Why I like Ray
Rachel "Ray" Deffwyd is a 1950s era Welsh biker chick in "Delta and the Bannermen." She is one of the locals at the Shangri-La vacation camp, where she tags along after Billy, the lead singer of the local Rock n Roll band and Ray's childhood crush. Ray is unlucky in love and lucky in motorbikes, and is something of a test case for Ace, introduced the following episode.
Ray is a Wrench Wench in the most literal way possible. That is, her primary function is to unexpectedly materialize wielding wrenches of various descriptions. Much to the bewilderment of the menfolk around her. Seriously, dare even joke about a wrench and she'll hand it to you. Ray is down-to-earth and extremely practical. She knows her engines, and she knows her motorbikes, and is fiercely proud of both her own bike and of the Vincent, Billy's treasure.
(It is worth noting that while both her mechanical expertise and her fondness for motorbikes derive initially from her long association with Billy, this renders them no less genuine. She's not a "fake biker chick" or any such silliness. Billy provides the back story for Ray, but the expertise and the passion is all her own.)
Speaking of Billy...one of the things I like best about Ray is how real she is. Ray is not some too-perfect Strong Female Character (TM) - she's a very ordinary girl with very ordinary problems and reactions to things. It's the classic story - one person sees the relationship romantically, the other doesn't and falls unexpectedly for someone else. Ray has her heart broken, really through no one's fault. But she doesn't take it out on the other girl, she doesn't tell Billy off for "friend-zoning" her, she doesn't suddenly stop loving motorcycles. What she does instead is have a good cry about it (after very determinedly dancing with the Doctor - which is adorable). And then she gets on with things. But it's framed as just...stuff that happens. No one is presented as wrong. How often do you see an entirely non-acrimonious love triangle? In the midst of alien bee people and sadistic invaders it's all very realistic and reasonable. And in the end, while Billy may end up with the exotic alien princess, Ray ends up with the Vincent, so on the whole things don't work out too badly.
Through some odd but effective structuring, Ray ends up functioning almost as the companion for the piece. Mel breaks off and takes care of Delta and Billy, and Ray attaches to the Doctor. They even dance together. She then proceeds to ferry him all over the welsh countryside as the put the pieces together. And they do make a great team. She's comparatively unflappable, assimilates new information quickly, and packs enough wrenches to open even entirely alien locks. Plush she comes with her own transport and doesn't even particularly scream. I never fail to be impressed by how much everyone just sort of takes all the alien goings on in stride in this episode, and Ray more than any of them. She sees one guy get atomized in front of her eyes and the word "atomized" goes straight into her active vocabulary. And after that nothing else ever really fazes her at all. Maybe it's a Welsh thing? I know absolutely nothing about the relevant stereotypes. In any event, Ray fulfills the companion role admirably, leaving Mel free to attend to the other half of the plot.
Ray is just a very good character all around. Her accent is lovely, she's got great chemistry with the Doctor, she's as believable as she is competent - which is to say extremely. She's a strong precursor to Ace - teenage, tomboyish, and totally reliable. But more than that, she stands on her own, both of her time and defying its stereotypes.
Ray is a Wrench Wench in the most literal way possible. That is, her primary function is to unexpectedly materialize wielding wrenches of various descriptions. Much to the bewilderment of the menfolk around her. Seriously, dare even joke about a wrench and she'll hand it to you. Ray is down-to-earth and extremely practical. She knows her engines, and she knows her motorbikes, and is fiercely proud of both her own bike and of the Vincent, Billy's treasure.
(It is worth noting that while both her mechanical expertise and her fondness for motorbikes derive initially from her long association with Billy, this renders them no less genuine. She's not a "fake biker chick" or any such silliness. Billy provides the back story for Ray, but the expertise and the passion is all her own.)
Speaking of Billy...one of the things I like best about Ray is how real she is. Ray is not some too-perfect Strong Female Character (TM) - she's a very ordinary girl with very ordinary problems and reactions to things. It's the classic story - one person sees the relationship romantically, the other doesn't and falls unexpectedly for someone else. Ray has her heart broken, really through no one's fault. But she doesn't take it out on the other girl, she doesn't tell Billy off for "friend-zoning" her, she doesn't suddenly stop loving motorcycles. What she does instead is have a good cry about it (after very determinedly dancing with the Doctor - which is adorable). And then she gets on with things. But it's framed as just...stuff that happens. No one is presented as wrong. How often do you see an entirely non-acrimonious love triangle? In the midst of alien bee people and sadistic invaders it's all very realistic and reasonable. And in the end, while Billy may end up with the exotic alien princess, Ray ends up with the Vincent, so on the whole things don't work out too badly.
Through some odd but effective structuring, Ray ends up functioning almost as the companion for the piece. Mel breaks off and takes care of Delta and Billy, and Ray attaches to the Doctor. They even dance together. She then proceeds to ferry him all over the welsh countryside as the put the pieces together. And they do make a great team. She's comparatively unflappable, assimilates new information quickly, and packs enough wrenches to open even entirely alien locks. Plush she comes with her own transport and doesn't even particularly scream. I never fail to be impressed by how much everyone just sort of takes all the alien goings on in stride in this episode, and Ray more than any of them. She sees one guy get atomized in front of her eyes and the word "atomized" goes straight into her active vocabulary. And after that nothing else ever really fazes her at all. Maybe it's a Welsh thing? I know absolutely nothing about the relevant stereotypes. In any event, Ray fulfills the companion role admirably, leaving Mel free to attend to the other half of the plot.
Ray is just a very good character all around. Her accent is lovely, she's got great chemistry with the Doctor, she's as believable as she is competent - which is to say extremely. She's a strong precursor to Ace - teenage, tomboyish, and totally reliable. But more than that, she stands on her own, both of her time and defying its stereotypes.