Turlough Mark Strickson

• Now, Where Did That Boy Go Off To? by Andy Hicks
• Junior Ensign Commander... by Joe Ford
• "Dark Horse" by Thomas Cookson

Now, Where Did That Boy Go Off To? by Andy Hicks 29/3/01

Who was it that said that post-Troughton male Doctor Who companions are about as useful as gasmasks are to elk? Oh, right. That was me. Sorry.

It's not necessarily true, and I'm not trying to be sexist here, but for some reason my opinion seems to be that every male companion after Jamie (the Brig doesn't count) was fairly useless. Harry Sullivan, despite his dashing, man-of-action attitude, often felt like an interloper to the already established Doctor/Sarah Jane interplay. Adric worked better with the fourth Doctor than the Fifth (though I did like the bratty younger brother dynamic he had with the gals). K9 and Kamelion were robots and not even anatomically correct, so they don't count (comments about Kamelion's speedo do not belong on such a family web site).

Turlough could have worked. He really could have. Shake up the complacency of the show and the innocence of Davison's Doctor by giving him a companion that's trying to kill him from the get go. The first time we see him, in the underrated Mawdryn Undead, he is a devious schoolboy who has crashed the Maths professor's car and blamed it on a friend. Never mind that Mark Strickson was about 15 years too old to be convincing as a schoolboy, Turlough is still a creepy kid. And, look, he's got this odd solicitor with a dead bird on his head. Wonder who that could be?

(Never mind, also, that the Black Guardian was probably the most ridiculous villain in the history of Doctor Who, and that's taking into account the Vervoids.)

But, yeah. By the first cliffhanger, he's tried to bash in Peter Davison's head with a rock. By the end of the episode, he's tried to blow him up on a spaceship, too. And now the Doctor's taken him aboard in the TARDIS! Oh no! What shall we do? Fear not, for in response to Turlough's request, "may I join you?" the Doctor said "I believe you already have." Maybe he already knows of Turlough's plot to kill him. Maybe he sees the good inside this young chap, despite the looming presence of Mr. Birdie Head.

But in the next two stories, even though the Black Guardian shows up from time to time, Turlough does very little to actually try and kill the Doctor. As a matter of fact, he comes across as an incompetent twit that the Raven Hatted One should have killed after the credits rolled the first time. Then, at the end of Enlightenment, his deal is cut, and everyone's friends again, and Turlough can go back to being an ineffectual male companion who doesn't get to do very much. Despite creeping around being.. uhh... creepy for a large portion of The King's Demons, he sort of fades into the background for a lot of the rest of his run.

...until, that is, Frontios. All of a sudden, the writers seem to have decided that he was an interesting fellow and there was a lot of expositiony stuff we didn't know about him. I mean, we don't know where the kid came from, really, until the very end of his run. So, suddenly, in his last three stories, he has something to do. In Frontios he recognises the threat to the colony as the one who nearly wiped out his people. In Resurrection of the Daleks he has very little to do once again, but at least he's memorable. It took until his last story, Planet of Fire, for him to really shine, and even then the tale of his origin is only a side plot to a story with way too many side plots in it already.

And then there's the bit at the end of Caves of Androzani, where all the fifth doctor's companions appear to him to tell him not to die. Somehow, his line carries resonance, even more than Adric's. "You musn't die, Doctor. Many of your greatest enemies would delight in your death." Only Turlough could have said this, because he understood.

Maybe the producers didn't feel comfortable with writing a sketchy ally for the Doctor, or maybe they just felt more comfortable writing interesting things for Tegan to do. Either way, Turlough was a wasted oppurtunity in so many ways, and yet, possibly due to his persistence, he remains one of my favorites.

Junior Ensign Commander... by Joe Ford 29/6/04

I feel for Turlough, really I do. He had the potential to be one of the best companions and thanks to possibly the worst run of stories in the series history was consigned to the ranks of mediocrity. In my humble opinion it is rare to see a character forced to endure such agony... Terminus, Enlightenment, The Kings Demons, The Five Doctors, Warriors of the Deep, The Awakening AND Resurrection of the Daleks (which is good enough but fails to use Turlough effectively). Its more than one man can take surely? No wonder he started to go do-lally!

Introductionwise, he had the a great hook to grip the audience with: an alien stuck on Earth who makes a pact with the devil to escape his prison in return for killing the Doctor. You can see why JNT jumped on the idea, it's ripe for drama and twists, a homicidal companion and one who is sabotaging their efforts to save the day, it's just ingenious! To push along this idea and give it some gravitas, Turlough was introduced in a trio of stories that were linked by this ongoing narrative, Turlough working for the Black Guardian and the Doctor having no idea that a traitor is in his midst.

And to be fair for a time in the show when character development was ignored in favour of plot experiments these three (Mawdryn Undead, Terminus and Enlightenment) never lose sight of their goal, his debut story offers him a great deal of screen time to explore his deal with the Black Guardian and his aversion to wanting to kill the Doctor, Terminus has a few powerful scenes that expose his wavering loyalties and Enlightenment rounds off the story with style by Turlough finally having to choose who he wants to betray, so conflicted by his inner turmoil he attempts to commit suicide. It is rare for an eighties companion to be treated to such luxurious beginnings and it certainly helps to solidify Turlough as one to watch.

So where does it all go wrong? Another fixture of the eighties is that the companions get a solid entrance and exit from the show and are ignored in between. Turlough encapsulated this approach; it is almost as though immediately after his decision to travel with the Doctor his story has come to an end. He does NOTHING in the majority of his stories, there to provide the Doctor somebody to talk to and somebody to moan at him but besides these peripheral purposes he has no business being in many of his stories. Whilst Mark Strickston continues to play Turlough as a shifty character, one who is always watching his back in case something nasty creeps up behind him his efforts are mostly wasted, the writers gave up concentrating on his bad points and shoe-horn him into the role of generic companion. As I said it could have been great, Turlough would have worked as an evil companion unlike Adric who just seemed to be acting out, you could have had Turlough continually selling the Doctor out to try and buy his way onto a ship and run his own life. It would have been convincing after all that set up but alas it was not to be.

Poor Turlough, lumbered with a schizophrenic Australian and a Time Lord in the most pacifistic period of his life... life aboard the TARDIS must have bee unbearably dull. Actually we have genuine proof of this in the stories, one of the most annoying features of the fifth Doctor's reign is the lack of chemistry between the regulars and rarely was this as apparent than when we were stuck with Doc 5, Tegan and Turlough. The lack of realism in their scenes is staggering, there is no sense that they enjoy each other's company, they share nothing about their lives, learn little from each other and continually bicker nonsensically. Any TARDIS scene with this trio is awkward as hell, forgetting that they are supposed to be friends and forging ahead with the plot, inventing a new TARDIS malfunction every week to avoid the issue of creating believable conversation between them. A shame because the ONE time they share some warmth and interest, in the opening scenes of Frontios, the difference in their behaviour is astonishing and the scenes are far more interesting (hmm, I sense this is more to do with Chris H Bidmead's eye for quality characterisation).

Another gaping flaw (gaping as in the Universe is a gaping hole between two others) with Turlough is his general over the toppiness. At least once a story he gets to BUG his eyes out, Tom Baker style, and scream out a line with panto conviction. Some of my favourites are: "THE DOCTOR ISN'T AS YOU SAY!", "I SERVE HIM AS I WISH TO SERVE YOU", "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE SO DON'T TRY AND PUSH ME TOO FAR!", "THE AIRLOCK DOOR CONTROL... WHERE IS IT?", "IT WAS... AN INFECTION!" And those are just off the top of my head. This dips into melodramatic campness wouldn't be so bad if Mark Strickston didn't overplay them so much but he seems so desperate to finally have the spotlight for a few seconds and desperate to make his presence felt, even if it only serves to make you switch of the telly in embarrassment. Turlough really shouldn't be wasting his handful of precious moments shouting like a twat. Even Adric wasn't as humiliating as this.

I don't want to suggest that Turlough was as appealing as a plague of rats nesting in your underpants because there were indeed moments where he sparkled. Mawdryn Undead is a brilliant debut story for the guy and gives him the opportunity to show and impressive range; patronising his friend, plotting against the Doctor, rowing with Tegan and generally behaving like a creepy git. He raised my hopes for his character when he lifted a rock to whack the Doctor over the head with (haha! Imagine that... if he regenerated there and then and we had the sixth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough... that I would PAY to see!). He provides Terminus with its best scene, where he asks Tegan if she could ever kill anybody, it is one moment where both their characters work together and is imbued with a chilling calm. Enlightenment's climax features the dramatic choice Turlough has to make and closes the underwhelming story on a far more memorable note than it deserved.

Even after this Turlough could still shine. Well no, only in Frontios and Planet of Fire really because in all the others he is sidelined and locked up, runs around corridors and generally blends in with the bland scenery. Frontios wisely pushes his character to the front and we see a new side to the character, exploring an invasion of his home planet by the Tractators. It is his overwhelming fear of the creatures that provides their edge and how the story spotlights his cowardess is worthy of praise. Planet of Fire features the best use of guy since his opening story and not just because he strips down to his underpants and rescues a half naked girl and drags her back to his bedroom. It almost seems worth all the prevarication about his past the way the story slowly reveals more and more about his origins, filling in the blanks of this intriguing character. There is a moment between the Doctor and Turlough where the Time Lord finally snaps; informing his companion their friendship is over if he holds back any information about the Master. It is the sort of quietly powerful scene that should have driven their relationship. His leaving scene joyously sees Turlough telling Peri to look after the Doctor and that he gets people in the most terrible trouble. It's quite a touching moment really, Strickston and Davison enjoying a rare moment of chemistry.

Flawed and under used certainly, at least Turlough represented a step up from the likes of Adric. It is refreshing to see another male companion, as they were far too rare in the late years of the show. There are some performance and definitely some writing issues but I would still recommend Turlough as the sort of companion they should be experimenting with in the new series. Just quit the camp screaming and use him a bit more and don't pair him up with no Aussie...

"Dark Horse" by Thomas Cookson 5/9/21

When I first heard Big Finish's The Mutant Phase, there's one moment that always niggled me. It's where Davison suddenly becomes doggedly suspicious about a Thal scientist on flimsiest of grounds.

I later learned this was Big Finish's overcorrection for the Fifth Doctor we'd gotten onscreen who was absurdly oblivious to Turlough's weekly attempts on his life. Asserting their Fifth Doctor is no idiot, is shrewdly conscious of his surroundings, and isn't blind to believability-straining degrees.

It'd be easy mistaking amoral, misanthropic, self-serving Turlough for Eric Saward's brainchild. In fact, he was JNT's baby, his second go at an artful dodger-type companion. Eric Saward was unhappy having such a high-concept companion imposed on a line-up he'd barely just gotten manageable.

Usually introducing new companions keeps the show fresh, the Doctor's introducing a newcomer to the adventure, so new viewers are brought up to speed. That's why The Rescue, Tomb of the Cybermen, The Ribos Operation feel like fresh reboots. Turlough clearly wasn't introduced for that purpose. He was an addition to an already swollen line-up, carrying heavy continuity emphasis as a Black Guardian agent. Turlough seemed there to complicate the dynamic rather than simplify it.

JNT seemed by now to think companion arrivals and departures were mainly useful for generating tabloid interest. Perhaps believing a shadier companion might entice soap viewers. Perhaps he'd spent so long feeding to the fanzines and tabloids, he'd thought of the show as an unending string of sensationalisms. Terrance Dicks claimed the companion role is built into form. That companions who work against the role's function, or our desire to see good prevail, never really work.

The Black Guardian trilogy already had too many story strands, ghosts from the past and Brigadiers, to accommodate Turlough and his dilemma properly. Turlough and the established line-up competed for who can overshadow, rather than complement, one another. It used to be that a new companion winning the Doctor's trust was a sacred moment. Now it's just become another 'because JNT wishes it' development.

Had Tegan left in Time-Flight, Turlough would only have Nyssa to deal with, which might've been an interesting dynamic: losing her father might have made Nyssa shrewder to deception, but still able to perceive Turlough's inner goodness. But seemingly JNT decided Tegan remained the needed contemporary human companion. JNT thought Turlough and Tegan's antagonism had makings of engaging drama. It actually produced tedious, messy narrative disharmony. A shame, because on paper Turlough's arc should've affirmed the show's 'triumph of intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism'.

When Turlough confesses wishing to break the Guardian's sordid contract to his headmaster, who metamorphoses into his tormentor, we're put firmly into Turlough's shoes. Seeing him coerced, afraid. How the Guardian's always in his mind, menacing him inescapably. Davison's potentially his only salvation. Perhaps when Turlough witnesses Davison euthanizing Mawdryn, the Guardian could've whispered to him how death's a natural, merciful thing, nothing to feel squeamish about.

In Terminus, after sabotaging the TARDIS (a thrilling highlight), Turlough's marginalized into hiding in ventilator shafts with Tegan. Transparently putting him out the way for Terminus' length.

Tegan spoils the suspense by being too overtly suspicious and coming closest to sussing his sabotage. Whether catching Turlough's sabotage red-handed, or hearing him outright confessing contemplating murder, she's required to inexplicably forget it. There's never reason to fear he'll be found out, because the writing clearly won't allow it. It'd be nice to think Tegan's watchful eye made Turlough reflect on his sins, but all we see in their interactions is her sniping and him insufferably patronising her into submission.

There is a strange whiff of chauvinism how she's written to uncharacteristically submit to his smarmy charms, like she's suddenly feeling guilty for suspecting him. It might've worked had Turlough concocted an elaborate lie about suffering schizophrenia (hence his shouting and vandalizing the roundel in rage) to play on Tegan's guilt (and her Mara experiences) and it being his shameful family secret.

The jury's out whether this was really an unmanageable arc, or Saward was just lazy and disinterested in making it managable. Cartmel would've probably revealed the Doctor knew Turlough's game all along.

Enlightenment, however, is difficult to improve upon. Turlough dances with death, in a scenario where, being a companion who borders on the quisling, he might legitimately die here. But like a miraculous fight for life against the show's usual retributive fate for traitors, he survives, redeemed. Choosing the light, betraying his bullying master in easily Turlough's finest moment. Turlough's redemption is almost Davison's most significant victory.

Unfortunately, Turlough's subsequent run largely marginalizes him. Suggesting Enlightenment should've been his goodbye. Ironically, without the fly in the ointment of The King's Demons, The Five Doctors could've drawn a perfect thematic bridge with Enlightenment. Although Turlough misses Davison's final confrontation with Borusa, it actually echoes Turlough's own struggle under the Black Guardian's control, before his moment of surety and clarity in defying him.

With help from the strong wills of his past selves, Davison finally overcomes Borusa's. Perhaps hinting Turlough came to respect Davison through recognizing a kindred spirit in him. Wrestling with self-doubt, personal demons, seeking inner strength and aspiring toward the right path.

Turlough's redemptive arc might've meant something if the Doctor's nobility hadn't become meaningless under Saward. The Doctor now seemingly exists to do nothing except give tokenist, insincere, belated protests at the killings. To lampshade the gratuitous violence by saying how bad it is. Styles renders him superfluous even for that.

Planet of Fire had much riding against it. Chiefly JNT himself. Saward only managed to finalize the script via long phonecalls discussing revisions with an estranged Peter Grimwade (blacklisted after a misunderstanding over Resurrection's cancelled original shoot).

It's more a good save than great story. It was important Grimwade explained Turlough's backstory. It's probably Turlough's best possible departure note. Achieving a redemption once beyond him. Their heartfelt goodbye suggesting a bond between like-minded exiles. The Doctor the only one who could reach him.

Strickson deserved more material that provided him chances to forge a real connection with audiences, rather than just scowling pithily in the background. Alas, Turlough was often a cipher, whose journey of coming to trust and be inspired by Davison's liability of a Doctor ends up making no sense.