Doctor Who Has A Big Companion Problem How It Can Be Fixed

Doctor Who Has A Big Companion Problem: How It Can Be Fixed

Doctor Who is at its best when companions form engaging bonds with the Doctor. Introducing three companions at once prevented that from happening.

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Doctor Who Has A Big Companion Problem How It Can Be Fixed

While companions used to be some of the best parts of Doctor Who, seasons 11 and 12 have put the role of the companion into crisis. Until Doctor Who season 11, the Doctor always had one main companion, even if this companion’s friends, partners, or parents happened to tag along. Season 11 simultaneously introduced three companions, robbing each one of time to grow and develop emotional bonds the with Doctor. In order to restore the role of the companion, Doctor Who needs to focus on single companions instead of one overwhelming TARDIS team. Now that Graham and Ryan are leaving, the show has an opportunity to focus on Yaz and explore her mental health issues introduced in season 12.

TARDIS teams have been in modern Doctor Who ever since season 1, when the Doctor, Rose, and Captain Jack Harkness traveled together. In season 4’s “Journey’s End,” the Doctor even briefly traveled with eight of his current and former companions. The reason TARDIS teams have been successful in the past, though, is because each individual companion was given enough time alone with the Doctor so that they could develop a strong enough emotional connection with both him and the audience. While Amy Pond, for example, traveled in a team with both Rory and River, season 5 gave her enough episodes alone with the Doctor to develop a nuanced and engaging relationship with him.

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Yaz, Graham, and Ryan have never had the chance to develop because there was never enough screen time to give to each of them. All three are defined by vague character traits instead of intimate connections they make with the Doctor. Graham exists for comic relief, Ryan exists to cause inter-trio conflict with Graham, and Yaz exists for exposition. Any further interesting elements, such as Ryan’s dyspraxia or Yaz’s mental health issues, are focused on for a few token minutes and then dropped as soon as they become inconvenient for the show’s progression. While there’s a group dynamic that certainly exists, the role of the companion has turned into an expositional tool more than ever before.

Ryan and Graham’s departure will finally give Doctor Who an opportunity to explore Yaz without taking screen time from two other companions. Doctor Who season 12’s “Can You Hear Me” introduced the fact that Yaz has struggled with mental health in the past, and continuing to explore Yaz’s past would give her the development that she deserves. Doctor Who has seldom directly tackled mental health issues, so Yaz’s storyline would be a trailblazer for the show’s characters to have realistic struggles.

The BBC also announced that John Bishop will be joining the TARDIS in season 13 as a character called “Dan.” While Bishop will undoubtedly do a great job with the material he’s handed, adding a third member to the TARDIS might not be the best idea. Doctor Who seasons 11 and 12 were so crowded that it would have been great to finally see Yaz alone with the Doctor. With more available screen time, she might finally offer some engaging characterization. In fact, the smaller cast might have even allowed audiences to gain more of a sense of who the Thirteenth Doctor is, even after two full seasons. Hopefully Doctor Who season 13 will be able to develop both Yaz and Dan, without having one character suffer due to the presence of the other.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/doctor-who-companion-problem-bad-fix-how/

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