The UNIT
years introduced several characters whose companion status is debateable. The three main soldiers that the Third, and
later Fourth, Doctor interacted with regularly are involved in the episodes and
adventures, but they don’t get quite the same regard – from the show or the Doctor – as definite companions
from that time period on par with Liz, Jo, Sarah Jane, and Harry. The Brigadier is the closest to getting the
honorary companion label, thanks to his reappearances with later Doctors (and
again on The Sarah Jane Adventures,)
but Benton has at least some claim as well – he did go on a trip in the TARDIS
once, which might be enough to qualify him.
At any rate, I enjoy all the UNIT chaps, and Benton is a treat (a few
Benton-related spoilers.)
It’s
tempting to write Benton off as the UNIT booby prize. After all, if someone needs to be knocked
over the head, dressed down by the Brigadier, or temporarily de-aged to infancy
(yep, that happened,) it’s probably going to be Benton. Yates gets more of the cool action stuff, and
while the Doctor likes to treat the Brigadier like a simpleton with no head for
the extraterrestrial, the Brig is a commander who generally comes through when
it’s important. If a “sad trombone”-type
mishap is needed, who else but Benton can get the job done? Poor Benton can’t even get a bit of grub
while on duty without Yates waltzing in and pinching his sandwich.
These are
the moments that often come to mind first with Benton, but they’re actually
just a few prominent examples in an overall characterization that’s much more
even-handed than that. Even the
Brigadier’s exasperated way of saying, “Sergeant!”
is taken from that impression of Benton rather than his general performance as
a soldier. Benton makes his first
appearance with UNIT’s debut in “The Invasion,” before the Doctor’s exile, and
then sticks with the show through the Third Doctor era and fades into the
background, with the rest of UNIT, when Four goes his separate ways with the
organization in “Terror of the Zygons.”
While he’s not in every story, that’s a long time to be part of the
fabric of the series, and in that time, he does a lot of good for the Doctor
and for UNIT.
Benton is
hardworking and dedicated. On the
occasions when he does make a mistake, he works twice as hard to fix it and
goes above and beyond the call of duty without much in the way of
recognition. He has tremendous respect
for the Doctor and the Brigadier, and he’s very loyal to everyone at UNIT; if
someone is in a bad spot, he’s the first to want to help. Not to mention, he’s quite brave, on one
occasion offering to take the greatest risk upon himself because he knows he’s
more expendable than the Doctor or the Brigadier.
Personality-wise,
Benton is just an unfailingly decent guy.
As a soldier, he carries himself professionally, but he’s not so strict
about it that he can’t settle down and be personable. He’s friendly with the Doctor, his
companions, and his other colleagues, and his most identifiable adjective, I
think, is “nice.” I know that sounds a
bit “bless him, he tries,” as well as kind of bland – and he is, a little – but
by and large, I think Benton makes a good addition to the UNIT crew, a pleasant
character to have around who does his job well about 90% of the time.
Plus, I’d
say Benton still wins the award for best TARDIS reaction. As he takes in the sight of the console room
in “The Three Doctors,” the Doctor asks, “Well, Sergeant? Aren’t you
going to say, ‘It’s bigger on the inside that it is on the outside?’ Everybody else does.” Benton’s reply? “Well, it’s… pretty obvious, isn’t it?” Ha!
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