Doctor Who: 10 Times The Doctor Was The Bad Guy

6. Goodbye Sarah-Jane Smith

Doctor Who Sarah Jane Smith departure
BBC Studios

Sarah-Jane is frequently voted as one of the greatest-ever companions in Doctor Who history, with Elizabeth Sladen even being brought back after the show was revived in 2005. She was primarily a companion of the Third and Fourth Doctors, so having travelled with him for so long, one would expect a more emotional farewell when the time came to say goodbye.

The Fourth Doctor is recalled to Gallifrey by the Time Lords and humans are not allowed to join him. While that should have been a case for giving the middle finger to the council, he actually agrees fairly simply to the command, telling Sarah-Jane that the time has come for her to leave the TARDIS. Understandably confused by this, she leaves to find that he hasn't even brought her home.

The revival attempts to poke fun at this, suggesting the Doctor made an honest mistake when he dropped her off in Aberdeen rather than Croydon, yet even the Tenth Doctor takes umbridge to her suggestion that she was less than thrilled with him. He incredulously asks if she wants him to apologise for bringing her away on adventures.

The Doctor doesn't like looking back on his actions, so when faced with Sarah-Jane again, it is a stark reminder that he is not always the knight in shining armour.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"