A Case for No More Companions
Guest contributor Zachary Bernstein ponders if the Doctor would be better off alone.
Would you agree that freedom is essential to a happy life? Whether you agree or not, I’m sure that everyone reading this right now agrees that there are instances in life where you feel held back by something. While it really can be an internalized sense of entrapment, I still feel the pressure. Looking back at some things that I feel constrain me, they are in fact external factors. Often, I might throw blame at a societal institution, but in most cases, we blame others for our bad feelings. I’m wondering now about what kind of emotional crutch the concept of the companion is for our good Doctor.
I’m sure this comes off as sheer blasphemy, but as a writer I care about storytelling possibilities. I feel as if the same old dynamic has worn off to me, and I’d like Doctor Who to throw off its shackles of expectation and dare to defy standards. Ditching a companion is not avant-garde- it’s just a flair of creativity. Case and point: Heaven Sent. Possibly the best episode of Doctor Who in years, the Doctor was finally free to be by himself – and in the safety of his privacy he revealed so much about his inner mechanisms. There is a social filter present when we spend time with friends, and we wear a different mask depending on levels of intimacy with our peers. It’s very normal. Especially for Capaldi’s incarnation of the Doctor who is technically introverted (Jungian definition). The Doctor can recognize the need to grow in the comfort of his privacy. Why is it that Clara often jumped on board the TARDIS during her run as companion? Well, the Doctor probably couldn’t handle all of the attention all of the time. There’s no denying that the freedom to be by one’s self can be inspiring and the catalyst to make decisions for one’s own good, and to not be limited by other peoples’ perceptions. The Doctor needs to get out of this bad relationship and do something for himself.
Since its inception, Doctor Who has had a companion to act as a bridge for the audience to connect with the program. Pure demographic targeting aside (from a media analyst’s perspective), it is important to have a varied cast of characters for the audience to relate to. If in fact one character is non-relatable, another character might hold a viewer’s grip. If you don’t identify with an old white man, maybe you identify better with a younger girl instead. Look at the success of criminal procedure programs who have a rotating cast of dependable characters. It’s a good formula for success.
While diversity remains to be completely explored in the main cast, Doctor Who has fared quite well in maintaining a loyal audience. In a world where television is changing so rapidly, thanks in no small part to online streaming services, the greatest show about transformation could do well with such a twist as Season 10 having the Doctor fly solo.
The possibilities are endless if the Doctor is not tethered to a human from Earth. First of all, this change would fit in with his growing maturity and acceptance of Gallifrey he is developing. The Doctor is running back home, and while he was distracted in Hell Bent, who knows how much Gallifrey will be featured next season. I was proud that the Doctor made such a stand in Hell Bent against such a corrupt regime as that of the Narrator, Rassilon.
Detached from earth, exploring other worlds, and having more recurring characters like the Paternoster Gang would universe build in a time where continuities and long form stories are thriving. I’ve seen enough of the same old sights the show frequents. Instead, utilize the beauty of our world and film settings both exotic and far-reaching. Venturing beyond London is good for the show’s international audiences.
The real reason he should fly solo is for his character development, in my opinion. This change would be good for him, as documented by his life’s journey. In his youth (Hartnell incarnation), the Doctor needed external gratification for his actions, and thus needed the attention of others. He was insecure, afraid, and a runaway. He brought along his granddaughter, the only one naïve enough to follow him blindly. Ever since then, he has swapped one companion for another, never stopping to consider what he has done. There were involuntary moments of loneliness, and I would say those have been the most meaningful in his character arc.
He was alone during the Time War, and there is the truth that “great men are forged in fire,” bringing the Doctor a legendary status in the universe. The Doctor wasn’t considered a cult runaway by his society anymore – he was then a legend. The Doctor became a title that was larger than life, whose meanings ranged from Oncoming Storm, to Beast, and Wiseman. That’s quite a promotion, and this is all due to the fact that he wasn’t bounded by anyone else’s standards. One could easily argue that this was the worst part of his life, and such an individual would be correct. There is a price for status, and one has to evaluate what they value in life: companionship or power. The Time Lord Victorious towards the end of the 10th Doctor’s reign when he was starved of companionship was another low point, as well as when the 11th Doctor exiled himself to a cloud over Victorian London.
“At our lowest points, we are open to the greatest change.” – Avatar Aang, the Legend of Korra.
There are several reasons as to why this change will likely never happen. First and foremost is the threat of paradigm change. You might be thinking, well, we as an audience are pretty adept at handling the passing of the show from one actor and one showrunner to another, but has the show experienced the type-loss of a companion? This would inevitably release the tether to newer viewers who need someone less alien to connect with, which unfortunately is a big deal in the medium of television. It seems strange to me that people can’t relate to an alien who walks the Earth, but hey, that’s why we all have different perspectives.
The best proof that the dynamic of a non-constant companion works for the show is River Song. River was perfect for the Doctor because the pair gave each other a great deal of space; their lives only intersecting at points, but made those moments the ones that they looked forward to the most (as revealed by the two of them in the Husbands of River Song). In this unique situation, River was poised to be the wife he needed because they had their own independence. Yet, they were truly interdependent as they crossed each other’s paths, and shaped each other’s lives. Rose came in at a point where the Doctor was most vulnerable, so he fell for her. She was the emotional crutch to fill his empty heart. Now, Gallifrey has returned and the Doctor is no longer helpless to the weight of his loss. The Doctor should gain confidence from the existence of his people, and no longer be a prisoner to his isolation. Now he can break free from his dependence on others and be an independent man.
In the end, my case for No More Companions is more like a call for a recurring character that is less featured than a constant traveler. If you have any ideas about testing new relationships for the TARDIS, please chime in below!
