Doctor Who: The Doctor Sees Nardole as His Butler, Nardole Does Not
By David Hill
The idea of Nardole and the Twelfth Doctor travelling together is enough for a laugh. But the thought that Nardole could be looked upon as a manservant of sorts makes it even more amusing.
As soon as it was confirmed that Matt Lucas would be returning to Doctor Who as Nardole, and travelling with the Doctor, the jokes were already playing through our minds. It appeared to be the time and space version of The Odd Couple, with Nardole being the comic relief to the Twelfth Doctor’s biting sarcasm — at least, that was the only way that such a pairing made sense.
However, the Doctor and Nardole may have a different dynamic. Instead of regarding Nardole as a companion, he would be considered more of a servant. To be specific, the Twelfth Doctor regards him as a butler. Naturally, Nardole does not understand this, and whenever the Doctor hands him a coat, he just tosses it on the ground.
With the plans to have a lighter tone to Series Ten, and to give the Doctor a different feel, using Nardole in this way makes a lot of sense. In fact, Steven Moffat even said that Nardole is there to help the Doctor, serving in a way similar to how Clara did. The Doctor certainly needs someone to keep his eccentricities in check.
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As enjoyable as Capaldi’s Doctor is, it will be nice having someone like Nardole to help diffuse the seriousness that the Time Lord projects. The bumbling, comedic sidekick seems destined to be the Pinky to the Doctor’s Brain, although it is unlikely that the Doctor would let Nardole have any real autonomy. But from the trailer for ‘The Return of Doctor Mysterio,’ Nardole seems smarter than previously thought.
It is also going to be interesting to see how long this trope lasts. Obviously, the Doctor will have to see something more in Nardole than for him to be a servant if he keeps him around. Is there really more to Nardole than what we have seen in ‘The Husbands of River Song‘? And if so, has the Doctor figured out that there is far more to the probable comic relief than meets the eye?
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