A hilarious line of dialogue in Doctor Who has teased that Graham is really the Doctor. British viewers were somewhat taken aback when Bradley Walsh was cast for the series. He’s best known as a comedian and TV presenter, and few believed he’d be a good fit for a Doctor Who companion.
To viewers’ surprise and delight, Bradley Walsh’s Graham proved to be the best companion in Doctor Who season 11. Showrunner Chris Chibnall gave Graham a compelling character arc, with the older companion struggling to deal with the death of his beloved wife Grace. The emotional centerpiece of this arc was in Doctor Who season 11, episode 9, “It Takes You Away,” where Graham was reunited with a projection of Grace in a mirror world. Although Graham hasn’t been as central in Doctor Who season 12, he’s remained significant, and still feels like the most developed character of all the TARDIS crew - possibly even including Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.
Amusingly, the latest episode of Doctor Who season 12 included a scene in which Graham came close to identifying himself as the Doctor. Told he was a strange man, Graham responded in outrage. “Excuse me,” he replied, “I’m the Do– I’m the most normal bloke you’re ever gonna meet!” It’s an amusing slip of the tongue, entertaining viewers with the idea that Graham is secretly the Doctor, but is there more to it?
Graham’s comment probably reflects the fact he feels he’s more of an experienced traveler now, and is far more confident than he was in Doctor Who season 11. What’s more, Graham appears more committed to the time traveler life than any of the rest of the Doctor’s fam; in truth, both Ryan and Yaz are beginning to wonder if they need to move on from the TARDIS in order to have a life of their own. Graham has no such concerns; he’s thrown himself into life on the TARDIS with gusto, admittedly partly as a way of repressing the pain he still feels over Grace’s death. Graham has most likely begun to think of himself as a Doctor surrogate when he’s working with the younger, and less experienced, characters - which neatly explains the dialogue.
And yet, ironically, it’s not hard to imagine Bradley Walsh as the Doctor. The actor has been tremendously impressive in his performance on Doctor Who, presenting Graham as a complex, three-dimensional character who is driven by the same compassion that motivates the Doctor to meddle in human affairs. Given the right scripts, Walsh could undoubtedly pull it off.
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