Summary
- Belinda is a confident and different companion in Doctor Who, catching fans by surprise.
- Belinda challenges the Doctor's decisions and is not a damsel in distress.
- Belinda's focus on going home will shift the power dynamic in Doctor Who this season.
The latest season of Doctor Who kicked off on April 12, 2025, and it introduced the world to the Time Lord's newest companion, Belinda Chandra. She was the prime focal point of the episode, 'The Robot Revolution,' which saw her as the Queen of her own star. However, Belinda's presentation vastly differed from previous companions in Doctor Who's history.
She brought a level of confidence that instantly caught people by surprise, to the point that Belinda was the most talked about character from the first episode. Doctor Who fans were impressed with the newest member of the cast, and if the season premiere is anything to go by, she will bring a new edge to the dynamic that has never been seen before.
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Belinda Is Going To Be The Opposite Of Ruby Sunday
This Will Be Positive When Ruby Returns To Doctor Who
It has been clear from episode one of the new Doctor Who season that Belinda's presentation is going to be vastly different from Ncuti Gatwa's previous companion. In his first season as the Doctor, he had the excitable Ruby Sunday by his side. She was wide-eyed and open for an adventure, being almost in awe of the Doctor and his abilities. It led to a fun dynamic between them as Ruby genuinely wanted to be there, traveling around with him inside the TARDIS to explore the different planets, regardless of the danger. However, Belinda is anything but that. While she was obviously taken aback by certain things, such as being in space and the TARDIS being bigger on the inside, nothing was blowing her away. She didn't have jaw-dropping situations; instead, she played it cool and was sure in herself and the fact she wasn't going to let the Doctor just lead her astray.
The fact that Belinda is essentially the opposite of Ruby is a brilliant decision on behalf of the writers, because while Ruby isn't the main companion anymore, she will still be part of the show. It's unknown how many episodes Ruby is going to be in, but she's confirmed to be returning, and her bubbly personality will be part of that. Having the two women in the Doctor's life be at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their personality, and how they view the Time Lord himself will be important. It allows for different storylines and power dynamics to be at play, and that will be essential if they end up having scenes together. It will also develop Gatwa's version of the Doctor because he will be forced to view himself differently based on how they both perceive him. It will highlight some of his flaws, such as when he was forced to apologize profusely to Belinda for running her DNA without permission.
Belinda Is Set To Challenge The Doctor
Their Dynamic Is Going To Test The Time Lord
Normally, the companion's job is to help the Doctor in his quests, almost working as an assistant in many ways. They tend to do a lot of running around in a bid to help him as much as possible, even if that means putting themselves in danger. They don't normally question his decisions, but Belinda isn't going to be like that. It took her less than half an episode to defy what the Time Lord wanted her to do, as she essentially gave herself up due to the fact that people were dying because of her. While she took the Doctor's lead in some moments, such as learning the nine-word code to trick the robots, when the opportunity came, she took it with both hands to stand up for herself.
Even when they were out of danger, Belinda still questioned and challenged what he was doing and saying. The Doctor was excited about them being together, believing it to be fate. However, she didn't share the same view and made that abundantly clear. Now that they're stuck together, it will be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out and whether she gets any looser or more trusting in him as the episodes go on. However, the one thing that's clear is that Belinda is not a damsel in distress, and she will fix her own problems this season.
This Season Of Doctor Who Is About Going Home
Belinda Doesn't Want An Adventure
Typically, whenever the Doctor gets a companion, they want an adventure and happily go along with him wherever the TARDIS takes them. However, even after receiving the Doctor's talk about how they're potentially connected, Belinda made it clear she wants to go home. Unfortunately, that was something he was unable to do due to issues that will be explored throughout this season. But it sets up an interesting dynamic for the show as it's expected that the whole season will be built around him trying to get Belinda back to Earth. She could end up getting increasingly frustrated throughout that journey, which would be a fun angle for Doctor Who to take. It's obvious that she's going to shift the power dynamic that normally exists in Doctor Who, and that's something that people should be excited about.
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