Whisper It, But This Doctor Who Villain From Season 1 Should Have Been A Companion

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Since 2005, Doctor Who has featured many memorable companions. Characters like Rose Tyler, Amy Pond, and Handles are considered icons of the show and will be remembered for years to come. While others, such as Martha Jones, were also strong characters, they weren’t given enough screen time.

Throughout its long run, Doctor Who has featured many memorable characters who seemed like potential companions but only appeared in a couple of episodes. People like Dr. Todd, Jago & Litefoot, and Mags would have been fantastic full-time traveling partners for the Doctor.

Interestingly, it was during the time of the Ninth Doctor that Doctor Who featured a villain who unexpectedly had the potential to be a great companion.

Hear Us Out, Lady Cassandra Would Have Been A Great Doctor Who Companion

Lady Cassandra, played by Zoë Wanamaker, first appeared in the Doctor Who episode “The End of the World” as essentially a living piece of skin. Besides constantly complaining about needing lotion, she was always trying to make money off the people on Platform One. The Ninth Doctor wasn’t impressed when he stopped her scheme and even refused to help her when she was suffering from severe dryness.

Cassandra’s first appearance in “The End of the World” didn’t hint at her becoming a companion on the TARDIS. However, that changed when she returned in “New Earth,” facing the Tenth Doctor. In that episode, she shockingly took over Rose Tyler’s body and pretended to be his companion, even adopting a terrible London accent and a rather unrefined persona.

Cassandra unexpectedly showed real potential as a helpful ally. She was key to finding New Earth’s secret “intensive care” unit, and even the Doctor was impressed by her ability to break into computer systems. Cassandra remained curious and asked important questions, like why the hospital was concealing a whole department and whether the people of New New York were aware of its questionable treatment practices.

Cassandra and the Tenth Doctor had incredible chemistry together. After she stopped trying to be Rose Tyler, their unlikely partnership actually worked really well. It was entertaining to watch the Doctor challenge Cassandra’s self-centered nature – a dynamic that was different from his relationship with Rose, who usually agreed with everything he said and did.

By the end of “New Earth,” even Cassandra, who usually seemed completely heartless, started to show a softer side. She began to feel sympathy for the people grown in the lab, and ultimately assisted the Doctor in finding a solution to their medical problem. Proudly, the Doctor pointed out to her, “You can’t turn your back on them, because you played a part in making them.”

Okay, so Cassandra’s last scene really got to me. It was like, after everything, she finally let Rose go and just…accepted what was happening to her. And honestly, it was a little selfish – she did one nice thing for herself right before she, well, disintegrated. It was too late for a full turnaround, of course, but watching her fade away, I realized she ended up being a way more compelling opponent for the Doctor than Rose ever was. She was just…a much more interesting character to watch bounce off him.

Cassandra Becoming The Doctor’s Companion Was Really Possible

Cassandra being a skin graft on a metal frame created a problem for her becoming a companion to the Doctor. The Doctor would be distracted from fighting Daleks if he constantly had to apply moisturizer. Also, letting Cassandra inhabit Rose’s body wouldn’t be interesting enough for more than one episode. Luckily, they found a solution.

The finale of “New Earth” put Cassandra in direct contact with her younger self. This created a situation where Cassandra could have potentially moved her mind from her current host, Chip, into her younger body, which would have allowed actress Zoë Wanamaker to portray the present-day version of the character.

The Doctor wouldn’t be happy about someone from the future taking over their body in the past – there’s likely a Time Lord law against it. However, if Cassandra asked for one last trip in the TARDIS, promising to return to the moment she entered her younger self and restore everything to normal, it could happen without anyone ever noticing a change in history.

Without Rose, the Tenth Doctor might have briefly traveled with Cassandra, giving her a chance to see the universe before her inevitable end. This “one last trip” would likely have extended into a longer journey, creating opportunities for David Tennant and Zoë Wanamaker to become a new Doctor-companion duo throughout season 2 and beyond of Doctor Who.

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2026-01-07 15:58