Doctor Who: Every Modern Companion's DEFINITIVE Episode

9. Martha - Last of the Time Lords

Speaking of the series three finale, that also happens to be the story I've picked for Martha Jones. At its core, Last of the Time Lords is about Martha finding her independence and realising she does not need the Doctor to make her strong. Sure, it's a story with John Simm's Master at the forefront, but structurally, this episode is Martha's. She's the hero that brings down a renegade Time Lord all by herself. The Doctor, by comparison, spends his time as a sad little house-elf. 

This episode is defined by Martha's quest. She travels the world, survives in hiding, gathering information where she can and sharing the story of the Doctor. She outwits the Master completely, managing to hide the true nature of her quest for a full year and duping him into thinking she's been assembling a superweapon. The resolution to the story, with its cellphone-network-powered messiah Doctor is one hell of a Davies-Ex-Machina, but for me, it works because Martha sells it completely. Freema Agyeman is just fantastic in this story. 

Underpinning all of this is Martha's love for her family, and we see throughout the story that they are both her source of hope and her drive to compete against what appear to be pretty insurmountable odds. It's nice to see them get some spotlight of their own, especially Francine, who has her best scene in this episode as she turns a gun on the Master. The Doctor and Jack really take a backseat in this one, and I feel this three-parter really gives each of the trio their moment to shine. Utopia is Jack's story, The Sound of Drums is the Doctor's, and Last of the Time Lords really zones in on Martha. 

This episode showcases Martha's competence, endurance and wit in her own right - she becomes a folk hero and a leader, and realises what she can be without the Doctor. She even meets someone who looks at her the way she looks at the Doctor (sure he gets shot and killed, but it's okay due to the aforementioned space magic ending). This culminates in Martha's realisation that she needs her independence from The Doctor, and her decision to take it for herself. This is one of my favourite companion exits ever - it's understated, mature, and entirely borne of her own agency. After a series of the Doctor treating her as a rebound, it's immensely gratifying to watch her step out from his shadow, call him out on his behaviour, and walk away with dignity. This is the scene that defines Martha, to me.