2.3 - School Reunion

This story features a wonderful reunion between the Doctor, his greatest companion Sarah Jane Smith and his beloved robotic dog K9. That aspect alone provides huge heartwarming nostalgia, lovely scenes and some very touching moments. David Tennant shows his brilliance and there is nice dynamic between current companion Rose, her boyfriend Mickey and the Doctor's old friends. It provides some really funny great humour and thought provoking material about how the Doctor impacts his companions both when they are with him and when he leaves them behind.

Elisabeth Sladen is as fantastic as ever as Sarah Jane Smith and K9 is as lovable and funny as ever too.

The story involves 10 and Rose working under cover at a school to investigate strange goings on which are also being investigated by Sarah Jane. It turns out creatures called Krillitanes are using the schoolchildren in their plot and are devouring some of them too. Anthony Head is a great villain and the Krillitanes fit in well with the pantheon of Doctor Who monsters posing good threat and providing fun scares.

The combination of humour, heart, excitement and sheer fun make this a classic and any criticisms are no more than you could level at any of the greatest Doctor Who adventures. Doctor Who is never perfect but it is perfectly magic!

10/10

Rewarding the long timers we get to see Sarah and k9 reunited with the doctor and it really is all you need to grab attention. That said Anthony head made a cold icy villain of fine work and the krillitanes aren’t all bad. Oh and there’s chips... 👍

Yeah I love it even if it is a bit silly at points

This episode is remembered for bringing Sarah Jane Smith and K9 from the Classic Series in to the New with both Elisabeth Sladen and John Leeson reprising their roles. This one is such a treat for old and new fans and the chemistry that the Doctor and Sarah Jane have even in new forms is still so palpable and amazing, even now bringing me to tears considering the passing of Sladen some years ago. While the story and monsters are a tad on the weaker side, we do get to see some major issues brought up between old and new companions that are fascinating to watch, a major confrontation where Ten really gets to show off some of his power, and again that reunion is just so warm and loving. An imperfect but still completely memorable little treat for old and new fans that shows indications of the journey that Ten would soon be on. 

It's always nice to see companions return and School Reunion sees the return of not one but two of them. School Reunion reintroduced Sarah Jane and K9, both reprised by their original actors Elisabeth Sladen and John Leeson and effectively acting as a backdoor pilot to the spinoff The Sarah Jane Adventures.

It's bittersweet to see the return of such beloved companions, especially when the excitement at seeing a familiar face again is played so well by David Tennant. Toby Whithouse writes the reunion so well that you can't help but feel a little disappointed that she decides not to join the Doctor on his adventures again.
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K9's emotional sacrifice is touching and fortunately the introduction of a K9 Mark 4 doesn't ruin it but instead allows for another sweet moment in the friendship of the Doctor and Sarah, where the TARDIS dematerialises to reveal the new K9.


But what of the actual plot? Well, School Reunion sees the Doctor and Rose investigate Deffry Vale School after Mickey (Noel Clarke) tells them over the phone about some strange goings-on. There, they find that a race known as the Krillitanes have taken on the form of teachers at the school and the canteen are serving chips in Krillitane oil to increase the kids' intelligence so they can help crack the Skasis Paradigm and control the universe. The story can feel a little contrived considering the Doctor and Sarah Jane just happen to be investigating the same school at the same time but it is forgivable given how great everything else is. The Krillitanes are a fantastic concept for an alien species; these are aliens who take on the features of any species they conquer meaning they could look different each time they return. And they need to return. In fact: why haven't they yet? This is such a strong concept that with return appearances they could arguably become among the most iconic of new series monsters. Anthony Head deserves to return as Mr Finch also; he is scarily cold and menacing as the school headteacher, especially during his tense confrontation with the Doctor at the swimming pool (I've never heard of a school with a swimming pool before!).

It's nice to see Mickey Smith finally become a companion at the end of this story. I always liked Mickey Smith, right from his introduction in Rose up until his
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exit in Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel
and subsequent returns. He should have been a companion sooner and indeed when he is, the chemistry works really well between the Doctor, Rose and Mickey. School Reunion is followed by another great story The Girl In The Fireplace and one which I will review at a later time.

Overall, School Reunion is a fantastic reunion between three characters (the Doctor, Sarah Jane and K9) even if it does feel a little contrived and introduces a new race with a clever concept who really should return.