And with a new year comes a new doctor! Happy New Years, everyone, and yes, I have finally reached the end of Tom Baker's majestic reign as the Fourth Doctor, and I am now looking forward to getting acquainted with our new protagonist, this mysterious young man with long blond hair and a love of cricket.
It is clear that the show needed a new Doctor. Tom's last two or three seasons, in my humble opinion, were stale and lackadaisical. The character of Romana was promising, but she kinda withered as the seasons went along; she lacked conviction as a character, and she spouted almost as much technobabble as the Doctor. From what I have watched of Peter Davison so far (I've already seen Castravalva and Four to Doomsday) it has been exactly the opposite; the stories are much more lively and exciting, and the companions are varied and distinct. There are new plots, new special effects, and new ideas. I can't wait to watch the next episode!!
However, today we are neither going to be discussing Tom Baker or Peter Davison, in particular. For today, I would like to focus on the Fifth Doctor's companions; Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan. It has been a long time since we have had this much activity inside the TARDIS. For the last several seasons with Tom Baker we have been accustomed to having only one main companion traveling with the Doctor; (I don't count K-9 as a "main companion" seeing as how he doesn't have very many lines) Sarah Jane, Leela, and then Romana. If you don't count certain members of UNIT as official companions, like Benton and Captain Yates, you have to go all the way back to The Faceless Ones to find a time when three companions occupied the TARDIS at the same time. That was in the black-and-white days with Ben, Polly, and Jamie. The Faceless Ones aired about 15 years before Peter Davidson became the Doctor; that is quite a long time indeed.
Yes, the TARDIS is more interesting than it has been in a long time with all these relationship dynamics. So the question is, what are these different dynamics and why are they significant? Although I have only watched two Peter Davidson episodes so far, I recognized something almost immediately this new generation of companions;
It is clear that the show needed a new Doctor. Tom's last two or three seasons, in my humble opinion, were stale and lackadaisical. The character of Romana was promising, but she kinda withered as the seasons went along; she lacked conviction as a character, and she spouted almost as much technobabble as the Doctor. From what I have watched of Peter Davison so far (I've already seen Castravalva and Four to Doomsday) it has been exactly the opposite; the stories are much more lively and exciting, and the companions are varied and distinct. There are new plots, new special effects, and new ideas. I can't wait to watch the next episode!!
However, today we are neither going to be discussing Tom Baker or Peter Davison, in particular. For today, I would like to focus on the Fifth Doctor's companions; Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan. It has been a long time since we have had this much activity inside the TARDIS. For the last several seasons with Tom Baker we have been accustomed to having only one main companion traveling with the Doctor; (I don't count K-9 as a "main companion" seeing as how he doesn't have very many lines) Sarah Jane, Leela, and then Romana. If you don't count certain members of UNIT as official companions, like Benton and Captain Yates, you have to go all the way back to The Faceless Ones to find a time when three companions occupied the TARDIS at the same time. That was in the black-and-white days with Ben, Polly, and Jamie. The Faceless Ones aired about 15 years before Peter Davidson became the Doctor; that is quite a long time indeed.
Yes, the TARDIS is more interesting than it has been in a long time with all these relationship dynamics. So the question is, what are these different dynamics and why are they significant? Although I have only watched two Peter Davidson episodes so far, I recognized something almost immediately this new generation of companions;
they don't really like each other. This is fundamentally unique in the history of the show. Ian and Barbara argued with the First Doctor consistently, and sometimes companions argued amongst themselves briefly, but I can't think of a time when the companions were genuinely not fond of each other.
Remarkably, the most even-tempered and calm companion is the one who's father has been killed and his body claimed by the Master: Nyssa. She seems to have accepted her fate and her place with the Doctor with the realization that there is nothing she can do about events that have already transpired. Tegan, on the other hand, is hysterical, and with some good reason. Her aunt has been murdered, and she has had a bit rougher introduction to life with the Doctor compared to Nyssa, who had time to adapt to the Doctor's eccentricities over a period of a few episode . The Doctor has never been very hasty about returning companions back to their time zone, and this, of course, leads to friction between the Doctor and the companion, and Tegan is no exception.
However, the companion who is probably most to blame for the fairly recent turbulence is Adric. Adric, despite his star for mathematical excellence, is an idiot. As far as I can make out, Adric makes decisions on a whim, and rarely thinks about the results of his actions. He has no sense of loyalty; in both State of Decay and Four to Doomsday he switches his allegiance when he finds it convenient. At first glance one would think that Adric is just practical. If he sees a better opportunity, he will jump ship in the hope of a better deal, so to speak. However, as far as one can tell, he sincerely seems to thinks that Monarch and the Vampires are OK people. The video below shows Tegan and Adric fighting about whether Monarch's motives are just. Adric seems pretty sure he's right, rather than someone just interested in power or wealth, right?
Remarkably, the most even-tempered and calm companion is the one who's father has been killed and his body claimed by the Master: Nyssa. She seems to have accepted her fate and her place with the Doctor with the realization that there is nothing she can do about events that have already transpired. Tegan, on the other hand, is hysterical, and with some good reason. Her aunt has been murdered, and she has had a bit rougher introduction to life with the Doctor compared to Nyssa, who had time to adapt to the Doctor's eccentricities over a period of a few episode . The Doctor has never been very hasty about returning companions back to their time zone, and this, of course, leads to friction between the Doctor and the companion, and Tegan is no exception.
However, the companion who is probably most to blame for the fairly recent turbulence is Adric. Adric, despite his star for mathematical excellence, is an idiot. As far as I can make out, Adric makes decisions on a whim, and rarely thinks about the results of his actions. He has no sense of loyalty; in both State of Decay and Four to Doomsday he switches his allegiance when he finds it convenient. At first glance one would think that Adric is just practical. If he sees a better opportunity, he will jump ship in the hope of a better deal, so to speak. However, as far as one can tell, he sincerely seems to thinks that Monarch and the Vampires are OK people. The video below shows Tegan and Adric fighting about whether Monarch's motives are just. Adric seems pretty sure he's right, rather than someone just interested in power or wealth, right?
So what do we make of this? Is Adric a back-stabber and only looking out for himself, changing sides when it's worth his while? Or does he actually care about the other people in the TARDIS, and is just easily swayed and charmed? Either way, I think I can safely say that Adric's lack of discernment, tactfulness, and self-control is the primary reason for the friction between the companions.
I am fully aware that Adric is an unlikable character, in the eyes of many viewers. And I agree that their reasons for thinking so is just. However, despite his lack of charm, he fullfills a very important role inside the TARDIS. To be honest, I can't remember the last time when the TARDIS was this interesting and suspensful. When you have a character who is as unlikable and malevolently upredictable as Mr. Adric, it is bound to create havoc and distrust
I am fully aware that Adric is an unlikable character, in the eyes of many viewers. And I agree that their reasons for thinking so is just. However, despite his lack of charm, he fullfills a very important role inside the TARDIS. To be honest, I can't remember the last time when the TARDIS was this interesting and suspensful. When you have a character who is as unlikable and malevolently upredictable as Mr. Adric, it is bound to create havoc and distrust
amongst the remaining companions. And it is much more interesting to see characters who are fearful and distrustful of one another (think of the reality show Survivor), than a happy little group of people who follow around an ancient Time Lord through time and space.
Adric is not an impressive Doctor Who character. He's naive, he can't take care of himself, and his star for mathematical excellence is probably more intrinsically valuable than he is. However, he fullfills a very significant role that is more important than any heroic achievement his character could have done. Adric is the boy you love to hate; he throws a rusty wrench into the comfy habitations of the TARDIS. And to be honest, this makes the show much more interesting.
Adric is not an impressive Doctor Who character. He's naive, he can't take care of himself, and his star for mathematical excellence is probably more intrinsically valuable than he is. However, he fullfills a very significant role that is more important than any heroic achievement his character could have done. Adric is the boy you love to hate; he throws a rusty wrench into the comfy habitations of the TARDIS. And to be honest, this makes the show much more interesting.