The Doctor In The TARDIS

Travels In Time And Space => Logopolis => Topic started by: The Doc on January 06, 2013, 01:51:15 pm



Title: Tegan Jovanka in Logopolis
Post by: The Doc on January 06, 2013, 01:51:15 pm
(http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h387/The-Docforum/TeganBanner.jpg)

Tegan Jovanka was an Australian air stewardess trainee who wandered into the Fourth Doctor's TARDIS when she mistook it for a genuine police box. She quickly became embroiled in the events surrounding his regeneration, and soon found herself a somewhat unwilling passenger of the Fifth Doctor. She was one of the few companions to have parted company with the Doctor, only to return for a significant number of adventures. She was joined in her travels by Adric, Nyssa, Turlough, Kamelion, and, briefly, the Brigadier.

Her relatively long tenure of service onboard the TARDIS belied an ambivalence about wishing to travel with the Doctor. Until her final glimpse of the TARDIS, she vacillated between wanting to stay and wanting to go. She returned to work as an air stewardess in 1985.

Tegan was stubborn, loud, and direct. She once described herself as "just a mouth on legs". While she often bickered with her fellow travelers, her intrinsic honesty and morality proved useful. The Doctor once noted that these qualities made her a good coordinator. She was also more likely to detect a threat to the Doctor's safety than her fellow companions.

Of her fellow travelers, she was likely closest to Nyssa, whose nature was in many ways the precise opposite of her own. Though morally indignant at the Doctor's apparent unwillingness to save Adric's life, she was genuinely saddened when Nyssa left. On Deva Loca, Tegan argued with Adric after he suggested she was too weak minded to defy the Mara, and therefore the ensuing chaos was her fault. Although she seemed to despise violence, she would resort to it under certain circumstances. When the Master threatened the Doctor, Tegan immediately threw a knife at him.

Despite the strong front she adopted, she was actually quite insecure. This manifested itself most strongly in her inability to firmly decide whether she wanted to stay onboard the TARDIS. Even when she seemed most resolute in her determination to go, she quickly reversed herself. On both occasions when she left the TARDIS, it was the Doctor's act of dematerializing the TARDIS — and not her own unwavering desire to go — which firmly separated the two. Seeing through Tegan's false bravado, the Doctor encouraged her to find her inner strength with the words, "Brave heart, Tegan."


Title: Re: Tegan Jovanka in Logopolis
Post by: Tardis-Console on January 06, 2013, 04:35:04 pm
Until this week I had only seen later stories of Tegans where she was a whiny cow the whole time. This story I think started her out quite well and sort of put into context for me why she was so moany all the time. I liked her quite a lot in this. I wonder if that will now change how I see her when I rewatch the later stories.


Title: Re: Tegan Jovanka in Logopolis
Post by: Mr Chinn on January 07, 2013, 12:30:53 am
Tegan started off so well, it really was a shame how the character went. Making her moany and then keeping her around for so long just didn't make sense, but in this story I thought she was great, especially earlier on when she had more to do.


Title: Re: Tegan Jovanka in Logopolis
Post by: Twisted-Sister on January 07, 2013, 04:28:39 pm
Tegan, when she wasn't moaning was actually quite watchable and likable, but towards the end you have to wonder why she was even sticking around.


Title: Re: Tegan Jovanka in Logopolis
Post by: Nyki on January 08, 2013, 02:01:20 am
I agree she was a lot better here than usually.  Not one of my favourite companions, but she actually had something to complain about, and she played the emotions pretty well.


Title: Re: Tegan Jovanka in Logopolis
Post by: Aneurin on January 08, 2013, 10:25:02 pm
She does my head in. Admittedly, she is better in this than in most, but every time I see her I think about what a moany cow she is. I don't think I will ever be a fan.


Title: Re: Tegan Jovanka in Logopolis
Post by: Peri-Peri on January 09, 2013, 02:56:26 pm
She does my head in. Admittedly, she is better in this than in most, but every time I see her I think about what a moany cow she is. I don't think I will ever be a fan.

But don't you think that is perhaps more understandable given how it all started for her. She was terrified. Granted, she could have left at any time rather than whining about it, but I think her attitude towards travelling probably comes from this story.


Title: Re: Tegan Jovanka in Logopolis
Post by: Scott on January 10, 2013, 12:07:03 am
I remember hearing her say on one of the bonus features how she was written and played as a typical Aussie, but that is so far from the truth. Despite the moaning, I don't dislike the character. When she was given something meaty to do, like in the Mara stories, she was actually really good. It's just those times when there wasn't much happening that they resorted to having her moaning and after a while it gets a bit much.