We've Got Rubbish Companions, Haven't We?

[Si Hunt]

I didn't miss Amy or Rory at all during the Christmas Special, and it's sort of brought home what weak characters they are. Do you agree?

I have a bit of a dislike of both of them, to be honest. Not hatred exactly, they don't wind me up, but they're just a bit nothingey. Both are light and mildly humorous characters who at the same time don't really make me laugh.

I don't want the TARDIS to be like Eastenders, but two young, flippant, not really very interesting people is going to make next year a bit of a chore. It's a shame neither of them have any particular passion or spark about them.

How about some older, more weighty characters accompanying the Doctor?

Do you agree?

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

I don't know about rubbish, but I must admit that I find it hard to pin Amy down as character after a whole season of adventures - very different to any of the RTD companions of the past four years. I think that without Karen's very lively performance the character would have made even less of an impression.

The other thing that worries me - actually I'm not sure it worries me, maybe it just niggle me, but anyway, the other thing is that Amy isn't 'just' a companion, in that she seems to have a plot function. She's able to channel the power of the crack to bring things back into existence during season 1, and the whole "we discover the true nature of the Doctor and Amy's relationship" tag for season 2 suggests she's got a specific purpose in the story.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I'd just like a companion who's there to take part in various adventures, and who is there because he or she wants to be.

[Lissa]

Which of the new series companions is better though? Rose was made to be perfect in a misguided attempt to right various perceived (and inaccurate) wrongs in previous female companions. Martha was very limited because they thought that having a black Rose-lite was enough because they'd never had a black companion before. Donna exceeded all expectations but had a very limited shelf life before she went back to being annoying.

Going further back and you have to go all the way back to Romana to get a companion that's fun, funny and who travels with the Doctor for basically the same reason that he travels himself.

Rory is meant to be a bit rubbish. He's almost certainly a mistake who won't last the course next season (though he's been killed before so they've lost that option). But Amy is something special. Like Matt Smith I can't quite put my finger on why I like her so much more than any of the others but I do.

[Captain Tancredi]

I'd like to see the writers working with Karen Gillan's innate quirkiness a bit more next season- at times it felt as if one of her strengths as an actress was being wasted or reined in. Similarly I think Rory can correct one of the things that Who has never done particularly well by having a male regular who isn't just there to look after the girl and the Doctor- he's got Harry's essential decency and chivalrousness but with a more modern emotional range.

[Philipnet]

@Andrew Curnow
We had that with Rose too.
The whole Bad Wolf thing and it suddenly wasn't the Dr saving the day - it was the companion.

[Perry Vale]

I totally disagree, I love Amy & Rory, they're my favourite NuWho companions easily. I find their chemistry extremely enjoyable, especially that between Smith and Darvill. Keep them!

Oh and by the way, can we not have spoilers please, the season 2 "tagline" was something I was blissfully unaware of.

[SiHart]

I think Rory is really rather good. I hope he gets a chance to shine next year. There's loads of potential in the character.

Si xx

[Darren]

I hate Amy. She's arrogant and obnoxious. Get rid. They can hang onto Rory for a bit thhough as he's quite good.

[Rob McCow]

Well effectively we've got Amy, Rory and River as companions at the moment, with River as a 'Semi-regular'. I've warmed to Rory a great deal, he's still got potential and I'm looking forward to where this is all going next year.

That said, I think that stretching them out into a third year would be a bit too much! Season finale, they should be gone.

[duncan]

I didn't miss Amy or Rory at all during the Christmas Special, and it's sort of brought home what weak characters they are. Do you agree?


Si.

I totally agree. I was actually willing the ship to crash. I'm very sorry for the other 4001 or however many others would have died, but, the show wouldn't miss Amy. Rory's OK though.

I find Karen to be very wooden and I dislike her deadpan delivery of almost every line. I think she is one of the main reasons I didn't enjoy Series 5

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Hmmm - a Christmas special that's Amy and Rory lite ... gotta mean we're due an Amy and Rory heavy "Doctor-less" episode ...

[Philipnet]

Well effectively we've got Amy, Rory and River as companions at the moment, with River as a 'Semi-regular'. I've warmed to Rory a great deal, he's still got potential and I'm looking forward to where this is all going next year.

That said, I think that stretching them out into a third year would be a bit too much! Season finale, they should be gone.

I'd love to see this season's finale the episode where River is introduced to the Dr. That would be a lovely unfoldment of the River story we've seen the last three years and nicely wrap up four years of River Song.

As for Rory and Amy; well he seems quite a bit of a wuss - she obviously wears the trousers in that relationship. I could see their relationship explored during this season but I doubt the audience could take a subsequent (2012) season of it.

And then next year - sans River Song and Rory, would it be the Doctor and Amy show - or not???

[Dino]

Yes. They should be rid.
Although comes to think of it, if Matt Smith's Doctor had the "companionless Doctor" of David Tennant, then wouldn't he spend the whole series talking to and punching himself in the face?

Hmmm - a Christmas special that's Amy and Rory lite ... gotta mean we're due an Amy and Rory heavy "Doctor-less" episode ...

The horror! The horrorrrr!!!!

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I do feel like we've had a lot of things shoved down our throat about Amy - amongst other things is her supposed status as "sexiest Doctor Who character ever". Like the cavewoman in a leather swimsuit or Peri's bikini never happened.

Or maybe those polled were standing too close to the rift, or just have very short memories.

I think the ending of the Parting of the Ways was kind of a bit different - as it was basically that Rose could have run away if she wanted, but chose not to. I remember as a kid often wondering why, if things got a bit too difficult why the Doctor never just went "bugger this" and run off to safety. Okay not really heroic, but what I thought of doing. I know with the series return they touched on this a couple of times.

[Si Hunt]

Can I just say, what a lot of very intelligent, reasoned responses to my question. We really do have some great minds on this forum - you lot are great!

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

Oh and by the way, can we not have spoilers please, the season 2 "tagline" was something I was blissfully unaware of.

Sorry Perry. (Although I did only get it from Moffat's Production Notes, as I'm a spoiler avoider m'self.)

[Simon R]

I'm indifferent to them really. I think they're okay but both lack the X factor that Donna, Rose (when she was good) and the best of the rest have had. Arthur and Karen are fine but to me don't really bring anything other to the part than what is on the page. They fall into the same category as Martha for me although she like them had the occasional moment of being interesting.

I think to be a good companion you need that larger than life, comic book feel in the same way a good Doctor has. It's the same with soap characters. Amy and Rory just seem a little dull.

[Si Hunt]

Those of you that know me know I like to use non-fan family and friends as gauges of what yer average Casual Viewer thinks. So when messaged by my brother-in-law's Dad Geoff to say he and his wife Annie were "very much enjoying Doctor Who" I leapt in to ask him what he thought of Rory and Amy.

I'm afraid his response was "Who?"

Si.

[Simon R]

Did I imagine that Moffat once said he wanted to bring back Sally Sparrow from Blink as the companion? Obviously the actress is far too busy and successful nowadays but you could easily imagine her filling the Amy slot and whatever her boyfriend was called (Something Nightingale) could have done the Rory role quite nicely.

I actually think Liz 10 would make a great companion. She's got the x factor!

[Si Hunt]

Makes you wonder if Sally Sparrow and her friendship/romance with the scruffy bloke in "Blink!" was a model for the current Amy/Rory setup.

Si.

[Alex]

I think Amy's superb, a really fun companion and one portrayed brilliantly by Karen. Rory, however, is a damp squib, a Mickey Part 2, and largely an annoyance really. I just hope Moffat is able to make the character evolve in the same way that RTD did with Mickey, or at least have some reason for his being in the Tardis, as right now I don't think he deserves to be.

[LadyMarian]

I was torn... Voted yes in the end because I do like Amy. She's got some good companion spunk, pretty hair, and is clearly mad. All points in her favour.

But I don't like Rory. I get he's supposed to be kind of fail, but I just find no reason to like him. With the rest of the show being amazing there's just nothing remarkable about him. That contrast is not flattering. He bores me! I have too short an attention span to tolerate any extra boring people.

Sadly they're a package deal... Like the Rose & K9 toys I bought. (And yes I bought it for K9!)

[WhiteCrowNZ]

she obviously wears the trousers in that relationship.

Miniskirt? Yes. Hot pants? Yes.

But trousers? Never - the ratings would take a dive ...

[Stuart Wallis]

What about PVC trousers...?

I was willing to accept Amy til Rory became a regular; then we saw her mean streak come out, and i immediately thought "no!" I think I'd rather just have Rory the well-meaning bumbler or Amy as she was before Rory joined up; The dymamic doesn't work with the two of them together.

[Larry]

I'd like to see the writers working with Karen Gillan's innate quirkiness a bit more next season- at times it felt as if one of her strengths as an actress was being wasted or reined in.

for me Karen's strengths are when she's doing the emotional stuff and proves her self to be IMO a much better actress then Billie, Freema, and Catherine. Personaly I love both Amy and Rory, we have finally got ridden of all the companion in love with the Doctor, which quite honestly became irritating by the end of series 1 and Roses jealousy when the Doctor simply talked to another girl made her character unbarable by the end.

Freema, was ok but I don't think was given long enough to develop while Catherine though I liked her I think would of become tiresome if she'd done another series.

Amy, despite one or to moments has been great and Rory, despite him coming over as a bit of a hapless bloke had one or two moments when you saw there was a bit of toughness under there also he's the kind of bloke that you just can't help liking.