Top Five Big Damn Hero Moments: Victoria Waterfield (Doctor Who)

Victoria is unlikely to make too many Bravest Companion Lists, but she’s tougher than she sometimes gets credit for, and she has her definite moments.  While she’s most often remembered for her screaming, she brings more than that to the table (spoilers.)

Confronting Maxtible (Series 4, Episode 42 – “The Evil of the Daleks:  Episode 6”)

This is a guy who partnered with the Daleks, which led to her kidnapping and, ultimately, a bunch of people getting transported to Skaro.  When Maxtible gets Victoria to unwittingly play along in making her new friends think the Daleks are torturing her, Victoria has had it, and she lays into the man for all he’s done.  For a rather well-to-do Victorian girl, that can’t have been easy.

Confronting Kaftan (Series 5, Episode 2 – “The Tomb of the Cybermen:  Episode 2”)

Points lost for getting drugged by Kaftan, giving the villainess time to close the hatch, but Victoria makes up for it when she wakes.  She quickly realizes what’s going on and stands up to Kaftan, managing to disarm her when a Cybermat joins them at an opportune moment.  And it may not seem like it, but Victoria is also smart to accept that she doesn’t know how to open the hatch herself.  Instead, she rushes out to find help.

Escaping the Monks’ Custody (Series 5, Episode 8 – “The Abominable Snowmen:  Episode 4”)

I love crafty Victoria – this moment is a favorite of mine.  Having been told that she can’t see the inner sanctum, Victoria finds a way around that to satisfy her curiosity.  She meekly asks for food and drink, then fakes a coughing fit once she gets it.  While the monk who’s supposed to be watching her runs off to get help, she makes a break for it.

Picking the Lock (Series 5, Episode 27 – “Fury from the Deep:  Episode 1”)

This is another great moment.  Our heroes are locked up (as they so often are,) and while the Doctor and Jamie try to mess around with air ducts, Victoria matter-of-factly takes out a hairpin and picks the lock.  It’s the only time we see her do something like this, and we get no explanation as to how she learned it, but I love it – it’s a fun, unexpected skill for her to have.

Repelling the Weed (Series 5, Episode 34 – “Fury from the Deep:  Episode 6”)

Technically, this is the Doctor’s idea, not Victoria’s, but I couldn’t resist including it anyway.  The Doctor realizes that the weed is adversely affected by the pitch and frequency of Victoria’s scream, so he records it and plays it throughout the base to drive the weed back.  I just like that something regarded as so “damselly” actually ends up saving the day.