10 Genius Decisions By Doctor Who Companions
3. Amy Decides To Release The Star Whale
In Series 5's The Beast Below, the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond visit Starship UK, an enormous spacecraft that houses the entirety of the United Kingdom. This ship was built when the Earth was threatened by solar flares, and while it seems like a nice enough place at first, the pair soon discover that a terrible secret is lurking within.
Starship UK isn't powered by an engine: it's powered by an alien creature called a Star Whale. Even worse, this creature is being trapped and tortured by the humans in charge, who believe that this is a necessary evil, to stop the Star Whale from leaving.
When the Doctor learns this, he (understandably) gets a bit pissed off, and he angrily threatens to send Amy home. He then decides to kill the Star Whale painlessly, feeling like this is the only way he can keep the ship flying while ending the beast's suffering.
But unbeknownst to him... he's dead wrong.
Just before the Doctor can put the Star Whale down, Amy decides to hit a button and set it free instead. Surprisingly, the Star Whale doesn't now fly off and leave the ship to crash - it actually stays and continues to help it fly. Why? Amy had noticed that the Star Whale didn't attack any children, and so, she deduced that it was actually here to help. And she was right: the humans didn't need to trap it and torture it, because the Star Whale wanted to save them all along.
By hitting the button, Amy proved to be an incredibly sharp and attentive companion, able to spot crucial details that even the Doctor didn't notice. No wonder he decided to keep her around for two and a half seasons.