Sarah Jane returns, and K9 is back too, as the Tenth Doctor, Rose and Mickey investigate strange events at a high school.
Watch the episode on BBC iPlayer:
Or buy it on Bluray and DVD:
Give your rating out of 10 below:
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Sarah Jane returns, and K9 is back too, as the Tenth Doctor, Rose and Mickey investigate strange events at a high school.
Watch the episode on BBC iPlayer:
Or buy it on Bluray and DVD:
Give your rating out of 10 below:
I know that the bad guys are boring and I know that it is a strange competition between SJS and Rose. But I love this episode. To me, this was my first exposure to the greater Whoniverse. I know that The Daleks was an old villain but this feelt more like they tied the new show together with the old stuff and it made me interested in the classic stuff. I feel like this is the episode where they really showed that this is not a reboot it is a continuation.
What @Tian says above makes perfect sense
But it is time, once again, for:
Bill Filerās negativity corner:
Positive: K-9 is back baby! (only to get locked away in Sarahās Black Hole Safe)
Itās a 2,5/5 from me, and I donāt like that because I see so much praise for it, so what am I missing out on?
Moffat up next
I know exactly what you mean. Iām not quite so harsh on it as you are (the nostalgic kick of SJS and K9 counts for quite a bit here), but never really got the love for this story. Itās OK, but there are much better examples of DW (and SJA for that matter) that also cash in the nostalgia card.
It weirdly didnāt feel like DW to me.
Sarah!!! <3
If I had to pick a fav s2 episode it probably would be this one, despite the issues I have with it. As @BillFiler says, Sarahās characterisation is utterly bizarre, but I love her so dearly that Iām just glad she came back. And we got SJA from this so I canāt be cross!!
I do think making companions into catty, jealous people is a bad look though. I get Sarah being cross about being left behind and never spoken to again, but I donāt like the way she and Rose fight. Itās tiresome
Hot takes but Iām not sure I disagree with much of what youāve written.
āHot Takes Filerā gets unleashed in Negativity Corner
This episode has Elisabeth Sladen, Anthony Stewart Head, and K9 in it. Even if the storyline itself isnāt great, Iām going to be happy with it. And David Tennant was so happy to see her!
Besides, Iām definitely a Buffy fan.
One of my more unpopular opinions, I really dislike School Reunion.
Seeing Sarah Jane again is nice but there are four and half seasons of better TV to watch instead and the episode makes the annoying choice of having her bicker with Rose because both are shocked that the 900 year old man has had other friends in his lifetime.
Plus the scriptās a mess, an utterly plot hole ridden monster fest where the characters constantly make stupid but incredibly convenient decisions.
As much as people praise the idea of the Krillitanes, I am yet to see somebody justify why they decide to use a single secondary school in England to unlock the base code of the universe, which has never been deciphered before in the history of time.
A series of missed opportunities with Rose at her most entitled and annoying. There are some things to love, when they have Sarah Jane not pointlessly bickering with the new cast sheās a joy to have around and Liz Sladen utterly kills it in the role, but even Anthony Head canāt save the innate idiocy of the antagonists and the plot is a complete logical mess.
A 5/10 for me, not one I look forward to on rewatches.
I imagine RTD thought it was hilarious to have Mickey partially save the day by unplugging the computers but it just comes across as lazy - and I rarely throw that word at Doctor Who.
After the even more delightful K9 you mean?
Anyway, this is the first episode of S2 I would consider good. It has problems, but I largely enjoy it. Here are a few points:
Despite its problems, I will give it a 7/10 ā GOOD!
Iāve always quite enjoyed School Reunion. Iāve never been a big fan of Sarah Jane tbh, an unpopular opinion I know, but sheās great here. The first encounter with the Doctor to her seeing the Tardis and realising itās him is great. The Krillitane are a nice idea but underutilised, I know they appear in a couple of books in their bat form like here but I would like to see them used again. Though their plan of using a random secondary school is a bit silly but as a pilot of sorts for The Sarah Jane Adventures it actually makes enough sense and is fitting enough.
Does anyone remember playing this game?
(And if you have a Flash emulator you can still play it).
A wonderful episode, and while I already thought that the first time I watched it, this is an episode where my viewing experience was very different on rewatching since Iāve now watched a good part of classic who. On my first watch, I emphasized more with Rose and Mickey, obviously seeing the joy the doctor shows at Sarah Jane but also a bit confused and almost left out. I enjoyed it anyway because the acting was great and there isnāt any story points youāre missing, just the emotions arenāt quite there. The plot itself is rather mediocre, not bad but certainly not great either.
Rewatching it now, and having seen all of Sarah Jane and Four very recently, the episode is enhanced substantially. Most of all, Elizabeth Sladenās phenomenal acting, all those mixed emotions! Really all the acting is great, but she is outstanding. I think itās amazing how itās really Sarah Jane and the doctor in all scenes with them, and there isnāt a feeling of him not being āherā doctor. I think itās something really cool, how new who and also the expanded universe shows the āafterā for the companions.
And K9!
I havenāt seen this in a while now but from what I remember while I love Liz Sladen as Sarah Jane, love K9, had a fun time with the plot and villains, and adore the farewell scene with 10 and SJ more than anything; none of that could make up for how much I hate the Rose and SJ bickering, and how 10 treats Mickey.
My heart wants to give this an 8 or 9 but the issues I have are too major and knock it all the way down to a 6.
Lovely to see the Lemon Squeezer of Rassilon still getting referenced!
Anthony Head may be a little wasted, the basic plot may be nothing special, but for how it makes me feel every time I see it, couldnāt give it less than an 8.
In all fairness, though, it seems fair to say I like Sarah Jane more than BIllFiler or Shayleen. Pretty sure sheās the first companion I was ever smitten with, if thatās even the right word given I was too young to have discovered girls at the time. Perhaps I should say sheās the first companion I adored. Still do.
Or you could say that you were ā¦ smithen with her!
Yeah, Iāll see myself out now.