Doctor Who: How Ace helped to shape the Seventh Doctor’s era

The Seventh Doctor’s era began with a bit of a rough start. But the introduction of a new companion gave both Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor and the writing team the direction they needed.

Image Courtesy BBC Studios, BritBox

In many ways, Ace was the definitive companion for Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor. But why? And how did she help to shape the final era of Doctor Who’s original run?

Having recently finished reading Sophie Aldred’s novel At Childhood’s End, I felt it was worth diving into her final season on Blu-Ray. In fact, Season 26 was the final season of Doctor Who for over a decade and a half. This is bitterly ironic, as it was during this time that the series was arguably the best it had been in years.

However, Sylvester McCoy’s era as the Seventh Doctor didn’t exactly start out that way. In fact, McCoy’s debut season might be one of the weakest of Doctor Who‘s original run. The series often came across as a bit pantomime with a tone that felt too childish. And yet, paradoxically, there were moments where it came across as too violent, almost as a way of trying to compensate. But despite featuring cannibal grannies, slaughtered tourists, and melted crime lords, Season 24 felt rather immature – perhaps even because of those elements rather than in spite of them.

It also has to be said that – while the companion has been handled far better in the audios and other expanded media – Mel didn’t quite work in this season. On paper, she sounded like a great character – a computer genius with strong morals who can surely work well on her own terms.

But instead, Bonnie Langford’s character was written to be the ultimate screaming companion. Despite having the potential to be great, it was clear that the writers weren’t quite sure of what to do with the companion. So it’s unsurprising that Mel didn’t stick around for McCoy’s second season.

Fortunately, the writing team had an Ace up their sleeve…

After a rough start for both of them, both the Seventh Doctor and Ace gradually became more and more fleshed out and defined.

Image Courtesy BBC Studios, BritBox

An imperfect beginning

In Dragonfire, the final story of McCoy’s first season, we were introduced to Dorothy McShane – or, as she preferred to call herself, “Ace”. The character was written as a bit of a troublemaker – one who was particularly good at explosives.

When the Doctor met her on the planet Svartos, he learned that she was originally from Perivale, but had somehow been whisked away to another planet via a time storm. When Mel left at the end of the story, the Doctor decided that it was a good opportunity to ask Ace to join him on his travels. However, he wasn’t quite telling her everything, as we eventually discovered…

Initially, Ace wasn’t exactly a perfect character, and it can be argued that her exclamations of “Ace!” and “Wicked!” didn’t exactly make her the most convincing depiction of a teenager, even in the late 80s. But even in her debut story, there was potential – potential that would be explored during her time with the Doctor.

A darker Doctor

McCoy’s second season as the Seventh Doctor was a step in the right direction. This is partially because the stories were stronger overall. There was a generally darker tone, and while the violence was still present, it didn’t feel as extreme, or at the very least, didn’t clash with the story itself. Even the deceptively colorful The Happiness Patrol and The Greatest Show in the Galaxy hid dark hearts.

But what also helped is that the Doctor himself was better defined. In his first story, the Seventh Doctor didn’t exactly come across as the smartest man in the room, mixing up his metaphors regularly and apparently being easily fooled by a ginger wig.

In his second season, however, we have hints of darkness and mystery. He’s a man who likes to keep his secrets, and he’s not above manipulating his enemies into destroying themselves. But more importantly, he wasn’t above pushing his companion as much as possible.

The Seventh Doctor’s and Ace’s relationship became something very unique and very special – something that would continue to thrive even after the series’ cancellation.

Image Courtesy BBC Studios, BritBox

A unique relationship

This is what made his relationship with Ace so unique. As someone who came from a troubled background, Ace clearly had a lot of personal issues and fears to deal with. The Doctor was keen to push her towards facing those fears. Sometimes, he’d perhaps push her too far, but it’s clear that he cared about his new companion, in his own distinctly alien way.

More from Winter is Coming

This was a completely new kind of Doctor/companion dynamic, and it’s clear that the writers enjoyed exploring that. Especially in the final season, which was heavily focused on Ace. The more the writers explored Ace’s history and her character, the more they enhanced the darkness and mystery of McCoy’s Doctor.

The relationship was so memorable, in fact, that Ace continued to be the definitive companion to the Seventh Doctor across a variety of media. Featuring in many novels, comics, and audios (in fact, Sophie Aldred has continued to play Ace in a huge amount of audios since 1999), the companion has had an extended life almost as much as the Seventh Doctor.

Looking back, it’s clear that introducing Ace gave the writing team exactly the kind of direction that Doctor Who had so badly needed for a long time. It may have been a little too late, considering the show was canceled just two years after her introduction. But it was still a significant step – one that Russell T Davies would take even further when he brought the show back and introduced a modern companion of his own.

Are you a fan of Ace? Do you think she helped to bring out the best of the Seventh Doctor’s era? Or do you think his era was heading in that direction anyway? Let us know in the comments below.