Leela was an interesting companion (apart from the obvious reasons) because whilst the Doctor obviously abhorred violence he sometimes seemed to recognise the need for it and turned a blind eye to Leela’s savagery. In some way they seemed to complement each other, so she didn’t (at least for some writers) just become the savage pupil/slave. For me, the culmination of this would have been Leela engaged in an act of violence to save the Doctor’s home world where he could not. Instead the Doctor’s actions seem quite out of character and Leela’s departure is a terrible let-down.

Anyway, I agree about some of the others: Susan’s departure fitted with her relationship with the Doctor which, while technically more parental (or at least grandparental) never felt like a permanent arrangement. Jo’s, as you say, was built up through the serial. Plus she always was a bit of an airhead and probably didn’t appreciate having the entire Universe to explore… Then there’s Teagan’s departure, which I found convincing (and irritating, like everything else she did). Otherwise, choosing to depart is always a difficult one (eg. Sarah Jane in both The Hand of Fear and School Reunion), and either RTD has to make it work or find a non-death way of removing the choice… I don’t have a problem with that if he can make it work, it just seems prophesising a single companion death when there wasn’t seemed ill advised.

And I’d forgotten about the guy from the library. That’s another loose end I was sure at the time would be followed up, and another missed opportunity…

Leela was an interesting companion (apart from the obvious reasons) because whilst the Doctor obviously abhorred violence he sometimes seemed to recognise the need for it and turned a blind eye to Leela’s savagery. In some way they seemed to complement each other, so she didn’t (at least for some writers) just become the savage pupil/slave. For me, the culmination of this would have been Leela engaged in an act of violence to save the Doctor’s home world where he could not. Instead the Doctor’s actions seem quite out of character and Leela’s departure is a terrible let-down.

Anyway, I agree about some of the others: Susan’s departure fitted with her relationship with the Doctor which, while technically more parental (or at least grandparental) never felt like a permanent arrangement. Jo’s, as you say, was built up through the serial. Plus she always was a bit of an airhead and probably didn’t appreciate having the entire Universe to explore… Then there’s Teagan’s departure, which I found convincing (and irritating, like everything else she did). Otherwise, choosing to depart is always a difficult one (eg. Sarah Jane in both The Hand of Fear and School Reunion), and either RTD has to make it work or find a non-death way of removing the choice… I don’t have a problem with that if he can make it work, it just seems prophesising a single companion death when there wasn’t seemed ill advised.

And I’d forgotten about the guy from the library. That’s another loose end I was sure at the time would be followed up, and another missed opportunity…

The execution of the departure of Leela set the companion departure bar so low it would be impossible to trip over.

That was completely botched. Leela was the companion that really didn’t fit the pattern of the other companions from the very start. She needed something different.

With some of the other “I’ve fallen in love and am leaving” episodes (Susan, Jo) there was a little bit of the plot during the story that built up that possibility. With Leela and Andred, there was nothing. In fact, I rather thought she disliked him.

Having her die to save Gallifrey would have been the best option. Unhappy for the kids, no doubt, but fitting of her warrior ethic.

The Chinese have a saying, “the best stories have sad endings.” While not always true, there is something to it.

Here’s a scenario for the New Series I would have bought… let’s say that, instead of a regeneration at the end of New Series 1, they’d had Rose’s departure. They’d picked up Jack a few episodes earlier. If, over the course of those last few episodes, they’d played out a budding romance, I could possibly see Rose leaving.

Same with her and Mickey in New Series 2. If Micky had stayed in the TARDIS and continued to grow, maybe, just maybe, I could have seen Rose realize the futility of her love with the Doctor and see Mickey anew.

It’s only when the characters have to face their choices that we could see a potential motivator for them to leave.

Would Donna have left if she’d seen the guy from her Library fantasy world? I don’t know… maybe.

The execution of the departure of Leela set the companion departure bar so low it would be impossible to trip over.

That was completely botched. Leela was the companion that really didn’t fit the pattern of the other companions from the very start. She needed something different.

With some of the other “I’ve fallen in love and am leaving” episodes (Susan, Jo) there was a little bit of the plot during the story that built up that possibility. With Leela and Andred, there was nothing. In fact, I rather thought she disliked him.

Having her die to save Gallifrey would have been the best option. Unhappy for the kids, no doubt, but fitting of her warrior ethic.

The Chinese have a saying, “the best stories have sad endings.” While not always true, there is something to it.

Here’s a scenario for the New Series I would have bought… let’s say that, instead of a regeneration at the end of New Series 1, they’d had Rose’s departure. They’d picked up Jack a few episodes earlier. If, over the course of those last few episodes, they’d played out a budding romance, I could possibly see Rose leaving.

Same with her and Mickey in New Series 2. If Micky had stayed in the TARDIS and continued to grow, maybe, just maybe, I could have seen Rose realize the futility of her love with the Doctor and see Mickey anew.

It’s only when the characters have to face their choices that we could see a potential motivator for them to leave.

Would Donna have left if she’d seen the guy from her Library fantasy world? I don’t know… maybe.

But I think you’re right, and although RTD I’m sure has other reasons for leaving, he has probably dried up on this. For me, Martha’s leaving was surprising (and disappointing!) but believable. I loved the way Rose originally left (I recall RTD saying that people hate the episode where their favorite character dies, and he didn’t want people to hat that episode). Now he’s borrowing from Charley’s departure (perhaps the one companion that foreshadows the new companion relationship) and I don’t mind that except he didn’t do it as well. But I do think Donna or Rose needed to die, otherwise what was that “most faithful companion will die” bit about?

The problem is, Caan’s prophesy undermined the suspense in that it meant we knew the other companions were “safe”. The only good reason for this is to build up to the death, and inevitably anything else is an anti-climax. Therefore, ultimately, it feels as though they might have improved the story a little by just cutting those lines (and the Ood’s ‘your song will end soon’ too) even without changing anything else. I will certainly watch the Donna stories again, but knowing what happens to her could have given the stories an extra dimension, if it had been done right.

But I think you’re right, and although RTD I’m sure has other reasons for leaving, he has probably dried up on this. For me, Martha’s leaving was surprising (and disappointing!) but believable. I loved the way Rose originally left (I recall RTD saying that people hate the episode where their favorite character dies, and he didn’t want people to hat that episode). Now he’s borrowing from Charley’s departure (perhaps the one companion that foreshadows the new companion relationship) and I don’t mind that except he didn’t do it as well. But I do think Donna or Rose needed to die, otherwise what was that “most faithful companion will die” bit about?

The problem is, Caan’s prophesy undermined the suspense in that it meant we knew the other companions were “safe”. The only good reason for this is to build up to the death, and inevitably anything else is an anti-climax. Therefore, ultimately, it feels as though they might have improved the story a little by just cutting those lines (and the Ood’s ‘your song will end soon’ too) even without changing anything else. I will certainly watch the Donna stories again, but knowing what happens to her could have given the stories an extra dimension, if it had been done right.

Without a point-by-point, the one thing that stands out to me is that, once again, one of the major flaws (some people would say strengths) of the new series is exemplified in this episode.

Companion loss.

RTD has stated that he doesn’t believe in killing off companions. Fine. The problem is that the new series has redefined the Doctor/Companion relationship. If not downright psuedo-romantic, it is at least a partnership rather than the original mentor/ward arrangement.

With the more parental role of the original series, there is the inevitable moment when the child flies the nest. This is a universal human experience that even the children watching the program can understand.

The new series’ companions fill a different niche – the niche of two people coming together and spending their lives together, in whatever capacity that is, love, friendship, mutual need, etc.

But we also know how that works out – you either live together for the rest of your lives or you break up, often acrimoniously, and if not, through mutual indifference.

Let’s face it, who among us, given the opportunity to travel in the TARDIS, would ever leave voluntarily? They’d have to pry my bloody fingers off the time rotor to get me to leave – even if it was the 7th Doctor.

This has set RTD up with a real poser when it comes time for an actor portraying a companion to quit. The old quick, “I’ve grown up and fallen in love with a minor character in the last episode and have decided to leave” ploy doesn’t fly.

We know Rose would never leave, nor would Donna. Martha’s is the only one that rings true and then only because she’d spent a year of her life away from the Doctor. She was trying to save him and the world longer than she’d actually travelled with him. By his own admission, RTD won’t kill them off, so what can he do?

He dumps Rose in another universe forever. That ending was too sad so he had to bring her back just to give her the “cut-out-and-keep Doctor” (as you so admirably put it.) What’s to do with Donna? What could possibly induce her to go back and be a temp in Chiswick? Guess we have to wipe her mind.

I think RTD is leaving just because he realizes he’s painted himself into a corner and can’t possibly get rid of another companion.

Without a point-by-point, the one thing that stands out to me is that, once again, one of the major flaws (some people would say strengths) of the new series is exemplified in this episode.

Companion loss.

RTD has stated that he doesn’t believe in killing off companions. Fine. The problem is that the new series has redefined the Doctor/Companion relationship. If not downright psuedo-romantic, it is at least a partnership rather than the original mentor/ward arrangement.

With the more parental role of the original series, there is the inevitable moment when the child flies the nest. This is a universal human experience that even the children watching the program can understand.

The new series’ companions fill a different niche – the niche of two people coming together and spending their lives together, in whatever capacity that is, love, friendship, mutual need, etc.

But we also know how that works out – you either live together for the rest of your lives or you break up, often acrimoniously, and if not, through mutual indifference.

Let’s face it, who among us, given the opportunity to travel in the TARDIS, would ever leave voluntarily? They’d have to pry my bloody fingers off the time rotor to get me to leave – even if it was the 7th Doctor.

This has set RTD up with a real poser when it comes time for an actor portraying a companion to quit. The old quick, “I’ve grown up and fallen in love with a minor character in the last episode and have decided to leave” ploy doesn’t fly.

We know Rose would never leave, nor would Donna. Martha’s is the only one that rings true and then only because she’d spent a year of her life away from the Doctor. She was trying to save him and the world longer than she’d actually travelled with him. By his own admission, RTD won’t kill them off, so what can he do?

He dumps Rose in another universe forever. That ending was too sad so he had to bring her back just to give her the “cut-out-and-keep Doctor” (as you so admirably put it.) What’s to do with Donna? What could possibly induce her to go back and be a temp in Chiswick? Guess we have to wipe her mind.

I think RTD is leaving just because he realizes he’s painted himself into a corner and can’t possibly get rid of another companion.