Doctor Who: Donna Noble – The most important nobody?

We look back on Donna Noble – both at her brilliance and her vulnerability in Doctor Who.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

Donna Noble was someone constantly filled with self-doubt in Doctor Who. But that didn’t stop her from being one of the show’s greatest companions.

Donna Noble, arguably one of the most outspoken, assertive, and opinionated companions we’ve seen in the new Doctor Who, demands attention and a salute from the soldier at UNIT, calls herself the “best temp in Chiswick,” recognizes that she’s “really good with numbers,” and basically exudes confidence in most situations. But there are still those moments when she can’t see her worth, often saying she’s “not important” and “just a temp”.

I thought of her recently while watching Warehouse 13. Artie Neilson, one of the main characters, finds himself in a surprise meeting with “the Regents” – a group of people who oversee the workings of this top-secret warehouse. In his surprise, he points to the woman that’s just brought his diner food and pie saying “this waitress is a Regent?” He gets his presumptions squashed with the response from Mr. Valda.

"John Adams was a farmer. Abraham Lincoln was a small-town lawyer. Plato, Socrates were teachers. Jesus was a carpenter. To equate judgment and wisdom with occupation is at best insulting."

“Just a temp”

Immediately upon hearing that line, Donna came to mind, frustrated and uncertain, yelling “I’m just a temp!” I’ve worked as a temp as well, and that ability to pick things up quickly and notice or analyze little details is not as easy as Catherine Tate makes it look! But as with so many other unappreciated jobs (retail, custodial, food service, education), societal stigma plays a big part in how the Donna Nobles of the world see themselves.

Her mother Sylvia supports that stigma when trying to convince Donna to take another job. She responds to Donna’s “I’ve got a job” in a vaguely demeaning and distinctly disregarding manner: “as a temp. This is permanent.”

Sure, maybe Sylvia just wants financial security (20,000 a year, permanent is more secure than a temp contract) for her daughter, but dismissing Donna’s desires and the disdain she applies toward temp jobs – even going so far as to suggest Donna would become a mistress or fling to some city executive – only builds on the stigma and adds to Donna’s inner doubts.

Fighting the doubts

The inner doubts can be crippling at their worst, and a nuisance at their best. In some cases, these might come from the words of our bullies, the expectations of our parents, or even the fears caused by anxiety disorders or past traumas. Or even all of the above, but acknowledging the feelings in the present and thinking through the evidence against our fears can help.

One of my favorite things about Donna is how often she speaks out. She’s got opinions on almost everything and she’s never afraid to share them. I’ve often wished I could be so bold, and for a while, I looked at Donna as an attitude to strive for.

Then I started noticing just how often she doubted herself or called herself unimportant, especially in her earlier episodes. Notably, though, her rant of “I’m nothing special. I’m a temp. I’m not even that. I’m nothing” from Turn Left touched something deep for me as a disabled writer.

As a viewer, it’s sad because we know how wonderful Donna is, but it’s also – for some of us – very relatable. It’s familiar to anyone who’s struggled with self-esteem issues, disability limitations, or full-blown Imposter Syndrome.

I’m a fairly competent person, raised a child, happy marriage, I’m published, have done a lot of different things in life, pretty happy with it today. I know I did these things, and yet I still feel like I’m a fraud and someone’s going to call me out for it at any moment. Even now, as I write this, my fourth article for this site, my inner fears tell me the editor will explain that it’s all been a big mistake and they hadn’t intended to accept my work. I have empirical evidence to the contrary, though, and I can go look at the links and emails if I really need that proof.

Despite her continuing self-doubt, Donna still stands out as a more than capable companion – something recently highlighted in her own audio spin-off series Donna Noble: Kidnapped!

Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions

More from Doctor Who

• Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who Christmas special is a “complete reinvention”
• Ncuti Gatwa is “so nervous” to take on Doctor Who role
• The Doctor and Donna are better than ever in “Wild Blue Yonder”
• Take the Black: House of the Dragon season 2 trailer hints, the Fallout show, and more
• Jodie Whittaker didn’t pick up on any of the hate for her version of the Doctor

Imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome, or imposter phenomenon, is the name for that feeling that any successes we’ve had are because of luck or happenstance, no matter how much work, education, skill, or talent actually went into those successes.

For example, I published a non-fiction book, a book that involved a lot of my time and effort, a great deal of research and consultation with others, and arguably has unique ideas to add to the topic. Yet, because the first draft of that book was my Master’s thesis and a friend published it for me, I feel like it “doesn’t really count.” Oh sure, I can logically look at it and recognize the work and accomplishment, but when someone else comments on it, I feel unworthy of any praise.

The moment I realized Donna had these same struggles, I felt seen just a little bit more. Donna’s got a unique view and perspective, allowing her to notice things like lack of sick days in The Sontaran Stratagem, or to remember other missing planets in The Stolen Earth. She often has to fight for her ideas to be given consideration, but she proves she’s worth listening to time and again. She’s not only the “best temp in Chiswick” but she’s probably my favorite companion because of how she inspires me to speak up and over those doubting voices inside.

Who’s your most relatable companion, and how have they inspired you? Share your thoughts in the comments.