At the start of the year, there were rumours and false reports from the media that Millie Gibson had been sacked from Doctor Who and replaced by Verada Sethu. This turned out to be false with it being announced in April that Millie Gibson, as Ruby, would be staying alongside Varada Sethu’s new companion. With a part of Ruby's character arc coming to an end at the conclusion of Season 1 and her confirmed return to the story in some way during Season 2, I thought it would be worth discussing how long a companion should ideally last.
I found it amusing during the speculation that Ruby would only be a one series companion the amount of worry it stirred in the fanbase. I can understand why fans would want a character and dynamic to last as long as possible. However, I think some of the best companions have been the ones that have been isolated to one series. It often allows for a concise character journey, arc and story that is allowed time to develop and wrap up in a satisfying manner before the audience gets bored with the character and they run out of steam. Not to say that every companion should only last one series as it all depends on the needs of the character. However, I disagree that a companion only lasting one series is automatically a bad thing as it’s often what makes a companion thrive, as you are left wanting more of them.
You’ve got to understand what the function and purpose of a companion is. From a purely functional standpoint, they are there as an audience stand in. They are someone for the Doctor to interact with and explain things to, someone to flesh out all the confusing concepts and ideas to in an organic manner. However, the best companions go beyond that. They are someone the audience can relate to, see themselves in, and hopefully relate to their journey and progression. As the years have gone on, things have centred more around the companion and how their adventures on the Tardis impact them, which has added a lot to the show. However, their function within the show still needs to remain. This can be very flexible as a great variety of characters from different time periods and planets have fulfilled the companion role. Although, at least for a central companion, they need to fulfil the primary function of being a naïve fish out of water character an audience can relate to. They start to lose their relatability and purpose once they become more seasoned and know too much.
It's why stretching a companion's lifespan out can be potentially dangerous because they start to lose the thing that makes them essential to audiences. That’s not to say you can’t tell stories and arcs about a companion becoming more Doctor-like and how it changes them, like with Rose and Clara. However, once you start doing that, it’s wise to start thinking about their exit from the series because there isn’t anywhere to go after that point and stretching them out further feels unwise. Another good reason why a companion's lifespan should be limited is because it gives the present incarnation of the Doctor a variety of different Doctor and companion dynamics. Different character dynamics reveal new parts of the Doctor, and to deny a Doctor of that feels like a wasted opportunity. Tying the Doctor down to a single companion across their run feels like a mistake because of this.
A strength in the first era of Russell T Davies is that each series felt accessible, each series stood on its own and felt like a jumping on point. A big reason for this is that all but one of his series had the companion last for a series each. Rose was the only companion who lasted more than one series, and I think that was probably due to Christopher Eccleston’s departure. It meant the companion could have a clear and concise arc and journey with a story that served them. They could learn and evolve, and their story could come to an emotional catharsis and conclusion at the end of the series. It is more challenging to have a story continually serving a character but with a single series Russell T Davies was able to make the best use out of the character and push them to the emotional limit, giving them rewarding stories that would push the actor. Russell T Davies' writing of the companion role changed the perception of what a companion in Doctor Who is, mainly because of the individual journeys of the characters that was made easier by one series character arcs.
I grew up with the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant era of Doctor Who and I prefer Doctor Who when the companion is the main character, and we see the story through their eyes. The Doctor is a mysterious and unknown figure, and it makes more sense to me to see the show through the more relatable character. Not every era has followed this approach, but I always appreciate seeing the companion as the main character more. You feel the journeys of the likes of Ian and Barbara, Steven, Ace, Rose, Martha, Donna, Bill and I think Ruby as well, because the series feels like their story. This benefited the first Russell T Davies era especially because every series gave first time viewers a new character to latch onto and see things through, which mirrored their experiences as a viewer. David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor also benefited with the different companion dynamics that brought out different sides of him as an actor and his Doctor as a character. You have a romance storyline with Rose, an unrequited love storyline with Martha and a brilliant best friend relationship with Donna. Rose, Martha and Donna are all very different people and the drastically different lead companions makes the series feel constantly fresh. Whilst the series is very similar in structure across the Russell T Davies era, the companions have different personalities and as a result, different journeys. Russell T Davies focuses his era on relatability and human journeys, and you feel that through the companions. You see each companion unveil their potential through the Doctor and save the day at the end of the series. It shows the value and specialty of ordinary people and the worth that was hidden inside them, which is very valuable. The concise character journeys are definitely key to this.
Donna Noble and Bill Potts are some of the best companions and they only last for a series each. The reason they are loved is that they are likeable, have clear and satisfying character journeys and leave you wanting more from them. They are also a refreshing change of pace from the companions before them. The Tenth Doctor needed a best friend relationship with the romance of both Rose and Martha. Similarly, after a very dependent and complex relationship with Clara, a simplistic teacher and student relationship is exactly what the Twelfth Doctor needed and felt like a refreshing change of pace. It isn’t a necessity to give a companion one single series. With some companions, it would feel like a missed opportunity and a waste of both the character and dynamic. However, I do think it’s wise to try to give an incarnation of the Doctor a variety of different companion dynamics across their era.
As the William Hartnell era progresses, it becomes clear that as the show becomes more glued down to specific dynamics it becomes more limited; it feels freed when it is able to let those dynamics go. The Tardis Team that launched the show featuring the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara was a very special one. However, the efforts to recreate that dynamic means that by Season 3 the show starts to lose its steam. Vicki and Dodo are just vehicles to fit the same function as Susan and, whilst I love Steven as a character, he was created as a replacement for Ian. The restricted dynamics are freed with the introduction of Ben and Polly at the end of the First Doctors run. It creates a Tardis Team and dynamic with the Doctor and companions, which feels different and refreshing to what has come before and as a result the show automatically feels renewed and full of a new energy. Ben and Polly unveiled the value of presenting different character dynamics within a Doctors era.
This is taken advantage of well both in the Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker eras. The Third Doctor and the Fourth Doctor both have the advantage that they have quite long-lasting eras and more room for different companions to come and go. Jo Grant, played by Katy Manning, is the best known and most well-loved companion of Jon Pertwee’s era, but he still has two companions either side of them. The Third Doctor era starts out with Liz Shaw, who is very much his equal. She is a self-assured and confident scientist who is able to challenge the Doctor. Jo Grant contrasts this with a more loveable, naïve and relatable character, which presents a teacher and student relationship that succeeds wonderfully. I’m glad Jo Grant was given the opportunity to evolve across three seasons. However, in Jon Pertwee’s last season, you have Sarah Jane Smith who contrasts Jo vividly. Sarah Jane is outspoken, opinionated, has her own agenda and won’t tolerate the Third Doctor’s patronising manner. Over the course of his five seasons, the Third Doctor had a diverse range of companions, each highlighting different aspects of his personality. Jo Grant brought out more of a softness and warmth that wasn’t showcased in Season 7 and then Season 11 with Sarah Jane challenged the Doctor’s attitudes towards people.
Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor lasted seven seasons, and because of his long-lasting run he has a number of companions which could be argued as his quintessential and most iconic companion. Sarah Jane is in my mind still his central companion, the authentic best friend relationship speaks to us all, and Elisabeth Sladen brings such relatability and depth. However, there are fans who would feel equally connected with the Fourth Doctor’s relationships with both Leela and Romana. What’s great is that they are all strong and well personified characters who provide something different for the series and a refreshing dynamic. You have a best friend relationship, a complex teacher and student pairing and one of intellectual equals. Even the relationship between the Fourth Doctor and Romana 1 compared with the Fourth Doctor and Romana 2 is different in a lot of ways. Romana 1 is very book smart but does not have the same field experience out in the universe that the Doctor has and often falls into being a generic damsel in distress. The Fourth Doctor and Romana 2 are on much more equal footing and the real-life romance between Tom Baker and Lalla Ward adds a special chemistry. Tom Baker’s Doctor changes in a number of ways, but the different companion dynamics allowed the Fourth Doctor to evolve and remain fresh and different across his seven seasons.
A lack of different companions across an era can result badly in a lack of variety in the Doctor. The companion and the central relationship of the show makes an incarnation of the Doctor. A lack of different companions means the Doctor isn’t given the opportunity to evolve. I feel this happened with Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. The Eleventh Doctor is strongly identified and linked with the Ponds and for good reason. Amy Pond and Rory Williams were strong characters, and the family relationship was a core part of the show at that time. However, by the end of Series 6 it felt like their characters had come to their natural conclusion and endpoint. Stretching them out across the first half of Series 7 felt unnecessary. When Clara came along, the Eleventh Doctor was presented with a very similar companion to Amy, someone who was very feisty, resilient and flirtatious. It didn’t give Matt Smith much new to chew on or show a different side of the Eleventh Doctor. The overuse of Amy and the Ponds, centring the whole era around them and the inability to try out new kinds of relationships, was a major weakness in the era.
The best use of a long-lasting companion is usually when they are accompanied by other side characters and companions, which keeps the dynamics fresh and different. Jamie McCrimmon is the best example of this. You can’t imagine the Second Doctor without Jamie; they are a comedic double act which go together. However, throughout Seasons 4-6 you have Ben and Polly, Victoria and Zoe who all come and go, which helps make the series feel always different. This is through the companions' relationships with each other and the group dynamics. The relationship between the Doctor and Jamie is at the centre but there are other character dynamics around that, and they contrast each other as different companions come and go. Victoria has an innocence and there is an underplayed and subtle romance between Jamie and Victoria but Zoe feels very different with her hyperintelligence; the way she embarrasses Jamie and the competitive brother and sister kind of dynamic.
Jamie is really the only time where a companion lasting across almost a whole era has ever worked. You could have watched the Second Doctor and Jamie forever, but I can’t say the same for the Fifth Doctor and Tegan or the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz. Those relationships feel exhausted by the end of their eras and like a waste of a Doctor who wasn’t given a better dynamic and someone more interesting to bounce off of. Despite companions coming and going around the Fifth Doctor and Thirteenth Doctor, I think as the central Doctor and companion dynamic fails there is not much to salvage or get out of the other relationships because you have the continuing presence of something that doesn’t work. Often the relationship with the companion is how you get to understand the Doctor. When you don’t have that gateway, there is something missing in the Doctor and I think Tegan and Yaz let down their Doctors because of how annoying and dull the relationship between them and the Doctor is. You need a strong foundation and to be able to judge when it’s time to move things on.
I have really enjoyed the dynamic between Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson and the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby have a very valuable sibling kind of relationship. With Season 1 being so short, there is also clearly more of Ruby’s story to tell, so it makes sense to continue with her. She had a well told personal journey and mystery across Season 1, which culminated in her finally finding her birth mother, which was satisfying and emotional. The flaw is in the eight-episode format. Due to the short time frame, the relationship between the Doctor and Ruby felt rushed on occasions. I believed and invested in their characters, but there wasn’t any time to delve into their dynamic with any sort of depth. I expect Ruby’s return in Season 2 is going to be similar to Martha’s role in Series 4, but maybe have more of an active role and story in the second half of the season.
I am very much looking forward to Verada Sethu as Belinda Chandra. I loved her in the Star Wars series Andor, she brought a very real energy and life to the part that you invested in and felt like a believable person. She also made an appearance playing Mundy in Boom and played off of Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson very well. She’s going to be playing a different character in Season 2, but I’m intrigued to see the dynamic between her and the Fifteenth Doctor and how she will play off of Ruby Sunday. The three person Tardis team will hopefully keep the dynamics and relationships fresh. We are yet to see how things will work out with the advancing story of Ruby and how Belinda Chandra will come into things and tie into Ruby’s story. Hopefully it’s done in a way that compliments both characters and feels wise in relation to the companions’ lifespans.
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