Out of all the companions on Doctor Who, Donna Noble was the one who was short-changed the most. Back in season 4, Ten was forced to wipe the temp’s memories of their adventures after Donna was almost killed by the Time Lord-human-meta-crisis. As a result, Donna was to remain none the wiser of the supernatural.
However, do you ever wonder what would have happened if Donna was able to keep her abilities? What adventures she could have had? Or do you think she would have made a terrible Doctor? Keep reading to discover the 5 reasons why she would be a good Doctor (& 5 reasons she would have been the worst).
Great: Her Compassion
A great trait that would make Donna a great Doctor is her compassion. While Donna is often used to provide the viewers with comedy relief, some of her most iconic moments involve her keeping the Doctor from falling into darkness. A prime example of this being in “Fires of Pompeii,” when she begs Ten to go back and save at least one person from the tragic disaster.
Let’s not forget when she agreed to push the lever with Ten because she didn’t want him to carry the burden of the deaths in Pompeii alone. Despite knowing that she can’t change history completely, she’s not willing to sit aside and watch people suffer.
Terrible: Her Emotions Blind Her Judgment
While Donna can be compassionate, there is also the fact that her emotions can make her a terrible Doctor. While Donna’s not willing to let others suffer, sometimes she is blinded by her emotions so much that it can affect her judgment calls. Especially when it comes to her family.
As many know, Donna’s weakness is her mother and grandfather. If anything happened to them then she would fall to pieces (as evidenced by “The Sontaran Stratagem” when Wilf was locked in the car). She didn’t even focus on the fact that it was occurring all over the world, her family was her priority. A complete opposite personality to The Doctor’s life, who had sacrificed Gallifrey to stop the Daleks conquering the Universe.
Great: Her Intuition
One aspect that makes a good Doctor is their great intuition skills, which is what Donna had. Just because Donna wasn’t as academically inclined as the other companions or a little clumsy doesn’t mean she didn’t excel in other areas. Donna was great at trusting her instincts and providing ideas one may never have considered.
For instance, in “Partners in Crime,” Donna was seen to be investigating Adipose Industries like Ten was, which suggests she had been investigating the extra-terrestrial for some time. She was also the one to pick up that no one was ever sick at UNIT. It just proved that she could hold her own.
Terrible: Her Attitude
It’s no secret that Donna would always stick up for the underdog and vocalize her opinions. However, her attitude would more than likely get you killed. While the viewers find her rants amusing, you would understand why it would grate on the enemies.
For instance, in “The Runaway Bride,” the Empress of Racnoss called her feisty and laughed at her stupidity and obliviousness. She also irritated many of the members at Lady Edison’s dinner party in “The Unicorn and the Wasp,” when she accused nearly everyone of being the murderer. Sometimes it’s best if she would have just let things go.
Great: Her Enthusiasm To Explore
An excellent quality to have is an enthusiasm to explore, which Donna illustrates on several occasions. In “Partners in Crime,” Donna was actively seeking the Doctor out and asked Wilf to shout her if he did. Donna also dresses up to match the periods they were going to so they could fit in more (“The Unicorn and the Wasp”; “Planet of the Ood”).
No matter where she traveled, Donna was always excited to learn about the culture, history and the species. This is a trait that has been found in all the Doctor’s reincarnations, who always seem fascinated to discover new alien-species or the planets they explore.
Terrible: Lack Of Alien Knowledge
A limitation to why Donna wouldn’t have been that great of a Doctor is the lack of alien knowledge. While Donna is aware of the extra-terrestrials, she doesn’t know what species they are or what their weaknesses and strengths could be because she often slept through the disasters.
For example, the viewers have seen that she missed both the Sycorax and Auton invasion because she was hungover. Donna also missed the Battle of Canary of Wharf and the Cybermen because she was scuba diving in Spain. Considering that these are some of the Doctor’s greatest enemies, it would have been important to learn about them.
Great: Her Bravery In Confronting The Enemy
Although her vocal attitude can get one into trouble, you can’t help but admire Donna’s bravery to stand up to the enemy. While most would run in the opposite direction during an alien invasion, Donna is one of the first people who would be on the front lines.
When the Vespiform tried to murder Agatha Christie, Donna managed to kill it by making it fall into a lake (“The Unicorn and the Wasp”). Despite being afraid, Donna also managed to overcome her fear to defeat a Sontaran and the Daleks. Not once has she ever ran away from a fight.
Terrible: Couldn’t fly the TARDIS
To be the Doctor, there has to be one thing that all candidates should be able to do and that’s fly the TARDIS. With all the people the Doctor has traveled with, they have only taken the time to teach certain people. While River and Clara can fly the spaceship with ease, some have struggled to do so without help.
Donna was one of the companions who struggled to fly the TARDIS, as evidenced by “The Sontaran Stratagem”. When Donna took the controls, the viewer could see that Ten was uneasy with her driving. Ten also panics when she flies to close to the 1980s. After this episode, she never gets to do it unsupervised and you can’t have a Doctor without a TARDIS.
Great: Her Chemistry With The Other Companions
A great characteristic about Donna is that she is easy to get on with. Where all the other companions had an on-going rivalry with one another (Rose v Sarah Jane; Clara v River Song), Donna was the first person who changed the formula when she greeted Martha with a hug.
She would make the other companions feel accommodated and use her compassionate nature to make them feel safe. These are some of the most important characteristics the Doctor has too, otherwise it would be hard to root for a hero you couldn’t trust or like.
Terrible: No Good In Pressured Situations
One of Donna’s weaknesses is that she’s not very good in pressured situations. One occurring theme that happens in most episodes is that the planet or universe is put in jeopardy. The Doctor has to be quick on their feet if they want to prevent a disaster. However, Donna is always looking for an extra pair of hands or reassurance.
For instance, in “The Poison Sky,” Donna watched on helpless as Wilf was trapped in his car. He would have died if her mother didn’t break the windscreen with an ax. She almost quit her travels with the Doctor because she couldn’t cope with the tragedy other species faced. No matter how tough it gets, The Doctor has never stopped because they “never walk away”.
