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Prompt:
After watching these two episodes, discuss the role of the companions. Why are the companions there? In your analysis, compare and contrast the Doctor's relationship to his companion Rose from "The Girl In The Fireplace" with Sally Sparrow's relationship to Larry Nightingale (he serves as Sally's "companion" in her investigation of what is going on) in "Blink".
Wonwoong
In my opinion, companions such as Rose and Larry Nightingale show us the fact in which companions can not coexist with themselves in other
space or at the same time. According to the theory of time travel, the writer suggests the time traveler may never coexist with oneself at the
same time because the coexistence between oneselves will lead to great confusion over the world. Thus Larry Nightingale disappeared and gave some help
for Sally Sparrow in advance. Also, I thought that "The Girl In the Fireplace" is completely based on the Theory of Relativity. In "The Girl In the Fireplace",
Rose said " where were you for five hours?", but the Doctor broke the tunnel of time travel, went to Madame de Pompadour, saved her, and stayed in there
while Rose stays in the universe. There was the gap between the earth time and universe time. I think that the reason why Doctor say "good bye" is to show us
the different time passage between the Earth and the universe. Both Doctor and Rose may not know when they meet again exactly. Therefore, companions are the example of the different time passage and the only existence, even though they will be in different time and space.
Arielle
After I had watched the two episodes of Doctor Who, I realized that both Sally Sparrow and the Doctor both needed a companion to figure out the mystery. In “The Girl in the Fireplace,” The Doctor discovered a ship drifting out in space while he was with two companions (the more important one being Rose) that had doorways that lead to the past of Madame de Pompadour; because the name on the ship was SS Madame de Pompadour. Rose soon became jealous when The Doctor had to save Madame de Pompadour from futuristic robots that were trying to take hold of her brain.
His companion Rose clearly had feelings for the Doctor as you see her reacting jealously to him having interest in Madame, and repeatedly asking why her? Why was she so important that the robots thrived off just her brain to finish the ship while she was secretly asking why did the Doctor like Madame more than her? She is there to cause the Doctor trouble as well as make sure everything moves smoothly and he gets back safely while he’s time traveling. She relied on the Doctor with her life, but the Doctor seems oblivious to the interest Rose has in him. The Doctor prefers to work on his own while Rose is back in the time machine just waiting for him to return from the 18th century.
In “Blink” Sally Sparrow has to figure out why everyone she cared for is slipping away into time. And in order for her to figure it out, she needed help from Larry, because he was the one who had already helped her in her past. He is the guy in her future that wrote down the conversation Sally had with the Doctor and who helped Sally further figure out the mystery. Unlike The Doctor, Sally realized that her companion Larry had feelings for her and began to think being with Larry was an option for the future after running into the Doctor on the street. She knows she will need Larry in the future in order to receive her clues to figure out her life through time.
The companions are there to further help the Doctor and Sally Sparrow figure out what is going on, but both the companions have feelings toward the character they help, Sally knowing about Larry but the Doctor not knowing about Rose.
Julia
The purpose of the companions in the two Doctor Who episodes was not only to enable the intricacies of the various time travel plots, but to engage the audience in social intrigue and further develop the facets of the main characters. In the case of Sally and Larry in "Blink," he is not only an integral part of ensuring her future path comes full circle, but a character who contributes to the factual plot of the episode. He provides her with the list DVDs, explains about the easter eggs, and transcribes her "conversation" with the Doctor. In this instance, Sally is the one who chooses a romantic relationship with her companion, as she understands his significance. However, this contrasts with the relationship between Rose and the Doctor. As his apparent regular companion, Rose serves not only as an ally who can travel and operate separately from the Doctor to aide in plot development, but she is also obviously romantically interested in him. Her jealous behavior creates a more human and emotional aspect to the show and characters, as opposes to purely addressing science fiction and time travel. In this way specifically, companions not only serve their main characters, but the audience as well. If they did not provide a fuller story line for the episodes, the show would undoubtedly be less well-rounded and engaging on multiple levels of human interest. Time travel companions allow the viewer to expand their understanding of time travel, its intricacies, and the effects it can have on an individual personality in contrast to multiple ones.
Mike
The companions exist to do a number to things. I believe the companions exist to add another dimension to the plot of the series, which is love. The show now not only becomes about time travel but about our infatuation and passion for the idea of love. This makes for a rich show that can have mass appeal. I believe the companions are also there in order to make the characters more relatable. Meaning they must have companions because it is human nature to have a companions and it has become a construct within our culture (even if it does neglect audiences of non-hetero sexuality in some aspects). I also believe the companions exist to serve as a reference point within a timeline. They must exist in some place so that it makes the idea of time travel possible and more easily consumable. Another reason, I think they exist is to simply making the narrative more interesting by creating a relationship that is somewhat unobtainable. It serves as a way to string the audience along by confirming there relationship at the same time making the relationship's future questionable. Also, more importantly they exist to help the characters complete a series of events in order to solve a mystery and or problem within the chain of history.
The relationships between the Doctor and Rose, and Sally and Larry are quite different but share commonalities. They are same in the right that both companions help the characters, serve to establish a history, help develop identities, and create an emotive response (in some way of the other) from the viewer. In the particular case of Doctor and Rose seen in "The Girl in the Fireplace" the relationship between the two is veiled to the Doctor's eyes because of his lack of reception to Rose's body gestures, language, and indirect (but pretty obvious) infatuation. So the relationship exists on two levels one as partners and the other as future lovers, but this is not until later in the series. The relationship between Sally and Larry is different because it is more direct and each character is aware of eachothers relation to histories. It shows them pursuing interest with each-other early on while further establishing there characters and link to the plot of the narrative. Larry is key to the plot as well as the romantic relationship with Sally. He serves in the development of the internal history within the series as well as the relationship within the internal history. Both relationships exist to make the narrative more entertaining.
Joe
The companions are there to assist the main character. As a plot device, they would also allow for the main character to voice their thoughts, which makes them clear to the audience. They can also further the plot by asking questions, allowing the audience to understand and gain insight on the situation, may get into trouble, and of course assist the main character. In “The Girl in The Fireplace”, the Doctor’s relationship to Rose and Mickey are certainly helpful as they help find other time windows while on the ship. They also question the motives of the mechanical people, which is something the audience asks. We are then answered as the camera reveals the name of the ship. In “Blink”, Sally’s relationship with Larry Nightingale is more forced as Kathy Nightingale has requested Sally find him. But, Larry is able to assist positively, as he compiles the list of the DVDs that contain the message, and later the two become romantically linked, and their relationship is related to the events that send the doctor back to the past, and the information given to him also aids their past selves.
Christopher
The role the companion plays in the Doctor Who’s episodes are similar. In the episode called “The Girl in the Fireplace” The Doctor travels to a space ship with a portal to the 17th century. The doctor travels through it various times in order to save a noted historical figure. His companion Rose remains on the ship in a fixed time line in the present. She serves as an anchor for the Doctor, She lives in the present when he “came from” and when he will return to. But his feelings for the Madame in distress serve to distract him. He spends plenty of time with her in the 17th century while Rose waits alone. Without Rose he could just as easily forgo his present for the Madame’s past and remain with her “forever”. But he has feelings for Rose as she does for him. So he returns to his companion. The companion in “Blink” has many of the same elements. Larry serves more as a convenient plot device as much as a trusted cohort to Sally. Larry helps her along her path of discovery and the ultimate liberation of the Doctor. The Companion is necessary in almost any time-travel story. A lone traveler who’s become unstuck from time loses its drama, if they have no “home-time” to return to then what ultimately becomes the purpose for all the traveling? They become in essence immortal and isolated. The companion serves as a humanizing element. If only Gods can truly manipulate time without consequence then humans will just have to work together to get the job done.
Cristina
In the Dr. Who episode of “Blink”, Larry Nightingale acts as an aid to Sally Sparrow in helping her resolve the strange occurrences of missing friends and in decoding messages from the past. Without him, the mystery of the Easter eggs embedded messages would have never been decoded. Through this, they develop a bond and eventually open a store together. In the end it appears that they begin a romantic relationship and will have a future together.
In the episode "Girl in the Fireplace", Rose assists Dr. Who by keeping track of the himr. She is the person the Doctor always returns to; a constant companion. She provides friendship and a sounding board, possibly preventing him from losing his mind from all of his time traveling.
In both instances I think the companions acts as an anchor for the Doctor. Without them he could just be fumbling through space and time, but with them they provide more of an understanding of who the main character is and how he relates to those close to him. They provide a human touch to the world of Sci-Fi. They also provides more of an incentive to tune in every week because they offer more layers to the show. Each character has a different experience with time travel. As a viewer, it is interesting to learn what time travel can be like from each character’s perspective.
soap.
Doctor Who:
In the Girl in the Fireplace, Rose is really what keeps the doctor grounded and keeps the story progressing in a way her constant disappearance and capture force him to travel through the ship and as a second consequence of this curiosity coupled with said previous, through time. She delivers the message and ends up consoling the Madame. But there is one role that she plays best. The role of the jealous something or other. Something or other for the lack of yet attaining the girlfriend title.
“What’s good about sad? It’s happy for deep people.” In Blink, Larry is there to fuel her curiosity or paranoia on the subject. At least that’s how it starts. He deepens the mystery. He finds the “Easter egg” on the DVD’s, and writes the script. After that, his only real role was to have a starring contest and then, eventually becomes a love interest. Actually, his role can be summed up as to suck her into the world of weird and/or paranormal, and to bring her back out into normalcy.
Andi
The role of the companions is to support and reassure not only the main character, but the viewer as well. Many of the thoughts that the viewer is experiencing are projected through the companions. The things we might ask if we where there. For example, in the last section of the "The Girl in the Fireplace", the Doctor’s companion Rose asks why they would take Madam De’Pompadour brain. The same question I was wondering whilst the show was ending. She is the connector between everyone in the show and the doctor, as is shown when she warns De’Pompadour 5 years prior to the attack. They are able to connect because they are in the same situation with their feelings.
Sally’s Relationship with Larry is much like the doctor’s with Rose. He assists her in her search and supports as well as answers all of the questions he can. He also helps move the story along in a smooth transitional way. Her supporting character is not just some random man she found on the street, he is connected to the entire story.
I believe the companion to be necessary in any time travel story, a traveler needs an anchor to remain grounded. A person in the same situation but with a different mind set, to help keep their feet on the ground. It would be very simple for a traveler to get carried away if there was no one there to remind them what they really are and where they actually came from.
Kelvin k
These companions in Dr.who's drama series have tasks to harmonize the paths with Doctor, who is called the Time Traveler. The Doctor finds a clue from them, which, he can use their giving clues, which he can use it to solve the problem while traveling times such as knowing Alien's existence and key to go back time so these companions can have coexistence with their own nature. The actual setting of Dr. Who seems to have strong bond with companions and Dr., which they unfortunately cannot refuse to see each other. Because that way the story keeps continued to resolve the right path for time with interesting fictional story. As for more detail, Sally Sparrow's relationship with Dr. in "Blind series". It was not like a lover or anything except a comrade or friend who help each other. Anyhow, with short amount time, both Dr. and Sparrow connected by Doctor's recorded video message to warn Sally and eliminate danger of aliens(Angel Statues) so the coexistence of time can be balanced. The story basically was about a request for help from Dr. to Sparrow and help him to take back his time travel ship. The character named Larry Nightingale seems like a friend's cousin and Sparros's boyfriend in the end. The connection that given by Dr., Larry and Sparrow have close lovey-dovey relationship, which it can be the path by luck or Dr.'s plan.
It's even same for the other series like the "Girl In The Fireplace". well this one actually was more like a secret lover relationship with Dr. and Queen of British. Their love was not long enough because their time flowing was too different. This part is most romantic but tragic because Dr. had to see Queen's death.
This time travel has difficult fictional story from the existence of nobody, which it may not reveal our history too. Doctor and these companions in series are having magnificent fiction to make our interests, which i believe it is cause by different background and cultural effect.
Cynthia
After watching both episodes of Doctor Who, something caught my attention and made me wonder if it were the common constant in the rest of the episodes: loneliness. I believe that the characters chosen to be the focal point are lonely people who have simple lives and don’t engage in social gatherings much. For instance, in “The Girl in the Fireplace,” Madame de Pompadour pointed out that the Doctor was lonely as she saw it while he opened the ‘doors’ to her brain. Similarly in “Blink,” Sally Sparrow had one and only one friend, Kathy Nightingale, whom she confided in and spent her time with.
On the other hand, apart from the loneliness factor, in both episodes, the companion had a vital role in assisting his or her partner: In “The Girl in the Fireplace,” the Doctor sent Rose to the 1920’s in order to explain to Jeanne Antoinette Poisson what is going on with the ship and the clock while the Doctor did his work in another world at another time. In that case, the companion served as a helper to make sure they both attain the goal they need to reach successfully before it’s too late. In “Blink,” Larry Nightingale was an assistant as well; seeing that he had all the difficult “egg” information for Sally as well as the list of seventeen DVD’s. Also, he possessed the script of the DVD’s that he had written. Without him, Sally would have never known what was happening and would have never been able to get a hold of all the information and put them together.
Last but not least, I believe there is a hidden message (a moral lesson) behind the ‘companion’ idea: we all live in a world where human beings thrive to be in control and get ahead. A big number of people believe that they can do and achieve and move forward on their own. I believe that the hidden message in these two episodes is that living and working alone is not always helpful. Having a partner and asking for help (which a lot of people have a hard time doing) is sometimes worthwhile and might just facilitate the job. In both episodes, we notice people being paired up: In “The Girl in the Fireplace, “ The Doctor is paired up with Rose. However, when he travels to the 1920’s his partner becomes Madame de pompadour, while Rose’s partner becomes the other guy who was with them on the ship. Similarly, in “Blink,” Sally had several minor partners: first Kathy, then the inspector, then Larry, while the Doctor had the woman who was stuck with him in 1969. Partnership is noticed to be a hidden key factor I believe. One additional reason for it might also be to save one another from any jeopardy any of them might fall into.
Yat
The companion in Doctor Who is a character that travels with the doctor in a time travel adventure, and they are females that the doctor encountered in different episode throughout the series and oftentimes they involved in a relationship or love with the doctor. In “The girl in the fireplace”, Doctor traveled back in time to save Madame while he fell in love with her. Meanwhile, Doctor traveled with his companion, Rose where they had established a relationship before. Throughout the episode, Rose had shown some kind of jealousy of the romance between the Doctor and Madame. I think the companion characters serves as a doctor helper, but yet they always leave a trace of romance throughout the course.
The role of the companions is always there to support the main characters, and characters like Rose, and Larry Nightingale are able to connect the viewers in developing a relation to the main characters. In this series, the companions help the characters, serves to establish a history, help develop identities, and create an emotive response from the viewer
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