Why companions do what they do

Sep 10, 2007 15:07

I finally finished watching The Aztecs, the Wiliam Hartnell story, and it got me wondering. There's an obvious parallel between that ep and Father's Day. In both, a companion tries to change established events in order to get what she considers would be a better outcome.  In The Aztecs,  Barbara tries to stop the practice of human sacrifice; in Father's Day, Rose tries to prevent her father's death. In both cases, the companion's attempt winds up being a big honking mistake. But the major difference is that, where Barbara is motivated by moral principle (killing is wrong), Rose is motivated by selfish interest (undoing a personal loss).

So here's what I'm wondering: Is this an example of a broader difference between Classic and New Who? Can we generalize and say that in Classic Who characters tended to be motivated more by idealism, while in New Who their motives are more personal -- perhaps even selfish? Another way of putting it might be that the message of Classic Who was,  "Be true to your ideals," while the message of New Who is, "Be true to yourself."

What do you think?

discussion

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