Doctor Who: Turlough – why he was the Fifth Doctor’s best companion

We look back at companion Vislor Turlough, and why he was one of the most selfish, untrustworthy and therefore interesting companions the Fifth Doctor ever had.

There’s something I should make clear from the start. When I say “best”, I don’t mean that Turlough was the most loyal companion to the Doctor. I don’t mean that he was closer to the Doctor than other companions in Doctor Who, or that he complimented Five as much as Jamie complimented Two.

No, what I mean by “best” in this case is that, in terms of character and development, he was the most interesting to watch. Turlough started out as a selfish, manipulative coward. Not “evil” as such, but certainly not half as heroic as the Doctor.

In fact, the main reason he joined the TARDIS crew in Mawdryn Undead was to complete a mission for the Black Guardian. Specifically, to kill the Doctor. As far as reasons go for wanting to join the Doctor on his travels, it has to be said, that’s far from the best one.

But then, that’s kind of the point. Turlough really does stand out as a companion. Some companions have been reluctant to travel with the Doctor, to say the least. In fact, this was true of other companions in Five’s era, particularly Tegan.

But there is something refreshing about the idea of having a companion intentionally unlikable. Of a companion that didn’t have the best qualities to travel with the Doctor, at least, not initially. And even when Turlough broke off his deal with the Black Guardian in Enlightenment, he was still a very selfish and cowardly character. Untrustworthy, to say the least.

Vislor Turlough (Mark Strickson) was probably one of the most unusual companions the Doctor had. But why?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

A character who grew

And yet, for some reason, the Doctor did trust him. He had a lot of faith in Turlough. I’ve said that Five and Turlough don’t exactly compliment each other, and that is true on some level. At the very least, their relationship isn’t interesting to watch because of how similar they are.

But Turlough had a far better chance of travelling with the Doctor’s Fifth incarnation than with many others, especially his very next one. I can’t imagine Six giving Turlough the same amount of chances to prove himself that Five did.

But gradually, over time, Turlough did develop. Perhaps not too much, all things considered. Even in his later stories, he still had a strong feeling of self-preservation.

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But he did learn to trust the Doctor, at least, and gave good reason for the Fifth Doctor to trust him. Eventually.

It’s interesting that by Planet of Fire, after initially joining Nyssa and Tegan as a companion, by his last story, he was the only one left. (Well, and Kamelion, but he didn’t exactly get to do much.) And when he did leave, it was only because he finally got to go home. One of his last lines to the Doctor particularly says it all:

"I don’t want to go, Doctor. I’ve learnt a lot from you."

While Turlough wasn’t a perfectly written character, it was refreshing to have someone on the TARDIS who started out as untrustworthy and changed over time because of the Doctor’s influence.

Honestly, there’s something rather sweet about that, and sums up exactly how much impact the Doctor can have on someone’s life. For this reason, Turlough will always be a companion that stands out.

Do you agree that Turlough was an interesting companion? Was he a favorite of yours? Or did you prefer another Fifth Doctor companion? Let us know in the comments below.