Doctor Who: The Cartmel Masterplan - What Could Have Been

This all worked nicely back into Ace's development as a character. The Doctor and companion dynamic was played upon, generating one of the most fascinating friendships in all of Doctor Who. There are clear signs of a tutor and student arrangement, as well as a deepening sense of trust and respect for one another, cementing their complicated, and rich chemistry.

What made their relationship all the more challenging was the Seventh Doctor's mysterious nature, and willful withholding of information from his companion. You could see her frustration in being kept in the dark, as the Seventh Doctor seemingly walked above those around him, like a superior entity that sees all and knows all. Over the course of their adventures she grew stronger as a person, and felt confident enough to challenge the Seventh Doctor's persona, forcing him to tell the truth about his intentions, particularly during The Curse of Fenric where their friendship was truly tested.

His game with the ancient enemy Fenric really dug deep, and almost ripped apart the faith Ace had in the Seventh Doctor, with the Time Lord breaking her spirit to win the battle. Upon the next scene, you can clearly see how much the Seventh Doctor cares for Ace, apologizing for making her face such a painful personal battle, and that he never intended to hurt her in any shape or form. This demonstrated the strange, and wonderful layers of this Doctor's complicated characteristic structure.