Who Dares…. Of course, this is the motto of the SAS, and it introduces the fourth member of this TARDIS crew, one who is destined to change the way the relationships are at present, with Terry and Cassie being one couple and Chrístõ and Bo another. Now there are three men and only two girls.

But to begin with, Sammie Thomlinson doesn’t seem likely to become a member of the crew at all. His first reaction is to believe he is in enemy hands and is suspicious of everyone, even Bo with her gentle ways. He sticks by the “name rank and number” mantra of a good soldier, expecting to be interrogated by the strangest bunch of Iraqis he has ever seen.

Placing Sammie in the Gulf war of 1991, was a decision I took a little time over. The plan was to have a special forces man on board the TARDIS, but from which era was the point to be decided. The Gulf War with its friendly fire incidents seemed the best choice. It meant that all four of the companions were from different times in Earth history. Chrístõ himself, seems to have a penchant for the early 21st century, but his friends are from the 1850s, 1960s and not 1990s. All four ARE from Earth, which is very much in keeping with the usual state of affairs on Doctor Who. Almost ALL of The Doctor’s companions have been from Earth, even though some, like Vicki, Zoë and Steven in the early days had been found on other planets. Apart from Susan, his granddaughter, and as alien as he is, most of the non-Earth born friends came from the later era of the series. Leela, Romana, Adric, Nyssa, Turlough, not forgetting Kamelion and, of course, K9. The modern series has gone back on the Human companions, for the obvious reason that Human friends help The Doctor keep in touch with those finer characteristics of humanity that he sometimes forgets. So it is with Chrístõ, the younger version of The Doctor. Later in the Theta Sigma series he acquires companions from other planets, but for now he is happy with his Earth friends.

Sammie, having accepted that he was in the hands of friends, has to come to terms with the fact that he, like Bo, is a lost soul with no place in the world. He is listed as dead on the war memorial of his home town. I chose Wigan, basically because, having done a Google search of war memorials in the North of England, the Wigan one looked the best one to set the scene around.

And Li Tuo’s prophecy…

Your destiny is to love her for a little while, to show her that men’s love CAN be trusted, to mend her broken heart, her wounded spirit. But I see you giving her up to another after that.”

Sammie doesn’t seem too promising yet, but time will tell!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Air_Service