Graham comes with the same Thirteenth-Doctor-companion caveat as my post on Ryan. I like Graham, for sure, but I also have a bit of a hard time with him. With the challenge of introducing a new Doctor and three new companions at the same time, it’s been tough for any of Thirteen’s companions to get real definition and focus; Graham never feels as real to me as, say, Donna or Martha. That said, I still like him and what he’s brought to the show (some Graham-related spoilers.)
First of all, unless you’re counting River (or Wilf’s brief adventure with Ten,) you don’t typically come across a companion who has the appearance of being older than the Doctor – obviously, the Doctor’s always actually older, but you know what I mean. Companioning has historically been a young person’s game, with most in their 20s. Graham is from an entirely different generation, probably in his late 50s/early 60s. He’s been in a relationship with Ryan’s nan Grace for several years and considers Ryan his grandson, although Ryan takes some issue with that. Whereas a lot of companions have big dreams they want to fulfill or are still trying to figure out what their dreams might be, Graham already has a career he’s retired from and quite a bit of living under his belt. But that doesn’t mean he’s done.
Putting his age and different place in life aside, he’s not “companion material” in the sense of someone who would want to become a companion. He’s not seeking adventure or the wonders of the universe, and he’s not immediately drawn into the Doctor’s wild existence. But he knows how to roll with the punches and proves helpful, albeit somewhat begrudgingly, in the early adventures he gets swept up in. And when he first has a chance to go home and go back to his old life, he doesn’t take it. Why? It comes down to his relationships. First, there’s Grace, who’s killed at the end of “The Woman Who Fell to Earth.” Traveling with the Doctor helps Graham to cope with his grief in a more active way, helping others through time and space instead of staying home and drowning in his sorrow. Grace was bolder and braver than him, and I think traveling with the Doctor also helps him tap into those qualities in himself more. Second, while he lost a wife, Ryan lost a grandmother, and joining team TARDIS gives him an opportunity to connect and bond more with Ryan. In that sense, Graham is a little like Rory, who acquits himself very well as a companion but probably wouldn’t have ever chosen to be there if it weren’t for Amy.
But despite not having the usual companion motivation, Graham still has plenty of good companion traits. He’s observant and can think on his feet (I especially like how he handles working undercover in “Kerblam!”,) he’s compassionate (he connects with a lot of different people on their adventures, and he’s great helping Yaz talking through some tough stuff in “Demons of the Punjab,”) and although he can come across as more pessimistic than Ryan or Yaz, he ultimately believes in the Doctor and isn’t one to give up easily.
And he just adds a different dynamic to the TARDIS, which is good story-wise. The ways he relates to Ryan, Yaz, and the Doctor aren’t things we normally see on Doctor Who, and after over 55 years of Who history, the ability to do something different is an important one.
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