The following contains spoilers for Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor, which debuted Sunday, Oct. 23 on BBC America.
While fans of Doctor Who lament over the Doctor's many regenerations, it can also be painful when beloved companions have to say goodbye. During Jodie Whittaker's last outing in the TARDIS entitled "The Power of the Doctor," many companions united in a way that warms every fan's heart.
The Doctor's companions don't typically go back to living a normal life. In "The Power of the Doctor," 1980s-era companions Tegan Jovanka and Ace were investigating strange events without the help of the TARDIS -- like Sarah Jane Smith, Mickey Smith, Martha Jones, Donna Noble and others. Since the companions become like the Doctor in that sense, Graham did what a doctor would do. He created a support group for former companions to meet and tell stories, including a guest appearances from one who appeared in the first Doctor Who story 60 years ago.
Regeneration Is Easy, Recasting Companions Is Hard (for Doctor Who)
The Doctor's incarnations can be wildly different. The First Doctor seemingly collapsed from old age, whereas the Eleventh Doctor lived for something like 1200 years. The companion's arc, however, is mostly the same. They have a rip-roaring time in the TARDIS, get too close to the Doctor, almost die a few dozen times and then finally part ways -- sometimes unwillingly. Only about six of the 60 companions in the series (there's more in books and audio dramas) have died, so most go off and have their own adventures. Something about traveling with the Doctor and helping people sticks with them.
This is what made Graham uniting the former companions such a lovely coda to the episode. Yasmin "Yaz" Khan, still processing her feelings for the Doctor, went with Graham to the group meeting that included Ace, Tegan, Mel Bush, Jo Jones and Dan Lewis. The guest of honor was Ian Chesterton, one of the original companions from 1963's "An Unearthly Child," with 97-year-old William Russell reprising his role. Ian was the one who asked "I'm sorry, did you say 'her?'" Being in that room among friends and remembering the Doctor is a lovelier send-off than most companions get.
The Companion Support Group Should Be Back
While the TV series takes its time producing episodes, there are more Doctor Who stories available than ever before. There are comics featuring fan-favorite characters like Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor. There have also been Doctor Who novels for decades featuring stories about all incarnations of the Doctor. Most notably, there's a full range of audio dramas -- including Christopher Eccleston's return to the universe. But the companions don't always get to have all the fun.
The companion support group is a place these folks can come and talk about their shared experiences. It's also a place they can come to for help when something fishy arises that is below the Doctor's pay grade. Even if they don't end up headlining their own series like The Sarah Jane Adventures or Torchwood, knowing that former companions have this group is a comfort to fans who mourn their departures from Doctor Who.
Doctor Who returns in November 2023 on Disney+.