[Mrfipp]

With the 50th year special coming up, many people want various characters to reappear. One character that have often come up is Ace.

Since Ace was with the Doctor when the original series ended, and left at some point before the movie, I think most of these responses are to find out what happened to her between the two stories.

There are some explanations in the expanded universe (most of which contradict each other), and in the SJA Saraj Jane explained that someone named Dorothy was running a charity called A Charitable Earth (fun with acronyms). Apparently, had the show go on, RTD had planned for Ace to actually appear in the show, with maybe a cameo by the Seventh Doctor.

Sadly, with the untimely death of Elizabeth Sladen, this story would never be made, and any details are unknown.

What I want to know is what sort of ideas do you have about how she left? What lead to her departure from the Doctor?

As for me, I'd like to think that her departure wasn't on very good terms. This idea comes from something that the Eighth Doctor told Lucie Miller in one of the later audio stories regarding his previous incarnation: that after a certain incident, one that is not gone into detail, the Doctor no longer felt he could travel with anyone, as he didn't feel as though he could trust himself with people's lives anymore.

This, coupled with the Seventh Doctor's rather dark and manipulative nature, led me to think that maybe the reason Ace had left the TARDIS, was because one of the Doctor's complex schemes had ended in a way in which Ace no longer felt she could no longer trust the Doctor.

Even if it's not the 50th, I'd like to see Ace return at some point in the future, just so he could get some closure.

[AdelaideGirl]

Well the original plan was that the Doctor was training her to become a Time Lord, which is an interesting idea, but one that now seems to be ruled out.

Personally I'd like it if they left on good terms - possibly with Ace getting some offer to adventure on her own. Although I'd love her to come back.

[Simon_Foston]

Originally Posted by AdelaideGirl

Well the original plan was that the Doctor was training her to become a Time Lord, which is an interesting idea, but one that now seems to be ruled out.

I breathe a big sigh of relief whenever I ponder on that.

[JohnnyForget]

http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Ace

[kyllerbuzcut]

She went to live on a big farm several towns over.
She's got lots of room to run about

Really though I liked Ace, it would have been good to have her appear in SJA. Maybe she will slip into a new series episode somewhere?

[Rowls]

I liked Sophie Aldred and I liked her interpretation of the character but there were a lot of incredibly bad production decisions behind her charater.

1. Her name
2. Her stupid, unexplained, unfathomable appearance
3. Her inability to change her clothes
4. The stupid "explosives hobby" tagged onto her character
5. The patronizing "yoof" tone of her character
6. Her name, once again just to hammer home the point

Edit- Oh, and to answer the question posed in the thread title I think she went on to work for a homeless charity and came out as a lesbian. That's seriously the only way I can imagine her character developing.

[Lii]

Originally Posted by Rowls

3. Her inability to change her clothes

Well, that was a condition that affected just about everyone in Who for the whole of the 80's. I'm surprised they didn't fly the Tardis with the doors open...

[TimeMyRelative]

Well she did adopt at least 3 costume changes in Ghost Light and Fenric.

And you think her 'straight' romances with Mike, Sorin and others (E.U) were not indicative of her true sexuality?

[Mrfipp]

Originally Posted by TimeMyRelative

Well she did adopt at least 3 costume changes in Ghost Light and Fenric.

And you think her 'straight' romances with Mike, Sorin and others (E.U) were not indicative of her true sexuality?

In the books I think there had been several indications that Ace was bisexual. And I think in 'Survival' they wanted a sort of lesbian subtext between her and the cheetah girl.

[Rowls]

"And you think her 'straight' romances with Mike, Sorin and others (E.U) were not indicative of her true sexuality?"

I don't think there was much in way of over-arching thought for the character, including these storylines and as well written as *some* of them were.

The quip about her sexuality came from the general lumpen fisted rhetoric of the poor characterisation given to Ace, not anything specific.

She most probably went vegan too, what with all those badges and her dislike of authority and whathap.

[AdelaideGirl]

Shows it's all a mater of opinion most of the stuff you hate about Ace I like and I never found her ill defined she always seemed very 3 dimenional to me. She mostly didn't stand around screaming and her bomb making skills ment she could be proactive in dealing with the bad guys and not just waiting for some man to rescue her.


Yes her street talk was a bit naff but you have to make allowances this was kids TV and the were only taking baby steps away from RP East Enders was barely in existence.

[DavetheScot]

I'd like to think she left the Doctor on good terms and went on to have a happy life. I loved the character.

[Simon_Foston]

Originally Posted by DavetheScot

I'd like to think she left the Doctor on good terms and went on to have a happy life. I loved the character.

Anything would be better than having her go off to become a Time Lord.

[AdelaideGirl]

Except it was suposed to give meaning to all the tests and challenges the doctor was giving her. Which meant he wasn't being as awful to her as he seemed. Personally I think it would have come down to how it was written could be good could be crap.

[Mulett]

Originally Posted by JohnnyForget

http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Ace

She lost her virginity to Sabalom Glitz????????

[Simon_Foston]

Originally Posted by Mulett

She lost her virginity to Sabalom Glitz????????

The more I find out about the 'thinking' that went into that character, the more I find myself thinking, "blech."

[nebogipfel]

Originally Posted by Simon_Foston

The more I find out about the 'thinking' that went into that character, the more I find myself thinking, "blech."

It's almost as if they'd left things in the hands of an inexperienced fantasy comics fan.

[Glenn A]

Originally Posted by Rowls

I liked Sophie Aldred and I liked her interpretation of the character but there were a lot of incredibly bad production decisions behind her charater.

1. Her name
2. Her stupid, unexplained, unfathomable appearance
3. Her inability to change her clothes
4. The stupid "explosives hobby" tagged onto her character
5. The patronizing "yoof" tone of her character
6. Her name, once again just to hammer home the point

Edit- Oh, and to answer the question posed in the thread title I think she went on to work for a homeless charity and came out as a lesbian. That's seriously the only way I can imagine her character developing.

She was one of the worst companions ever, like something Janet Street Porter would dream up for a yoof show of the time.

[Jon Ross]

Originally Posted by Glenn A

She was one of the worst companions ever, like something Janet Street Porter would dream up for a yoof show of the time.

The problem, I think, was that the show was still being made by very middle class people, and they had no idea how to create a convincing working class character, which is what Ace was supposed to be. Casting Sophie Aldred was a bit of an odd choice for that sort of character too. Aldred was too old and too middle class to be convincing as a working class teenager. They should have been really brave and cast a younger actress with the authentic accent.

However, I do think that the writing for Ace in Season 26 was the first proper attempt in the series' history to actually develop the character of the companion and make them part of the story, something which is now taken for granted in New Who. So JNT and Cartmel in particular do deserve some credit for seeing that this was the way the show was going to have to go - trouble was it came too late and the mass audience had gone. But the approach to writing for the companion in Ghost Light, Curse of Fenric and Survival, and writing about her anxieties, her family, her friends and her background, was completely new for Doctor Who.

[Jon Ross]

Originally Posted by Mulett

She lost her virginity to Sabalom Glitz????????

Originally Posted by Simon_Foston

The more I find out about the 'thinking' that went into that character, the more I find myself thinking, "blech."

Cartmel mentioned on the Dragonfire DVD that they'd had an idea that Ace had been in a relationship with Glitz. This was never mentioned in the TV series. Aldred didn't like the idea, and JNT was very uncomfortable about any explicit mentions of sexual activity in Doctor Who in those days (this was long before Mr Davies gave us Captain Jack).

Paul Cornell obviously picked up this idea for the New Adventures series after the TV series had ended. The New Adventures always set out to be more adult than the TV series.

[AdelaideGirl]

In Survival Sylvester and Sophie talk about who much Ace was a change in direction and how different she was to much of what was seen on other shows. Also how much of a precursor to Rose she was. Certainly no Ace no Rose.

Sure she doesn't talk like a real 17 year old would but neither do 98.2% of other TV teens.