Harry
isn’t always the most appreciated of companions – the Fourth Doctor’s
declaration, “Harry Sullivan is an imbecile!” will forever live in infamy – but
there are a few important things to remember.
Harry never actually signs up to travel with the Doctor, and for much of
his time on the show, he, the Doctor, and Sarah Jane are actually separated from the TARDIS and trying to
get back to it, even more adrift in time and space than is usual for the
Doctor. But despite being thrown into a
situation he’s so unprepared for, Harry does find his bearings and contribute
to team TARDIS in meaningful ways during his tenure as a companion (spoilers.)
Reviving the Crew Members (Series 12, Episode 7
– “The Ark in Space: Episode 3”)
When
Nerva Station’s chief medic has more immediate matters to attend to, it’s
little wonder that Harry is a bit apprehensive when the Doctor volunteers him
to continue the job of reviving the crew members in their sleep pods: after all, the Doctor has been complaining
about Harry’s mishaps and evident uselessness pretty much since they left the
TARDIS. But the Doctor is ready to
believe in him now, and with a little nudging, Harry agrees that, having seen
the revivification process, he’s equipped to perform it himself. Unexpectedly in space for the first time in
his life, with dangerous aliens on the loose, Harry manages to operate medical
equipment from the future to bring key crew members out of their induced
sleep. Not a bad job for the old boy!
Sabotaging Styre’s Energizer (Series 12,
Episode 10 – “The Sontaran Experiment:
Episode 2”)
At the
Doctor’s instruction, Harry 1) sneaks into a Sontaran ship, 2) finds some
random piece of the circuitry that the Doctor has described to him, 3) removes
it, and 4) sneaks out again, all while avoiding detection. Even if the Doctor tells him to do it and
Harry doesn’t really understand why
he’s doing it in the first place, it shows off his bravery and capability and,
oh yeah, totally saves the day. His actions reverse the ship’s energizer, and
the next time Styre tries to take in energy through his probic vent, it instead
sucks the life out of him. Pretty
badass, even if Harry didn’t know it!
Stabilizing the Land Mine (Series 12, Episode
11 – “Genesis of the Daleks: Episode 1”)
Okay, so
I’m not really sure how it would help to stabilize the underside of a land mine once someone’s already stepped on it, but
we’ll just go with it; Harry saves the Doctor by wedging rocks under the land
mine and then holding it steady when the Doctor takes his foot off it. But more significant than what Harry actually
does here is the careful calm with which he does it. It’s probably the most cool and collected we
ever see Harry act in a crisis. I love
how he instantly steps into action, and when the Doctor urges him to back away
(so Harry won’t get caught in any blast if things go wrong,) Harry simply
points out that the Doctor has a better chance with him holding the mine and
adds, “Now don’t argue, Doctor.” Harry
Sullivan at his finest, in my opinion.
Busting the Chains (Series 12, Episode 18 –
“Revenge of the Cybermen: Episode 2”)
When
Harry and Sarah Jane are captured by the Vogans, Harry’s the one who realizes
that their chains are made of solid gold.
While Sarah Jane dismisses it as Harry being preoccupied with wealth,
Harry sees a more immediate opportunity:
since gold is a very soft metal, they can use a hard rock to get through
it. After a number of solid whacks,
Harry manages to flatten Sarah Jane’s ankle chain enough that she can slip her
foot through, freeing her.
Saving the Doctor (Series 13, Episode 3 –
“Terror of the Zygons: Episode 3”)
The
Doctor is in big trouble, with the skarasen/Loch Ness Monster bearing him on
him. Fortunately, Harry has escaped the
pod where he’s being held on the Zygon ship and, seeing the Doctor’s plight on
the monitor screens, he throws himself onto the control console and starts
desperately mashing buttons (a time-honored strategy for non-techie companions
everywhere!) The fact that it works is
just pure luck, but what’s more impressive is that Harry is surrendered by
Zygons when he does this. His kneejerk
reaction is to try anything to save the Doctor, even at great personal risk to
himself – aww.
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