Even
though the Three era gave us three main UNIT guys, Capt. Yates is the only one
who tends to get framed in a more traditional “soldier/action” manner. While the Brigadier and Benton both have
their badass moments, the Brigadier is often in more of a supervisory position,
and Benton, well, bless him, he tries.
Yates, though, is the one who gets the “derring do” role the most often,
and so, as per my custom with the more action-oriented companions, I’ve looked
through the assorted “Yates shoots at bad guys” scenes to find moments that
have a little more individuality (spoilers.)
Tracking the Thunderbolt (Series 8, Episode 8 –
“The Mind of Evil: Episode 4”)
Yates is
heading a team moving the deadly Thunderbolt missile to a secure location when
their convoy is hijacked by the Master’s goons.
After radioing the Brigadier and taking fire from the baddies, Yates
steals a motorcycle and tails them.
While it’s true that he gets captured for his efforts (more on that
below,) it’s not until after he finds out where they stash the missile.
Escaping Captivity (Series 8, Episode 9 – “The
Mind of Evil: “Episode 5”)
Yates
already gets points for keeping cool under pressure when captured by the
baddies, showing the Master a resolute stiff upper lip. But he also manages to get himself out of his
predicament; after sawing through his bindings, he lulls a guard into a false
sense of security by pretending to be asleep, then clobbers the guard when he
gets too close and steals his gun. All
in a day’s work at UNIT!
Covering for the Doctor (Series 10, Episode 24
– “The Green Death: Episode 4”)
This is a
tiny moment, but I like it all the same.
Yates is working undercover at Global Chemicals, and the Doctor sneaks
in for a quick look-around. When Yates
discovers the Doctor – disguised as a cleaning woman – he handily loses the
security guard who’s accompanying him, waiting until the elevator doors are
already closing on the guard before he (Yates) pops back out, inventing a
reason he has to run back to his office.
It’s a nifty little trick, and then Yates gives the Doctor the dirt he
needs (after ribbing him for the disguise, of course.)
Returning to Global Chemicals (Series 10, 26 –
“The Green Death: Episode 6”)
When
Global Chemicals discovers that Yates is really a UNIT agent, they hypnotize
him and send him to kill the Doctor.
Luckily, the Doctor is able to break through the conditioning with a Metebelis
crystal, restoring Yates’s mind to him.
What’s noteworthy here is that, after what he’s been through, Yates goes
back to Global Chemicals on the
Doctor’s instruction, using the crystal to de-condition Mr. James and figure
out what the B.O.S.S.’s evil plan is. We
learn later in the series what an effect this whole experience has on Yates, so
his ability in that moment to buckle down and return to the belly of the beast
is admirable.
Protecting Tommy (Series 11, Episode 26 –
“Planet of the Spiders: Episode 6”)
There’s
that Metebilis crystal again, causing trouble this time! The men at the meditation center are
desperate to get it back, and they’ve pooled their psychic energy, heightened
by the Metebilis spiders, to blast Tommy with psychic shocks. He’s buckling under the onslaught when Yates
rushes in, taking the blast himself to protect Tommy. After everything that went down in “Invasion
of the Dinosaurs,” it’s good to see Yates working to better himself, and
risking his life to save someone else is very in line with the old Yates.
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