Doctor Who’s Forgotten Families
Guest contributor Daniel Boyle ponders whether recent companion’s families have been too ignored.
Since Doctor Who returned in 2005 companions have been explored by writers over the years like no previous ones in the classic series, but are they missing something of late? My answer is simple: yes! In recent years there seems to be a lack of attention/little interest on the writer’s part when it comes to family.
One of the best examples of the use of family to create a ‘real’ companion was the Tyler’s. As we know Rose lost her father when he was hit by a car, was brought up by her single mother in an estate and had a rubbish boyfriend and a boring life. I think this added another dimension to Rose on the show as it made her very relatable to viewers and we learned more about her due to this.
This theme of the use of family in plot continued for Martha and Donna, but when it came to Series 5 it all began to fall downhill. In the finale, The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang we all found out what happened to Amy’s family, they returned, which was great! And in Series 6 they… Wait what happened to them again?
In Series 7 we were finally introduced to Rory’s father Brian, who didn’t appear at his own son’s wedding, but then wasn’t mentioned or seen again (although I know there was a scene cut from The Angels Take Manhattan).
As for the current companion, Clara, we learned that her mother died, although there has been no mention of this since, so I’m starting to think it was just thrown in there. Having said that, I do feel as though Moffat is starting to use family a little more now though, as Clara had Christmas dinner with them, and her gran more recently featured in Dark Water.
A good use of family would have been for Danny Pink’s story: I feel as though if Danny Pink’s family were brought into the show his death would have had a bit more of an impact as they would have shown the grief Clara never did, which would highlight how alien and detached she has become.
Having family in the show isn’t exactly necessary, although I do believe it adds a lot to the character and their background, in turn creating a ‘real’ companion. I do believe the writers could use family more in the show, but I feel as though the writers are starting to notice.
A further thought: Could Clara’s mother’s death be significant this series? After all her death date is significant as it was the day the Doctor blew up the shop in ‘Rose’. Could the Doctor be responsible for her death? Or will it be ignored like other parents over the years? I guess only time will tell!
Thanks for reading, let me know what you think about the subject in the comments!