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Why Doctor Who’s Belinda Chandra is already one of the show’s best companions

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Approximately two decades past, the character of “Doctor Who” reappeared on BBC, with Christopher Eccelston portraying the Ninth Doctor – a man who wore a leather jacket, displaying both witty and warlike traits. He led Rose Tyler by the hand, urging her to flee.

In their initial adventure, they were referred to as ‘Rose’, and this outing signified the introduction of a character who might well prove to be one of the key elements in the series’ resurgence – the companion role.

The companion of the Doctor functions as a stand-in for the viewers, expressing our own amazement or bewilderment at time travel and distant galaxies. They ask questions about these topics that we might also have, making it natural for us to connect with them. It’s not surprising, therefore, that the most compelling companions are those who seem genuinely human.

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In the initial episode of the renewed “Doctor Who” series, Rose and the title character, also known as the Time Lord, engage in combat against the Nestene Consciousness – a formidable life force devoid of a physical body. This entity manipulated plastic shop window displays, converting them into lethal Autons.

As Rose gears up to rescue The Doctor from the grip of the Autons, she thinks aloud, “I don’t have A-Levels, a job, or much of a future ahead. Yet, there are things I do possess: the Jericho Street Junior School Under-7s gymnastics team and a bronze medal to show for it!” She seizes a chain, using it as a swing to liberate The Doctor, accidentally spilling a vial of anti-plastic solution into the Nestene Consciousness.

In the given scene, Rose doesn’t resort to extraterrestrial gadgetry to rescue The Doctor, instead, she falls back on her gymnastic skills from childhood. Her personal struggles, such as joblessness, aimlessness, and doubts about her relationship, are strikingly human. However, it is worth noting that not all companions have been portrayed with this earthly viewpoint; some like Clara Oswald and Amy Pond have had intricate connections with The Doctor that transcend both time and space, making them more conceptually complex characters.

Now, twenty years have passed, and we meet Belinda Chandra, portrayed by Varada Sethu. In the opening episode of the new season, titled “The Robot Revolution,” Belinda’s workday at the hospital is wrapping up.

There are snippets of her discussing medications with patients while they’re hurriedly moved on a stretcher through the hospital hallways. Simultaneously, the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) is hastily scurrying throughout the hospital in search of an item or a person.

One colleague at the hospital informs Belinda as she prepares to leave for the day, “A doctor is trying to reach you.” To which she responds, “Oh, do tell.

At home, Belinda’s life mirrors the turbulence she experiences at work. Living in a tight-knit, unfriendly household where tension seems to run high, Belinda sometimes feels an urge to escape this tumultuous environment. Hanging above her bed is a certificate that symbolizes her ownership of a star, a token from a past romantic relationship.

Beyond her window lies the vibrant hum of an alien spaceship, yet lacking the comforting pulse of a TARDIS it was. Stepping out from it, mechanical creatures snatched Belinda away, transporting her to a foreign planet where they proclaimed her as their queen. Even amidst this abduction, she found herself lamenting about her landlord and requested a nearby resident to inform her parents of her affection for them.

In this location, making an attempt to evade capture, she encounters The Doctor for the first time and subsequently joins the human rebellion, engaging in combat against the robot overlords that govern the planet.

Or more informally:

While on the run from her captors, she stumbles upon The Doctor for the first time and ends up teaming up with a group of humans battling against the robots who have taken control of their world.

Belinda’s eagerness to dive right into the resistance and offer assistance, along with her curiosity about how the remote medical supplies function, recalls Rose’s gymnastic skills during her initial journey with the Ninth Doctor. This portrays a grasp of the series’ ethos that the most valuable qualities companions can contribute are reflections of their lives prior to the Doctor, embodying their inherent human traits.

When Belinda jumps right into helping in the resistance and wants to understand how the distant medical supplies work, it reminds me of Rose during her first adventure with the Ninth Doctor. This demonstrates that she understands that the best part about companions is seeing glimpses of their lives before the Doctor, which shows their human side.

In Belinda’s initial chats with The Doctor, it becomes clear that she can hold her own. She expresses frustration over how doctors often reap the benefits of nurses’ tireless efforts. She finds it puzzling that among all the hardworking nurses, there’s always a doctor ready to claim the recognition. Moreover, she questions why the robots would need her at all, asserting that she’s just an ordinary nurse and not someone extraordinary.

In numerous aspects, she doesn’t conform to the norm – a quality that the episode cleverly uses to give Belinda and The Doctor’s connection depth and complexity. As their disagreements intensify, it also recalls another beloved companion from yesteryears: Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble.

In a down-to-earth manner, Belinda seems to maintain a sense of personal reality amidst The Doctor’s universe. Right from her debut, Belinda appears as a fully-fledged character, and this is evident in her interactions with The Doctor during The Robot Revolution.

Every action she takes is shaped by the pieces of her past we witnessed on Earth – it’s not only about her eagerness to participate, but also her irritation towards a universe that often seems to overlook her efforts.

Beyond this, her ability to err is not just tolerated but also contributes to an air of genuine realness.

Doctor Who, which has been transforming since its reintroduction two decades back, isn’t merely about the Doctor’s metamorphosis with each regeneration. The central role of the companion, as highlighted in The Robot Revolution, underlines their significance and underscores how their connection to Earth and the viewers infuses the series with a unique, lively essence.

Take our interdimensional Doctor Who quiz!

In my gaming world, I tune into BBC One in the UK when Doctor Who airs, and if I’m not in the UK, I catch it on Disney+. Back home, I can revisit classic episodes of Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer whenever I want!

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2025-04-12 21:49

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