The Role of the Companion

[Kostmayer]

I still want Sally Sparrow. Mainly cause she stood upto the Doctor - "people have died and I'm not happy". Though that poor guy she's running the video shop with would miss her I guess.

[Timewalker]

I remember thinking that the tree-woman in an early Eccleston story would have made an interesting Companion.

Another idea: Why can't the Doctor find Romana? Of course, it would likely be Romana III (at least), but that could be interesting, depending on the actress. Sorry, but I just don't accept that ALL Time Lords were killed in the Time War. Romana was in another universe entirely, and wouldn't have been affected by the events in this one.

[Princess Ivy]

oh dear timewalker, that is another argument entirely!
for me the companions are part of the furniture. i found the very giggly and young rose a bit annoying at times, and felt martha's unrequited love for the doctor really tedious - thank goodness she left, as a woman i find it very annoying to see that sort of mooning around after some random bloke just to show how loveable he is. i enjoyed donna noble. she was self centered and human. don't know if it will work for an entire season, but i'll watch it anyway.

[Adasunshine]

Princess Ivy - thank god someone else enjoyed Donna Noble in the Christmas special, I was starting to think I was quite alone in that.

I happen to think Catherine Tate will surprise us all, judging by the PR pictures they're releasing, she's softer, not as harsh and you forget that in the Christmas special, she was plucked from her wedding day, I think any woman would be a bit miffed and hard to settle after something like that. Once she got her head around the whole thing, she was actually quite switched on albeit conceited (staying with the Doctor because he kept saving her life) and she trusted him and was a bit in awe of him yet not enough to shy away from giving him what for when she thought it was required (telling him to stop the burning/drowning etc), she's truthful with him, there's a no nonsense side to her which I think will be a great asset to a companion, plus for those of us who aren't quite as well versed on the wibbly wobbly timey wimey thing, her naivety will prove very useful

That said, I too think Sally Sparrow would make a great companion.

xx

[Princess Ivy]

Hehe, daisy toadfoot, was hoping i'd get some agreement - don't worry about the whole wibbly wobbly timey wimey thingy either, the writers don't really seem to know whats going on with it either... i just suspend any form of logic for it - find it helps greatly:P

[Coolhand]

Originally Posted by Adasunshine

and she trusted him and was a bit in awe of him yet not enough to shy away from giving him what for when she thought it was required (telling him to stop the burning/drowning etc)

Actually, can someone explain that bit of the episode to me because I've never quite got it. What exactly was the problem supposed to be with the Doctor's behaivour? If I discovered a nest of evil flesh eating spider aliens you can be damn sure I'd keep the drowning and burning going on until I was totally certain they were all dead. To me it just looked like the Doctor was "making sure," which seemed a reasonable thing to do under the circumstances.

Apologies, I know it's a little off topic.

[Adasunshine]

I can't quite answer that Coolhand, I suppose it showed his merciless side, there's making sure and then there's making sure... he was making sure... he'd already killed them but he seemed to get caught up in it and his only concern was killing the Arachnos... I think she was right when she said at the end that he needs someone to tell him to stop...

He always has the weight of the world on his shoulders - literally... I think sometimes when he's confronted with an evil like the Arachnos he just gets tempted to "vent" which is what he was doing, it was anger and protection and everything just building up and building up plus he'd just lost Rose (thank God) so there was that added to it all as well...

Of course this is just one viewer's opinion, there's probably a lot more out there...

xx

[Coolhand]

Thanks for those insights Ada. Maybe I just got caught up in the wizz bang of the action and missed the more subtle overtones of that scene.

Then again, I'm arachnaphobic so for me there's no such thing as overkill when it comes to giant alien spiders. That may have affected my opinions somewhat...

[Adasunshine]

I'm assuming you're also male

I'm once of the worst arachnophobes I know and that episode really wasn't good for me, Sarah Parish was scarily convincing as a large spider and as for the thought of the earth's core being full of spiders... euch... let's just say I had a few nightmare's about that concept!!!

Feel free to bring this thread back on topic!!!

xx

[Harleyquin]

Originally Posted by Adasunshine

I think she was right when she said at the end that he needs someone to tell him to stop...

Spot on the money I think.

We can see from the way the Doc was going to obliterate the spider folk the embers of that hugely destructive side of the doc. As I said in the thread for me the companion is now the "humanising" factor to the Doctor. Rose (though icky) was perfect for the Doctor to get over the "terrible" events of the time war and re-introduced a moderating effect to the doc.

Without the companion to ground him and to slap him in the face with humanity he'd be the biggest monster of all making the Darleks and the master look like kids in the school yard.

[jackokent]

I am another Donna Noble lover. I loved Rose and Martha and actually everything about the new series' except that stupid "Love and Monsters" episode.

Before I watched the Catherine Tate episode I had massive misgivings. However I didn't find her in any way annoying. She was just great. I am really looking forward to some sparlking clashes and someone giving the doctor a right telling off. It will be quite nice as well to get rid of the love interest. It was great but now it's time for something new.

[Shrek Baby]

As much as i did not enjoy the character of Donna (no issue with Catherine Tate -it is the character i don't like) I think we may finally get a season with no family issues.

I don't think that the companions' families have been as heavily involved in any Doctor Who story until Rose and Martha came along. I really loved the character of Jackie Tyler. Mickey got a bit annoying until he started kicking alien ass in season 2! It was important to explore Rose's family as they would play a crucial role in her departure. Martha's family were absolutely pointless. I think that after how Donna's family reacted to her sudden disappearance (by going to the reception and having a good time), I expect that she will be happy to leave them behind and jet set with the good Doc.

Interestingly, both the previous companions' mothers have slapped the doctor's face at one point. I somehow think that Donna may do that herself which would be quite funny to watch!

[Coolhand]

Originally Posted by jackokent

I am another Donna Noble lover. She was just great. I am really looking forward to some sparlking clashes and someone giving the doctor a right telling off.

See, whilst I'm all for companion who can stand on thier own two feet and go toe to toe with the Doctor when they feel the need, it turns my stomach to think Donna could even CONSIDER telling the Doctor off

I mean, on the one hand you have an ancient, wise, Time Lord who has journied through space and time for centuries, heroically saving entire worlds from the forces of evil at great cost to himself. And on the other hand you have a screeching, mouthy, self absorbed human who's just slouched around on the earth for at most four decades.

I mean, what can she actually tell the Doctor off about? What possible situation could ever arise were Donna could actually know more than the Doctor? Where she would be justified in saying "In my opinion, you're out of order and my opinion counts more than yours does."
Or where The Doctor could say "Ah Donna, I'm glad you're here because without your expert advice I'd be really screwed about now?"

I mean, which one would YOU turn to in a crisis?

Sorry, sorry, it's just...I Hate, HATE, H-A-T-E Donna!

Sigh.

I'll go sit in a courner and calm down...

[Timewalker]

I would have enjoyed the "get me to the church on time" story a lot more if that's all it was about. Why can't we ever have a story where the Doctor doesn't have to fight/kill some Horrible Monster Or All Earth, Life, The Universe, And Everything Will Die? They could have gone for sheer comedy and slapstick with this episode, and it would have been fine.

[thaddeus6th]

Mmm, Sally Sparrow....

Ahem. I have really mixed feelings about the direction of New Who. Some episodes such as Blink and the Impossible Planet (think that's the name, the first part of the double bill with Satan and the Ood) are great, and others (most notably the woeful last season ending) are just...abysmal.

RTD: not everyone has to fancy the pants off of the Doctor. He lost tons of companions throughout time, and didn't mope about thinking about them. And use your bloody iamgination: killing the Daleks/cybermen with 'emotion' is rapidly overused. AND he ruined the Master.

Anyway, Rose was a good companion, Martha just seems like a rebound girl. Catherine Thingummybob shouldn't be a companion at all. I'd like a new companion, someone who wasn't all girly from this time. Maybe a knight from the Middle Ages, or a thief or some other dodgy bloke who would actually add something new.

Apologies for the ramble, I just get frustrated with a series that can have Sally Sparrow in one episode and a crying Master in another.