Favorite Characters: Vicki Pallister (Doctor Who)

Before rewatching the First Doctor seasons, I would’ve expected to write a Character Highlight post on Vicki instead of a Favorite Characters.  The second time around, though, she really sneaks up on me.  More than just a replacement for Susan, she’s a fun, engaging character with a lot to recommend her (a few Vicki-related spoilers.)

A human girl from the 25^th century, Vicki was supposed to be part of an off-world colony, but the ship carrying her, her father, and the rest of the colonists crashed on the planet Dido, where some serious crap went down while they were waiting for rescue.  By the time the TARDIS lands on Dido, she and one other colonist are the only ones left from her ship, the rest seemingly killed by the planet’s hostile inhabitants.  Even though, once the Doctor and co. neutralize the danger, a rescue ship is very close, it still makes sense why she agrees to join the TARDIS rather than return home.  There’s nothing left for her there, and despite the rocky start she has with Barbara, it’s only natural for her to want to make her way with people who helped her out of a harrowing situation instead taking her chances on her own.

Like most companions who come to the TARDIS after particularly traumatizing experiences (see also, Victoria and Nyssa,) Vicki adjusts far more quickly than she should, but that’s to be expected.  It’d be hard to depict adventurous romps through time and space with a teenage girl who’s still processing the violent death of her father and the survivor’s guilt of being one of only two people the escape the massacre of the colonists – trying the put the tonally-dissonant elements together, you wouldn’t be able to do either well.  So, I understand why Vicki soon emerges as a clever girl with a curious eye and a bit of a mischievous air about her.

Vicki isn’t a genius like Zoe or Romana, but her 25^th-century upbringing came complete with education in the form of knowledge uploaded directly to her brain, so she’s acquired a huge amount of knowhow without much effort.  As such, she’s blithely intelligent – not really arrogant about it, but she just takes it for granted that everyone ought to know as much as she does and is bemused/surprised when, say, Ian and Barbara don’t know what she’s talking about.  Sometimes she comes through in a brainy way, like when she sneakily reprograms a computer in “The Space Museum,” but more often than not, her smarts come in handy in more everyday-practical ways.  She’s good at improvising solutions and gets herself out of numerous jams with her quick reasoning.

Some companions from TARDIS duos/trios/tetrads are at their best playing off of another companion, but I enjoy Vicki best when she’s paired with the Doctor.  Though he initially brings her onboard with a surrogate-grandfatherly fondness borne out of him missing Susan, they become quite the entertaining twosome.  I love scenes of them getting in and out of trouble together, both using their individual smarts to make it through when they land themselves in inevitable scrapes.  They’re a blast together in “The Romans” (I dare you not to love, “Oh, something else I forgot to tell you:  I think I’ve poisoned Nero,”) and “The Crusade” is another memorable serial for them.

Truly, during Vicki’s brief time on the TARDIS, she carves out her own place that’s distinct from Susan’s despite fulfilling a similar role, and as the first “replacement” companion, she was vital to the show’s long-term sustainability.