Ranking Doctor Who’s modern day companions
By Lacy Baugher
Lady Christina de Souza
A one-off companion that appeared during one of David Tennant’s holiday specials, Lady Chritina de Souza is almost painfully posh, and basically represents Doctor Who’s take on Lara Croft from Tomb Raider. She’s an adventurer, an accomplished thief, and a minor British aristocrat who does all these things because she’s not satisfied with her lifestyles of the rich and famous existence. (Cry me a river, girl.)
Lady Christina is also more than a little full of herself and extremely untrustworthy, as evidenced by her first scene, in which she abandoned her partner in crime (and possible lover?) to the police in order to save herself during a robbery. Other than the fact that she’s sassy and an adrenaline junkie, Christina doesn’t have much by way of a personality.
Eventually, Lady Christina asks to come along with the Doctor on his adventures, insisting that she steals things because she’s bored and looking for adventure. Ten, still in full emo mode, refuses her because he’s tired of losing people he cares about. But he still frees her from her police handcuffs and lets her steal the magical flying bus… because I guess he’s totally fine with her being a thief now or whatever because she loves adventure and he stole the TARDIS that one time. Okay, show.
Best episode: An easy pick as Lady Christina only appeared in the 2009 special “Planet of the Dead.” Part of David Tennant’s year-long series of extended specials, in which Lady Christina boards a bus that takes her to an alien desert planet. While “Planet of the Dead” looks great – it was the first episode of Doctor Who to be filmed and broadcast in high definition – the story left a lot to be desired. I mean, a huge part of the plot hinges on being able to pilot a flying bus, so take that for the warning it is.