New Old Companion

Posted on April 29, 2006 by Gene

Doctor Who fans around the world waited for this day, and it did not disappoint — Sarah Jane Smith, probably the most favorite companion of the Doctor, returned to the TARDIS tonight. And it was wonderful.
I just finished watching the episode that aired tonight through the magic of the interweb; and this was the first time that Doctor Who made me cry. I won’t spoil it for you, since it is likely not to air in the U.S. for some time yet; suffice it to say that after being unceremoniously dumped back on Earth all those years ago, Sarah Jane has some unresolved issues… as does the Doctor. And for the first time, a current companion has an opportunity to speak to a former companion and compare notes, pondering the future after traveling the universe.
I like this new Doctor Who because of its emphasis on characters — it still has rather flimsy sci-fi plots that often don’t make much sense and rely on some silly deus ex machina to defeat the bad guy, but the continuing growth of the characters (including the Doctor) is something that was always lacking in the old series. In just 18 episodes, the new series has grown the characters more than the old one over nearly 30 years.
And the return of K-9? Icing on the cake, my friend.
I’m in Doctor Who fanboy heaven right now. And a little sniffly.