Sunday, August 30, 2020

Top Five Big Damn Hero Moments: Mel Bush (Doctor Who)

Despite her time on the show being short-lived (and being known best for 1) her incredibly loud scream and 2) her obsession with exercise,) I actually like Mel quite a bit. I think she’s a reasonable match for Six, and she’s fun with Seven in season 24. Her episodes may be limited, but she still managed to sneak in some Big Damn Hero moments during her tenure as a companion. These are my favorites (spoilers.)

 

Investigating (Series 23, Episode 9 – “The Trial of a Time Lord:  Episode 9”)

We meet Mel in media res, with her already a companion, and with this adventure, she instantly proves herself to have a keen mind and a hankering for the action. There’s a mystery afoot on the ship, with the Doctor summoned there for reasons unknown, and she basically champs at the bit to figure out why. In no time at all, she’s off and running, baiting herself for discreet rendezvous, snooping in places the Doctor warned her away from, and sweet-talking her way into a secure area. Mel is nothing if not gung-ho, and it’s a pleasure to watch her genuine eagerness to investigate throughout this episode.

 

Warning the Doctor (Series 23, Episode 12 – “The Trial of a Time Lord:  Episode 12”)

When the Vervoids take over the bridge and Rudge takes the passengers hostage, Mel manages to evade capture. Overhearing the Vervoids’ plans, she sneaks through the ship’s air ducts to make it to the lounge, where the Doctor is being held hostage, without being seen so she can warn him. I always enjoy seeing companions take initiative on their own when they’re separated from the Doctor, and it takes guts for Mel to risk being captured herself for the sake of getting a message to the Doctor.

 

Coming to Rescue the Doctor (Series 23, Episode 14 – “The Trial of a Time Lord:  Episode 14”)

This is an instance where the companion rushing in to save the Doctor inadvertently screws up the Doctor’s plan that the companion doesn’t know about, but I’m still gonna count it. Even though the Doctor actually realizes the truth – that he isn’t experiencing his real trial but a false one in the Matrix – he pretends he’s taken in and prepares himself for his execution. Mel, in the real courtroom, rails against the Time Lords for allowing this to happen, and when the Time Lords give her the old “we can’t interfere” line, she retorts, “Well, I can!” Barreling past them, she enters the Matrix herself to save the Doctor from his execution.

 

Shooting the Cleaner (Series 24, Episode 8 – “Paradise Towers:  Episode 4”)

It’s clear from the get-go that Paradise Towers isn’t going to be the vacation the Doctor promised Mel, what with the roving girl gangs, cannibal residents, and murderous robot cleaners, but Mel’s bound and determined to check out the swimming pool anyway. That inevitably turns out to be a bad idea, and she gets attacked by a water-bound cleaner (which is designed to look like a giant crab because why the heck not?) Pex doesn’t exactly spring into action at her cries for help, so Mel needs to save her own damn self, taking his gun and using it to shoot the cleaner.

 

Standing Up to the Bannermen (Series 24, Episode 10 – “Delta and the Bannermen:  Episode 2”)

As we later discuss in the Twelfth Doctor’s era, it’s what we do “in extremis” that shows what we’re made of, and that’s Mel here. Having just witnessed the Bannermen kill an entire bus full of tourists in time, Mel doesn’t scream or cry, even when Gavrok turns his gun on her as the sole survivor. Instead, she funnels her horror into anger, shouting at him for killing all those innocent people. She keeps her head, too; when Gavrok asks if Delta was on the bus, Mel lies and says she was, giving a convincing rebuttal when he doubts her word. True, Delta shows up about five seconds later, so it’s for naught, but it still demonstrates quick thinking on Mel’s part when she’s under intense duress.

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