The Doctor's Complicated Farewells - Unraveling Doctor Who's Long-standing Conundrum

Article Overview

Tales of the TARDIS addresses a major shortcoming in Doctor Who by providing a solution for the Doctor to reunite with their companions, resulting in less sorrowful farewells.

Through the Memory TARDIS, the Doctor and their companions engage in heartfelt conversations and navigate their emotional pain, offering each other solace and restoration.

The spinoff show addresses the issue of companion departures and resurrects deceased characters, potentially diminishing the impact of companion deaths in Doctor Who.

After 60 years since its premiere, Tales of the TARDIS has finally tackled one of the major flaws of the show – the Doctor's abandonment of their companions. Each Doctor Who and their companions embark on extraordinary adventures across time and space throughout the series. Serving as the only consistent characters, their relationships drive the story forward. Frequently, the companions offer a sense of grounding for the Doctor, providing valuable insights and perspectives. Conversely, the Doctor offers them unique experiences that broaden their understanding of the universe. In many instances, the Doctor forms a close bond resembling a family connection with their companions, with some relationships leaning towards romance. As a result, the departure of these companions becomes even more heart-wrenching within the Doctor Who narrative.

The companions’ exits become more difficult to watch because the Doctor sometimes forces them out instead of leaving voluntarily. In the past, the Doctor rarely sees their companions again, except in occasional Doctor Who specials. However, the newer regenerations of the Doctor have more flexibility with this rule. The latest addition to the Doctor Who canon, Tales of the TARDIS, addresses this flaw after 60 years since the premiere of the first episode. By using Doctor Who’s new Memory TARDIS, the Doctor can now reconnect with their previous companions. This not only heals the pain caused by companions leaving the show but also alters the overall perception of the Doctor.

Doctor Who Finally Makes Companions Leaving The TARDIS Less Tragic

Since its inception 60 years ago, Doctor Who has seen a constant turnover of companions. The Doctor's failure to visit their former companions has often been criticized as cold-hearted, considering the drastic life changes and altered perceptions of reality that the companions experienced while traveling with the Doctor. It seems only fair that the Doctor should help them adapt to their newfound lives by occasionally checking in on them. This oversight is particularly poignant given the Doctor's own experiences of tragedy and loss in the Time Wars on Gallifrey, making it all the more surprising that the loss of their companions does not affect them more deeply.

However, Tales of the TARDIS offers a more comforting perspective on these companion departures. This spinoff reveals that all TARDIS travelers have the ability to reunite with one another if they wish to do so. Thanks to their psychic connection to the Memory TARDIS, companions and the Doctor can communicate at any time. While it is suggested in the dialogue that characters like Tegan haven't spoken to the Doctor since parting ways, this may not be true for all companions. It is entirely plausible that certain regenerations of the Doctor have been engaged in ongoing conversations with their respective companions throughout this entire time.

Moreover, the Memory TARDIS serves as a valuable tool for the companions and the Doctor in their journey of coping with the loss of one another. Unlike the companion support group featured in Doctor Who, season 13, episode 9, “The Power of the Doctor,” the Memory TARDIS offers continuous accessibility whenever the Doctor or any of the companions require assistance. This unparalleled accessibility allows them to engage in meaningful conversations, tailored specifically to their individual experiences, as they navigate through the realms of grief together.

Has Tales Of The TARDIS Made Companion Exits Pointless?

If every Doctor and companion were given access to the Memory TARDIS, it would diminish the impact of their departures from the show. However, it would also provide the opportunity for them to resurface in future seasons of Tales of the TARDIS. This would allow them to reflect on their past adventures with the Doctor. While their exits may lose some of their emotional weight, they would still serve a purpose. One of the most intriguing aspects of Tales of the TARDIS is discovering what became of Doctor Who's companions after they bid farewell to the TARDIS.

Despite initial struggles after leaving the Doctor, the companions of Tales of the TARDIS embarked on fulfilling and joyful lives. Tegan has dedicated herself to environmental activism, working tirelessly to create a positive impact on the world. Moreover, she has confirmed a long-standing Doctor Who companion theory by entering into a romantic relationship with Nyssa. As for Jamie, he found love and married Kirsty McLaren, whom he met during Doctor Who's fourth season in the episode titled "The Highlanders." Presently, the couple is blessed with five daughters and an impressive number of 19 grandchildren. Peri, on the other hand, rose to prominence as the Warrior Queen following her marriage to King Yrcanos.

The departures of the companions in Tales of the TARDIS enrich their stories, giving them greater significance. While some may have enjoyed continuing their adventures on the TARDIS, they needed to leave in order to establish their own identities and lives separate from the Doctor. Their time aboard the TARDIS always holds deep meaning, as it helped shape them. Ultimately, their departures from Doctor Who serve as a powerful reminder of the fleeting and precious nature of time, while their returns in Tales of the TARDIS demonstrate the unique power of memories to keep the past alive. Both of these truths can coexist without contradiction.

Tales Of The TARDIS Has Given Doctor Who Companion Deaths Lower Stakes

An intriguing revelation in Tales of the TARDIS is the ability of the Memory TARDIS to temporarily revive deceased individuals. In episode 4, "The Three Doctors," titled "The Three Doctors," Jo Grant endures the grief of losing her husband, Cliff. This tragic event serves as a poignant reminder to Jo about the fleeting nature of the companions' lives, emphasizing the importance of cherishing each moment. Reflecting on her cherished memories with her late spouse, Jo's recollections become the catalyst for the Memory TARDIS to conjure him back to life, granting her a fleeting reunion with her beloved.

With significant implications for the entire Whoniverse, this poignant scene highlights the lasting impact of Doctor Who. Over the course of the past six decades, nine beloved companions, such as River Song and Bill Potts, have met their demise. However, thanks to the capabilities of the Memory TARDIS, any of these deceased characters could make a triumphant return in Tales of the TARDIS. Moreover, the existence of the new TARDIS ensures that future companion deaths will carry less weight, as there will always be the looming possibility of a resurrection on the spinoff show for anyone who perishes in Doctor Who, be it a companion or not. Furthermore, showrunners may even choose to integrate the Memory TARDIS into the original series.

Editor's P/S

1. The article discusses how the new spinoff show, Tales of the TARDIS, addresses the issue of companion departures in Doctor Who. In the past, the Doctor's companions would often leave the show in tragic or heartbreaking ways, and the Doctor would rarely see them again. However, Tales of the TARDIS allows the Doctor to reconnect with their former companions through the Memory TARDIS, which provides a more comforting perspective on these departures.

2. Personally, I think this is a great development for the show. It allows for more closure for the Doctor and their companions, and it also gives fans the opportunity to see their favorite characters again. I hope that Tales of the TARDIS will continue to explore this aspect of the Doctor Who universe and that we will get to see even more reunions between the Doctor and their former companions.