Series 2, Episode 3 | 1 part | First broadcast: 29 April 2006 | Writer: Toby Whithouse | Director: James Hawes
Cast
- David Tennant as the Doctor
- Billie Piper as Rose Tyler
- Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith
- Anthony Head as Mr. Finch
Summary
Investigating strange happenings at an English secondary school, the Doctor unexpectedly reunites with former companion Sarah Jane Smith, now working undercover as a journalist and forced to confront just how much her life changed after traveling with him. Beneath the school lies a scheme by the alien Krillitanes to harness children’s minds and crack a cosmic equation, forcing old and new companions to work together against a threat that also stirs up old jealousies and unresolved grief.
Interesting Facts
- This episode marks the return of Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, more than two decades after her last regular appearance in the classic series, directly leading to her own spin-off series “The Sarah Jane Adventures.”
- K9 also returns alongside Sarah Jane, reintroducing the robotic dog to the revived series for the first time.
- The episode explicitly explores the emotional toll of a companion’s life after leaving the Doctor, a theme rarely addressed so directly in the show’s history.
- Anthony Head, known for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” guest stars as the sinister headmaster Mr. Finch, secretly the leader of the Krillitanes.
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