Doctor Who Series 2 Episode 3 - School Reunion - Review

Starring: David Tennant, Billie Piper, Elisabeth Sladen, Noel Clarke & Anthony Head

Written By: Toby Whithouse

Directed By: James Hawes

 

When a franchise is well-loved and grows old enough, there are certain lines of dialogue, objects or characters that become heavily associated with it. Darth Vader is a staple of the Star Wars series, the line “I'll be back” is well associated with the Terminator series, and characters like Blofeld are synonymous with the James Bond series. For Doctor Who, there are all sorts of series trademarks, be it the TARDIS, the Daleks, the Cybermen etc. However, if you're asked to name a companion, the most popular would definitely have to be Sarah Jane Smith. The character is easily one of the best companions to have travelled in the TARDIS, and it seems with School Reunion, she's coming back...

 

After hearing mysterious rumours online, Mickey informs Rose and the Doctor of his findings about Deffry Vale School. The new headmaster, Mr Finch, has introduced a number of changes, including free lunches with special chips, and has managed to improve the school's results. With the Doctor posing as a physics teacher, and Rose as a dinnerlady, the two investigate just why the students are so well-behaved. But they aren't the only ones investigating, and they soon find out that journalist Sarah Jane Smith is trying to uncover the very same thing...

 

Obviously the big draw of this episode is the return of classic companion Sarah Jane Smith, and the ever-faithful robotic dog K-9. Elisabeth Sladen's return to the show after more than twenty years (discounting a 1993 Children In Need special) is just as brilliant as it sounds. Despite the amount of time that's passed since we last saw the character, she slips back into the role effortlessly and works really well with David Tennant's Doctor. As for the character herself, she's still the same Sarah Jane that we all know and love, still carrying out unorthodox investigations into the school for her job as a journalist. Not only that, but we can also tell that she still has a clear love for her adventures with the Doctor. Of course we can't forget about the return of the wonderful K-9, and though he doesn't get much to do, he remains the Doctor's loyal robot dog, helping him and defending his friends from alien threat.

 

Interestingly, Sarah Jane's return also gives Rose the chance to ask the Doctor some important and troubling questions about her time with him. The meeting of Rose and Sarah Jane does have some mixed results, but in this episode, Rose works at her best when questioning the Doctor as to whether she'll be left behind in the same way as Sarah Jane. This is incredibly engaging and puts the Doctor in a position we've never entirely seen him in before, and eventually, not even he can give Rose anything that resembles a straight answer. But while these questions see Rose at her best, the rest of the time she becomes wholly obnoxious. This is a real shame as the meeting of two popular and likeable companions such as Rose and Sarah Jane should feel like a big thing, Instead, Rose becomes very snotty towards Sarah Jane and it isn't until the thirty-minute mark that the two put aside their differences and start working together. This is another great shame as from this point on, their relationship feels much better and more natural. But even then, things aren't perfect with Rose, especially when we see the horrible look on her face when Mickey joins the TARDIS at the end of the episode.

 

Even though School Reunion has a lot to encompass by bringing back Sarah Jane and K-9, I was impressed by the fact that it didn't ever become overwhelmed by such a return and it still has its own story to tell. The two big strands of this story, Sarah Jane's return and the mystery surrounding the school, were perfectly balanced by writer Toby Whithouse, and the potentially less interesting and overshadowed story about the school was still very entertaining to watch. I was further glad to learn the episode gives a legitimate reason for setting this story in a school – it isn't the result of blind chance and it relates well to the Krillitanes' plans. The school itself could have ended up as quite a dull setting, but its livened up by high technical quality throughout. While the school is a fairly bog-standard building, it's perked up by plenty of action involving cars, explosions, corridor chases and lasers, all of which is superbly and fluidly directed by James Hawes. For a second week running, Murray Gold's music stood out even more than usual, with another fantastic and prominent orchestral piece throughout the episode and really ramps up that sense of tension.

 

Our main enemies this week, the Krillitanes, serve as an effective threat, both as simple flying beasts but also as intelligent villains. For one thing, the Krillitanes' plans are big and have powerful implications on everyone involved in the story. The Krillitanes further bring a sense of danger and action to the episode, particularly towards the end when they start chasing the Doctor and his friends through the school. However, the Krillitane portrayed by Anthony Head, one of my favourite actors, is responsible for creating a sense of villainy. Anthony Head brings such a smooth yet despicable presence to his character, and helps to create an amazing sense of tension between his character and the Doctor, particularly in their exchange around the swimming pool.

 

Apart from my issues with Rose in this episode, I only have one other problem with School Reunion, and unusually, it's that it doesn't fit in with the continuity of the series and certain things about Sarah Jane's return don't make sense. For quite a large amount of time in this episode, Sarah Jane attacks the Doctor for leaving her behind and leaving her unsure as to whether he was still alive. However, Sarah Jane has already had contact with the Doctor since she originally left the TARDIS. In The Five Doctors, Sarah Jane returned with many other companions and saw multiple incarnations of the Doctor, and in the short-lived spin-off K-9 & Company, it was the Doctor that left K-9 as a gift to her, so she must have known that he was still alive.

 

So while not everything is perfect about School Reunion, it's still a deservedly wonderful return for such an amazing companion. While Elisabeth Sladen slips back into the role of Sarah Jane perfectly, and both she and K-9 feel right at home in the revived series, there's still a brilliant story to be found here even without their presence. Boasting interesting ideas, effective villains and high technical quality, School Reunion makes for a great watch.

 

 

School Reunion



8/10