Of course, this didn't quite happen. An "Emergency" entry about the Timeless Child needed to be produced to deal with an issue I was seeing in various fangroups. But now that we've dealt with the problem (much to the chagrin of some Chib-bashers!), we can get back to our original intentions....
THE FIRST TIME....
For the first two seasons, they kept things pretty simple. Companions came, travelled with Doctor for a bit and then left. It was super-easy to determine who was just a supporting character for that story and who was in it for the long haul. Susan, Barbara, Ian, Vicki and Steven - a great little progression! The OCD Fanboy in me loved it.
But then, Season 3 came along. Vicki left at the end of The Mythmakers and Katarina seemed to be replacing her. It looked like she was going to be the Doctor's first "primitive" companion. How she would interpret all the advanced technology around her could prove quite interesting.
If only it had stayed that way!
Never afraid to be bold, the production team has the Woman of Troy killed off only a few episodes into The Dalek Masterplan. Immediately, a debate must ensue among the nitpickers. She only travels from one story to the next in the TARDIS and then dies. Should we consider her a companion? Or just someone who hitches a lift briefly with the Doctor and then has some really bad luck?!
But then things get even more complicated. Sara Kingdom seems to step into Katarina's place and starts travelling with the Doctor and Steven for the rest of The Dalek Masterplan. It looks as though she's going to be the new female companion. Which is cool because she's pretty bad-ass. However, just as it seems as though things are all sorted out, Sara ends up dying in the final moments of the story.
A short while later, Dodo comes along and gets a long enough stint aboard the TARDIS to be considered a legitimate companion. But there is this very muddled period between Mythmakers and Dalek Masterplan where we're very uncertain about things.
So, let's try to sort it out.
THE QUALIFIERS
Normally, when I am writing for this series, I will try to deal with just one character per entry (like I did with River Song last time). But, since we have two "grey area companions" that happen back-to-back, I figured we should tackle them both at once.
In my first entry in this series, I laid down what I felt were two very important "companion qualifiers". Two traits a character must have to be considered a proper companion. There are, of course, other characteristics that will re-enforce their identity - but these two absolutely have to be there.
They are:
Onscreen Longevity: A character has to be on the show for an extended period of time and we have to actually see them in multiple episodes.
Travelling in the TARDIS from Story-to-Story: A companion leaves with the Doctor at the end of a story and goes on to travel with him for several more.
If you'd like a more in-depth examination of these two traits, check out this link: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2022/03/point-of-debate-should-we-consider-them.html
SO HOW DO THEY MEASURE UP? - TRAIT #1
It should just be said, upfront, that neither Katarina nor Sara Kingdom do well in either of these categories. But, rather than slam the door in their faces, I will take the trouble to examine some other qualities that they have that could make them companions. But only after we take a thorough look at how well the Qualifiers apply to them.
In this first trait, Kingdom does a bit better than Katarina. The handmaiden begins her era mid-way through a four-parter and continues for the first few episodes of Dalek Masterplan. All in all, she gets about 5 episodes to her existence.
An episode or so after Katarina dies, Sara Kingdom first appears. From Episodes Four to Twelve of the Epic Dalek Tale, she adventures with the Doctor and Steven. Which gives her a total of 8 episodes. Some do like to note that she is actually trying to kill the TARDIS crew, at first. But this does not disqualify her in any way. Turlough attempted to murder the Doctor for 12 whole episodes and was still considered a companion the whole time!
The real problem lies in the fact that neither of these characters are really around for all that long. Especially when you consider the companions that came before them. Ian and Barbara, for instance, were in a whopping 72 episodes before they left the show. Steven Taylor got 45. Even Dodo -who would come after them and not even stay a full season - got a total of 19 episodes. This, to me, constitutes some real Onscreen Longevity.
Five and Eight episodes doesn't really cut it. There are any number of supporting characters who were never considered companions that were around just as long or even longer than these two (anyone who was in a 6-parter easily beats Katarina and several recurring characters, at the very least, tie Sara Kingdom).
It seems quite obvious to me that these two characters do not have adequate Onscreen Longevity
HOW DO THEY MEASURE UP? -TRAIT #2:
In this instance, Katarina comes out ahead. She, at least, goes from Mythmakers to Dalek Masterplan aboard the TARDIS. Which does mean she travels once from one story to another. I'd hardly say this really qualifies her, though. Can we really consider one trip of this nature to be adequate (there will be other characters that we examine in future essays that have also only taken one journey of this nature. Their status as a companion is also highly subjective)?
Sara Kingdom, on the other hand, doesn't fare so well, here. She does, indeed, take several trips aboard the Doctor's time vessel. But it's all within the context of a single story. Yes, it's one of the longest stories, ever. But it's still just one tale. In many ways, we can consider her to be in the same situation as the Laurence Scarman Example that I gave in the last essay of this nature. A supporting character can get a ride or two in the TARDIS. If it happens all in just one story, however, they're still just a supporting character.
If we want to be extreme nitpickers, Katarina scores a point for this trait. She does, indeed, travel from story to story aboard the TARDIS. It is only one trip, but it still meets the bare essentials. Sara Kingdom, however, definitely fails.
In the overall scheme, however, I would say neither of them properly qualifies to achieve this status. In my opinion, you have to show both of these traits to be considered a companion. Sara and Katarina both fail on the first one. And Katarina barely passes the second.
If we were to use this Measuring Stick alone, there would be no debate. I would not consider either of these women to be companions. They don't make the grade.
NOT COMPANIONS. AND YET, THEY COULD BE....
So, after being a Big Negative Nancy, let's bother to look at a few things that legitimately negate the two stringent premises I just laid down.
Probably the biggest argument in their favor is the plain and simple fact that the show worked to a certain formula back then. The Doctor travelled with, at least, one male and one female companion. When a companion left, someone of the same gender would arrive immediately thereafter. Sometimes there was an overlap and the new companion would be met in the same story that the old was leaving in (The Chase). Other times, we'd meet the new companion in the next story (The Rescue). So, even though Katarina and Sara Kingdom are only around for a very short time, they were fulfilling the role of the female companion while they were there. Other women who would have better longevity would come in after them and take up the role. But, for the brief time that they are there, Katarina and Sara are companions.
Secondly, both these characters are widely regarded by production teams and fans, in general, as being companions. According to my Qualifiers, they shouldn't be. We should be calling them something else. Allies or Supports or something. But not companions. And yet, in most discussions, we still refer to them as companions of the First Doctor. In the end, that's probably all that really matters. I can present facts all day to the contrary. But, if the people who made the show and who enjoy the show say otherwise, then who am I to argue?
The final bit of evidence that I should bring up is that famous flashback scene in Resurrection of the Daleks. As the Doctor is getting his memory drained, we see images of all his past incarnations and companions. While it is very quick and indistinct, we do see Katarina and Sara Kingdom in the sequence (although we don't see Leela - so, maybe, we can't take this evidence too seriously!).
THE FINAL VERDICT
As we make a good, broad assessment of the situation, we can see that Katarina and Sara Kingdom are a very odd case. Sometimes, the very solid qualifiers that I've laid down (if I dare say so, myself!) will only apply so well. Ultimately, other factors can come into play.
I do still think that their status in the show is a bit ambiguous. Even if they do show up in Resurrection of the Daleks flashbacks, that only carries so much weight. It's still difficult to claim with any solid certainty what they truly are. But I will also admit that things do lean quite strongly to the positive with this one. They are, for the most part, regarded as being companions.
What I find to be far more interesting about Katarina and Sara is that they demonstrate just how eager the show was to challenge its own formula. Less than 3 full seasons in, a key element of the format is radically altered. While most other TV is happy to just keep cranking out the same plot structure every single episode, Doctor Who is quick to re-invent itself on a regular basis.
This is one of the biggest reasons why I love this show so much. It rarely allows itself to fall into any kind of rut.
And a second installment in the Should We Consider Them Companions? series is complete. In some ways, it's a very special entry. This is the first time in the show's history that a debate of this nature arises.
The argument, however, returns again and again over the years. Which means there are more essays of this nature to come....
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