POINT OF DEBATE: SHOULD WE CONSIDER ROBOTS ACTUAL COMPANIONS?

While I was deeply involved in my intense analysis of the Three Companion Dynamic (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/04/analytical-threes-company-what-makes_7.html), you may have noticed me making a quick throwaway statement to the nature of: "I may someday write a POINT OF DEBATE essay about whether or not a robot qualifies as an actual companion." The idea has haunted me since the moment I conceived it. So, here I am: making arguments for and against the notion. 

Let's not waste time and get straight into it.  


PROS:

From a behind-the-scenes standpoint, it seems to me that the biggest qualification for a companion is that they must be portrayed by an actual actor. The Doctor could bring a plant aboard the TARDIS and have it sitting in the background for countless episodes and we probably still wouldn't call it a companion. It's a prop or a set-piece. Even if the Doctor talks regularly to the plant during various console room scenes, the plant needs to be able interact back for us to really start seeing it as a valid character that travels with the Doctor.

In this sense, then, a robot should, at least, partially represent a companion. Each time the Doctor has had a robot travelling with him, a voice-artist did the dialogue for it. So there is an actor in the mix somewhere, bringing the character to life.

If we continue with our plant analogy but switch the species slightly, we come to our second key element for a "true companion". What if the Doctor had a pet cat for a while? Would we consider that a companion? Probably not. The other main qualifier for a companion would be a display of full sentience. The two biggest traits for sentience would be the ability to experience real emotions and have free will. Some might argue that a cat does possess both of these characteristics These points, however, are usually made by people who are way too into their pet cats! Most folks, particularly those that work in the science community, would consider a cat to be partially sentient, at best.

Robots that travel with the Doctor might come closer to receiving that label. Maybe not so much towards the beginning of their run, but it does almost seem like they develop emotions and free will the more they stay with the Time Lord. There may be any number of explanations for this. The Doctor having low-level telepathy might cause his personality to somehow "rub off on them". Or he may have even made some adjustments to the automatons' circuitry to give them greater sentience. Or it may just be how most robots work: the longer they interact with organic beings, the more they assume their traits. Because sentience is such a tricky debate, we will take a closer look at this issue shortly and examine it on a case-by-case basis.


CONS:

Admittedly, this is an easier argument to make.

Yes, there may be a voice artist behind it all, but a robot companion is, technically, just a prop. Other performers might even act up a storm around the prop to make it seem like something more than that - but it's still an inanimate object that they're playing off of. Even John Leeson's attempts to crawl around on the floor of the rehearsal room to make K9 seem more real to the other cast members become nullified on the days of shooting when he is, ultimately, replaced by a remote control device. In the strictest sense, a robot isn't being played by an actor. It is enhanced by one. But that doesn't, necessarily, qualify as a full performance.

In terms of sentience: we could say that a lot of the emotions a robot might start displaying are probably artificial in nature. The automaton isn't truly experiencing feelings so much as it is just mimicking them. Particularly in the case of Kamelion - whose programming enables him to respond to the sentiments of organics around him and give them what they want to see (not just in an emotional sense, but a literal sense too - as he can change his form).

Free will might be the murkiest of waters for the "robots aren't companions" stance. In the case of three of the five robot companions that we've seen, there are definite moments where they appear to be making very conscious choices of their own. One might still argue that this is more of a sense of mimicry, again. But I would say an argument of this nature would be tenuous. These robots did, on occasion, seem genuinely independent. It may have only been for a matter of a few seconds - but it still happened.


CLOSER LOOKS:

With the basic Pros and Cons established, lets do a case-by-case study of the various robotic beings that have travelled with our favorite Time Lord.

SPECIAL NOTE: Some might argue that Nardole qualifies as a robot companion. There does seem to be, at least, parts of him that are technological rather than organic. So he should be included in this debate. While it's never made entirely clear how the Doctor re-constructed him after the clash with King Hydrax's body, it also seems that parts of Nardole are still flesh and blood. This makes Nardole more of a cyborg than an actual robot. Which means he is governed by a whole different set of rules and should not be brought into this argument.


1) Handles
According to the actual story of Time of the Doctor, Handles appears to be the automaton who was with the Doctor the longest. Apparently, he stayed on Trenzalore with him for several centuries. However, in terms of actual time on the show, he was only in one story. It should be noted, too, that he truly was a robot - not a cyborg. It's made clear in some dialogue early on in the episode that his organic components have been removed and he's just a databank, now.

Handles definitely supports the "Con" argument quite strongly. He clearly displays the obvious limitations of a robot. As is often the case with robotic sci fi characters, those limitations are used to comedic effect. On several occasions, he takes the Doctor too literally or lacks the understanding of social contexts. The best example of this sort of behaviour would be the extended discourse he has with the Doctor over when he should remind him to re-route the telephone in the TARDIS door back into the console. Something with even a little more sentience would understand what was being asked of it and not go on endlessly like Handles did to get proper clarification. The fact that his "dying words" are a reminder to re-route the phone into the console re-enforces this concept all the more. He had one last function to perform before shutting down forever and, good little automaton that he was, he made sure to accomplish it.

We do see the slightest hints of emotion to him. The best example of this is the way he says "Affirmative" in a frustrated manner when the Doctor keeps asking him if he's comfortable. This might even be a bit of an in-joke since K9 would often turn that term into something emotive, too.  We don't really see anything that resembles feelings from Handles in his earlier scenes. We only get sentiment from him after he's been with the Doctor for those several centuries. Which does lead us to believe that being around the Doctor for a while does get them to evolve the slightest of personalities.

2) Kamelion
He is, probably, the character that supports the "pro" argument the strongest. For a robot, Kamelion practically oozes charm. The voice artist that did his dialogue gave him the friendliest, most personable register rather than the monotone usually assigned to his kind. He also seems to exhibit a better sense of social grace and discretion. He doesn't behave in that painfully literal sense that we see from K9 and Handles that makes them almost awkward to be around. All these little traits definitely imbue him with what appears to be sentience.

Many would argue, however, that all this behavior is the result of very specific programming. Kamelion was created to mimic other beings. Not just in a visual sense - but also in the way they act. His portrayal of King John is a great example of this. He doesn't just look like him but also puts on his whole regal air. This would insinuate that he has all sorts of special software that enables him to synthesise the personalities of the subjects he imitates. More than likely, when he is just Kamelion and acts like he has human characteristics - that's probably some sort of mimicry, too. The whole thing is artificial.

Another element to Kamelion that works against the idea that he might be sentient is the fact that he is very easy to influence by strong-willed individuals. He responds quite frequently to the mental commands of either the Doctor or the Master. Almost to the point where we think he really has no free will of his own. Even at the end of King's Demons where he is being kind to Tegan, she suspects that the Doctor got him to say it. The ability to make your own choices, of course, is a key ingredient to sentience. It does seem like Kamelion lacks that trait.

Some of what we see in Planet of Fire, however, negates the idea that he merely mimics and has no personality of his own. The biggest attribute in favor of an independent Kamelion is the fact that he seems to experience pain. Several things happen during the story that gets him to legitimately cry out in anguish. Those moments definitely create a sense of empathy for him and get us to believe he does have real feelings.

Those last few minutes that Kamelion is still functioning definitely show some genuine free will at play, too. Tired of being controlled by the Master and being forced to do things he doesn't want to, Kamelion begs the Doctor to kill him. This is absolutely not the actions of a robot. Most of the time, they are actually programmed for self-preservation. But he genuinely seems to have lost the will to live and would rather not go on.

As he dies, I am led to believe that Kamelion has definitely grown beyond the confines of being a mere automaton.

3) K9 - Mark One
When you really bother to make the distinction, you realize the reign of K9- Mark One is quite short-lived. He is brought onboard the TARDIS in a similar manner to Jamie. His first story was, initially, meant to be his only story. But a hasty re-write at the end of Part Four turns him into another passenger aboard the Doctor's time vessel. This probably contributes to his sudden technical issue during Image of the Fendahl. This is the adventure that immediately follows his introductory story. The writer of the tale was probably not prepared to integrate the automaton into his plot so they came up with a quick device to write him out of the story.

The rest of the writers that season were probably given enough notice of the addition in the regulars and were able to include K9 in their episodes. But there does seem to be a bit of a struggle about whether his robotic qualities or his dog-like qualities should be played up. In The Sunmakers, for instance, lots of visual jokes are made with his tail. K9 gets scolded - tail droops. K9 receives praise - tail wags. Whereas he really does seem a lot more emotionless in Underworld. Again, I would attribute the inconsistencies to his spur-of-the-moment inclusion. Writers could only be so well-briefed and had to come up with their own interpretation of the character.

K9 does show slight signs of smugness during certain moments. Right in The Invisible Enemy, he claims to have superior knowledge to his creator. And he gets a bit smarmy when he says: "Machine mind calculates Mate in six moves." during his first chess match that we see with the Doctor. He even groans in frustration at the end of Sunmakers when the Doctor intentionally ruins the game.

The first model of K9 also exhibits some degree of independent will. He's told to stay aboard the TARDIS in Sunmakers but still goes out and investigates. It's as if his curiosity is capable of getting the best of him. He also decides to stay behind with Leela and Andred at the end of Invasion of Time. - even though the Doctor instructs the robot to come with him. If he were truly a machine and nothing more, he should always be obeying the commands of his master. But he does defy him. Some might claim that being hooked up to the Matrix may have somehow interfered with his programming and turned him into something more sentient. But that doesn't account for the disobedience he shows in Sunmakers.

While he really only gets four stories, K9 - Mark One still shows quite a few glimmers of being more than a mere robot. Most of the time, of course, he's a useful databank with a nose laser. But there are times when he becomes something with genuine sentience.

4) K9 - Mark Two
This is the robot companion with the most episodes in the bank. So we can probably do the best study of him. Interestingly enough, it's still not that easy to do. K9 is frequently instructed to stay in the console room at the beginning of an adventure and only joins the plot a few episodes in. Or he gets damaged for a while and can't really interact with anyone. This does seem to almost re-enforce the opinion by the Season Eighteen production team that "K9 just makes things too easy." Writers from earlier seasons also seem to recognize this and tried to keep him out of the story as much as possible.

Nonetheless, there are enough moments within K9-Mark 2's reign where the robot does display some genuine personality. Right from his very first scene in Ribos Operation, K9 shows tremendous enthusiasm about taking a holiday. We're seeing emotion from him immediately. There will still be plenty of instances where he acts more like a mere mobile computer with a laser, but there will also be scenes that contradict this and insinuate he's more than just a mere machine.

There is definitely a better sense of balance with this polarization of the character in this model. The clashing personality traits seem more calculated and less uneven than they were with Mark One. This is probably because the writers have now had some time to get their head around the character. Whereas K9 from the previous seasons was, very much, hastily thrust upon them. This time, the writers truly excel with Mark Two. There are even moments where they get the audience to feel genuine empathy for him.

Probably one of the strongest examples of this occurs in Stone of Blood when he incurs some serious damage fighting an Ogri in Episode Two. It's actually a bit touching when he suggests he should just be cannibalised for spare parts. Particularly since he so courageously defended the Doctor when the giant mobile rock awkwardly knocked the Time Lord out. We really shouldn't be feeling this level of connection with what is supposedly an emotionless being. But the sequence is quite effective.

Unfortunately, I find the decision to have David Brierly voice K9 in Season Seventeen works against the sort of rapport that was developed with the character. Leeson only gives a hint of silliness to the robot's voice whereas his successor does seem to take the comedy too far. K9 still displays emotions from time-to-time during the season, (when he's actually in it - he's, pretty much, absent from the first two stories), but making him so comical-sounding really takes us out of the moment. Just look at how the severe damage he takes in the awfully-named Creature from the Pit is handled versus the previously-mentioned sequence in Stones of Blood.

Leeson does return for Season Eighteen but this is also when Christopher H. Bidmead takes over as script editor. His love of "hard sci fi" means that he prefers a robot sounds and acts like a robot. So there are very few emotional moments for the character. This is also the season where K9 is almost always getting wrecked in a story so that the Doctor can use his wits to get out of jams rather than just get his dog to do it for him. So there's considerably less content for us to analyze because he is frequently unresponsive. In the one adventure where he doesn't take damage (State of Decay), he is told to stay in the TARDIS for the better part of two episodes. So there's not much to examine in that story, either.

While we do see some emotion out of K9 during Seasons Sixteen to Eighteen, there aren't a whole lot of instances where this model tends to show any kind of free will. Even when he does seem to act against  instructions, it's usually part of his actual programming. A scene from Nightmare of Eden illustrates this nicely. Romana gives K9 an order that will get him to leave her undefended. A Mandrel suddenly leaps out to attack her. In the nick of time, the robot re-routes his course and returns to save his mistress. Romana thanks him for his timely intervention but he explains that he's merely obeying certain protocols that have been written into his software. We could almost claim that he's trying to be humble, here. Or we could say that he's only a robot.

Ultimately, however, this version of K9 doesn't actually do much to support the idea that a robot qualifies as a companion. For the most part, he does seem more like just a machine.

5) K9 - Mark Three 
Okay, first things first. Let's address the Elephant in the Room: I will not be considering anything from K9 and Company. I have specified in other entries that I will not be discussing most spin-off material, here (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2015/03/doin-it-with-style.html). Also, let's be honest: it's best that no one considers K-9 and Company for anything!

However we can still examine School Reunion and a very brief cameo from Journey's End for any evidence of sentience. Even in that little bit of content, we do see some (it's amusing how, as usual, writers try to keep K9 out of the way for most of the episode). He shows some of his stereotypical smugness in Journey's End when he declares how simple his task is. And he displays a tonne of independence in School Reunion when he insists on sacrificing himself to stop the Krillitane. When he does "die" in the story, we definitely feel some more of that sympathy for him that we did during Stones of Blood.

One final note to make about some of the personality that K9 has shown in all of his models is that he absorbs both negative and positive character traits. K9 can be very intrepid, at times and shows a certain level of eagerness in his desire to assist his friends. But, as I have mentioned already, he can also be a bit arrogant in his intelligence. That arrogance can also lead to shortness in his patience. Look how he gets very irritated with Drax's distress beacon in Armageddon Factor. Or how he actually calls the TARDIS stupid in Invasion of Time. Quite amazingly, Leeson's vocal treatment somehow keeps him endearing when he behaves in such a manner.



FINAL CONCLUSION:

After a detailed analysis of all the robots that have travelled with the Doctor, the conclusion still remains fairly subjective. Yes, they do show hints of being more than just a collection of circuits and software. But is it enough? We could just as easily label them as mere props with talented voice artists working behind them.

I tend to agree more with the latter concept.  But, as with any POINT OF DEBATE essay I've written, the final choice is yours. I merely try to present both sides of the argument as comprehensively as possible. You decide for yourself.








I do greatly enjoy posting POINT OF DEBATE topics and already have another one in mind that you should be seeing soon. Whether it will be the very next entry I do or something further down the road remains to be seen...



Some other POINT OF DEBATE essays: 

What constitutes a Three-Parter in New Who? 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/09/points-of-debate-what-constitutes-three.html

What gender do we assign the Doctor? 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/08/points-of-debate-what-gender-do-we.html

Was Goronwy from Delta and the Bannermen secretly a Time Lord? 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/01/point-of-debate-was-goronwy-from-delta.html