Alternate title for the video: Yet Another Reason Why Martha Is Underrated

I like how The Doctor isn't so significant in Nardole's life. He's been doing the space adventure shtick before he met the Doctor. his world didn't fall apart when he left the Doctor. And I liked that.

While I don't necessarily think she was the best companion, Martha is somewhat of a good template (removing the romance element). No mystery box attached to her, the Doctor travelled with her because she was interesting and intelligent as well as clearly being capable of dealing with the situations he put her in. She had some family dynamics which were interesting, so long as they were used sparingly and she left of her own volition after changing and becoming less dependent on the Doctor. She was just an interesting person and that was why the Doctor travelled with her and when her time was up she left gracefully. Perhaps the most underrated companion?

"It's you!" "Oh yes!" "...You're naked!" "Oh yes!"

I think another factor is the “special factor” that they have; Rose becoming bad wolf, Donna being the most important being alive; Amy, the girl who waited with a crack in space and time by her bedroom wall; Clara who dies and lives and dies again. I think there’s that dynamic that I am tired of. They cannot just be a person that joins the Doctor on his journey; this is more prominent with Moffat, with creating this mystery with his companions and it’s sort of not engaging mostly. With Amy, she became flesh out as her own character first, but with Clara, the mystery was centred around her first, Moffat wrote her so basic. She got better has she stayed longer but because her mystery was over, I had no investment in her. The character’s saving grace was Coleman, who is a brilliant actor. I guess what I’m trying to say is that STOP MAKING THEM SOME MAGICAL THING OR A MYSTERY! WE ARE SPECIAL BECAUSE WE ARE HUMANS! The Doctor doesn’t need a reason to pick them up for deeper reasons. I was probably rambling but this was something I noticed and like, just got so annoyed over. THAMK GOD FOR BILL!

I suspect that the term 'assistant' may have come from the Jon Pertwee era. His companions had a job title of 'assistant,' when the Doctor was the scientific adviser to UNIT.

Types of companions I want are: Somebody that the doctor has to teach. For example, somebody who doesn't care who lives or dies, possibly someone in UNIT who thinks they are in control of the doctor. Another timelord, it would be really cool if just for one episode you can see the interactions timelords have. What I mean is the two timelords could work together and because of their extreme intellect, thoughs they manage to debate each other while doing thoughts were that master and the doctor are unable to leave one another.) Someone from a different time period, it would be funny seeing the doctor explain modern life to somebody from the 80's because it shows the viewers exactly how frustrating and funny it is from the doctors perspective. Someone from a different country. I was thinking of having a group and one of the people is from another country, for example, a Canadian, Australian, American or Irishman. Somebody that brings a slightly different culture to the show.

Kickass thumbnail dude

I think both ways of handling the companions are good. It would be better if we would have more variation.

I think even if it's not seen as a big deal in Classic Who the impact the companion has on the Doctor has not changed. From their goodbye scenes there is obviously still a great deal of friendship and connection between the characters. They obviously still mean a lot to the Doctor and would want to see the Doctor again just because of the friendship between the characters which has largely remained the same aside from the romance. It's just there are a more stories written spesificly about the Doctor and companion and it highlights the relatonship more.

I think you're underestimating how different life is travelling with the Doctor. Which mundane life could possibly compare with the adventure? I think it was Tegan, that left because she was abhorred by the destruction. I'd like to see a new companion, overwhelmed, by the potential scale of the horror/inhumanity of humans, or the universe. Perhaps Donna could have failed to move beyond the Ood's slavery. Or Clara to honour Danny's final act, gives up on the Doctor. She's saved his life often enough. She could relish an ordinary life. I liked Amy and Rory's _departure_ in 'God Complex'?, with his expressing his concern that their journey would end up with him standing over their broken bodies...

Best... Thumbnail... EVER!

Off subject, but I just rewatched Series 10 and I've come out actually really liking Bill. Go figure.

i feel like i'm the only one who remembers Amy's parents. they come back from the dead, get two minutes of screen time and then... nothing. they just blink out of existence again. Amy doesn't change because she has her parents back, Rory never has to deal with his in-laws. there's just nothing at all. another annoying misstep moffat made.

I think part of the dependency between the Doctor and the Companions has to do with The Doctor being a more damaged character in New Who. He has a lot more baggage and at times a much darker side than much of what we see in Classic Who. We hear more than once that he needs Companions to help ground him. “Never travel alone” I think he enjoys having the Companions around in Classic Who, but I’m not sure they introduce as much of the he’ll go off the rails if not kept in check. (Something he and particularly the Companions seem aware of in New Who)

1:50 It really depends on the companion. As the show went a long companions tended to get more complex. Ace for example we know a lot about her background. We even met her infant mother in one story. Dodo though we know nothing about. It all just really depends on who we're talking about.

Two partly related comments. 1) I've always thought the classic era idea of a companion just leaving - "Well, that was fun. Ta!" - was sort of odd. The endless possibilities of time and space and you get your fill? If you're not terrified into leaving by your first encounter with a Dalek, why wouldn't you stay with the Doctor until either your luck runs out or he tells you to get lost? Full disclosure, I discovered Who as a 12 / 13-year old so many of my likes and dislikes are colored by that. A lifetime of adventure with The Doctor is what a young teen might find cool. 2) In the modern era, Martha left but it was certainly not what she wanted. It was what she had to do for her own emotional well-being. So, in a way, it was tragic. Maybe not "capital T" tragic, but tragic.

It'd be nice if they got a companion who was just bored, needed a vacation from their mundane life and went along with The Doctor just to have some fun in their life for a while before getting enough of the adventure and choosing to leave.

I got the impression Jo just wanted to see her friend again or have one last adventure, not that she regretted getting married or having her own adventures. The episode seemed to contrast her with SJ by saying what she's been up to and all her grandchildren.

In the original series, companions left for a number of reasons: Met a cute guy: Susan Viki Jo Leela Peri? (Maybe) Finally were able to get home. Usually people traveling by accident: Ian Barbara Ben Polly Dodo Harry Tegan (fake out departure) Turlough Found a new place/job/calling: Steven Victoria Liz (actually just went back to her old job since The Doctor pretty much took over the original reason UNIT recruited her) Romana Nyssa Mel (didn't make much sense , but they just wanted to be rid of her) Death: Katarina Sarah Kingdom Adric Kamelion (barely counts) Peri? (Maybe?) Forced Out for other reasons: Jamie Zoe Sara Jane Unless I missed anyone that leaves Tegan's second/final departure which was due to simply not being able to handle the violence, anymore and Ace who never receive a canon departure. I'm leaving out the UNIT soldies (Brigadier, Benton, & Yates) as their companionship was of a different nature. They were more co-workers than companions/assistants.

i would say that Ace was the prototype for the new series companions, she had a deeper backstory than the others which was used by the writers to give a bit of an arc to the season, ghostlight, curse of fenric. she also had a fairly complex relationship with the doctor that got darker as it went on. i like both styles of companions when they are well written but as i grew up with old who i did like the lack of sexuality in the DR it did make him slightly more alien.

I began to hate the companions that are superduper important to saving the universe and/or the Doctor and some teen human girl has to lecture the millenium old Timelord about how to do things. The only New Who companions I really liked were Donna and Martha, minus the falling in love with Doc. I would want a mix of old Who and new Who style. The current way is offputting and annoying for me, because it has become a pattern that is repeated over and over.

Three new companion...and all three apparently from Earth... WWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYY??????!!!!!!

I think the problem with the companion never choosing to leave anymore started with Moffat's run as show runner. Under him the companions stopped living on the TARDIS and constantly went home between adventures for no real reason. This means the companion doesn't have a reason to choose to leave because they still were living their home life and traveling with him. Hopefully with the new show runner we go back to the companion living on the TARDIS again because to me it makes more sense than stopping between every adventure for really no reason. There was also the problem of Moffat really not knowing how to write out a companion without killing them. During his run all of the companions technically died (yes Clara got more time but she still went back to that moment eventually so that scene did happen and she did die). It feels like Moffat couldn't imagine anything taking you away from the Doctor besides death (even if it didn't make any sense *cough* Angels Take Manhattan *couch*) which has resulted in the companion's demise almost being predictable and stale. I'm glad we have a knew show runner now and hopefully he can bring some much needed change to the show.

Great video Also that thumbnail is a thing of beauty

You dare insult Jacqueline Tyler!!!

One of the things I loved is when Matt Smith was on Sarah Jane Adventures, he says that when Tennent Doctor was about to die, he didn't just visit all his current era companions, but he went back to all his companions (one would guess exempting Susan, as she died in one of the 34+"Earthly Child" McGann radio episodes that were of the few in canon until "Night of the Doctor" put them all in canon. Lucie remains a favorite companion. PS: You should listen, as it deals with The Meddling Monk as a recurring character.)

Generally agreed. I do like that they're more important but every companion being a life and death thing has already gotten old. I was hoping amy and rory would have a non tragic departure. They were building up the doctor "weaning" them off of himself with them slowly spending less and less time together. I thought they'd just do 1 big adventure which may have been a close call and/or they decide to have a baby/find out amy is pregnant and therefore decide to settle down. Would have been a nice ending for them. Their finale wasn't even that good an episode (although the final scene is still quit heartbreaking)

That thumbnail needs to go on a wall

Actually weren't Ian and Barbara originally intended to be the stars of the show, and The Doctor just kind of took over by proxy of William Hartnell's overpowering presence?

I think you nailed it, Moffat was kinda writting Doctor Who fan fiction. EXCELLENT fan fiction, but still kinda fan fiction-y.

I think is has more to do with modern storytelling, now a days everything is WAY more character driven, and that I feel gives the writers a feel that if they are gonna let this characters go they need to go on an epic memorable way, not taking into account the overall length of the show and that other writers are going to do the same.

Did you have to mention Nardole? Now I'm crying again.

“We need the doctor to be able to handle a breakup” I think that would be interesting and could still have the whole drama thing if the writers want that. I haven’t really watched Doctor Who since Capaldi but I said I’d watch if the next doctor was a woman (thinking it wouldn’t happen), but here we are. Id love to see a more nuanced way of writing the companions that doesn’t use the easy card of tragedy to make people feel things. If that makes sense.

Next week, can you find everything _Good_ about Hell Bent? Or _Bad_ with Heaven Sent? I can't!

My personal headcanon to the shift is that after losing pretty much all their own people in the Time War and seeing what they're capable of without having a companion there, they've become much more outwardly reliant on their companions as a subconscious response, I'm not sure how realistic it is but that's how I've at least tried to explain it for myself

I’ve always seen the Doctor’s new dependency on his companions as a kind of side effect of the Time War. It’s the most traumatic thing the Doctor’s ever gone through, he lost his planet and his entire species, everyone he would have known as a child and very young man before he and Susan left. With all of that gone I think it makes a sort of sense that he would be more dependent on his companions. Maybe that’s why Bill was more like a classic era companion than others, by that point, the Doctor’s found Gallifrey again.

I got to admit I love the chemistry between Rose and the doctor but I do prefer Donna. There is something about the companion being like sassy and argumentative, yes she liked the doctor but that doesn't mean they didn't argue and I like that! I don't really like the sort of yes-man we've been getting recently. I want a big personality to meet that of the Doctor not in a way that it is distracting, but give them some spice! Haha if you get what I'm saying...

I enjoy your videos a lot Nathan. I really hope you do more classic reviews and classic era top 10's.

Welcome to Council of Geeks, haven for naked doctors! Sorry, it just made me laugh. Great points as always. I think the general breakup thing might be easier with the new Doctor.

I'm a British subscriber! Yay!

I just love your analytic mind! You really get to the bottom of things and see the hidden dynamics and structures that lead to why things are as they are. Being a structuralist myself concerning storylines, I hugely enjoy getting my mind piqued with your train of thoughts and insights. Not many people can delve so deep down into the structure of cause and effect concerning plots and screen writing and the outside factors (like what the writer wants to show or what the audience wants to see). You can. Most people might notice things, but they can't explain the cause. Many rating and comment channels on series and films just list things and their reasons. you delve so deep that I almost wish more writers would actually watch your vids and get to analyze themselves and their way of writing -- and thus foregoing some mistakes

sarah Jane did get fairly annoyed with the fourth doctor, and threatened to leave, then she changed her mind. It was very hurmourously done. Some of the classic departures (like ben and polly) were very immediate. I like some of the drama of modern who (of their departures), it can make the doctor look abit more weak and emotional.

With the original companions, you did get backstory - they usually joined the Doctor during the adventures they first appeared in, then joined him at the end of the story. So you learned where they came from. Then you saw how they reacted to the weirdness and danger of the Doctor's adventures. So you saw them learn and grow.

Yes, the Doctor used to keep his pet humans safe! Now travelling with the Doctor is basically a death sentence!

I have to say that I personally prefer classic companions in general with a few exceptions (e.g. Adric and Donna) I find most of them feel more like humans thrown into a strange new life and despite the lack of backstory they still felt like actual characters. I think ace is a perfect example of how to inject background life because it is never explicitly shown but referenced and related to the story giving her character a sense of mystery as well. I think that also new who needs to move on from the modern day earth girl thing it is so much more interesting and exciting to think that the companion could be anyone from anywhere and offer a completely new perspective on life with the doctor.

The main thing that bothered me with many modern era companions was the romance angle. Whether one-sided or mutual. It also irritated me when we were constantly dragged back to Earth to check in with family. Especially in the RTD era where its was always the most boring areas of London (or Cardiff in reality) possible.

I completely agree with this. It's become too formulaic. Too predictable. Too safe. I much prefer the companions of old and how their relationships with the doctor was handled as well as they're variations on the departures. Some died, some just left without much fanfare, some chose to stay behind for love or because they felt they found a calling, some left because it got to be too much for them and some didn't have a choice. It's an aspect of the show i feel has been lost but desperately needs to be recaptured. As far as having fans write the show being an issue i do agree it can be a double edged sword. Some fans i think have a better understanding of narrative when it comes to the show and some have a wanderlust desire they want to fulfill from their childhood. I personally outlined a series of adventures with my own version of the 13th doctor (this was prior to the official announcement of the casting) that featured a ginger doctor who was kind of a Errol Flynn type adventurer with a love of games and plums (him being ginger only mattering after seeing his face for the first time post regeneration). He adventures with a young 20 something man from the future with untapped psychic potential, a young half alien/half human woman from the future and a young black gay american man from the 1980s. They'd all join him over the course of the stories one by one, allowing time for dynamics to build. After a time one or more would leave for various reasons and there'd be a rotation to a new companion until eventually the doctor would regenerate again. I even had his regeneration story somewhat planned out. None of what i just wrote is something you're likely to see in modern who. Not the type of companions, not the fact they wouldn't all be forced out by circumstances and not even a planned out regeneration story from the very beginning of the incarnations tenure. It's too risky for most of the writers and the bbc. And that makes me sad. They're gimping their show by sticking with this cookie cutter format tainted by rose tinted glasses. It's in desperate need of a shakeup.

The Doctor's dependency on his companions may have been caused by the war. Humans look similar to Time Lords and in a way it may have been his way of trying to cling to the memory of his home planet.

I agree. The companion template needs to change and their exit template needs to change. As much as I like the modern era companions I do find that the classic companions have abit more variety to them as characters. I don’t mind the family stuff but it has gotten to the point where if the family aren’t well written characters they should just not bother with them. Also, I think maybe a companion who is an orphan or something would be interesting and certainly different which would I think elevate the repetition that seems to be going on. I also think the elevation of The Doctor in the companions life now is also partly to do with how he’s gone from being a being who travels through time and space helping out where he can to the universe’s Messiah. It’d be good if they toned that down too. It I suspect that might be a seperate video. Loved the video!

I'd say a big influence of this would be Back To The Future, in which Doc ( ie The Doctor) explains the how and why important plot points (the picture vanishing and how to get back to 1985) but most of the plot and development is based around Marty (the companion). And then, there's the end, when Marty comes back to his now changed normal life and Doc just shows up and says "New adventure! Let's go!" all the while taking Jessica with them (introduction of a new companion).

Too many humans

Good video! Also loved ur thumbnail

I liked your comments about BIll kind of being an old-style Classic Who companion. I hadn't thought of it that way. As for Martha, whenever my fellow Whovian best friend and I talk about the show and the companions, I always mention how Martha was the smartest of them all - she willingly left and thus got to live her life, and didn't get lost in a parallel dimension, have to get her mind wiped, get sent back in time by The Weeping Angels (well, yeah, that did happen in Blink but Sally Sparrow made everything better), get killed by a raven through the heart or forced to become a Cyberman. I admired Tegan from the Classic era, who voluntarily left because she saw too much death. You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, and Martha and Tegan knew when to put their cards down and walk away from the table. P.S. I really enjoy your Doctor Who segments!

By the same token, in classic Who , Sarah Jane is menaced and almost murdered many times (ejected into space, almost asphyxiated, almost tortured to death by Davros, captured by mutos, monstered by Sontarins). It aways begged the question that: 'why on earth would she step into the Tardis again'?' This always struck me when I watched it as a youngling. Later Perry gets leered at and menaced, and sometimes by the doctor at that.

Can you review the audio drama collection, Classic Doctors New Monsters? It sounds like an interesting idea to have the 4th-8th Doctors go against the Weeping Angels, the Vashta Narada, the Sycorax, etc.

We don't talk about Hell Bent.

Ian vs Micky that tells u about male companion connection to the doctor

I really like that we learned more about the companion's life and we got to see their family, and in cases like Rose and Martha, how travelling with the Doctor affected the people 'left behind'. I really loved Jackie and learning more about her in Love and Monsters. I really connected with that family element of the show and I'm sad it wasn't continued with Amy and Clara (i can't really speak much for Clara and Bill since I stopped watching part way through Capaldi's run). I felt disconnected from Amy BECAUSE we didn't get to see how her not having parents to suddenly having them changed her life. In relation to how important the companions have become, I liked that Rose, Martha, and Donna earned their 'titles' and we watched them change and grow and saw how they overcame their weaknesses or become more confident. With Amy and Clara, I find it different because they were forced into that role as characters rather than earning it by making their own choices and changing. I totally understand that the romance aspect with Companions has got.. kinda out of hand? I love the relationship between Rose and the Doctor but I think it's a shame it almost overshadows Martha's journey. BUT, then again that is what led to Martha's fantastic exit. I also found River's romantic involvement with the Doctor to be really... weird... just because I couldn't understand her as a character.. but, yeah, I think the romance aspect needs to change or be given a long break now. I don't mind the Doctor falling in love with people but... it does become tiring lmao I also think the whole 'tragedy' of Companions leaving has become old too. I love Rose's exit in Doomsday since, at the time, it was new and I think it was a really interesting way of 'losing' a companion even if she does come back two seasons later haha (which kinda cheapens doomsday imo). Martha's exit was great and is a breath of fresh air when compared to every other nuwho companion. Donna's is sad and I give it a pass since back then, a Companion's exit could go either way - sad or happy. But Amy and Rory's exit really didn't do anything for me.. it didn't make sense and I didn't understand why it became such a sad moment when they've only gone back in time and the Doctor... has a time machine... I never saw Clara leave and didn't see Bill either but there needs to be a change in how Companions leave. They can leave confidently and of their own choice and still be a great and well loved character. The show doesn't need to think up new ways to trap companions so the Doctor can never see them again.... I like what you said about the Doctor needing to become more independent of the companions. It's not something I'd recognised as a problem until you mentioned it - not that it is so much a problem, just something that could be resolved and changed. With the 10th Doctor, I felt fine with his dependence on companions because he'd come from the time war (which used to mean something) and I suppose was desperate to have people to talk to and have connections with. It all led into the timelord victorious which I think is such an interesting plot that never really got explored to its full potential. I think, if it had, the Doctor could have learned that Companions leaving his life is natural and he'd be reminded of Sarah Jane's words that everything has a time and everything ends. He could have learned he doesn't have to grieve the companions that leave (and don't actually die) because he has all these memories of them and he wouldn't change it for the world... Could have led to him moving on and the next companion he meets wouldn't need a dramatic ending and it'd reset the way the Doctor is towards his companions... idk... I think it's time that a lot of shows stop trying to end seasons with a big sad ending and have seasons end on something happier and normal for a change... Sorry for such a long rambling response lmao i love to discuss the companions since it's usually them that I relate to

It would be interesting to see this revisited now that we're seeing the interactions between the Doctor and the new companions - though I suppose we'd need to wait until they leave to be sure.

I gave up on the new Doctor quite awhile ago, I've tried each new regeneration and just couldn't get into them. And my biggest issue was the companions, only I could never put my finger on why. I feel you described my problem with them perfectly.

The doctor is like that friend who wants to party all the time and is always bringing his companions to the party's and they love it but at some point everyone has to grow up and I'd like to see that more! I hope you understand my analogy?

You honestly never seem to be happy with modern who. Would you think about making a video where you talk about all your favorite parts of new who?

An interesting topic - one I have been involved with a lot recently. I'd love to hear you review a book called "Children of Time: The Companions of Doctor Who" (released this year) - a charity book by various different writers from fans and people who work on the show. Since you mentioned Jo Grant - check out the chapter "Graduation Day" (because I wrote it) - I think it has some of the elements you talked about and I'd be really interested in your thoughts (you can get it on Amazon.

Thank you! This is one aspect of the new series that has bugged me since it began.

I'm a lot late. Thank you for this post.

Bernard Cribbins IS a legend. He really has some brilliant speeches, a great connection with Ten, and delivers them so movingly. When it comes to Clara, the only family member with any emotions was her gran. I really liked Danny Pink, not hugely convinced by his relationship with Clara, but I feel he had an excellent arc for his character.

Mickey Smith chose to stay behind. Twice technically

I think they could have had Amy and Rory choose to leave. Rory was never enamored with The Doctor the way most modern companions are and if you look between lines, he was subtly trying to get Amy to just go home with him. After nearly losing him (again) at the end of The Angels Take Manhattan, that would easily have been Amy's breaking point. "I'm sorry, Raggedy-Man, but I've just almost lost Rory one time too many now. Please, take us home, and leave us there this time." BAM! DONE!

4th Doctor did have a few instances of sadness over companions who had left episodes or even regenerations ago. Pyramids of Mars Sarah reminds him of Victoria and we see how depressed he is by his own "immortality." And as well, Logopolis when he looks in Romana's room.

I think part of it is for dramatic effect too. Like of course, it's more dramatic if they meet a tragic end rather than just walking away. But I agree it's refreshing when they do.

Bernard Cribbins was a big part of a lot of people's childhoods in the UK. He was also in one of non canon Who movie.

I couldn't agree more about this, back in classic Who when a companion didn't get a real choice of when to leave (Adric, Susan, Sarah, Kamelion, Katerina etc) it felt far more special because it wasn't done as often, you'd have so many companions where their entire story arc and motivation was just getting back home (Barbra, Ian and Teagen for example) that when a companion was forced out through circumstance it felt far more important, unlike in new who where the only two to willingly leave are Mickey and Martha (and technically Jack I suppose when he turned down 10s offer to rejoin the Tardis in Last of the Time Lords). It seems that now the compaion just wanting to quit of their own volition is nothing more than a fake out (Clara and Amy got extremely irritating for me through the constant use of that) which back with Donna was used as a joke in The Sontaran two parter whereas now it's just the norm as the writers just can't seem to let the companion characters go.

Personally I never thought that in SJA Jo Grant (or Jones) was wanting to travel with the Doctor again. Throughout 'Death of the Doctor' she talks all the time about her many children and grandchildren and the climax of that story relies on Jo's memories of her life with and after the Doctor in order to win the day. I always thought she just wanted to say hello or meet him again for one last time as opposed to "I want to travel with you again". I don't think her appearance alongside 11 undermines the ending of 'The Green Death'; because the real kick in the teeth for Jo was the Doctor came back for Sarah Jane (twice) after she left him and never did the same for Jo. With that being said fantastic video! Really love your content!!

Now that Murray Gold is leaving the show, a top 10 of his OST could be interesting I think. Also, any thoughts about his compositions generally speaking ?

I don't like that most seasons have revolved around the companions being a part of the big finale event or actually causing the finale event of the season and the seasons going in a circle and end up back at that moment also having the show say if he doesn't have a companion he will go crazy and become something like timelord victorious like in the specials between seasons 4and 5

I don't really mind the fact that he is closer to the companions in modern era. I think it makes sense that when he believes he killed his entire planet and all of his family and culture, he seeks stronger relationships as they are the only relationships he has. I think it makes sense also that the companions are closer to him now as a product of the doctor being more prominent in the universe (even though I hate that aspect of the show) and being known for his caring nature, making him generally more trusting

14:08 pretty much everyone when they think of hell bent

I actually think that Graham and Ryan leaving voluntarily is pretty likely, given their relationship with one another. As for Yaz I'm less sure, because she seems to have more of a connection with the Doctor, though this may just be me. One merit of three simultaneous companions is that they have room to have the companions leave in different ways, OR be one another's reasons for leaving. It's difficult to have no domestic storyline, and still make the willing departures believable, because we're not seeing what they're leaving for. In the case of Ryan and Graham, the answer is that they would be leaving for one another, and a more stable existence outside of the TARDIS. We haven't seen a ton of Yaz's family, but focusing on them (especially Najia, she performed super well in Arachnids, imo) would be a good way go show "this is what the companion is leaving for". Three companions also lets them do something often seen in Classic, that you didn't touch on here - the asynchronous departures. Modern Who hasn't often had the chance to rotate the companions in and out and bounce them off of one another, because there's usually a primary overarching companion. Jack and Mickey were always clearly secondary to Rose, for instance. During 13's era, we could have Ryan and Graham leave, and later have 13 and Yaz pick up a third travelling companion after some adventures between the two of them.

I think that the 'doing impossible things in their lives' aspect of the companion is good. It feels like an actual impact that matters and changes how they see the rest of their lives. That it influences their lives forever in ways that can't be undone, and that bit is really good (and that was part of what made Series 4's finale so good, showing how much the Doctor changed everyone). That Clara going so far off the rails, so wild and so reckless, was pretty much the point. If you feel so entwined with the Doctor you lose that fear of death, you... end up dying. Donna's end being much the same, she became so wrapped up in the Doctor she couldn't really believably get out. Amy, however, had the choice between Rory and the Doctor, and at least that one they telegraphed what she'd pick. Every time. Without fail. I do have a problem with nobody wanting to... quit. The two (Clara and Donna) who were too wrapped up in the Doctor are one thing, that's a nice way to get away with it. But, nobody finding their place? Their adventure? And a way to continue without him? That just doesn't feel right to me. Companions leaving to get married is one thing, but I want another Nyssa (who leaves to help others), or Mel (who is just finally done). I'd also like a few more Brigadier companions (who show up regularly but aren't traveling with him because they have a day job). I will say I read Jo's scene differently, not that she regretted it but she definitely knew it was a big choice. A choice that doesn't get undone. That her adventures with her husband are good, but they just aren't the same. It still felt weird, but... I was just happy to see another classic companion.

Arguable the first companions- Ian and Barbara were more the leads than the Doctor was. Part of how companions function is dependant on the age and health of the actor playing the Doctor. With the 1st Doctor Ian takes on the 'action' role, your running down corridors fighting monsters bit that later Doctors would take on themselves and make a part of the Doctor's character. You can break down classic companions into a few basic roles they repeatedly serve- getting captured and needing rescued, screaming at scary monsters, getting injured, asking the questions the viewer would so the Doctor has to tell us what's going on, and as noted above the male companion often did the action scenes. It was rare for companions to get much of a story arc- even one of my all time favourite companions Jamie, he is basically the same at the end as he is when we meet him with the sole exception he has a lot more experience of life- but there is no arc for him in the modern sense of character development. I would say that it was not until the 7th Doctor and Ace we got a companion with a modern character arc, unfulfilled as it was by the shows untimely (but fortunately temporary) demise. There are however classic companion exits that are played for drama- Adric, Sarah Jane, Jamie and Zoe, Teagan, off the top of my head, all get a dramatic exit closer to the modern idea of a companion leaving- and out of those only one of them chooses to leave and even then its not for a positive reason, its because they cant handle all the death surrounding the Doctor any more. But they are underplayed in the drama stakes by modern standards, but nevertheless they all are dramatic exits, played for drama by the standards of their time. So it not so much this is new so much as its been dialled up to 11. I would also argue Amy choose to leave. She could have remained with the Doctor and left Rory, but she choose to be with Rory and leave the Doctor- the tragedy there was on the Doctor who lost them, not for them who choose each other and lived out their lives happily together. So I would not count it as tragic ending for the companions, just for the Doctor.

The Doctor's increased attachment to their companions in the modern series makes sense in-universe, though. They've been more emotionally vulnerable and self-doubting ever since the Time War, which permanently impacted their trajectory as a person/character - and you can see how an event as massive as that could _do_ that to even a person of the Doctor's age and scope. To an extent, that also justifies the observed difference between the Doctor's companions' relationship to _him_ - since he's been more in need of genuine, intimate relationships on relatively equal footing with his humans rather than the more casual, often egotistic friendships favoured in his past, he naturally attracts those kinds of relationships with others and puts them at a higher priority. As such, he tends to spend the plurality of his time developing them, they put him in a more emotionally receptive position and that's why the majority of his most significant life events happen when those dearest companions are around. In a meta sense, this is why most of the episodes we see with the mordern series Doctor feature them as well, even though both Moffat-era Doctors are canonically old enough to dwarf their main companions' natural lifespans on their own (at least, Eleven definitely is; this was emphasised especially at key points in his era). We basically know (if you accept the EU as canon at all) that they've travelled with many, many other companions - so why do we see the Ponds and Clara dominating the time of (respectively) Eleven's and Twelve's lives? Because that's how _they_ (the Doctors) see it. Speaking of which - although you discuss all of the modern series as a single construct in your video, the eras of Davies and Moffat really handle this quite differently: Davies made his Doctors (in-universe) objectively incredibly short-lived; and for Ten, it's his heightened emotional openness that makes him attract such close relationships in the few years he has them, while Nine and Ten's feelings make it clear how lucky they see themselves as being to have found someone who cares about them in the way Rose does. Moffat's Doctors (especially Eleven) are canonically ancient; and the reason why the series mostly only follows their most important relationships is because they _are_ their most important relationships. Twelve has surely had adventures with countless other people in-between his outings with Clara; but none of those other people made the same impression on him as Clara did because Clara's outings are the ones he remembered and valued most. Eleven's had lots of exciting trips with Alice Obiefune; but Amy is his main series companion while Alice isn't - because the Doctor and Alice never got as close as the Doctor and Amy did. But in both cases, it's mostly (or at least notably) the Doctor's own choices that decide how we see their relationship with their companions because of their changed attitude to their relationships with humans, which is justified by their experiences in the Time War: the catalyst that bridges all their character development between the classic and modern series.

the classics companions were really develloped in audios and comics, and novels, wich are parts of the calssic era..

In the Curse of Fenric when the seventh doctor realises he can defeat the villain by having faith in someone, he whispers the names of his past companions to himself in the church and you can only tell if you lipread - that's how subtle it was in classic who, he never forgot a single one of them but compared to New Who it was shown to us in a much more touching way IMO

i would love to see it shaken up yes. it's sad to think these people will never amount to anything outside of their time with the doctor, or at least that they feel this way.

My most favorite Companion is Charlotte Pollard mainly because the went from being an 8th Doctor Companion to being a 6th Doctor Companion. In both cases, she is shrouded in mystery and adventure. My next favorite Companion is Mary Shelley (yes, that very same Frankenstein Mary Shelley), another 8th Doctor Companion. This brings me to a question about the 8th Doctor. We have New Who and Classic Who, but what do you consider the 8th Doctor? The movie (how it was written anyway) is very Classic Who while his Big Finish stories have the Classic Who vibe mixed with New Who adventure. I am very mixed on the subject.

Bill Potts was a breath of fresh air for me, which surprised me. I got tired of one companion after another being shoehorned into being special in a bad "tell, don't show" fashion. It was nice to just see someone be an ordinary person being the doctor's pal and being someone fun for the doctor to bounce off of in dialogue. It's a shame we only got the one season with Capaldi and Bill because those two had a chemistry I hadn't seen since Tennant and Donna. That is to say: I do think the show is, a way, learning their lesson on this idea that they have a requirement to make the doctor's companion anything more than an ordinary person.

It does make sense though that a companion would find it hard to readjust to normal life after having those experiences. Like ex military people. I quite like the way new who has examined that. Travelling with the Doctor is a bit of a curse long term. Of course it would be. It’s like I haven’t minded examining the romantic side for the Doctor/companion relationship. Of course they would get feelings when the doc looks like a dashing handsome, charming, brave young man that whisk them away on adventures.

I agree. But there were SOME backstories to classic Who companions, but they were usually limited to the episode in which they were first introduced. Both Victoria and Nyssa's fathers were killed in their first episode, before joining, as was Teegan's aunt and Adric's brother. No romantic interests except in the sudden cases of Jo Grant and Leela, where the romance was the main reason for their departure. In most cases companions were more or less orphaned and being whisked away in the TARDIS seemed like a good option. Adric and Turlough were orphans, for example, so the Doctor's TARDIS was sometimes an orphanage in time and space. Their departures used to be a lot less emotional or expected. Just sort of "oh well, I think I'll leave now" as an afterthought in the last episode of their story. Sarah Jane Smith's departure was sudden, too, despite her long tenure, and the explanation seemed a bit bunk, especially as many future companions (like, the VERY NEXT ONE, Leela) went there and survived. Who said she couldn't go, exactly? Today, the way it would be handled is, he drops Sarah off, goes to Gallifrey and picks her up when he's done. What was the big deal? As for the significance of the Doctor in the companion's lives, for me the issue is more that the companion is significant FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE UNIVERSE. To often they seemed like a lynchpin upon which everything depended, and it just happened to be coincidence that they ended up with the Doctor to fulfill that role. That is a pretty big jump to go from being the character the Doctor used to explain everything to (as a proxy for the audience), get captured, need rescuing, and scream at all the monsters, to the cosmic significance, strength and cleverness today.

Tegan and Aunty Vanessaa. With Aunty Vanessa being the only classic companion's relative who got her own action figure (courtesy of the Master)

kinda off topic and this video is from months ago so I doubt you'll respond, but you should do a video on Sarah Jane Adventures. imo best Doctor Who spinoff. Also, great video overall

Interesting comments below. I have just two related questions: First there was no mention of River Song nor Captain Jack. And second, what do you think about the relationship BETWEEN the Doctor and those two companions?

I love Jackie, and how shes different depending on who she's talking to. She adapts, much less defensive and more patient with Rose. And then with Mickey after a while. I liked it. It didn't *necessarily* need to be there, but Rowe and Donna's families are kind of the only ones I like

I think with the companion bowing out gracefully after maybe getting too much or missing the family (Not ideal). But while travelling is nice part of your life in real life as well u cant do it forever and its just a step forward. Martha leaving is one the nicest and most logical. What i would like to see is a companion who is also an alien who dont die but rather loves their home world more than anything or something like that. Death is not always the answer especially if u revive them. Just make the companion different in the role rather than being too important have them learn or literally anything else. Bill is probably my favorite companion cause the doctor was her friend rather than her world

Amy wasn't given a family, there was Rory but he eventually started going on adventures anyway as a permanent companion. The only familial connection I can think of was when they introduced Brian in Series 7.

I like the way companions are treated now. They feel much more like characters than before.

I'm pretty sure they brought the whole earth-life arc back with Clara because one of the complaints people had with Amy was that we never saw how her life was with anyone other than Rory and The Doctor. We only saw her parents once in The Big Bang for about five minutes and besides the flashbacks with Mel we never met anyone else that was important to her. I think the main problem was that she was a female character "defined" by two male characters. I'm sure that's why Moffat made that particular change.

You're one of my Favourite KZfaqrs. I haven't subscribed because not all of your VIdeos interest me. But I like the analysis. I Think you are rght though. Fans write the show and The Doctor is how they felt. The Doctor embraces their Political and Religious Views, too. THe Doctor is a Modern Trendy Atheist who fits into the Science VS Religion myth, and is of course too good for that. The Doctor is Politically Liberal who cares about a Socialist Economy. The Doctor is your Saviour you should look too and who teachs you the grand cosmic Truth and is the gateway to all Wisdom, whom no one would want to forsake and who deserves Reverence. The Companions are part of that overall, and I Think you did a Video on this before, on how The Doctor is more important to the Universe than he had been before. And I DO agree, this is not really a good way to write him. He should just be a grouchy Time Traveler who gets into mishap adventures with people hes's picked up along the way.

Yeah, I wish there was a bit less tragedy. And I don't necessarily mean I don't want companions to die. If one were to die I'd prefer an Adric-like death, where it's sudden, abrupt, and not followed by excessive mourning. Cause the Doctor's reaction to the Ponds' demise was unwarranted in my opinion.

For me, the biggest shift is why a companion exists. In classic Who, the companion was us. It gave the viewers someone that would ask the questions we had in our minds. Or if we were confused about a situation, the companion would voice the same confusion. It allowed the writers to give exposition without giving exposition. The other shift is in new Who, they seem to make him almost too human. When Sarah Jane leaves, there is a melancholy but there is also almost a shrug. This is part of his life. No dramatic outbursts like with Amy. He is an alien who has traveled for a long time and looks at attachments differently. It is sad when a companion leaves but it is part of his life. Even in death. When Adric dies, the shock and pain is evident but this has happened before, like with Katrina. I don't think the new Who writers are comfortable with having a main character that is above typical human emotions.