School Reunion
I'm writing this (though not posting it obviously) on a plane. It's a Virgin Atlantic plane, with the very very cool V-Port system in place (video-On-Demand, basically, but with music and games thrown in), and over lunch I took the chance to rewatch Doctor Who Series Two Episode Three (School Reunion) again.
When it was first broadcast, I said that I thought it was entirely possible that I had a new favourite episode of DW ever, and on watching it again, I've decided that it's not possible any longer, it's definite.
Yes, I know it has flaws (though really not that many), but I'm blinded to them, because this is *my* episode (and that of everyone my age who used to watch DW even casually) - Sarah Jane Smith is possibly the only female crush I've ever had.
Things are that beyond great about this episode:
- Everything about the Doctor's first re-encounter with SJS in the staff room. Tennant/the Doctor's quite evident adoration of the woman shines through, and there's simply no way in a million years that Ecclestone, great actor though he is, could have pulled that off.
- Everything about the first scene between the Doctor and SJS where both of them know who the other one is.
- Every single moment involving SJS and Rose from "Who's she?" onwards, but especially the way the Doctor gives Sarah Jane the sonic screwdriver when Rose is clearly expecting to receive it, and obviously especially;
"The Loch Ness Monster" "Seriously?" - Also, special mention to the way Tennant plays the follow up, when the Doctor arrives and is confronted with that great male nightmare, being laughed at by women.
- The scene between SJS and the Doctor in the cafe ("Aberdeen!"), and the scene he has with Rose outside; "You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you." There's *never* been a Doctor Who scene like that before, ever.
- Sarah being the one who reminds the Doctor that everything ends, in the moment when she clearly realises that after years of waiting for him she has to move on (and that she actually was learning all that time she spent travelling with him).
- "Oh my god. I'm the tin dog." And finally, most brilliantly;
- "He replaced you with a new model... He does that."
There's so much more, and there are obviously so many more great episode of Who, both new and old, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there's never been, and never will be, another which speaks to the teenaged boy inside me as effectively or as affectingly as School Reunion does.