Sarah Jane returns, and K9 is back too, as the Tenth Doctor, Rose and Mickey investigate strange events at a high school.
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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.
17 Likes
What @Tian says above makes perfect sense 
But it is time, once again, for: 
Bill Filer’s negativity corner:
Summary
- Rose is insufferable! By the Lemon Squeezer of Rassilon I can’t find a single positive thing to say about her in this series overall. This isn’t a dig at Billie Piper who I think acts exactly the way that the character is written
- The Doctor treats Mickey like garbage. The Ninth Doctor calling him Ricky was never malicious, the Tenth Doctor is just a douche.
- Sarah goes totally against everything we know about her personality from the Classic era to be super ageist. What?
- And sorry, of all the companions from the classic era, Sarah is probably one of the last ones I would have thought to bring back. I just don’t find her particularly interesting compared to for example Ace or Jo. (It did work out in the end because The SJA is delightful, and my second favourite TV Whoniverse spinoff)
- The story is super run-of-the-mill. There was a decent premise for an alien race, but they just became dull on the screen. It just gets a bit boring 5 minutes in, and never manages to fully capture my attention.
- Anthony Stewart Head is playing his character like every other Anthony Stewart Head character. I just don’t think he has any range as an actor from what I have seen and heard of him.
Positive: K-9 is back baby! 
(only to get locked away in Sarah’s Black Hole Safe)
It’s a 2,5/5 
from me, and I don’t like that because I see so much praise for it, so what am I missing out on?
Moffat up next
15 Likes
I know exactly what you mean. I’m 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. It’s OK, but there are much better examples of DW (and SJA for that matter) that also cash in the nostalgia card.
It weirdly didn’t feel like DW to me.
11 Likes
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, Sarah’s characterisation is utterly bizarre, but I love her so dearly that I’m just glad she came back. And we got SJA from this so I can’t 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 don’t like the way she and Rose fight. It’s tiresome
17 Likes
Hot takes but I’m not sure I disagree with much of what you’ve written.
10 Likes
“Hot Takes Filer” gets unleashed in Negativity Corner 
8 Likes
This episode has Elisabeth Sladen, Anthony Stewart Head, and K9 in it. Even if the storyline itself isn’t great, I’m going to be happy with it. And David Tennant was so happy to see her!
Besides, I’m definitely a Buffy fan.
17 Likes
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 script’s 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 she’s a joy to have around and Liz Sladen utterly kills it in the role, but even Anthony Head can’t 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.
14 Likes
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.
11 Likes
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:
- David Tennant is finally turning into the Doctor for me. Fanboying over Sarah Jane and K9, going undercover at a school and taking good charge of the situation does that.
- Elisabeth Sladen is marvellous and easily gets back into SJA mode for this. I love every scene she shares with Tennant.
- Mickey gets to be useful for once, even if he is still mistreated by the Doctor.
- Anthony Stewart Head is perfectly one-note, creepy scary as an underdeveloped villain who isn’t given enough time to really feel like the Big Bad of the episode.
- The plot is silly and makes very little sense. The entire “creating superchildren by manipulating school lunches and using them to power a supercomputer” thing is so stupid.
- K9 is in it just so that it can be replaced by a fresh version for the SJA spin-off.
- Rose continues to be unbearable—she’s condescending towards SJ, pines for the Doctor, and disregards Mickey (he’s your boyfriend, Rose! Dump him or accept the fact!).
- The Krillitanes are a cool concept but sort of undercooked. The CGI isn’t too bad, though.
- The script puts so much focus on the Doctor/companion relationship that the alien plot is forgotten until the second half, and then it’s dealt with very hurriedly.
Despite its problems, I will give it a 7/10 → GOOD!
13 Likes
I’ve always quite enjoyed School Reunion. I’ve never been a big fan of Sarah Jane tbh, an unpopular opinion I know, but she’s great here. The first encounter with the Doctor to her seeing the Tardis and realising it’s 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.
13 Likes
Does anyone remember playing this game?
(And if you have a Flash emulator you can still play it).
7 Likes
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 I’ve 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 isn’t any story points you’re missing, just the emotions aren’t 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 Sladen’s phenomenal acting, all those mixed emotions! Really all the acting is great, but she is outstanding. I think it’s amazing how it’s really Sarah Jane and the doctor in all scenes with them, and there isn’t a feeling of him not being ‘her’ doctor. I think it’s something really cool, how new who and also the expanded universe shows the ‘after’ for the companions.
And K9!
12 Likes
I haven’t 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.
10 Likes
Lovely to see the Lemon Squeezer of Rassilon still getting referenced! 
9 Likes
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, couldn’t 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 she’s the first companion I was ever smitten with, if that’s even the right word given I was too young to have discovered girls at the time. Perhaps I should say she’s the first companion I adored. Still do.
13 Likes
Or you could say that you were … smithen with her!
Yeah, I’ll see myself out now.
9 Likes
As a kid this was my fav Tennant episode (maybe cus it was one that always seemed to be repeated when i was tuning in?)
Yes it’s a back door pilot.
But it’s so cool to see Sarah Jane Smith and K9 introduced to a new generation.
Watched it again a few weeks back (before i joined the forums) - still such a fun episode of Who.
12 Likes
OMG, an old companion coming back! Remember when that was a rare thing? 
But yes it is so good to see SJS back, K9…well a lot of people like him. The school setting is just perfect for kids & the Doctor being your teacher must have been fun for the young audience. Overall, an ok episode but nothing remarkable here, it’s all about the nostalgia & companions meeting – Liz Sladen is just so good & its no wonder she became so fondly loved by a new generation of fans in her own show. Not a story that will make my favourites list.
9 Likes