When you are travelling the universe with a Time Lord, sometimes it can take a lot to make you stop. Other times you just wander off or fall in love, staying behind with someone you’ve barely met.
Ahead of Amy and Rory’s departure from Doctor Who this weekend in ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’, we take a look back at some of the strongest companion exits in the show’s history…
#10: Ian and Barbara (‘The Chase: The Planet of Decision’)
Getting hold of the Daleks’ timeship, the school teachers seized the opportunity to get back home to the 1960s after enduring random travels in the TARDIS. At first the Doctor won’t hear of it, believing it to be too much of a risk, but he’s eventually persuaded.
The couple make it safely back to 1965, a mere two years since they left, but the Doctor is left bereft.
#9: Susan (‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth: Flashpoint’)
Original companion Susan fell in love, but she would never have left the Doctor’s side so he took the decision out of her hands. Locking her out of the TARDIS, he chose to give his granddaughter the chance of a normal life, albeit it in the Dalek ravaged world of the 21st century.
The first member of the TARDIS crew to leave, Susan’s departure prompted the Doctor’s oft-quoted speech which includes: “One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back…” and which introduced ‘The Five Doctors’, where she was reunited with her grandfather once more.
#8: River Song (‘Forest of the Dead’)
Though her companion status was dubious at the time, as we had only just met her, River certainly knew her Doctor. Well enough in fact to know that he would lay down his life to save the people accidently stored at the Library.
Taking the choice from him, River gave up her own life knowing the Doctor had a future with her still to come. Despite her death, the Doctor manages to salvage her essence for a digital afterlife of sorts, living with friends in the computer.
#7: Jo (‘The Green Death’)
In a simpler time, Jo Grant left the Doctor because she fell in love. In the days before a married couple had ever travelled with the Time Lord, this meant a parting of the ways.
Idealistic and spirited, Dr Clifford Jones intended to trek off up the Amazon rainforest and principled Jo went with him, leaving her three-year association with UNIT and the Doctor behind. The Doctor never looked so alone.
#6: Sarah Jane (‘The Hand of Fear’)
For want of a better word, Sarah Jane got dumped. The Doctor was off back to Gallifrey and she couldn’t come along. And so, with a few moments notice, she gathered her things and was unceremoniously left behind.
Sarah’s exit is beautifully played, apparently worked out by the actors themselves and chock full of unspoken emotion. Blissfully, it wasn’t the end for Sarah Jane.
#5: Rose (‘Doomsday’)
After the drama of closing the rift between parallel dimensions, and Rose’s fall towards the void, there was just time for a heartbreaking, but non-physical, goodbye on the beach at Bad Wolf Bay. Burning up a sun just to say goodbye, the Doctor finally summoned the courage to admit his feelings, but lost the connection before he had a chance to say.
Beautiful and touching, sadly that was not the end. Teased through the whole of Season 4, and in the flesh for the final three episodes, Rose appeared again to help defend the multiverse from Davros’ reality bomb.
Finally we returned to that beach again, with Rose gaining custody of half-human Doctor 10.5 and presumably given strict instructions not to go ripping holes through the dimensional void again.
Continued on Page 2…