Hurrah for the 4H Companion
Jul. 18th, 2007 10:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meddow…Or why I like Donna Noble
Having been away from fandom for a couple of weeks, I’ve only caught up on the Doctor Who developments in the past couple of days. I was going to do a review of Last of the Time Lords, but I think it’s been pretty well covered by now. I was, however, overjoyed to find out who the new companion was. TPTP have finally realised how amazingly well Ten plays off women above the age of DT. Though catching up, I’ve gotten the feeling that my joy was not a common reaction. I’ve said before, a few months ago, that I think Donna would make a good companion and having watched the Runaway Bride again, I’ve decided to explain just why.
1. She is funny – Well I found things such as the pockets rant funny and I can’t think of many examples where Martha or Rose got to provide the comedy. That was generally left for the Doctor, Jackie, Mickey and other supporting characters.
2. Capable of seeing the funny, such as in the Segway scene. More importantly, she made Ten laugh despite the post-Rose angst.
3. Brave. She did put herself in front of the Doctor to attempt to stop him from being shot. Not to mention, when things got supremely weird (such as finding out she was in space and the Doctor was an alien) she didn’t scream, rather she went quiet. So she’s not just another cowardly set of lungs.
4. “No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married – to hell with you!” – Determined in the face of overwhelming out-of-this-world weirdness. That’s a good quality in a companion.
5. Compassionate and merciful – Yes, she did scream at the Doctor for 16 minutes (to be honest, who wouldn’t? Okay, I’ve never had a wedding day, but I have had flights and exams that would make me scream with that level ferocity if I were to miss them). But by minute 17 she was asking him in full earnestness about Rose. Further, she has much more reason to be pissed at the Queen of the Racnoss than Ten, but it was her telling Ten to stop.
6. She asked about Rose with no hint of jealousy. I really don’t think she’s going to spend a season being bothered about whether or not she measures up to Rose or Martha, which is so much of a breath of fresh air after season 3.
7. “It’s one of her silly little ‘look at me’ party pieces” – Anyone else curious as to what other party tricks she has up her sleeve if disappearing into thin air was presumed to be a trick?
8. Speaking of party tricks, she was quite capable of manipulating a large group of people all at once. Science may not be her area, but she gets people and in that way quite the opposite of the Doctor and would complement him well.
9. And speaking of people, she sees the small picture. The Doctor’s worried about the science and the mystery and she’s worried about the casualties and the health risks, which is a nice counterbalance.
10. Is smart and stops him. It took Donna one adventure with the Doctor to realise something Martha and Rose never did - that he needs someone to stop him - and that’s pretty smart. Martha and Rose at various points both said that the Doctor needed them because he was lonely, except we heard it out of the Doctor’s own mouth in The Sound of Drums that he’s lonely regardless of human companionship. Instead what the Doctor really needs is someone to stop him from being the vengeful god, a role that has been filled very few times and one of those times it was Donna.
11. Doesn’t put up with his crap. Well she doesn’t, she slaps him instead. I really liked Martha, but if only she had done that a few times during season 3 I would have adored her more.
12. Is off doing something and being magnificent. Remember, it’s not the Donna at the start of TRB that the Doctor’s going to be running into, somewhat shrieky and marriage obsessed. It’s going to be Donna post life-changing revelation. Unless there’s some bad writing going on, she’s going to be the more aware person we saw at the end of the episode with a reorganised set of priorities.
I have no doubt in Catherine Tate’s ability to pull of very dramatic scenes, see for example when Donna finds out she’s been betrayed by the man she loves. Donna was never just a comedic role. Donna will be an excellent companion.
Having been away from fandom for a couple of weeks, I’ve only caught up on the Doctor Who developments in the past couple of days. I was going to do a review of Last of the Time Lords, but I think it’s been pretty well covered by now. I was, however, overjoyed to find out who the new companion was. TPTP have finally realised how amazingly well Ten plays off women above the age of DT. Though catching up, I’ve gotten the feeling that my joy was not a common reaction. I’ve said before, a few months ago, that I think Donna would make a good companion and having watched the Runaway Bride again, I’ve decided to explain just why.
1. She is funny – Well I found things such as the pockets rant funny and I can’t think of many examples where Martha or Rose got to provide the comedy. That was generally left for the Doctor, Jackie, Mickey and other supporting characters.
2. Capable of seeing the funny, such as in the Segway scene. More importantly, she made Ten laugh despite the post-Rose angst.
3. Brave. She did put herself in front of the Doctor to attempt to stop him from being shot. Not to mention, when things got supremely weird (such as finding out she was in space and the Doctor was an alien) she didn’t scream, rather she went quiet. So she’s not just another cowardly set of lungs.
4. “No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married – to hell with you!” – Determined in the face of overwhelming out-of-this-world weirdness. That’s a good quality in a companion.
5. Compassionate and merciful – Yes, she did scream at the Doctor for 16 minutes (to be honest, who wouldn’t? Okay, I’ve never had a wedding day, but I have had flights and exams that would make me scream with that level ferocity if I were to miss them). But by minute 17 she was asking him in full earnestness about Rose. Further, she has much more reason to be pissed at the Queen of the Racnoss than Ten, but it was her telling Ten to stop.
6. She asked about Rose with no hint of jealousy. I really don’t think she’s going to spend a season being bothered about whether or not she measures up to Rose or Martha, which is so much of a breath of fresh air after season 3.
7. “It’s one of her silly little ‘look at me’ party pieces” – Anyone else curious as to what other party tricks she has up her sleeve if disappearing into thin air was presumed to be a trick?
8. Speaking of party tricks, she was quite capable of manipulating a large group of people all at once. Science may not be her area, but she gets people and in that way quite the opposite of the Doctor and would complement him well.
9. And speaking of people, she sees the small picture. The Doctor’s worried about the science and the mystery and she’s worried about the casualties and the health risks, which is a nice counterbalance.
10. Is smart and stops him. It took Donna one adventure with the Doctor to realise something Martha and Rose never did - that he needs someone to stop him - and that’s pretty smart. Martha and Rose at various points both said that the Doctor needed them because he was lonely, except we heard it out of the Doctor’s own mouth in The Sound of Drums that he’s lonely regardless of human companionship. Instead what the Doctor really needs is someone to stop him from being the vengeful god, a role that has been filled very few times and one of those times it was Donna.
11. Doesn’t put up with his crap. Well she doesn’t, she slaps him instead. I really liked Martha, but if only she had done that a few times during season 3 I would have adored her more.
12. Is off doing something and being magnificent. Remember, it’s not the Donna at the start of TRB that the Doctor’s going to be running into, somewhat shrieky and marriage obsessed. It’s going to be Donna post life-changing revelation. Unless there’s some bad writing going on, she’s going to be the more aware person we saw at the end of the episode with a reorganised set of priorities.
I have no doubt in Catherine Tate’s ability to pull of very dramatic scenes, see for example when Donna finds out she’s been betrayed by the man she loves. Donna was never just a comedic role. Donna will be an excellent companion.
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Date: 2007-07-19 10:55 am (UTC)