The Doctor-Companion Bond In Doctor Who Season 15 Is Crucial To Understanding His Status As The Last Of The Time Lords

As Doctor Who season 15 draws closer, Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu explain how the Doctor’s status as the Last of the Time Lords will shape his bond with new companion Belinda Chandra. The upcoming season will see the Time Lord attempt to return his latest companion to her own time in a journey through space and time. Doctor Who season 15 will also see the return of Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday, alongside Anita Dobson, Jemma Redgrave, Bonnie Langford, Alexander Devrient, and Ruth Madeley.

As the TARDIS prepares to materialize for Doctor Who season 15, Gatwa and Sethu sat down with ScreenRant and teased what the upcoming season has in store for the new TARDIS team and their dynamic. With the Doctor’s status as the Last of the Time Lords being brought to the forefront, Gatwa teased that his experiences will lead to him relying more on Belinda in their adventures, while Sethu teased that her companion’s bond with the Doctor will see her grow to care about the Time Lord throughout their travels despite the circumstances. Check out Gatwa and Sethu’s response below:

Ncuti Gatwa: Wow, I guess that’s just the narrative of the Doctor. He’s escaped a genocide and has been wandering throughout the universe on his own for the majority of the time. But I think you see it play out this season in the relationship that he has with Belinda and how much he leans on her.

He’s an alien craving connection, and I think you see that play out this season in their relationship and [how] they lean on each other and support each other. But yeah, it’s a very interesting question, and I think you’ll see it all this season.

Varada Sethu: Yeah, I think we’ve all been in situations where we are somewhere we don’t really want to be, but [Belinda] realizes pretty quickly that it’s not like she has a choice. They can’t seem to return to Earth on this particular date, so I think the process that I figured out was that she has to make the best of what there is right now, and that comes from forming a deep bond with the Doctor.

There’s a deep love and a trust in his instincts and in his intentions to get her home, it being very obvious that’s what he wants. He also wants her to be happy, so it’s a balance between, “Okay, we have to get through this for me to go home,” but also “I’m enjoying every moment I get to spend with this beautiful alien.”

How The Doctor and Belinda’s Bond Will Unfold In Doctor Who Season 15

The Doctor Is Drawn To Belinda By Past Adventures

Both Gatwa and Sethu have previously teased that the Time Lord’s past would bring him to Belinda in the first place, as his past adventures in Doctor Who season 14 brought him into contact with Mundy Flynn, an Anglican Marine also portrayed by Sethu prior to her casting as Belinda. Sethu stated that Belinda is a distant ancestor to Mundy, which itself played into the Doctor’s interest in her. When paired with Gatwa’s description of the closeness of their bond, it is likely that the past adventure has supported his confidence in her.

With this bond, the stakes may be higher than in the past season for Gatwa’s incarnation of the Time Lord. In season 14, the he was presented with multiple instances where he questioned whether his bonds and friendships were for the best, as 2024’s Christmas Special “Joy to the World” saw the Time Lord be encouraged to open his heart and find someone to travel alongside once more. However, with the Doctor having only just opened up again, he may face new pressures as he tries to keep his promise and return her home safely.

Our Thoughts On Doctor Who Season 15’s Last of the Time Lords Exploration

Gatwa’s Time Lord Will Be Exploring Well-Defined Characteristics

Being the last of the Time Lords has been a core element of the Doctor’s character across various incarnations in the revived era of the series, either due to the events of the Time War or the Master’s (Sacha Dhawan) wrath. With each revisitation of the concept, the Time Lord has either been pushed into isolating himself, or pushed to his limits and almost crossed his lines. As such, many may be eager to see just how Gatwa will approach the character trait through his portrayal throughout Doctor Who season 15.

Doctor Who

5/10

Release Date

December 25, 2023

Directors

Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Richard Martin, Peter Moffatt, Pennant Roberts, Lennie Mayne, Chris Clough, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Gerald Blake, Graeme Harper, Waris Hussein, Rodney Bennett, Mervyn Pinfield, Hugh David, John Gorrie

Writers

Russell T. Davies, Dave Gibbons, Kate Herron, Steven Moffat

Franchise(s)

Doctor Who