| Re: The Role of the Companion
The companion’s role has changed a lot over the years, but the most dramatic change has come with the “new” doctor who.
Frankly lets admit it the companions of the past where there pretty much to be “saved” by the doctor. The female companions were there to be scream machines’ when the shuffling monster came into shot and the male companions were bumbling idiots that would as the most stupid questions possible and to fail at every opportunity so that the Doctor could come in as the shining knight in the knick of time.
There was a change with Ace (remember her?) who for the first time was not just a scream machine but was a “feisty” companion of the doctors…
Move to the “new” doctor and we change the rules – Rose was perfect for the Christopher Eccleston Doctor – a Doctor who was very damaged by his part in the time war, somebody who felt that they where little more than the monster he had destroyed and Roses love interest helped him recover… and lets remember here that Rose was loved by the Doctor, no other companion was ever depicted in this way.. somebody the doctor really connected to in a “love interest” way.
Rose became redundant when the David’s Doctor came along as the love interest didn’t work quite so well – there didn’t seem to be the same chemistry there.
Martha Jones… very poorly developed character and clearly infatuated with the doctor and all through the series it was clear that the doctor never had eyes for her, and clearly she was just used to move the companion on from a strong tie to the doctor to the usual type - would have been better to kill her off to conclude the love sick puppy effect. You could liken this to James bond… he is indifferent to all women, but he did fall in love once and that was that… They should leave Rose as the “great love” of his life and move on now.
As for the Actual role the companion plays with the new doctor??? For me the role of the new companions are ones of connections and temperance.
The role of the companion has now moved from scream machine and dumb question askers to become the doctors conscience. They bind the doctor to his humanity preventing him from being the monster he knows he can be.
It was because of his connection to humanity through Rose and Jack that prevented the Doctor from using the Delta wave, it was Donna Noble who stoped the doctor from going too far with the spider queen…
Without the companion the doctor is capable of very very bad things – which is why the 9th doctor was so haunted.. he didn’t have the companion when he “ended” the time war and basically eludes to him unleashing an Armageddon effect. Without a companion I think the writers are tying to say that the Doctor would make the Darleks / The Master / The Devil himself a rank armature when it comes to being bad.
Oh as for Sally Sparrow being the Doctors companion – yes please!!!! This would be insanely good as she’s clearly a match for him – better yet if the writers ever DID make the doctor transform to the female she would be a perfect Doctor.
J |