I like the mythology of Evil Giles' alien race--the Krillitane are evolution personified. Whenever they take over another species, they (somehow) merge the two life forms into a newer, stronger, better being. They constantly change the way they look. The fact that their most evolved form is Evil Giles is....perfect.
But that's not all of the awesome! We are also introduced (re-introduced, if you are a Classic Who fan) to Sarah Jane and the Doctor's only robotic dog K-9! And they are awesome! Whenever I get around to watching some Classic Who, I think I'll start when Sarah Jane was in the show.
The return of a past companion begins the season-long exploration of the Doctor/companion relationship. Namely, it sucks. Okay, so the real message is that traveling with the Doctor is worth all the danger and heartache. But there are an awful lot of possibilities for this whole thing to go pear-shaped.
We now know that the Doctor is safe from danger. When he dies, he regenerates. It can be sad, but ultimately, he is the same man. (Side note from the future: this is why I don't find Moffat's season arcs compelling. In both seasons 5 and 6, he put the Doctor's life at risk. But since we know he cannot die, I have no emotional stake in the plot. On the contrary, RTD most frequently puts someone else in danger come finale time, and I legitimately worry for their safety.)
Okay, anyway. We know the Doctor will stick around, but we also know he is 900 years old. In "School Hard" we learn that he has had many companions before Rose entered his life. Worse still, we learn that the way they part might not always be sunshine and daisies. He left Sarah Jane and never came back! That is awful. The Doctor is a selfish bastard, redux. To spare himself the pain of saying goodbye, he just dropped a dear friend by the wayside with no warning or explanation.
It's a testament to how awesome he is that Sarah Jane forgives him. And that is a testament to Sarah Jane as well, I suppose.
This new facet of the Doctor/companion relationship is mostly seen from Rose's perspective in this episode. At first she is jealous of Sarah Jane, and likewise, Sarah Jane is jealous of Rose. But they quickly realize that they have more in common with each other than with the Doctor, and the scene in which they are mocking him ("I'm like, do you two need some time alone?") is the best! His face when he realizes they are no longer fighting over him but are ganging up on him....oh, Time Lord. You're not the studly stud you think are.
This is one of my favorite things about RTD--the way he writes women. It would be so easy to maintain the jealousy, and get laughs solely from that. But lets be honest, that's incredibly stereotypical and demeaning of women. Instead of dwelling in the land of pettiness, he writes these two strong female leads as...two strong female leads! They are secure enough in their individual relationships with the Doctor that they don't have to put each other down. So nice to see that.
So even though the Doctor assures Rose that he won't leave her like he did the others, that he won't forget her or never talk about her--Rose now knows that there is more to her Doctor than previously understood. And we the viewers are now on watch. Doctor/Rose can't end happily. So what version of horrible will they endure?
(The shipper in me feels compelled to point out that even though they do end up separated, the Doctor keeps his word. He consistently brings up Rose after she is gone, letting future companions know about her. In fact, his habit of comparing companions to Rose is what really drags season 3 and breaks Martha's heart. He loved Rose. He mourned her when he was gone in a way we are led to believe had never happened before.)
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