New Doctor Who Video Reveals What Happened to a Sixth Doctor Companion

A new Doctor Who has revealed the fate of the Sixth Doctor’s companion, Perpugilliam “Peri” Brown. Played by Nicola Bryant, Peri made her debut in the 1984 adventure “Planet of Fire.” She initially appeared alongside Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor, but he regenerated in her second adventure, “Caves of Androzani,” and she worked alongside Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor for the next couple of years. Unfortunately, this was a tumultuous time behind the scenes for the show, with major figures at the BBC seeking to cancel Doctor Who outright.

Peri’s story builds to a climax in Doctor Who season 23, which is oddly similar to current showrunner Chris Chibnall’s Doctor Who: Flux. Called “The Trial of a Time Lord,” it saw the Doctor placed on trial by his own people, with a prosecutor named the Valeyard – eventually revealed to be a twisted version of the Doctor himself – using records of the Doctor’s adventures from the Matrix as evidence against him. The first part of the story, “The Mysterious Planet,” ended with Peri apparently killed and the Doctor abandoning her. A strong backlash forced the BBC to reconsider, and “The Trial of a Time Lord” ended with the revelation the Matrix footage had been modified. Peri had not been killed after all, but rather had lived on as a warrior queen, marrying a savage king named Yrcanos.

The BBC has now revealed Peri’s fate in a short video created to promote an upcoming season 22 collection. According to “The Eternal Mystery,” Peri ruled the world of Thordon as the Warrior Queen, gaining a reputation for being even greater than her husband – and she continued to rule even after his passing. She ultimately chose to leave Thordon, believing the people no longer needed her, and she’s since become known as “The Eternal Mystery.” As a poignant touch, it’s revealed Peri apparently returns once a year to check up on her kingdom, with the help of the Doctor.

The narrative is inspired by Big Finish’s Doctor Who audiobooks, which first dubbed Peri the “Warrior Queen.” Although Doctor Who is best known as the BBC’s longest-running science-fiction TV series, it’s actually something of a transmedia franchise, and even the TV show itself has begun acknowledging tie-ins; the Executioner Daleks from the Doctor Who 2022 Holiday Special first appeared in tie-ins, for example. It’s exciting to see the BBC openly acknowledge aspects of continuity from Big Finish, perhaps hinting at further transmedia initiatives in the future.

Similar short Doctor Who videos have accompanied previous releases, but this one is undoubtedly the most powerful to date. Peri was generally felt to be badly-treated by the TV series back in the ’80s, and her abrupt departure upset a lot of fans. There’s a sense in which this particular short story serves to redeem that ending, revealing not only that Peri had her own “Happily Ever After” but also that the Doctor didn’t simply abandon her. The two have clearly reconciled, and the Doctor even helps her to revisit Thordon once a year. Oddly enough, this serves as something of a rebuttal to arguments posed in Doctor Who: Flux itself, which reiterated the oldest Doctor Who companion insult – the idea the Doctor simply abandons companions and moves on. It seems the Doctor came back for Peri after all, redeeming one of the most heavily-criticized Doctor Who arcs.

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Thomas Bacon
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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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