School Reunion

⬆️8/10 = ENJOYABLE!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“A CLASH OF COMPANIONS: A COMMENTARY”

New Who clashes with Classic Who in the third episode of Series 2 (what a wonderful rhyme that is!), which takes us back to the present day for a fun adventure featuring shapeshifting bat aliens in a secondary school environment.

• THE STORY

There’s something Seventh Doctorish about the Doctor going undercover as a teacher in this one (and letting Rose be a dinner lady). I quite like the setup, as Ten makes for a fun teacher, allowing David Tennant to further hone the quirky qualities of his incarnation.

The script is so preoccupied with the Doctor/Sarah Jane relationship (and setting up The Sarah Jane Adventures spinoff in the process) that the alien plot is sort of sidelined until a very busy third act. This also means that the otherwise very effective and creepy Anthony Stewart Head performance isn’t given full attention until the second half (he could have done much more if given the opportunity).

The biggest fun comes from the Doctor and Sarah both investigating the same strange events and crossing paths. It’s heartwarming to see them eventually catch up.

The alien plot to use modified school lunches to create superintelligent children to run a supercomputer that could dominate the universe is a bit silly.

• THE PEOPLE

Billie Piper is still unbearable, particularly when pining for the Doctor and trying to convince Mickey that the Doctor is unlike any other man. The look she gives when the Doctor accepts Mickey onboard the TARDIS always makes me cringe. He's your boyfriend, for God's sake; either accept that or dump him!

Tennant is clearly a fan of the show, and you can see the affection and giddiness he emits in every scene he shares with Elizabeth Sladen, who hasn’t lost any of her wits and charm as Sarah Jane Smith. This is the episode that warmed me to Tennant’s Doctor, as he is much less smug and more balanced here. He also takes great charge of the situation at hand.

The ice-cold atmosphere between Sasfrah Jane and Rose is fun to watch, and Rose is finally put in place by a far superior companion. Too bad that even this enjoyment is destroyed once they eventually get along and begin giggling about all the funny things the Doctor does.

Mickey is on fire in this episode and put to good use, especially towards the end. Ten also treats him much better than Nine ever did, even if he still occasionally sweeps the floors with the poor boy.

K9 is fun to see (even in his rusty form), even though he’s clearly just there to be replaced by a new mark in the end, to be used by Sarah Jane in her own show later on.

I quite like the Krillitanes; they look scary and are an effective take on shapeshifting, composite race bat aliens. Sadly, they remain very underused in this episode.

• THE ATMOSPHERE

The episode feels even more rushed than usual, as it focusses immediately on strange and alien things going on at the school.

I also like how the episode briefly explores the emotional aspects of the Doctor travelling with someone and eventually having to leave them behind.

The big action set piece in the classroom with all the Krillitanes is a pretty good moment.

• RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

Anthony Stewart Head, looking all scary and calling on his fellow Krillitanes, looks and sounds to me like Mr. Quill calling on the seaweed in Fury from the Deep.

Warm and fuzzy nostalgia episode. It's honestly very mid, but I remember being a kid and spreading rumors that our school put Krillatine oil or whatever in the lunches.

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.

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 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.

Like many, School Reunion was my introduction to the first true elements of the Classic Series. It's such a lovely affirmation of that content that there's not a lot to object to around this episode and what it's going for.

The special effects don't hold up very well at all, but with heavyweight performances from the likes of Tennant, Elisabeth Sladen, Anthony Head, and even the easy to overlook John Leeson, this is a pretty unforgettable, stand-out episode of Series 2 of the revived series. Very critical to the show's history and legacy, while also affirming so much potential content for the future, School Reunion is just a particularly special chapter of Doctor Who.

Taking all that larger metanarrative stuff aside, the Doctor posing as a teacher was pretty fun, and the story was engaging enough. It's not really the most important part of the story, but it does the job enough that School Reunion is an episode I simply never skip, even if it is flawed, especially around the whole theme of companions loving the Doctor, which is a bit dated like the effects. Still, there's so much to enjoy here. It's hard not to feel David Tennant's enthusiasm towards this type of content, and was really important in getting me to open up more to that older era of the Classic TV series, which I now love. So I will always appreciate School Reunion for that, too.

Now that's more like it! Its a tricky thing bringing back long forgotten elements from a show's past, the 2005 series stripped everything back to basics with minimal references to the past. Its surprising then that in 2006 Russell decided it was time to bring back one of the classic series most beloved (and my favourite) companion Sarah-Jane Smith. Not only did they bring her back but they brought her back in an interesting way that both old school fans and those only familiar with the new series could appreciate - she's The Doctor's ex. Its a concept that works really well and gives Sarah-Jane, The Doctor, Rose and even Mickey Smith some serious character development. The Doctor's companions can stay with him for the rest of their life, but he can't stay with them for the rest of their lives - and it impacts everyone around them.

Anthony Head turns what could be a fairly meat and potatoes part into a shimmering role. Even as a kid I appreciated having some cast crossover with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Elisabeth Sladen though is clearly the star of the show. I miss her so dearly. She more than proves that the classic cast can hold their own in the new show.

Its a funny script - Kenny being celebrated by his classmates for blowing up the school and the scenes with the two "tin dogs" Mickey and K-9 stand out as particular highlights. Its no surprise that Toby Whithouse is brought in to write more scripts.

It is also the second story in a row setting up a new spin off, the series' third overall. We're firing on all cylinders now!