suited to the role as he is. Head can exude evil but he can also lay on the charm; he can stand on top of the school and whisper “come to me” to one of the Krillitanes in one scene and then in the next be smoothly trying to turn the Doctor over to his cause. I was also impressed by Eugene Washington as Mr. Wagner – in many ways I found him far more scary and intense than even Mr. Finch! There is so much classic Doctor Who stuff crammed in forty-four minutes it’s hard to comment on it all, but stuff like the Krillitane flying in front of the moon, the zombie kids in front of their computers and the dinner lady immolation scene are absolutely classic Doctor Who ingredients. Even for those who aren’t into the more sort of ‘real life’ / ‘soap opera’ parts of the story, there is still a hell of a lot of fantastic sci-fi horror to be found in “School Reunion.”

In the beautifully shot ‘showdown’ at the swimming pool between Finch and the Doctor, almost every element is perfect. Writing; acting; lighting; music; direction. It’s just one of those scenes that make you go “WOW!” and for those out there who doubted that David Tennant might not have Christopher Eccleston’s weight, this scene – just like “The Christmas Invasion”’s ‘satsuma’ scene – put any fears to rest.

“I’m so old now. I used to have so much mercy. You get one warning.”

I know I see it in everything, but there is a real Palpatine / Anakin Skywalker thing going on with Finch and the Doctor. This “Scasis Paradigm” idea is heavy stuff for an episode already crammed to bursting point, but it works so well. Finch can offer the Doctor absolute power over everything – quite literally power over life and death – meaning that he can resurrect the Time Lords, Katarina, Adric, Roz and God knows who else. Whereas in that ‘Anakin Skywalker Crisis Moment’ on a weak day he may possibly have broken, Sarah Jane Smith is on hand to remind him exactly why he shouldn’t. It is only as she says the words - “No. The universe has to move forward… everything has its time and everything ends” (misquoting the ninth Doctor) – that she seems to realise what they mean and for the first time since the Doctor abandoned her to return to Gallifrey, she gains some measure of closure.

“You good dog.”

“Affirmative.”

K-9’s heroic sacrifice was something of an unexpected choker but like Sarah, I felt strange being saddened by the death of a “daft metal dog” (or as Finch brilliantly puts it, a “shooty dog thing”) but I suppose if you can get cut up over Data’s death in Star Trek: Nemesis then you can grieve for the third incarnation of a tin dog. I have to say though, I was annoyed at the Star Trek: Nemesis-style cop-out right at the end – how many K-9’s are there going to be? I know he’s getting his own spin-off series (again) but c’mon!

“Some things are worth getting your heart broken for.”

The episode’s ending is satisfying on so many levels. It’s nice to see the Doctor offer Sarah a chance to pick up where they left off, even though he knows that she’ll turn him down because she has a “..much bigger adventure ahead…” Sarah’s face is absolutely priceless when she hears Mickey ask, “Can I come?”, before she realises that he means with the Doctor and Rose, not with her! It’s interesting to see that Rose doesn’t seem to happy about her pseudo-boyfriend coming along for the trip of a lifetime…

Throughout “School Reunion” Murray Gold’s score is incredibly impressive; it reminds me very much of the epic soundtrack to last season’s Dalek episodes, giving the whole episode a real sense of gravity. A beautiful, soft, instrumental version “Song For Ten” contrasts the final scene of the episode with everything that has gone before it as the Sarah Jane makes the Doctor say Goodbye. That’s what really gets you. There’s not a dry eye in the house.

“Goodbye my Sarah Jane!”

As with last year’s much-hyped episode “Dalek”, the Bank Holiday weekend prevented me from watching this historic episode as it went out on Saturday evening (this year blame the Kaiser Chiefs in Millennium Square, Leeds!) but, as with “Dalek”, it was certainly worth the wait. Chilling scenes of horror, gut-wrenching character drama, fantastic dialogue (“Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones!”) and a retro robot dog mean that there is a little bit of something in “School Reunion” for everyone. A positive triumph in every possible respect. I honestly did not believe that the second series could be any better than the first, but the way things are going thus far…

* Probably best to either forget about “The Five Doctors”, or just say after she returned to her own time with the third Doctor, the Time Lords wiped Sarah’s memory! Sorted.

There are some episodes that really, really excite and this was one of them. It had so many things going for it. The return of Sarah-Jane and K9 and Anthony Stewart-Head guest starring. And it all came together so, so well.

Bringing back Sarah-Jane and K9 has to be the best decision made by the produces so far. It was just so great to see the pair back on our screens and to have Sarah being such a strong individual. She was slightly bitter about the Doctor just dumping her, and who can blame her, but she had returned to what she was good at, journalism. And more than that she was doing what the Doctor was, hunting out the strange. And it was funny to find out that the Doctor had dumped her in Aberdeen, nowhere near Croydon.

The story was well written, excellently acted, had a right amount of humour and scares in it. The computer scenes reminded me of Dark Season, a Russell T.Davies sci-fi thing from the early 90В’s. I think it is very hard to fault this episode really. There was nothing wrong with it, it came together brilliantly. Lis Sladen and Billie Piper played the jealously between the two characters extremely well and their argument scene, throwing the different monsters theyВ’d encountered at each other, was brilliant. ItВ’s such an interesting scenario though, companions meeting their counterparts. ItВ’s happen so rarely and when it has it hasnВ’t been explored very well, has it? You had Tegan and Sarah meeting but that was all pleasant and nice, same with Peri and Jamie. Here you had the bitchy jealously and protectiveness and it worked well. Anthony Head created a truly chilling enemy and was just superb in the role, it was a match made in heaven.

There was plenty of continuity references for fans of the original series which is nice because the new series has a tendency to avoid it as much as possible. Another Torchwood mention, is it this seasonВ’s Bad Wolf? Maybe it wonВ’t be as confusing in is resolution as the whole Bad Wolf was.

The ending had me nearly in tears with Sarah and the Doctor parting once more and then K9 coming back. It was a nice sentimental ending to a fab episode but they canВ’;t leave it there. This episode proved that thereВ’s still plenty of mileage left in the Sarah-Jane character and given the right scripts Lis Sladen can do wonders with the character. Lis was brilliant here and lets hope it means weВ’ll be seeing K9 and Sarah-Jane meet up with the Doctor again.

Now this is a tough one to review. I've just spoken to a friend who said he thought it was 'okay, but last week's was better'. He only came aboard for the new series, however.

'School Reunion' works on two very different levels. For new fans it's a nice piece set in a creepy school replete with aliens, a sinister headmaster, a talking robot dog and an old friend of the Doctor's who makes Rose think about where her relationship with him is going.

For those of us who have loved the show longer, it's all about Sarah Jane.

This is the kind of story which should have been done years ago - just what happens to a companion when the Doctor moves on. Sarah was a perfect choice because she was one of the few who didn't choose to leave. In many respects, she was the closest thing we had to a Rose before Rose came along.

Toby Whithouse's script is a masterclass in how to do several things at once within a short timeframe. We have the action, the sinister monsters, the character exchanges and too many standout scenes to count. Everything featuring the Doctor and Sarah is massively watchable, but other pieces like the Doctor and Finch's battle-of-words across the swimming pool and Finch's offer of everythung the Doctor could want are both wonderful.

After feeling a little unsure after New Earth I'm feeling once again the Saturday night joy I rediscovered last spring. This really is the best thing on TV right now and it's lovely to be able to say that about a show that I've cherished since I was very young, following the Doctor and Tegan, Peri and Ace (yes, I know I left out Mel - do you blame me?), and reliving the past adventures of the Doctor and a girl called Sarah Jane.

Next week, Steven Moffat returns to scripting duties (hurrah!) and we have Mickey along for the ride. Clockwork robots, spaceships, time portals ... with so many ideas, it's entirely possible a future Doctor twenty years from now could be bumping into a middle-aged, blonde woman called Rose, introducing her to his latest companion ...

В‘The Doctor meets Sarah-Jane Smith and K9 againВ’ When I first heard this simple premise regards I thought В“Oh God! They did really well with the last series and now they are going to try to top it by going overboardВ…ItВ’ll be a nightmareВ” I am DELIGHTED to say I was wrong!!!

Regards the actual story В– the Dr and company beat Aliens who are using children in a school as mini computers blah, blah, blah В– itВ’s unimportant because this adventure is about relationships; The Dr and Sarah-Jane, The Dr and Rose & Rose and Sarah-Jane. Not since last yearВ’s В‘FatherВ’s DayВ’ will you get a more emotional episode. I consider myself a regular beer guzzling, football loving bloke and yet I will freely admit to shedding a tear when the Doctor and Sarah-Jane said goodbyeВ…and then shedding another tear when the TARDIS dematerialised and you saw Sarah-JaneВ’s В‘presentВ’.

I wont ruin the story for those who have yet to see it, but I will merely tell you that for all the episodes that brought back old characters to face the new Doctor which lacked emotional impact and were humdrum, this is the episode to counteract them all!

The episode continues the new seriesВ’ ability to add humour to the series (Mickey realises heВ’s В‘the tin dogВ’, the teacherВ’s sleeping in the school, K9В’s one-liners and Anthony headВ’s glorious turn as the Headmaster), but this story had everything and also explains the DoctorВ’s reasons for not re-visiting old companions В– and itВ’s a good un!

My favourite creatures were always the Cybermen (I am possibly the only Who fan who hates Daleks) and I was a bit concerned about how they would be portrayed in the series future episodes, but if they show Cybermen the respect and class they have shown to the DoctorВ’s old-companions, I have nothing to worry about.

After being disappointed with New Earth & Tooth and Claw, this has renewed my faith in the series; Sarah-JaneВ’s face on seeing the TARDIS, meeting the Doctor again once she realises who he is and the final five emotional minutes of the episode are definite highpoints for all Dr Who fans!! Bring on the Cybermen!

This had to be the most eagerly awaited story of this season - even ahead of the return of the Cybermen. The only time in the history of Doctor Who that the Doctor has had the chance to properly say goodbye to a former companion. Let's look at the other aspects of the story first. The plot - well there had to be a reason for the reunion but for once the story takes second best to the character dialogue. It's a reasonable story, good aliens and special effects but nothing particularly new or clever. Anthony Head puts in the type of excellent performance you would expect and is a good foyle for DT's Doctor. Rose and Mickey do much to question their relationships with the Doctor and to ponder on their futures with him and of course the scenes between Rose and Sarah Jane Smith are what you would expect - mistrust, jealousy and grudging respect. Nice to see K9 back too even though his scenes were faiirly restricted - interesting that not only did he manage to get himself out of Sarah's car but he closed his own inspection panel too!!

But of course the main reason for this story was to reunite the Doctor with one of his best loved companions ever - journalist Sarah Jane Smith. Who cannot be amazed at how gorgeous Lis Sladen is - wow she is looking as good if not better than she did in the Pertwee and Baker years!! Her performance was absolutely first class and the continuity so well handled - particularly her remarks about the Tardis interior!!! For those doubting fans out there can there not at last be absolute proof that this new Doctor Who show is firmly established with the original???

And David Tennant excelled too - not quite sure what to do when he met Sarah after all the years - unable, at first, to explain why he "abandoned her" - we now find out it was indeed not East Croyden (as Sarah suspected at the end of the Hand of Fear) but Aberdeen!! The closing scenes showed just how much the Doctor really cared for Sarah - and Sarah in turn was able to accept his goodbye this time round - at last she (and her new K9) can start a proper life minus the Time Lord. However, even having gained some of Rose's respect, this is nearly blown when she supports Mickey's decision to join the Tardis crew!!

I suspect there were many tears shed in the closing scenes - this story equalled last season's "Father's Day" in the emotional stakes. What a corker of an episode that not only bridged the old and new Doctor Who but saw the reintroduction of a former colleague in a very clever and totally appropriate way.

Each episode of the new series adds further dimensions to the show and makes one wanting more. Well done all concerned for an extremely enjoyable 45 minutes!!!

This was an episode always destined to please the fans of the original series of Doctor Who and especially, of course, those who remembered the characters of Sarah Jane Smith and K9 with fondness.

The emotional centre of the story was that of the relationship between the Doctor and his two companions, the old and the new. And this was carried out extremely well, with all three actors excelling in their roles. The jealousy between Rose and Sarah was a little too immediate and obvious for me, but that is a minor niggle that may simply reflect the 45-minute episode format that is too short on time for more nuanced development. The scenes between Mr. Tennant and Ms. Sladen were the emotional highlights for sure - well, and the return of a K9 Mark IV at the very end!

It surprises me that so many reviews of this episode thus far have been quite so high in praise, however. A reviewer can only be expected to state their own personal view, but as one who was not around when Tom Baker was the Doctor, it strikes me that nostalgia has been allowed to compensate for an average plot. For the majority of viewers out there, the return of old characters is likely to be treated with indifference - Sarah Jane Smith is no more exciting as a one-off character than the Mox of Balhoon, and slightly less so than the enigmatic Face of Boe. I certainly do not begrudge longstanding fans an episode such as this - but I would disagree that this was superior to 'Tooth and Claw', and I think that the majority of the 8 million BBC viewers would concur even if the majority of readers of Outpost Gallifrey would not. It is just something to consider before being too harsh on Russell T. Davies on some of his stories: he tends to delegate the more interesting, adult stories to others, burdening himself with those that have to appeal to the widest audience.

Anyhow, back to 'School Reunion'!

The plot was reasonable, with good build-up. I liked the Krillitanes, although the idea of adding the biological and technological distinctiveness of other species to one's own has already been done somewhat by Star Trek's Borg. As has occasionally been the case with the new Who, the evil plan is a little generic and far-fetched - universe domination by breaking some secret enigma-like code we've never heard of before? I am not overwhelmed. For a 'good' episode, I am always happy to ignore such irksome details, but I do think that such flaws prevent an episode from being 'great'.

To conclude: good acting; a good central theme on emotions, relationships, and the character of the Doctor; an interesting alien; some witty dialogue and a reasonable plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, just not as much as last week.

Oh, and to finish, Mr. Head did not disappoint at the Headmaster - excellent, excellent, job.