Discussion: What makes Rory such a Good Companion?

[betawho]

Is it that he was an Auton Roman Centurion for 2,000 years? Or is it just because, despite everything, he's an ordinary guy?

I like Rory. He's brave. He's loyal. He's practical. He's honorable. He's determined. And he's always wearing that puffy jacket.

But why is it, that with all these other strong, amazing characters around him, the Doctor, Amy,

Comments

[connielane]

Ditto to your second paragraph. It reminds me a bit of early Donna, especially when she first meets the Doctor on her wedding day, and she tells him he needs someone to every once in a while tell him he should stop. That's not *precisely* what Rory does, but it's pretty close. I've loved Rory being there to point out the normal human point of view and hold a mirror up to the Doctor's system of ethics and what he allows his companions to get into (most notably in "Vampires in Venice" and "The Girl Who Waited").

River has done that once, in "A Good Man Goes to War," but that's very different, because she knew exactly what the cost of his behavior was going to be (and of course had already been, from her perspective). But she and most of the other companions are mostly along for the ride, so to speak.

I also agree with another commenter that, for Rory (and this applied to Mickey as well, though to a lesser degree), it's not all about the Doctor. His primary concern is Amy, and (as he tells the Doctor in "The Big Bang") she's more important to him than the piddling fate of the Universe.