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Does anyone get slightly angered whenever the companion is told to 'stay here' ?
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Many times in Who's history, trouble has arisen for the Doctor and his friends and often the companion, the second most important actor in the show behind the Doctor, is told to stay behind, while some characters who we will only see for an episode or two are able to get in on the action. Does this annoy anyone else? I don't think its the correct use of a companion. It's quite irritating.
I can appreciate it being seen as a method used by the Doctor to protect his companion, as they are the most important person to the Doctor in theory. But its blocking the companion out of the story completely, which in turn can affect things such as character development and plot development.
I can appreciate it being seen as a method used by the Doctor to protect his companion, as they are the most important person to the Doctor in theory. But its blocking the companion out of the story completely, which in turn can affect things such as character development and plot development.
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K-9 (and maybe Kamelion).
I see it differently from you.
As Bp2 has said(and we rarely agree on anything so this is a first) how often do they actually stay put when asked to?
If a companion is told to stay where they are, it is a running gag in the show that they actually don't, hence they wander off and they develop a separate storyline of their own, or it can provide a bit of drama where they need rescuing.
Or, as in Terror Of The Autons, defying The Doctor's order to stay put actually does him a favour as Jo follows him to the circus and rescues him from Rossini's men.
And more recently in The Empty Child, Rose's defying the order to stay put saw her hook up with Captain Jack after those amazing scenes of her stuck on a rope during the blitz.
So no, it doesn't irritate me at all.
Although that was more about technical issues and the fact that both were difficult to operate.
Its a pretty staple thing of most shows - plus other than once or twice they don't.
Yes, it goes something like this:
Doctor: Stay here <<companion>>.
(The Doctor leaves to investigate)
(The companion wanders off and falls down a hole/is captured)
1) The Doctor goes off to investigate on his own, leaving the companion in a 'safe' place.
2) Some tumultuous event happens that contrives to separate them.
3) The companion goes off on their own, leaving the Doctor behind.
Obviously, the Doctor is never going to suggest doing 3)!
Why would they separate the characters? So that the companion is threatened by monsters without having the protection of the all-knowing Doctor. Or so they can discover things at the pace that the viewer is supposed to learn them, without the all-knowing Doctor figuring out the plot. Either way, you've got to make the companion vulnerable.
Common sense
It happened with Susan in The Daleks!
I think Clara was deliberately the exception to the rule in that she actually did what she was told! I think they even made a joke out of it at one point with the Doctor being surprised that she'd done as he'd asked