10 Characters Wasted On Death (Part Two)
Guest contributor Connor Hamilton concludes his countdown of the characters who died too soon.
In this second half of my countdown, we take a look at the remaining 5 characters whose deaths I felt should have been avoided down to the fact I enjoyed the character. Again, I must apologise in advance because all 10 I have selected are female because no short term male characters that died had a huge impact on me. So let’s take a look at who I feel would take places 5-1 on characters that deserved to live.
5. Osgood
I threw this one in here because technically we don’t know the reasoning behind Osgood’s return to the show in Series 9, and for all we know she could still be completely dead. Osgood was my favourite character in the show ever and when she died, I kid you not, I went full rage mode and almost stopped watching altogether… OK, that’s a little dramatic. I may have just sent some choice words to Doctor Who’s twitter account, but still, her death felt totally unnecessary. There were plenty of ways they could have solved the situation and proved Osgood to be better than we all assumed, by somehow outsmarting Missy and escaping. However, they did not go down this route and so multiple viewers across the world and the actress who played Osgood, had to face facts. She was dead. I felt it was such a waste and she was the perfect representation of a large majority of the 21st century audience. To kill her off was just wrong, but my prayers, for the first time with any characters on this list, were answered when fast forward 6 months and we discover the lovely Ingrid Oliver is returning to the show. However like I said earlier, Osgood remains on my list until I have visual proof that the Osgood we see in Series 9 is not a) A Zygon or b) Osgood Pre-Death In Heaven.
4. Clara Oswin Oswald
Death By Falling In ‘The Snowmen’
This one counts to an extent as well, before anybody questions it! While we did get Clara Oswald, it did mean we had to miss out on Oswin Oswald and of course, Clara Oswin Oswald, who personally was the best Clara of the three. I was saddened by her death and felt Victorian Clara was so quirky and clever. As much as I love the Clara we have now, I would have happily sacrificed the introduction to 21st Century Clara just so we could have Clara Oswin Oswald onboard the TARDIS instead. In a previous article I discussed that she was the closest we’ve got since the revival to a companion from the past and the whole scene where she got the key and the Doctor invited her along was beautiful, only to be ruined by an unnecessary Ice Governess to drag her to her death. It was necessary for the sake of introducing 21st Century Clara, but this majorly disappointed me. I’d have much preferred she lived, so even if she wasn’t a companion, she was still around for the Doctor to visit, maybe even the newest member of the Paternoster Gang.
3. Rita
Death By Having Faith Stolen In ‘The God Complex’
Quite possibly the most stupid death of New Who since its revival! It was totally unnecessary and the fact Rita got to die while Gibbis lived still infuriates me. Rita was the perfect example of what a companion should be and even though she couldn’t necessarily come along with the Doctor, Amy and Rory because she wouldn’t fit in, it didn’t mean she couldn’t have been left alive for future visitations. Instead they killed her off for the sake of the plot to move forward and for the sake of making the Doctor realise his crucial mistake. I liked Rita. She was funny, friendly, smart and just very human. They didn’t make a big deal of her religion and the way she handled discussing it was beautifully done, it wasn’t a huge thing and it shouldn’t have to be. Having Rita alive would have brought some diversity amongst companions as well if they’d later decided to make her a full time companion. However her death eventually came, and that scene I hoped for where last minute the Doctor saved her sadly never did. I was totally disappointed and I don’t think a return, this long after her death will happen, nor would it be suffice. The damage is done and Rita is dead. If only her father hadn’t made her fearful of his reaction to that B she got in Mathematics, then maybe she’d still be alive.
2. Astrid Peth
Death By Sacrifice in ‘The Voyage Of The Damned’
Astrid Peth was quite possibly one of my favourite short time characters from David Tennant’s era, besides the person I’ve selected for Number 1 on this article. She was cute, different and found the universe to be beautiful, so much so that the remainders of her soul scattered off into it. Sacrificing herself to save the Doctor was a beautifully heroic move, however I wished the Doctor had saved her, again. This is difficult because in doing so she would have become a companion and then we’d never have gotten Donna Noble in Series 4. I loved Astrid, her heroic manner, the way Kylie Minogue interacted with Tennant and of course the incredible scene where she became engaged to Banakafalata. I can’t delve too much into ways she could have survived or how she could have fit into Series 4 because honestly, it wouldn’t have worked. I just really wished she hadn’t died. Kylie was a wonderful actress and the episode alone is fantastic. Her death, albeit sad and heartbreaking for those of us who wanted her to stay, was necessary. However it’s not always goodbye in Doctor Who, and I’m sure its somehow possible to make her return one day, whether it would work though is a whole different article.
Now for the character in first place. My favourite character of David Tennant’s era and perhaps the most necessary death of his time as the Doctor, but that doesn’t mean I can’t complain about why her character wasn’t just worthy of an ending in the same episode she first appeared in. In first place, I have the most stubborn Mars astronaut to meet the Doctor in all of his travels, the woman who single handedly took down the Time Lord Victorious and with her importance of being a fixed point in time, managed to fend off a Dalek just by looking at it…
1. Adelaide Brooke
Death By Suicide in ‘The Waters Of Mars’
Adelaide is quite simply the most remarkable short time character from David Tennant’s era that we ever got to see. She was stubborn, she was smart and she wasn’t prepared to let the last of the Time Lords swoop in and tell her how to live and how to die. She was convinced the Doctor had to much power and even in death she managed to shock the man to the core. Her death was 100% necessary and the show would not have come to a good conclusion for Tennant without it. Her death was the last straw for the 10th Doctor and made him realise he’d gotten to big, and had too much power. Regardless I’d love to see more of Adelaide somehow, she was incredible and I can’t help but feel that she was a major part of what made ‘The Waters Of Mars’ so great. I can’t think of many ways we could revisit such a character without her practically meeting the Doctor before their Bowie Base One encounter, but I’d still like to pay tribute to the character. She was definitely a match for the Doctor and her cruel words and suicide were definitely what brought the Doctor down a peg or two, making her perhaps, such a threat to the Doctor. It takes a lot for somebody to bring a man like the Doctor to his knees, and that’s why she is totally deserving of 1st place.
There we have them. My top 10 favourite characters who died too soon, but these are merely my opinions. Do you agree with my choices, or would you have chosen different characters? Let us know in the comments.
