I Have Concerns About Doctor Who Repeating The 15-Year Trope That Amy Pond Started

With Doctor Who revealing more about what’s to come from the upcoming season, there’s a moment in the trailer that makes me worried that showrunner Russell T. Davies is bringing back a companion trope that’s been used far too often – especially in the post-revival era. Entering the fray as a character initially shared by two actresses, Karen Gillan and Caitlin Blackwood’s Amelia “Amy” Pond was the first companion of Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. Although Amy wasn’t the first companion of her type, then-showrunner Steven Moffat really doubled down on the archetype’s key traits. Now, Davies is doing it yet again.

Amy’s complex backstory made her one of the best Doctor Who companions by the time Gillan left the show. Moffat replaced her with Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald, whose mind-bending timeline made Amy’s arc look positively pedestrian by comparison. Not all the Doctor actors have had a costar fitting into the same group as Amy and Clara, but it has been a far more prominent writing choice than it initially seems. Weirdly, Doctor Who season 15’s story is set to explore the trend again, which is a little concerning.

The Connection To Mundy Flynn Risks Making Belinda Another Of Doctor Who’s “Mystery Girl” Companions

Verada Sethu’s new Doctor Who character has an in-universe connection to her season 14 persona

Davies originally tried to mislead everyone by implying Verada Sethu would return in the upcoming run as a character unrelated to her debut in season 14, but I’m not that surprised that the new trailer has revealed Sethu’s presence in the Doctor Who season 14 cast was far more than just a guest star appearance. Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor confirms in the season 15 trailer that Sethu’s role as Mundy Flynn in season 14’s “Boom” is connected to the actress’ return as Belindra Chandra.

The enigma surrounding companions like Belinda pulls focus from Gatwa’s Doctor, which was one of season 14’s biggest problems, and Fifteen deserves more attention.

The nature of said connection between Mundy and Belinda has been left largely up to speculation for now, but I can’t ignore the fact that we just had a mystery girl companion in the form of Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday. With Amy and Clara both filling similar roles in such recent history, Ruby further saturated an already-overused Doctor Who trope, and I think Belindra also being a mystery girl makes things a little predictable. Plus, the enigma surrounding companions like Belinda pulls focus from Gatwa’s Doctor, which was one of season 14’s biggest problems, and Fifteen deserves more attention.

When Doctor Who’s “Mystery Girl” Trope Started

There were similar companions before Amy Pond

Amy Pond is the first companion to have such a compelling and mysterious storyline right from the start, so Moffat could arguably be credited as the originator of the trope. However, Russell T. Davies’ introduction of Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble in 2006’s “The Runaway Bride” could also be a possible origin of Doctor Who‘s mystery girl companions. Although she didn’t start with a lot of unanswered questions, Tate’s character started to become more and more interesting after she returned as a regular companion to David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor.

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Before Donna, Doctor Who‘s modern era had introduced Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones, and Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler before that. Although great companions in their own right, they were pretty straightforward characters, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Delving into Doctor Who‘s classic era, it could be argued that Sophie Aldred’s Ace was the Time Lord’s first mystery girl companion, which would mean Donna revived the trope for the first time in decades, and Moffat’s era built upon the idea even more with high-concept twists.

Does Doctor Who Need Another “Mystery Girl” Companion After Ruby Sunday?

Millie Gibson’s Doctor Who character left on a disappointing note

Ruby Sunday in front of the TARDIS in The Church on Ruby Road - Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023

Although I do enjoy most of the mystery girl storylines, I felt a return to a more traditional companion with Pearl Mackie’s Bill Potts alongside Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor was a breath of fresh air. When Chris Chibnall took over from Moffat and installed Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, her run was so dense with simultaneous companions that the position lost all meaning to me. So, when Davies returned as the showrunner, I was excited to see the old formula return, and even more so to find out what the mystery surrounding Ruby actually was.

With how close together seasons 14 and 15 were made, I’m very worried that Davies didn’t have the chance or the desire to avoid this letdown of a reveal from happening again.

Sadly, the “twist” of Ruby actually just being a regular companion with no special lineage really frustrated me. If she had been introduced as just a Rose-esque companion with no hidden past, I’d have really enjoyed the season 14 finale. With how close together seasons 14 and 15 were made, I’m very worried that Davies didn’t have the chance or the desire to avoid this letdown of a reveal from happening again. If Belinda’s exciting connection to Mundy isn’t anything rewarding in Doctor Who season 15, I’d say it’s time to retire the mystery girl archetype for a good while.