By Ross Ruediger
If ever there was any debate about the new series of Doctor Who being an extension of the classic series, tonight’s installment, “School Reunion,” puts an end to it. It proudly waves its geek flag, whilst near-miraculously delivering something special for the uninitiated as well. For a certain type of fan, it's the episode for which we’ve been patiently waiting – and kudos to the producers for planning this so early in the season.
Mickey Smith (to the Doctor): The missus and the ex. Welcome to every man's worst nightmare!
“School Reunion” features the return of ex-companion Sarah Jane Smith (the radiant Elisabeth Sladen), who traveled in the TARDIS with the 3rd & 4th Doctors (Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker). Sarah Jane made her first appearance in 1973’s “The Time Warrior” and witnessed the Doctor’s regeneration four stories later in ‘74’s “Planet of the Spiders”. Like Rose after her, she continued on with his new incarnation, and finally found herself literally kicked out of the TARDIS at the close of ‘76’s “The Hand of Fear” (which hits DVD shelves on Nov. 7th, by the way). As companion exits go, Sarah’s - especially given her devotion to the Time Lord - was less than dignified. “School Reunion” smartly plays on this facet of her character.
Allow me to hardcore geek out here – at the age of 13, I was in love with Sarah Jane Smith (and I’m not alone in that sentiment). She was as important to me as the Doctor himself. There are young boys watching the new series who feel the same way about Rose Tyler…and I do love Rose, but she is no Sarah Jane, and that’s even taking into account character limitations of ‘70s Who. To finally see Sarah Jane realized to her fullest dramatic potential makes “School Reunion” a “very special episode” indeed.
The character-driven script is a welcome change of pace, and yet its simplicity is deceptive: what appears to be the A-Plot – the sinister goings-on at Deffry Vale High School, which has been infiltrated by an alien race called Krillitanes – is really the B-Plot. Aside from providing Anthony Head with some great scenery to chew as well as a bit of action, it primarily serves to reinforce the issues the Doctor, Rose and Sarah deal with throughout the story. Where freshman Who writer Toby Whithouse knocks it off the cricket field is in making it about Rose through Sarah Jane (and vice versa, to a degree). Even if the viewer doesn’t know Sarah’s place in Who history, one can grasp that the Doctor has had companions prior to Rose. Through both characters' hurt and anger, one can understand the feelings that would accompany the loss of such an extraordinary friendship. On the other hand, it’s possible Rose mostly comes across as a territorial bitch…which she really kinda does. Since she was already heading down a bratty road in “Tooth and Claw”, there is precedent and it would’ve been far more of a shock if not for the way she’s subtly been changing.
Of course I was too busy basking in the cool waters of Elisabeth Sladen to care about Rose all that much. Back in my day (said the old fogey), Tom Baker and Lis made the perfect Doctor/companion team. She was around for the bulk of Who's “golden age” – the Philip Hinchcliffe-produced era of the series (Baker’s first three seasons), considered by many, if not most, to be the crown jewel of Who's original 26 year run. Sladen’s delivery and girl-next-door beauty sold the character. She brought fun to the role of the companion, but also knew when to play it serious – and “School Reunion” proves you can take the girl out of the TARDIS, but you can't take the TARDIS out of the girl. I could list every bit of sparkling dialogue and great moment Sarah has in the episode, but it would consist of every line and scene she is in. A favorite, when she speaks of K-9’s disrepair, is the relatively simplistic “I couldn’t show him to anyone” – a line that reads flat on the printed page, but Sladen imbues it with a strong dose of Sarah Jane, and plays it as only she could. (Sladen's performance was so well received, that she's getting a new spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures, set for early next year.)
When it was announced that the tin dog would also return, I groaned. K-9 was introduced as sort of a response to R2-D2. He was a fun gimmick, but arguably partly to blame for the camping up of the latter half of the Tom Baker era. Nevertheless, he remained a fan favorite and was beloved by the kids. Oddly, Sarah and K-9’s eras didn't overlap; the K-9 (Mark III) seen in “School Reunion” was a gift from the Doctor to Sarah - long after they’d parted company - in a one-episode spin-off called K-9 and Company. Together they made one other appearance in the 1983 20th Anniversary special “The Five Doctors”, a story that here appears to have been wisely retconned out of existence (Sladen played Sarah in that story...but if it doesn’t talk, walk or dress like Sarah Jane, then it isn’t Sarah Jane). When K-9 sacrifices himself at the end of “Reunion”, I found myself tearing up - and writing that gets me to tear up over K-9 must be doing something right. K-9 brings me to the other “tin dog” of the story – Mickey, who really gets to show some stuff here, and as a result his joining of the TARDIS crew is justified and maybe even necessary. Noel Clarke’s effusive delivery of “Though I have prepared a little ‘I was right’ dance which I can show you later” has been a long time coming.
The story isn’t without glitches - mostly stuff that’s quickly glossed over in order to keep the story moving. Why would Sarah Jane cart K-9 around in the back of her car if he isn’t even working? The Krillitane oil comes in awfully Deus Ex Machina handy – deadly to the Krillitanes and yet it makes humans smarter? Before Mickey drives through the school's front doors, K-9’s missing his side panel; in the next scene it magically reappears. And how did the Doctor build K-9 Mark IV so quickly?
Speaking of the Doctor, how did I manage to get this far without saying much of anything about David Tennant? He at last gets his Doctorish day in the sun. From the moment he enters the classroom with “Good morning class! Are we sitting comfortably?” and issues an insanely wide grin, we know we’re in for a different kind of ride. When he plays that first scene with Sladen – and she doesn’t even know who he is – his admiration for her is priceless, and he beams when he walks out into the hallway afterwards. Is it the Doctor seeing Sarah Jane for the first time in years, or is it Tennant finally realizing that he is the Doctor as he’s playing a scene against the actress whom he grew up watching on TV? I honestly believe it’s some of both. He doesn’t have a wasted moment; he’s by turns funny, tender, heart-broken and finally deadly serious in his dealings with Head’s Mr. Finch. His scenes with Sladen soar, and with Rose, the scene where he speaks of watching humans wither and die is a defining moment; never before has the Doctor said so much on this subject. It forces us to reevaluate his relationship to humanity and hints at his complex love for this species he views as physically frail and transitory.
Yes, "School Reunion" marks the real beginning of Season Two.
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NEXT WEEK: Clockwork robots, a visit to the Palace of Versailles and the Doctor engaging in some serious lip lock in “The Girl in the Fireplace." (Note to readers: Were I forced to recommend a single episode from Season Two, it would be “Fireplace”.)
Classic Who DVD Recommendation of the Week: “City of Death”, co-written by Douglas Adams and starring Tom Baker, Lalla Ward and John Cleese (in a cameo).
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Ross Ruediger is a San Antonio-based critic and columnist, a contributor to The House Next Door, and publisher of The Rued Morgue. For more writing about the series, see "Dr. Who" in the sidebar at right.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Doctor Who, Season Two, Ep. 3: "School Reunion"
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10 comments:
As a 51-year-old woman, I was elated to see Sladen, in her late 50s, I presume, come across as more radiant and easily more interesting than the early-20ish Rose (whom I like as well).
What a moving and intriguing episode! It made me truly fall in love with David Tennant's doctor, Sarah Jane, K-9 and yes, Mickey, who begins to come into his own here.
I finally understood completely the crush that this certain female inspired in adolescent boys such as the young Ross.
Cool, well-written piece to go along with an exceptional episode!
I'm particularly interested in reading the thoughts of House readers who tuned in, but were not previously familiar with Sarah Jane and (to a lesser degree) K-9.
Also, I'd like to apologize to any Tony Head fans for my lack of coverage of his role in the episode. Make no mistake, he delivered some fantastic goods...but as you may have guessed, he took something of a back seat to everything else for me.
Sarah Jane fans - be sure to stop in and check out my Sarah Jane/Lis Sladen pictorial tribute at The Rued Morgue.
I'm a Who newbie, Eccleston being my first Doctor, and I adored this episode. Even though I haven't seen any of the other Doctors, it didn't matter a bit. This episode was extremely well-written and acted, too.
I didn't think Rose came off as too much of a bitch. She is, after all, with the Doctor now, and it's true that he never once mentioned Sarah Jane. Still, the realization that she is, essentially, the New Sarah Jane took a while for her to absorb, but she gets it, now -- especially after the Doctor's speech, which was heart-breaking indeed.
I adored the scene were the two women are working together in the classroom with all the computers and figuring out exactly what all this means. My favorite part: when SJ asked "Does he still stroke parts of the TARDIS?" and Rose was all, "I have to ask him, 'Do you two want to be alone?'" and they both crack up, and can't even get it together when the Doctor shows up to find out what's going on.
I was disappointed in Rose for being such a pill about Mickey coming along. She is definitely changing and I'm not liking where she's going, so far. Up to now at least she has been mostly the good Old Rose. However, I will belabor a pun and say, for me at least, the bloom is off.
As for K-9, he was OK. It didn't irritate me (Rose's great line: "Why is he so disco?"), and it was especially well-used in the case of Mickey's character development. So far, indeed, he has been the Tin Dog. I'm glad he finally found the stones to climb aboard the TARDIS, but I'm wondering how long he'll last. (I'm thinking: not that long, two, maybe three episodes, max.)
A slightly OT comment I feel I must make: as much as I love BSG, I always watch it first, and then Doctor Who, because I know the Doctor won't leave me totally irritated and depressed. Sometimes larger issues are raised, but the underlying core of the show is one of faith and hope and love (sorry for dragging out the tropes again), and it's fun. Also, silly. After BSG, a good dose of silly is just about required.
I was left somewhat flat with last week's "Who", but I really enjoyed this weeks "School Reunion". The basic plot was obvious and you could see how the resolution was developing from a mile away on a moonless night at midnight with a blindfold on, but watching the interaction between the old and new Companions was a lot of fun and just pleasant for a change.
I think Tennant has finally come into his own "Dr. Who" and it's a bit Ecclestone, a bit Baker and the rest is him. I was having second thoughts about Tennant as the "Dr." because I saw him as trying too hard to be Ecclestone, but he's eased into it well.
It was a very pleasant way to spend an hour after the boring ball game. Good thing the game didn't start to get interesting until after BSG. :>)
"School Reunion" was also an interesting contrast to "BSG" which totally blew it with the lamest episode they have ever done.
It was interesting in that you knew what was going to happen in "School Reunion" but were completely invested in the characters where as you knew what was going to happen with "BSG" and just didn't care anymore. It's pretty obvious that "Doctor Who" is just hitting a good stride while "BSG" is starting up the ramp on it's way over the shark.
Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't make at least one Mickey comment.
He's still a wimp.
Hey, Ross--All right, you got me. Or maybe I should say that Sarah Jane got me. This was an irresistible episode, and it really did return me to a childlike mindset. I sat there with a big dumb grin on my face the whole time. It goes without saying that for somebody in my age range (late 30s) Tom Baker was my first and only true Who, and Sarah Jane was my first TV crush; what a gal, what a dame, what a ray of sunshine. (I can gush, can't I?) The timing of this nostalgia fest was perfect because Tennant is so Baker-like; as you mentioned in your Dr. Who overview a few weeks back, Baker's demeanor somehow suggested alien intelligence, and I think Tennant is tuned into the same wavelength; at times I really did feel that when he grinned, it was really Baker grinning. (Though even as a kid, I thought K-9 was lame, and still do.)
I'll also second Jeanne's sentiment, above: a sexy woman is a sexy woman, but there is absolutely nothing better than a sexy woman who's lived a bit.
Joan -
There was so much I wanted to single out, but every time I started going down those roads I felt I was neglecting something else. Maybe that's why I ended up choosing that insignificant line Sarah said about K-9 - it was less important than almost everything else in the ep, but it meant a lot to me.
The Rose/Sarah classroom scene you mentioned was a gem - and obviously the turning point for the two characters. I was probably a tad hard on Rose in my recap - in fact, Sarah may have been snarky first. Take into account where I was with this ep; it wasn't a place of objectivity...fer sure man.
Sheik -
You MUST have enjoyed the bit where the Doctor called Mickey everything short of a pansy. I mean really - that was written for you, dude...and I had to hold back in the recap from referencing it specifically for the Sheik. ;-)
And there's no frakkin' way tonight's BSG was worse than SCAR.
Matt -
Best I can muster up is "What you said". Ya' know, there are DW actresses that both preceded and followed Lis who look far worse for the wear these days, and they weren't even half the character she was back in the day. Everything about bringing Sarah Jane back just plain works.
And she's still a smokin' hottie, even at 57 (when the ep was shot).
You ~totally~ made JJ's morning, by the way.
Right with the others on the interminable crush on SJS back in the day. I know Sarah Jane Smith, I watched Sarah Jane Smith, and Rose Tyler is no Sarah Jane Smith. (Nor is Mickey a K-9, for that matter.)
It was good fun to see her again. :)
Can we expect the Brigadier as a Torchwood consultant in Season 3?
I will refrain from throwing BSG under the bus until I see how they get off the planet and what happens, then. "Exodus" was a set-up episode, mostly; everything's poised to go. Just how badly will things get screwed up, or will the humans get out? I'm still interested enough to watch, and I definitely want to see what happens to Baltar.
Comparing BSG to Doctor Who is apples and oranges, anyway. Both shows have their merits and their weaknesses, but for now I am still enjoying them both very much.
KcM wrote:
Can we expect the Brigadier as a Torchwood consultant in Season 3?
Out of the many, it would seem the Brig would be a no-brainer for a return - and yet I wonder if relying on bringing back "oldies but goodies" is a wise move. I was mildly skeptical about this one (but stunned by the results) - but how many times can they get it right before they get it really wrong? One of the big downfalls of '80s WHO was an over-reliance on past continuity, and it frequently got really fanwanky.
I keep hearing rumors about Tegan (Janet Fielding) returning in S3. But they're just that.
Another one I've heard is the return of Katy Manning, but playing a different character.
> “Though I have prepared a little ‘I was right’ dance which I can show you later”
That was genius.
I thought the episode was slightly cluttered. You're right that the Krillitane stuff was b-plot. I think the two kids the featured (chap, and girl with glasses) were one strand too much for a 45-minute show with so much to pack in.
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