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Post by theotherjosh on Dec 21, 2017 20:05:34 GMT
I was listening to The Harvest again and it struck me this time around what a great introduction it was to a new companion.
Which companions do you think had the best introductions and departures? Who had the worst?
Best Introductions: Hex, because he gets to team up with the Doctor early in his story and we see what he’s made of. Rose Tyler. While I have mixed feelings about her as a character, I feel she was a great audience surrogate and a fine introduction to the world of the Doctor.
Worst Introductions: Mel, probably, though she eventually gets a proper introduction with the Wrong Doctors.
Best Departures: Susan. “One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye, Susan. Goodbye, my dear.”
Worst Departures: Dodo. Poor Dodo. Has to say her goodbyes off screen. Ditto Liz Shaw. Clara deserves special mention. Her first dozen departures were okay, but after that they went into a bit of a decline.
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Post by omega on Dec 21, 2017 20:20:01 GMT
I think Adric had a more realistic introduction and induction into the TARDIS crew. Unhappy with his life at that point and losing his brother, of course he stowed away with someone as incredible as the Doctor. For me Adric's behaviour was very believable as a companion. He had the best of intentions, but sometimes this wasn't appreciated.
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Post by glutamodo on Dec 21, 2017 22:32:30 GMT
Yes, I liked how Adric was developed and added to the TARDIS. Adric's end was an earthshocking event, but then a couple years later, the way Tegan ran out was nearly as much a surprise and it was effective, and while I didn't see it coming, it fit her.
Peri's end was also a bit unsettling, and they tried to retcon it a few episodes later (as did Big Finish) but I wasn't really happy with it.
Liz, yeah, she just sort of disappeared, didn't even get an out.
I think Jo Grant's departure was the most moving one for me.
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Post by muckypup on Dec 21, 2017 22:46:01 GMT
for me the best intro was hex......cracking intro story with a bit of intrigue that was not really resolved until very late on, but his departure was one of the worst i am afraid he should have stayed.......
on TV i think martha's exit was unsatisfying, and clara's many entrances and exits became annoying.
i am afraid that when someone dies....they should stay dead
best TV intro i am not sure.....
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2017 23:26:11 GMT
Best introduction; On TV, Sarah-Jane Smith in The Time Warrior. On audio, I'd also go for Hex in The Harvest, but will give Evelyn Smythe an honourable mention in The Marian Conspiracy.
Worst introduction; On TV, Mel of course, probably Adric and Kamelion too.
Best departure; It's all subjective of course, but for me; on TV, Adric in Earthshock. (BF have redeemed Adric, but at the time I really was delighted.) On audio, C'Rizz in Absolution. I very rarely wanted to see companions leave but getting rid of annoying companions always cheered me up.
Worst departure; Jo Grant running off with that Welsh Professor. (I was heartbroken!) Sarah-Jane Smith being left on a pavement in London was kind of unsatisfying for my younger self too. On audio, Erimem being left on Peladon was equally unsatisfying for me.
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
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Post by shutupbanks on Dec 22, 2017 1:17:12 GMT
Best intro: River Song as having a brilliant introduction. Could there be an argument for it being a departure as well?
Worst intro: Mel
Best departure: Romana. It might have felt sudden but it had been built up for a couple of stories and "She'll be superb" is a great closing line.
Worst departure: Dodo followed by Leela. Dodo because she was just ignored, Leela because it was a subplot that was barely introduced until the last episode of Invasion Of Time and was ridiculously out of character - frankly, if she was going to marry a guest character, I'd rather see her having arse-kicking adventures with Herrick on the way back to Minyos 2. Now that's an Unbound story I'd like to see!
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Post by Ela on Jan 25, 2018 5:54:00 GMT
I agree that Hex had a great introduction. Too bad I didn't like where that story line ultimately went. River had a great intro, too. Worst Introductions: Mel, probably, though she eventually gets a proper introduction with the Wrong Doctors. I was told that The Wrong Doctors was Mel's intro story, before I listened, and that was partly why I bought it, but I don't really see it as being an intro story per se. It was such an odd story, in my opinion. To me, without getting into spoilers, it wasn't a proper intro at all.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2018 6:20:02 GMT
The Harvest is a great little introduction to Hex. It falls under the same purview as The Face of Evil or Smith and Jones. Nice little self-contained tales that give us a glimpse into the companion's backstory as a means of getting them aboard the TARDIS. A Thousand Tiny Wings for Klein is one of my favourites for how evocative it all feels. The confrontation between O'Donnell and one of the Mau Mau is a highlight for showing how the former's fascism comes from a genuine nonunderstanding of how people work. If it weren't for the retcon a couple episodes later, I'd have said that Peri's departure in Mindwarp is definitely up there. It crystallises in that moment how serious the Trial is and what the cost to the Doctor as a person has been. The look of horror and pain on his face has to be some of Colin Baker's finest acting and Michael Jayston is exquisite as the Valeyard twisting the knife in: Same is true of Face the Raven. A really good companion departure... I just wish it'd been the only one. Worst Introductions: Mel, probably, though she eventually gets a proper introduction with the Wrong Doctors. I was told that The Wrong Doctors was Mel's intro story, before I listened, and that was partly why I bought it, but I don't really see it as being an intro story per se. It was such an odd story, in my opinion. To me, without getting into spoilers, it wasn't a proper intro at all. She's actually got two. The other is a book by Gary Russell. Business Unusual ends with her sneaking aboard the TARDIS with the Doctor entirely aware she's done it, accepting the future that's come to pass and all it may eventually entail.
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Post by Ela on Jan 25, 2018 13:00:56 GMT
Ah, yes. I own Business Unusual. Haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.
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Post by constonks on Jan 26, 2018 17:11:23 GMT
BEST HELLOS: Polly & Ben Harry Sullivan Evelyn Frobisher Mary Charley Martha Bill
Pretty much all of those companions have intro stories that 1) are good stories in their own right and 2) introduce the character very well and very efficiently and 3) make you want to see more of them in stories to come.
Weird exceptions to this are Susan, Ian and Barbara who all have good hellos AND goodbyes, although none of the three stories (the first episode notwithstanding) are all that amazing. But dang if Hartnell stories don't land an emotional moment, even when the story around them is less than stellar. Heck, even Katarina has a good emotional exit and she's barely a companion.
Oh, and on the topic of BEST GOODBYES: Jo Nyssa (in the audios) Erimem Charley (w/ Sixth Doctor) Izzy
All wrapping up a solid arc. Jo stands out as a rare exception to "it always sucks when someone falls in love in a story and leaves because of it" because by gosh somehow it works and I'm not entirely sure why. Nyssa and Charley's audio arcs were a little drawn out for some people, but both endings really worked for me. Izzy could have gone on a little longer IMO, but I expect reading it in retrospect is different than reading her DWM stories for seven years or however long it was.
EDIT: Forgot the worst goodbyes and hellos! Dodo has a pretty weak intro (although Salvation made it better) but when you expand it out to novels, Sam Jones takes the cake. And goodbyes, again, yeah, Dodo probably wins but special points to Leela and Peri (although both departures lead to good stories set afterwards...)
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Post by mark687 on Jan 31, 2018 16:27:48 GMT
Best Hellos
TV
Ben/ Polly/ The Brig/ Ace/Rose
Audio
Evelynn/ Hex/Charley/Lucie
Best Goodbyes
Sarah Jane (All of them) Martha
Audio
Evelyn/ Lucie (Best is an objective term but it was certainly affecting)
Worst Hellos
TV
Adric/Amy
Audio
C'rizz
Worst Goodbye
TV
Leela
Audio
Charley(Both of them)/ C'rizz
Regards
mark687
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2018 16:39:58 GMT
I'm not sure I could my definitive 'best' or 'worst', because there have been so many introductions and departures,in different mediums!
But thinking about it, one of the best introductions was Clara. As I recall, she wasn't due to appear until the Christmas Special The Snowmen, and her inclusion in the earlier Asylum of the Daleks was a bit of surprise (unless I've got this wrong, and then my argument goes to pieces). So to have a future, already-announced companion appear early as a character was apparently killed off was an intriguing and typically bizarre thing of Steven Moffat to to. But it was tantalising. How could this be? Who could this be?
Her departure, as with that of Peri before her, has invited a bit of comment, not all of it positive. To take the step of killing the character, only to re-write the death later on hasn't gone down well with some. But for me, you get the 'best' of both worlds. You get the shock and controversy of seeing the companion die before your eyes, and then - only when you've had a few weeks to absorb that - you get the joy of finding out they're not really dead after all. I like that. Particularly with Peri, actually, as her 'death' was so frightening - to find out later she wasn't dead but living with Brian Blessed in some far-off galaxy came as a relief to the audience. Although possibly not to her!
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