Oh, Companions...

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The BBC America  "Women of Doctor Who" special was tonight, which got me thinking...who is my favorite companion of the Doctor? I can't say much about classic companions - except a little about Sarah Jane, who made appearances in the modern series - but I can speak about the modern companions; Rose (and Jackie), Mickey, Captain Jack, Martha, Donna (and Wilfred), Amy, Rory and River.

I often group Rose, Jackie and Mickey together...Rose Tyler was the main companion, but her mother Jackie was very important to her and Mickey Smith was the ex-boyfriend who stuck around and became more of a family friend. I have to admit I got attached to Rose. Whenever I watch Doomsday (when Rose is forced to leave), Journey's End (when the Doctor leaves Rose with his Biometacrisis - think human clone) or End of Time (when, as he's regenerating, the Doctor goes back to the Rose who didn't know him) I always cry like a baby. Billie Piper and David Tennant are so skilled at making me care for Rose and their relationship, that every time her heart breaks, so does mine.

Captain Jack Harkness is a unique character. He came into the story line while Rose was the primary companion, had a few recurring appearances, then starred in his own spin-off, Torchwood. A time traveler in his own right, Jack simply liked the Doctor (and Rose, then Martha) enough to keep coming back.

Martha Jones was, to oversimplify it, the Doctor's rebound after Rose. Though he had already met Donna (more on that later), and Donna made him start to heal, it was Martha who helped him move forward. She was strong, confident, and studying to be a doctor herself. Unfortunately, she fell in love with him and left after one season, though she did reappear a couple times as a member of U.N.I.T. (Unified Intelligence Taskforce). She's also the only modern companion to leave of her own volition, when she realized she was going to waste her life pining after the Doctor if she didn't "get out".

Donna Noble is unique in that she's the only companion to come back. She was the companion in the 2006 Christmas Special, between Rose and Martha, and then left. A year later, she and the Doctor accidentally crossed paths again, and this time she didn't let him leave her behind. Donna speaks her mind, won't take his crap, and becomes his best friend (with NO romantic tension). Their season has been described as "a buddy cop movie through time" (Jonah Ray, "Women of Doctor Who", BBC America) and in fact, the first episode in which Donna returns is titled "Partners in Crime" and that is truly the best way to describe them. Unfortunately, in the most heartbreaking farewell of the companions, Donna experiences a biometacrisis that makes her part-Timelord. Because her physical brain is still human and unable to handle it, the Doctor must erase EVERY SINGLE memory of everything the two of them did together. Wilfred is Donna's grandfather who becomes friends with the Doctor, and accompanies him on Ten's final adventure before he regenerates into the Eleventh Doctor.

To round out the Companions within the Tenth Doctor's time period, we come to River Song, an archaeologist who spends most of her time with the Eleventh Doctor (so far). We meet River in season four, while the Doctor is traveling with Donna, and she has obviously known the Doctor for years and has been very very close to him. We don't really know who she is until later, so we'll come back to her. However, this is when River physically dies. The Doctor is able to digitally save her onto a hard drive, but as far as we know, River has passed on. Though we've only known her for two episodes, we get the sense that this is someone very important to the Doctor's future and I always cry. Especially knowing what I know now. But again, that's for later.

The next companion after he changes into his eleventh regeneration is Amy Pond, followed closely by Rory Williams. For the fifth season, Amy was the primary companion, but about halfway through, Rory joined them. Amy and Rory grew up together and were engaged to be married when Amy ran off with the Doctor the night before their wedding. The unique thing about Amy is that she has known the Doctor - and waited for him - for most of her life. He crashes into her backyard when she is a child, returns 12 years later (on accident. he meant to come back in five minutes) and then finally comes back for her fourteen years after they initially met. Amy is a brazen Scottish girl who is incredibly strong willed. Rory is her sweet, incredibly loving boyfriend/fiancee/husband who seems to have a bad habit of dying. A lot. He's come back every time so far, but he might want to try to stop that....

Finally, River Song comes back as a true companion in the fifth season. In the sixth season, we finally learn who River is. She is the daughter of Amy and Rory, Melody Pond. She and the Doctor get married in the season finale of the sixth season, so we are left with the feeling that her story is no close to over yet.


So, who is my favorite Companion? I'd have to go with Idris. We meet her in the sixth season episode, "The Doctor's Wife" and find out that she is the human incarnation OF THE FRICKIN' T.A.R.D.I.S.!!! The soul of the T.A.R.D.I.S. was stolen and put into a human body, so for the very first time in the 700 years that they have been together, the Doctor and the T.A.R.D.I.S. are able to SPEAK WITH WORDS. And they portray it absolutely beautifully. I'm not going to try to describe it - you need to see the episode to understand it. But she has to be my favorite companion, because even though we only meet her in human form once, no matter what happens, no matter who comes or goes, it will ALWAYS be the Doctor and his T.A.R.D.I.S. Because, of course, he is in fact a madman with a blue box.

I also really love Donna and Rory, if I have to pick humans.