The Second Doctor is well-served by his companions
At the start of Troughton’s reign, there is a lot of chopping and changing. The production of the show was notoriously tumultuous, and some of this is reflected by events on screen. Sadly, the worst offence is in the sidelining of Ben and Polly (the adorable double act of Michael Craze and Anneke Wills). Their final story, ‘The Faceless Ones’, barely features them at all, recalling the treatment Jackie Lane received at the end of William Hartnell’s era as the companion Dodo, who endured the ignominy of an off-screen departure from the show. However, it’s Frazer Hines as Jamie who is Troughton’s dependable rock, staying loyally with the Doctor from his second adventure, ‘The Highlanders’, all the way through to the end. Once Ben and Polly stay behind on earth, Troughton’s Doctor adopts the orphan Victoria (Deborah Watling) and later allows a stowaway Zoe (Wendy Padbury) to stay on board the TARDIS. They all reflect the Second Doctor’s absence of a sense of place or home. This is most beautifully played out in the scene between the Doctor and Victoria in ‘The Tomb of the Cybermen’ when he talks about his family and she mourns her father. Every pairing of companion to the Second Doctor is a palpable success. Even during stories less intriguing, it’s simply enjoyable spending time with the TARDIS crew. This would not always be the case!
