Ranking Doctor Who’s modern day companions
By Lacy Baugher
Sarah Jane Smith
Since she’s the one person who could – and does – often appear on best Doctor Who companion lists from both the classic and modern eras, it’s hard to discount the impact that Sarah Jane Smith has had on both the Doctor, as a character, and the series at large. An outgoing feminist with plenty of opinions and a lot of bravery, she blazed new trails for what companions could do and be during Doctor Who’s classic era. She continued right on doing so in the modern one, eventually headlining her own spinoff, The Sarah Jane Adventures, in which she served as the adult supervision for a group of teens battling aliens.
She reappeared in the modern Doctor Who era during the season 2 installment “School Reunion,” meeting David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and sparking no small amount of jealousy in his companion, Rose. (Though she quickly got over it and the two became fast friends, even laughing good-naturedly at the Doctor’s various foibles.) Even though we didn’t get the chance to see much of her in modern Who – Sarah Jane appeared briefly again during the season 4’s “Stolen Earth/Journey’s End” two-parter, there was no question that she was as capable of being a hero as the Doctor was, whether he was around or not. (Bonus: Modern day Sarah Jane still had K-9, the beloved classic robot dog from seasons past.)
Best episode: Season 2’s “School Reunion.” Yes, technically Elisabeth Sladen appeared in the season 4 finale. And, yes, it was great to see Sarah Jane interact with so many characters from the reboot era of Doctor Who. But her best modern-day appearance was her first, and “School Reunion” does a wonderful job not only reminding us why Sarah Jane still matters, but hinting that there is life for companions after the Doctor. Given a second chance at a journey in the TARDIS, Sarah Jane turns it down, embracing the chance to live her life on her own terms and move on from the Doctor. If only every companion had that opportunity!