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{{Infobox Individual
{{Infobox Individual
|alias= Dodo Dupont
|alias           = Dodo DuPont
|name= Dorothea Anne Chaplet
|image           = DodoSmilesGunfighters.jpg  
|image=DodoSmilesGunfighters.jpg  
|species         = Human
|species=Human  
|birth date      = [[1949]]
|origin=[[England]]  
|death date      = [[11 August]] [[1971]] (one account)
|first=The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (TV story)  
|affiliation    = Family Smith
|appearances= [[Dodo Chaplet - list of appearances|'''''see list''''']]  
|job            = Maid
|actor= Jackie Lane |}}
|job2            = secretary
|job3            = teacher{{!}}piano teacher
|origin          = [[England]]<ref>According to ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'', Dodo was born in [[London]]. ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'' claims that her accent is "north-of-London" and ''[[The Incherton Incident (audio story)|The Incherton Incident]]'' says that she came from [[Yorkshire]].</ref>
|father          = Dodo Chaplet's father{{!}}Father
|mother          = Dodo Chaplet's mother{{!}}Mother
|grandparent    = Dodo Chaplet's grandfather{{!}}Grandfather
|child          = Dodo Chaplet's child{{!}}Child
|partner        = James Stevens
|partner2        = Bill (Ships)
|first          = The Massacre (TV story)
|appearances    = {{appears}}
|actor           = Jackie Lane
|voice actor    = Lauren Cornelius
|clip            = Doctor meets Refusian - Doctor Who - The Ark - BBC
|clip2          = The Post Office Tower - Doctor Who The War Machines - BBC
|clip3          = The Doctor calls WOTAN - Doctor Who The War Machines - BBC
}}{{ImageLink}}
'''Dorothea Anne Chaplet''', also known as '''Dodo''', was a [[companion]] of the [[First Doctor]].


'''Dodo Chaplet''' — formally '''Dorothea Anne Chaplet''' ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'') — was a [[companion]] of [[the Doctor]] near the end of [[First Doctor|his first incarnation]]. He took to her within seconds of their first encounter, citing her physical similarity to [[Susan Campbell|his granddaughter]]. ([[TV]]: "[[Bell of Doom]]")
When she first met the Doctor in [[1965]], Dodo had lost [[Dodo Chaplet's mother|her mother]] and [[Dodo Chaplet's father|father]] and was living unhappily with [[Margaret (Salvation)|her great-aunt]]. At sixteen years old, she mistook [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] for a [[police box]] and joined the Doctor and [[Steven Taylor]] on their travels, outstaying Steven and eventually choosing to remain in [[London]] in [[1966]] after a period of [[hypnosis|conditioning]] by [[WOTAN]].


Dodo had limited contact with other companions, only spending significant time with [[Steven Taylor]]. She met and hit it off with [[Polly Wright]] briefly in [[London]] on [[20 July]] [[1966]], and was with her when Polly first encountered [[Ben Jackson]]. Neither Ben nor Polly had yet seen [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] when Dodo chose to stop travelling with the Doctor, sending word of her decision to him via Polly. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'')
Accounts differed on Dodo's life after leaving the Doctor. Whilst one said that she spent her life in psychiatric hospitals before falling in love with [[James Stevens]] and being murdered, others agreed that she lived past the [[1970s]].


Despite not being [[American]], Dodo travelled widely in the [[United States of America|United States]]. She visited [[Florida]] and [[New York City]] in [[March]] and [[April]] [[1965]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') and [[Arizona]] in [[October]] [[1881]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (TV story)|The Gunfighters]]'').
== Biography ==
=== Childhood ===
Dorothea Anne Chaplet, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'') also known as "Dorry" when she was a child, was born in [[1949]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') [[Dodo Chaplet's grandfather|Her grandfather]] was [[France|French]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'') and, for a school project, she researched her family tree, finding evidence that she was descended from [[Huguenot]]s who left France to escape persecution. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'') [[Steven Taylor]] would later speculate that she was a descendant of [[Anne Chaplet]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'') who, according to one account, fled to [[Picardy]] with her brother, [[Raoul Chaplet|Raoul]], to avoid the [[St Bartholomew's Day massacre]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Massacre (novelisation)|The Massacre]]'')
 
Whilst one account had Dorothea claiming to be born in one of the poorest parts of [[London]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'') others agreed that she came from [[north]] of the [[capital city]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]''; [[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Incherton Incident (audio story)|The Incherton Incident]]'') with one specifying [[Yorkshire]] ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Incherton Incident (audio story)|The Incherton Incident]]'') and another mentioning that she had family in [[North Yorkshire]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Miniaturist (audio story)|The Miniaturist]]'') The family lived near a man who suffered from [[shell shock]] because of [[World War II]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Incherton Incident (audio story)|The Incherton Incident]]'') [[Dodo Chaplet's mother|Her mother]] told her about [[Mole (The Miniaturist)|Maureen]], whom she called "Mole", and said that she and Dorothea had the same [[ear]]s. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Miniaturist (audio story)|The Miniaturist]]'')
 
As a child, Dorothea played [[Mary (mythology)|Mary]] in a [[nativity play]], stuffing a [[pillow]] up her front to look [[pregnancy|pregnant]] and riding into [[Bethlehem]] on a [[hobby horse]], but had no lines. She played under an [[oak|oak tree]] in a park during the [[summer holiday]]s, once trying to climb it but cutting herself in the attempt, and was banned by her mother from climbing after a boy from another school fell from it. When she was alone at [[birthday party|birthday parties]], including her own, she would fidget by scratching imaginary itches. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'') She was never very good at [[hide and seek]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Fugitive of the Daleks (audio story)}})
 
Dorothea went to a school where her [[uniform]] included a [[beret]], [[gymslip]] and black [[stocking]]s. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (novelisation)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'') As a child, she traced an [[atlas]] and pinned it to her [[bedroom]] wall, drawing a star to mark that she and her parents had been to [[Florida]], intending to do the same for other places that they would visit in the future. A recurring [[dream]] of hers involved flying above the [[cloud]]s and into a [[fairy tale]] land, but the mundanity of her life as she grew up led her to forget about this dream.
 
The last time that Dorothea saw her mother, her mother was leaving the house in an old [[Morris Minor]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') Whilst in [[Dodo Chaplet's home|her living room]] in her uniform ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (novelisation)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'') circa [[1962]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') a man shook his head to let her know that her mother had died, after which she turned away and hid her face as she cried. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (novelisation)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'') Her dreams in the world on the other side of [[the Gateway (Salvation)|the Gateway]] implied that her mother died in a [[car]] accident on the way to Dodo's great-aunt [[Margaret (Salvation)|Margaret]]'s. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'')
 
=== Life with Margaret ===
Dorothea would later claim that she had no parents. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'') She told [[Bressac]] that [[Dodo Chaplet's father|her father]] died during her childhood just as [[Dodo Chaplet's mother|her mother]] did, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'') but another account indicated that her father was committed to an [[psychiatric hospital|asylum]] following her mother's death. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') Without any parents, she moved to live with [[Margaret (Salvation)|Margaret]], her great-aunt, with whom she did not share a good relationship. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'') Dorothea took the map of the world that she had traced off of her wall and folded it up before putting it in the bin with only Florida marked.
 
Dorothea switched [[school]]s in the middle of the year, moving to a [[secondary modern school]] as she was not bright enough for [[grammar school]]. She was ridiculed by her classmates and nicknamed "Dodo" for her north-of-[[London]] accent, which they thought made her sound stupid. After she had settled in and began to put the loss of her parents behind her, she embraced the nickname and, using the southern accent she developed at [[elocution]] lessons her great-aunt made her attend, sought to change its connotations. Margaret insisted on calling her "Dorothea", however, and she became torn between these two identities, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') her accent becoming situational; ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'', ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') she would later remark that she had felt like an [[actor]] all her life. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'') Margaret also made her attend [[church]], but Dodo did not pay much attention.
 
[[File:Dodo His Lives and Times.jpg|thumb|left|A [[photograph]] of Dodo. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Traveller From Beyond Time (short story)|page=23}})]]
Margaret forbade Dodo from frequenting [[discotheque]]s, which kept her from being able to completely penetrate "the scene". She was not a good student and had no aspirations to go to [[university]], although Margaret insisted that she study for it. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') She did not take [[History]] for her [[O-level]]s, ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Fugitive of the Daleks (audio story)}}) neither spoke nor understood [[French language|French]], largely because she skipped lessons to learn how to kiss behind the [[gymnasium]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'') and paid no attention in her [[scripture]] classes. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Bunker Soldiers (novel)|Bunker Soldiers]]'') She took a first-aid course at school but was not very good at it ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (novelisation)|The Gunfighters]]'') and also learnt a lot about animals and plants, visiting [[Whipsnade Zoo]] and later remarking that she knew everything about nature. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'') She played [[tennis]] at school and won a county championship. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ark (novelisation)|The Ark]]'')
 
Dodo once owned a [[snakes and ladders]] set. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'') She was familiar with [[Castle Coch]] in [[Wales]] and went to [[Spain]] several times, the [[rain]] "bucketing" down the final time she went. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ark (novelisation)|The Ark]]'') Before joining the [[First Doctor]], she was a [[virginity|virgin]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'') had never been given [[flower]]s before ([[TV]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'') and had never ridden a [[horse]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Outlaws (audio story)|The Outlaws]]'') According to one account, she attended a [[finishing school]] where she learnt how to play [[poker]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (novelisation)|The Gunfighters]]'')
 
=== Travels in the TARDIS ===
==== Meeting the Doctor ====
On a [[Friday]] the 13th, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ark (novelisation)|The Ark]]'') in [[March]] [[1965]], the sixteen-year-old Dodo ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') entered the [[the Doctor's TARDIS]] on [[Wimbledon Common]], believing it to be a [[police box]], and encountered the [[First Doctor]], claiming that she was after the [[police]] as she had witnessed an accident in which a young boy was injured. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'')
 
According to one account, Dodo had visited [[Neville Albert Miller]] to help with his [[shopping]] as usual and was held captive by [[Joseph (Salvation)|Joseph]], who had accidentally killed Mr Miller and taken his form. Dodo escaped onto the common after Joseph tried to have [[sex]] with her and ran to what she believed to be a police box, lying to the Doctor about having seen an accident as she was afraid that she might have run into Joseph's [[spaceship]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') According to another account, however, Dodo had not been escaping any danger when she met the Doctor. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Conflict Theory (audio story)|Conflict Theory]]'')
 
After [[Steven Taylor]] entered the TARDIS and warned the Doctor of approaching policemen, the Doctor dematerialised the ship without giving Dodo a choice. She told Steven that she had no parents and assured him that [[Margaret (Salvation)|her great-aunt]] would not mind if she never returned. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'')
 
==== Early adventures ====
Dodo's first adventure was in [[New York City]] in her present day. She and the Doctor explored the city together and, after the Doctor [[apology|apologised]] to her for having taken her from her home, she told him about her parents and [[Margaret (Salvation)|Margaret]], whom she later called to let her know that she was in New York and that she would be home in time for her [[exam]]s. After meeting the [[Latter-Day Pantheon]] and being [[arrest]]ed by [[Charles Marchant]]'s [[soldier]]s, she told the Doctor about [[Joseph (Salvation)|Joseph]], who later took her through [[the Gateway (Salvation)|the Gateway]] and wanted to [[marriage|marry]] her. Dodo kissed him on his cheek when he elected to stay in the [[Land of the Gods]] and returned to [[Earth]], where she told the Doctor that she wished to travel with him and see [[Hollywood]], [[Egypt]], [[Paris]] and [[Florida]].
 
Dodo was given [[Dodo Chaplet's TARDIS bedroom|a bedroom]] on [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] which she planned to brighten up and asked the Doctor to take her anywhere but home. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') One account indicated that Dodo had several adventures between New York and the [[Ark]], with her becoming familiar with the names of the TARDIS instruments, remarking that she "never liked" materialising, saying that she, the Doctor and Steven "always assume[d]" that the ship would materialise on land and the Doctor saying that he "always told [her]" that [[time]] was relative. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ark (novelisation)|The Ark]]'')
 
[[File:The Doctor and Dodo worried.jpg|thumb|left|Dodo and the Doctor on the [[Ark]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'')]]
Dodo went to the [[TARDIS wardrobe|wardrobe room]] and put on a [[tabard]] without asking. When the TARDIS materialised on the Ark, she exited before the Doctor could check the readings, a concern that she waved away due to her initial belief that they were in [[Whipsnade Zoo]]. She was distraught when she inadvertently passed on her [[common cold|cold]] to the [[Guardian (The Ark)|Guardians]] and [[Monoid]]s, causing a plague which infected Steven. Once the Doctor dealt with it, they arrived seven centuries in the future, where Dodo helped the Guardians on [[Refusis II]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'')
 
In the [[Celestial Toyroom]], [[the Toymaker]] showed Dodo a [[video]] of her learning of [[Dodo Chaplet's mother|her mother]]'s death and made her and Steven play his games, including [[blind man's buff]] with living dolls, a [[riddle]], [[hunt the thimble]], a [[dance]]floor with [[Wiggs (The Celestial Toymaker)|Mrs Wiggs]] and [[Rugg|Sergeant Rugg]] and [[TARDIS hopscotch]] with [[Cyril (The Celestial Toymaker)|Cyril]]. In the final game, she was frustrated by Cyril's cheating and was fooled when he pretended to be injured. Back in the TARDIS, she gave the Doctor a [[sweet]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'') which gave him [[toothache]].
 
Seeking a [[dentist]], the travellers landed in [[Tombstone, Arizona]] in [[1881]], fulfilling Dodo's lifelong wish to meet [[Wyatt Earp]]. As Miss Dodo DuPont and Steven Regret, she and Steven were forced by [[Billy Clanton|Billy]], [[Ike Clanton|Ike]] and [[Phineas Clanton]] to play "[[The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon]]" non-stop before she was taken captive by [[Doc Holliday]] for a time. Prior to departing, the Doctor said that Dodo had been "fast becoming a prey to every [[cliché]]-ridden convention" of the era. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (TV story)|The Gunfighters]]'')
 
Dodo learnt that other people had travelled with the Doctor before her when she came across their things in their bedrooms. Steven told her about [[Vicki Pallister]] and how he and the Doctor left her in [[Troy]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Fugitive of the Daleks (audio story)}})
 
[[File:DodoAndJohnny.jpg|thumb|right|Dodo is held hostage by [[Johnny Ringo]] in [[Tombstone, Arizona|Tombstone]], [[Arizona]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (TV story)|The Gunfighters]]'')]]
Only a few days after facing the Toymaker, the TARDIS was returned to the Celestial Toyroom where Dodo was made to play [[musical statues]] and various [[Halloween]]-themed games, including one that she was horrified to find involved real human organs. They managed to escape the Toymaker's game of [[Murder in the Dark]] when Dodo played a [[violin]] and the Doctor declared that they were once again playing musical statues, confusing him. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Murder in the Dark (short story)|Murder in the Dark]]'')
 
In the [[Himalayas]] in [[1630]], Dodo and the Doctor were saved from the [[Tibetan Yeti|Yeti]] by [[Padmasambhava|Oddiyāna]], who taught Dodo a [[peace]] [[mantra]] to soothe them due to her affinity for them. He also told her, when she said that she felt that she ought to stay with the Doctor should Steven remain in [[Tibet]] with [[Pema Tsering]], that the Doctor would understand if she decided that she would like to leave the TARDIS and find a new home. When [[Norbu]] and his [[bandit]]s attacked [[Det-Sen Monastery]], Dodo brought the Yeti in the hopes that they would frighten them away, but the bandits did not wish to abandon their loot and many were killed. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Secrets of Det-Sen (audio story)|The Secrets of Det-Sen]]'')
 
Dodo, the Doctor and Steven stayed in [[Russia]] in [[1812]] for several months to enjoy a holiday, having not long left Tombstone, and she was hired as [[Olga Nikitin]]'s companion on the condition that she taught her how to play the [[piano]]. She and the Doctor agreed not to tell Steven about the [[France|French]] invasion until after [[Glasha]] and [[Semion Borisovich Stasov]]'s [[wedding]] and found him after he was attacked by the [[Shape Thief]]. After the Thief took the Doctor's form, Dodo and Steven were separated, but she was reunited with the Doctor and travelled to [[Moscow]] where they were reunited with Steven and the TARDIS, which [[Napoléon Bonaparte]] had stolen. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Mother Russia (audio story)|Mother Russia]]'')
 
==== Steven's last trips ====
[[File:Steven Dodo Doctor Return of the Rocket Men.jpg|thumb|left|Steven, Dodo and the Doctor. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Return of the Rocket Men (audio story)|Return of the Rocket Men]]'')]]
Upon learning that the TARDIS had landed on Steven's birthday, Dodo found a [[1967]] [[diary]] and gave it to him as a present. She immediately befriended [[Carla Carson]] on [[Ulysses 519]] and was kidnapped along with the women and children of [[Ford's Rest|the colony]] by the [[Rocket Men]], who intended to sell them as [[slave]]s. Dodo briefly managed to get away, but Steven, disguised as a Rocket Man, returned her and allowed her and the others to escape discreetly. She was astounded when Steven told her that he had survived [[Van Cleef]]'s [[bullet]] thanks to the diary that she gave him and was amused when [[Bill Carson]] asked him for permission to name the colony after him. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Return of the Rocket Men (audio story)|Return of the Rocket Men]]'')
 
At Dodo's suggestion, the trio visited [[1966]] [[London]] where they investigated the theft of the [[Jules Rimet Cup]]. Dodo chased the alien who shoved the cup's base and a ransom note into Steven's hands before he teleported away and, once the cup had been recovered, asked the Doctor if he had known how the cup was supposed to be found after he sent her to buy [[sausage]]s so that [[Pickles|a dog]] would find it. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[This Sporting Life (audio story)|This Sporting Life]]'')
 
On a passenger liner to [[Bukol]], Dodo and Steven were captured and imitated by [[Orsa]] and [[Alëza]]. Dodo found a hatchway, enabling them to escape their cell, and the two were reunited with the Doctor, later going to a [[carnival]] together whilst the Doctor spoke with [[Yerma]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Golden Door (short story)|The Golden Door]]'')
 
Dodo, the Doctor and Steven followed [[Roztoq]] to [[64 Carlysle Street]], where Dodo successfully applied to become a [[maid]]. She was instructed in her new duties by [[Alice Fittle]] and left with her companions after Roztoq's defeat. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[64 Carlysle Street (short story)|64 Carlysle Street]]'')
 
In [[1240]] [[Kiev]], Dodo befriended [[Lesia]] and visited Steven with her when he was arrested. She unwittingly inspired [[Dmitri (Bunker Soldiers)|Dmitri]] to catapult [[disease]]d [[corpse]]s into the city and potentially giving the [[Mongol]]s the idea to do the same, resulting in the [[Black Death]]. However, the Doctor comforted her and assured her that that was not the case. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Bunker Soldiers (novel)|Bunker Soldiers]]'')
 
Dodo and Steven accompanied the Doctor to the [[Jungle of Tropicalus]] where he defeated [[Questor]] in a battle of wits. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Death to the Doctor! (comic story)|Death to the Doctor!]]'') After receiving a distress signal, they landed in [[Africa]] during the [[Boer Wars]] and investigated a crashed spaceship from which they learnt [[Kali Carash]] had escaped. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Tales from the Vault (audio story)|Tales from the Vault]]'')


However, most details of Dodo's life — her childhood, the reasons she started and stopped travelling with the Doctor and even her possible death — were shrouded in a confusion created by several highly contradictory and speculative accounts.
On [[Comfort]], Dodo was made to take part in the evaluation and scored less well than Steven. After the two of them attempted to escape, the Doctor having been [[arrest]]ed as a subversive element, the two of them were split up and sent to the front lines. Dodo found Steven in her side's [[trench]] one day and helped him with his political campaign to end the war, but she was recorded suggesting a surrender and was arrested. However, the Doctor saved her and brought an end to the war by working outside of the system, after which they returned to the TARDIS. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The War To End All Wars (audio story)|The War To End All Wars]]'')


== Biography ==
[[File:Dodo The Savages corridor.jpg|thumb|right|Dodo exploring [[the City (The Savages)|the City]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Savages (TV story)|The Savages]]'')]]
=== Early life ===
On [[planet (The Savages)|an unnamed planet]] in the far future, Dodo wandered off during a tour of [[the City (The Savages)|the City]] and discovered [[Senta]]'s laboratory, uncovering the life-force transference that kept the [[Elder]]s alive. She said farewell to Steven when he chose to remain on the planet to oversee the [[peace]] between the Elders and the [[Savage (The Savages)|Savages]], telling him that she would miss him and asking the Doctor if they would see each other again. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Savages (TV story)|The Savages]]'')
Dodo was born in [[1949]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'')
 
Her grandfather was [[France|French]]. Having just visited France in the era of the [[St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre]], on hearing Dodo's surname and her French ancestry, Steven speculated that Dodo was a descendent of the apparently doomed [[Anne Chaplet]]. This would mean that Anne had survived the massacre of the [[Protestant|Huguenots]], the [[St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre]], on [[24 August]] [[1572]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (TV story)|The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve]]'')
==== Sole companion ====
Dodo and the Doctor did not mention [[Steven Taylor|Steven]] for some time after his departure, with Dodo resenting the Doctor for abandoning him until realising that he had done so to keep him from being lonely. She looked after the Doctor as he became increasingly frail, but he told her that he would have to face the next phase of his life alone. They arrived in [[France]] in an [[alternate timeline]] where she lost her [[virginity]] to [[Dalville]] and contracted [[Minski]]'s [[Minski's virus|virus]], possibly sexually, which she chose to keep as a reminder of the lost timeline. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'')


For a school project, Dodo researched her family tree and found evidence that she was descended from Huguenots who left France to escape persecution, suggesting that Steven's theory may have been correct. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'')
After spending some time "moping" in the TARDIS, the Doctor and Dodo landed in the [[13th century]] and encountered the remnants of an outlaw attack. She was arrested for treason as her education taught her that [[John of England|King John]] was a bad man. [[William of Berkshire]] kidnapped her from her cell and she met {{Hound}}. He showed him their ways and brought her to ambush the Sheriff's tax collection. The Doctor managed to find her. She helped the Doctor tend to the wounded. Her confession to [[Nicholaa de la Haye]] meant that the Monk was to be executed. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Outlaws (audio story)|The Outlaws]]'')


Dodo went to live with her great-aunt [[Margaret (Salvation)|Margaret]] before joining the [[First Doctor]] on his travels. Their relationship was likely strained. Dodo said that she would not be missed. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve (TV story)|The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve]]'') She expressed delight that she was not going back home any time soon. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'')
The Doctor and Dodo landed at [[Coulton Salt Mine]]. She was curious about learning about her family which apparently came from this area. She went down the mine and heard a weird noise. Shortly afterwards she saw an ethereal girl, which looked like her mother Maureen and encountered [[the Miniaturist]] taking on her appearance. She found that the small dolls house size were miniaturised originals,{{What?}} such as the TARDIS. She theorised that the Miniaturist took the energy from the universe to show people what they missed. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Miniaturist (audio story)|The Miniaturist]]'')


She was not a good student and likely never made it to sixth form, much less university. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') She neither spoke nor understood [[French language|French]], largely because she skipped her French lessons in school to learn how to kiss behind the school gymnasium. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'')
In [[2020s]] [[Camden Town]], Dodo fell under the control of [[Siren (The Demon Song)|a Siren]]'s [[song]] and left the Doctor to join her [[choir]] beneath a derelict [[church]]. The Siren spoke through her, allowing Dodo to feel her loneliness and learn that the Siren needed to return to her [[dimension]] to keep herself from dying and killing numerous people with the resulting [[energy]] release. After the Siren returned home, Dodo sobbed and, later, went to [[Camden Market]] with the Doctor. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Demon Song (audio story)|The Demon Song]]'')


Beyond these statements, accounts of her youth widely differed on details. According to one account, she grew up in one of the poorest parts of [[London]]. When her parents died, she moved in with an aunt (possibly not her Great-Aunt Magaret) who was wealthier than her parents and was a social climber. This afforded Dodo exposure to a wide variety of social experiences in her young life. She had difficulty believing that the squalid existence into which she had been born and the world to which her aunt aspired were part of the same reality. To cope, she continually reinvented herself according to her immediate situation, claiming to have "acted all [her] life". Thus, her accent was situational. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'')
Dodo and the Doctor arrived near [[Incherton-on-Sea]] in [[1947]] after [[Sanderson (The Incherton Incident)|Sanderson]]'s [[spaceship]] forced the Doctor to land the TARDIS. They joined [[Virginia Hancock]] and fled from [[John Andrews (The Incherton Incident)|Captain John Andrews]], with Dodo being shot and taken to the army base to be interrogated by Sanderson. She eventually escaped with [[Lia Halloran]], resisting Sanderson's [[hypnosis]], and rejoined the Doctor, who faded away in the TARDIS after Sanderson was killed and her ship destroyed. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Incherton Incident (audio story)|The Incherton Incident]]'')


An alternative account of her youth claimed that Dodo's parents did not both die when she was young. Rather, her mother died in an accident. Her father suffered a mental breakdown and had to be hospitalised, but was still alive at the time of Dodo's first encounter with the Doctor. Neither were they poor. This account of her life maintained that her parents were wealthy enough to take her to the [[Florida]] [[Everglades]]. This trip gave her a deep appreciation of the variety of life on [[Earth]] and a wish to see more of the world. Nevertheless, after the death of her mother from unknown causes, Dodo went to live with her great-aunt, [[Margaret (Salvation)|Margaret]]. Amongst other things, she forced Dodo into elocution lessons. Dodo developed a "natural" and a "posh" accent. Life with her formal great-aunt also caused her to see herself in two ways: "Dorothea", the proper young lady Margaret wanted her to be, and "Dodo", the plain kid at school she probably really was. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'')
She was locked in a TARDIS bedroom by [[Vicki Pallister]] who told her about her recent travels with the [[Robot Dr Who]]. She thanked her for letting her out. Telling Vicki about what had just happened, she heard the [[Cloister Bell]] when she found the Robot version. After escaping from the Daleks on the [[DARDIS]], she took the robot Doctor onto the TARDIS. She was then used as his hostage before she was taken to earth. She worked out that they had landed in [[Brussell]]s. She encountered the Doctor inside the TARDIS, before the time tracked changed. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Fugitive of the Daleks (audio story)}})


=== Nickname ===
[[File:Dodo and First Bletchington.jpg|thumb|left|Dodo and the Doctor after Steven's departure. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Horror at Bletchington Station (audio story)|The Horror at Bletchington Station]]'')]]
How she got the nickname "Dodo" was no clearer than anything else in her youth - other than it clearly being a diminutive of her given name "Dorothea". According to one view, it was given to her by her classmates. At some time after she went to live with her great-aunt, she switched schools mid-term. Her new classmates ridiculed her northern accent, thinking her ill-educated. They nicknamed her after the [[dodo]], an extinct, stupid bird. Instead of rejecting the name, she tried to change people's perception of the name by becoming "cool". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') As an adult, she intimated to [[James Stevens]] that she didn't know where it came from — though her memory was notably unreliable. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'')
In [[19th century]] [[England]], Dodo was concerned by the Doctor's lack of curiosity regarding strange goings-on and sneaked out of [[Inn (The Horror at Bletchington Station)|the inn]] to investigate. She joined [[Jay (The Horror at Bletchington Station)|Jay]] and the other [[platelayer]]s in following [[Beast (The Horror at Bletchington Station)|the beast]], which she later found to be a hyper-evolved [[European mole]]. The Doctor hurried Dodo away into the TARDIS after returning the mole to its usual size, not telling her that the [[Time Lord]]s had arrived. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Horror at Bletchington Station (audio story)|The Horror at Bletchington Station]]'')


=== Meeting the Doctor ===
Dodo and the Doctor arrived in [[Rotar City]] on [[Tarron (planet)|Tarron]] circa [[10000000|10,000,000]] and investigated the [[Azmec Corporation]] and [[Vorassan cult]] [[murder]]s, breaking into the Azmecs' main building and discovering [[time travel]] technology used to summon [[assassin]]s from the past to keep the Azmecs' deceptions a secret. The two travellers spoke out against them and exposed their [[lie]]s, with Dodo taking a [[newspaper]] digest with her before they left. During the adventure, she remarked that she would likely return home when the Doctor could arrange it. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Tarnished Image (short story)|Tarnished Image]]'')
Like later companion [[Tegan Jovanka]] and her Aunt [[Vanessa (Logopolis)|Vanessa]], Dodo was one of only a few people to ever attempt to use [[the TARDIS]] as an ''actual'' police box. As a young adult in the [[1960s]], Dodo saw a small boy knocked down by a car. Seeking help, she saw a [[police box]] on [[Wimbledon Common]] and entered it. Instead of a policeman, she found the Doctor. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve]]'')


Another account speculated that Dodo's great-aunt also made her spend time helping an elderly neighbour do his shopping and other menial tasks. One night, an [[alien]] ship crashed nearby. Its pilot killed the neighbour and assumed his physical form. When Dodo learned what had happened to him, the alien kept her prisoner. When she escaped, she rushed across [[Wimbledon Common]], heading for what she thought was a [[police box]] — but was, in fact, [[the TARDIS]]. According to this view, then, Dodo met the Doctor because she was fleeing from an alien, with her story about witnessing an accident an attempt to cover up the truth in case she had run into the alien's ship by accident. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'')
Dodo and the Doctor visited [[1947]] [[Scrabster Harbour]] where Dodo had difficulty finding her sea legs ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Masters of Earth (audio story)|Master of Earth]]'') and the [[Golden Hind]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Maker of Demons (audio story)|Maker of Demons]]'') When the Doctor mentioned the [[Dalek]]s to her, she had no knowledge of them and he said that she had never met them. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'')


=== Initial trip ===
Due to previous adventures, Dodo became mistrustful of the Doctor and, on [[planet (There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden)|a planet]] in the grip of a crystalline [[parasite]], wondered not for the first time if she was cut out for adventure. She initially thought that the planet was horrible and wanted to leave, but came to realise that it was beautiful. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden (short story)|There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden]]'')
Just as he had done with [[Ian Chesterton]] and [[Barbara Wright]], the Doctor dematerialised the TARDIS without giving his new passenger a choice in the matter. This time, however, the cause was different; two approaching policemen would have forced their way into the TARDIS had the Doctor not taken off. Steven protested, but wasn't able to counter the Doctor's logic. ([[TV]]: "[[Bell of Doom]]")


Dodo's first trip in the TARDIS was in space, not time. They went to [[New York City]] in [[1965]], where they met and defeated the compatriots of [[Joseph (Salvation)|Joseph]], the alien who had briefly kidnapped her back in [[London]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'')
=== Departure ===
[[File:Dodo hypnotised.jpg|thumb|right|Dodo being [[hypnosis|hypnotised]] by [[WOTAN]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'')]]
Dodo helped pilot the TARDIS to [[London]] on [[20 July]] [[1966]] and felt as she left the ship that she was saying goodbye. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The War Machines (novelisation)|The War Machines]]'') She and the Doctor went to the [[Post Office Tower]], where [[WOTAN]] affected Dodo. She went to [[Inferno (club)|Inferno]] with [[Polly Wright]] and met [[Ben Jackson]], later receiving a phone call which conditioned her to serve WOTAN. Under its control, she tried to recruit the Doctor to the cause but was found out and was released from its control by the Doctor's [[hypnosis]].


=== Other travels ===
Dodo, who was left in a forty-eight hour [[sleep]], was taken to recuperate with [[Charles Summer|Sir Charles Summer]]'s [[Charles Summer's wife|wife]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'') at their country estate in [[Hertfordshire]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Traveller From Beyond Time (short story)|WOTAN - The Super Computer!]]'') Upon awakening, she sent a message with Polly for the Doctor, saying that she felt much better and planned on staying, ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'') intending to go back to live with [[Margaret (Salvation)|Margaret]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Smugglers (novelisation)|The Smugglers]]'') Since she had been reported missing while travelling with the Doctor, she was questioned by police and told them that she had no memory of where she had been. Sir Charles Summers was interviewed about why she was there, which caused a scandal in the press. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Traveller From Beyond Time (short story)|WOTAN - The Super Computer!]]'')


After [[New York City|New York]], the TARDIS crew found themselves on the ''[[Ark]]''. At first, Dodo thought they were at [[Whipsnade Zoo]]. She told the others that she had been there as a child, and displayed some knowledge of nature. Unfortunately, she had a [[common cold|cold]], the virus of which was inadvertently passed on to the humans and [[Monoid]]s in the Ark. As they had no resistance to it, it became a plague. Dodo, a caring person, was distraught that she had caused this terrible event. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark]]'')
=== Later life ===
==== Struggles and death ====
According to one account, Dodo experienced [[vision]]s of her time on the ''[[Ark]]'', in [[Tombstone]] and in the [[Celestial Toyroom]] following her conditioning, none of which she believed had really happened to her. She remained in the country for several months, recovering before returning to London seeking [[employment]]. However, she began suffering from [[blackout]]s and was repeatedly hospitalised as a result before being sent to a string of [[psychiatric hospital]]s.


[[File:DodoLooksLeft.jpg|thumb|right|Dodo worries as she plays [[TARDIS hopscotch]] against [[Cyril]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'')]]
In an institution near [[Colchester]], Dodo was subject to [[shock therapy]] over a fourteen-month period. When she attempted to leave, she was put in a mixed sex ward for serious cases and accidentally killed a fellow patient in self-defence when he tried to [[rape]] her. She was declared a "hopeless case" and sent to the [[Glasshouse]] where she was interrogated by {{Delgado}} about the Doctor and [[UNIT]], eventually being left in London with her [[memory]] largely wiped.
Dodo's caring nature was probably what made her dislike cheating and other unfair behaviour. Whilst this annoyance could be seen many times, it was most visible when the travellers met [[the Celestial Toymaker]]. It was his games, attitude and [[Cyril]]'s cheating which frustrated Dodo. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'')
[[File:DodoAndJohnny.jpg|thumb|left|Dodo is held hostage by [[Johnny Ringo]] in [[Tombstone, Arizona|Tombstone]], [[Arizona]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Gunfighters]]'')]]
Whilst travelling with the Doctor, Dodo had one of her life-long wishes granted. She was keenly interested in the Wild West and said she had always wanted to meet [[Wyatt Earp]]. When the travellers arrived in the [[America]]n West, the Doctor introduced Dodo as "Miss Dodo Dupont, wizard of the ivory keys". During their time in this era the Doctor noted that Dodo was "fast becoming a prey to every cliché-ridden convention in the American West." ([[TV]]: ''[[The Gunfighters]]'')
[[File:DodoCropped.jpg|thumb|Dodo explores on her own. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Savages]]'')]]
Despite this and the sad events on the Ark, Dodo's interest and excitement were still evident as the travellers continued on their journey. She was not frightened to investigate on her own, and on the next planet she wandered off while the Doctor and [[Steven Taylor|Steven]] were busy with the [[Elder]]s and the [[Savage]]s. (In fact, Steven was heard to comment on this occasion: "If it wasn't allowed, Dodo would be first in line!") She had a look around the Elders' City and discovered the laboratory of [[Senta]], which was used for the life-force transference that kept the Elders alive. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Savages]]'')


After Steven's departure, she travelled alone with the Doctor for an indefinite time. During this period, she recognised that the Doctor was becoming increasingly frail. At one point, he explicitly said she would have to leave the ship as Steven had done; he had to face the next phase of his life alone. During this melancholy period, when Dodo often had to nurse the Doctor, they arrived in a kind of [[alternate timeline]] in [[France]], and defeated [[Minski|a man]] intent on unleashing [[Minski's virus|a virus that could have taken over the world]]. [[File:DodoTardisWarMachines.jpg|thumb|left|Dodo outside [[the TARDIS]] in [[1966]] [[London]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines]]'')]] While on this "alternate Earth" Dodo believed she contracted the virus by losing her virginity to [[Dalville|a known carrier]] — although it was not definitively known if she had the condition diagnosed. When asked, she said that she wanted to keep the virus as a reminder of the world that had been lost when the timeline righted itself. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'')
Homeless, Dodo regularly stayed at [[halfway house]]s and got clothes from the [[Salvation Army]]. In [[1970]], she read [[James Stevens]]' article in the ''[[Metropolitan]]'' and contacted him to tell him what she could remember of the Glasshouse. The two became friends and lovers, with Stevens letting her live with him. She became [[pregnancy|pregnant]], but before she could tell Stevens she was shot and killed by the conditioned [[Francis Cleary]] on [[11 August]] [[1971]].


While accompanying the Doctor to a planet that was in the grip of a crystalline parasite, Dodo wondered, not for the first time, if she was cut out for adventure. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden (short story)|There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden]]'')
Dodo's funeral was attended by only Stevens and [[the Doctor]] in his [[Second Doctor|second]] or [[Seventh Doctor|seventh incarnation]]. Upon hearing of Dodo's death, the [[Third Doctor]] told Stevens that he still saw Dodo as being his responsibility and that she had died before her time. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'')


At some point thereafter, the Doctor and she arrived in [[London]] on [[20 July]] [[1966]] and discovered the sentient [[computer]] [[WOTAN]] and its [[War Machine]]s. WOTAN [[hypnosis|conditioned]] her to betray the Doctor. The Doctor broke her conditioning and sent Dodo to the country to recuperate. Dodo never returned. She sent a message with [[Polly Wright]], saying that she had decided to stay in London. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines]]'')
==== Survival ====
[[File:Ships.jpg|thumb|left|Dodo bumps into [[Sarah Jane Smith]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Ships (short story)|Ships]]'')]]
According to other accounts, Dodo lived past the [[1970s]]. One source stated she went on to have a relationship with a man called [[Bill (Ships)|Bill]] and worked as a [[secretary]]. One day, whilst questioning her decision to leave the Doctor on her way back from the shops, she bumped into [[Sarah Jane Smith]] and scattered the contents of their bags. Upon returning home, she realised that she had accidentally picked up Sarah's diary and decided to return it anonymously the following morning. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Ships (short story)|Ships]]'')


=== Life after the Doctor ===
In the [[21st century]], Dodo attended Sarah Jane's memorial where she discussed her with the other guests and helped fight the [[Jackals of the Backwards Clock]], foiling [[the Trickster]]'s revenge plot. ([[WC]]: ''[[Farewell, Sarah Jane (webcast)|Farewell, Sarah Jane]]'')
Accounts of Dodo's life after leaving the TARDIS differed.


By one account, Dodo suffered severe and recurrent psychiatric problems as a result of having been controlled by WOTAN. Shuttled from hospital to hospital, she was eventually sent to the [[Glasshouse]], where she was interrogated brutally by its director, [[the Master]], about the Doctor. Turned out into the street, the [[homeless]] Dodo eventually met and fell in love with journalist [[James Stevens]], at that time investigating [[UNIT]]. While Stevens was being interviewed on a live television broadcast, Dodo was murdered by [[Francis Cleary]], a former UNIT soldier, Glasshouse patient and another of the Master's hypnotically controlled pawns. Only after her death did Stevens learn that she had been carrying his child.
=== Undated events ===
At some point, Dodo, along with all the other companions, was scooped out of time by [[Adam Mitchell]] and held captive until the first eleven numbered incarnations of [[the Doctor]] arrived. She was later freed and returned to her own time. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Choice (comic story)|The Choice]]'', ''[[Endgame (POT comic story)|Endgame]]'')


The Doctor attended the funeral in his [[Second Doctor|second]] or [[Seventh Doctor|seventh incarnation]] and attempted to offer solace to Stevens. After hearing of Dodo's death, the [[Third Doctor]] told Stevens that he still saw Dodo as being his responsibility. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'')
At some point, Dodo was taken to the [[Black Archive]] by [[UNIT]] to have her record as a [[companion]] of the Doctor taken. Her memories of the visit were subsequently erased and she was sent on her way. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')


[[File:Ships.jpg|thumb|Dodo bumps into [[Sarah Jane Smith]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Ships]]'')]]
== Parallel universes ==
Another account suggested that she hadn't been [[murder]]ed by [[the Master]]'s agent. She had gone on to a mundane career as a secretary. The torpor of her life made her regret her decision to leave the Doctor and long, in adulthood, to again travel in the TARDIS. She thought that she'd be better able to appreciate such travels, now that she was "older and wiser". It was during a particularly nostalgic moment that she accidentally bumped into [[Sarah Jane Smith]], though neither recognised the other as a friend of [[the Doctor]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Ships]]'')
In a [[Parallel universe (He Jests at Scars...)|parallel universe]], the [[First Doctor]], Steven and Dodo went to [[Kiev]] in the [[13th century]]. A short period after, they went to [[Logopolis]]. After accidentally [[Time ram|time-ramming]] [[Fourth Doctor|his younger self]]'s [[The Doctor's TARDIS (He Jests at Scars...)|TARDIS]] and killing him, [[The Valeyard (He Jests at Scars...)|the Valeyard]] planned to kill Dodo in order to prevent the Doctor's visit to Logopolis. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[He Jests at Scars... (audio story)|He Jests at Scars...]]'')


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==
Steven named the youngest of his three daughters [[Dodo Taylor|Dodo]] in her honour. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The War To End All Wars (audio story)|The War To End All Wars]]'')
Steven's youngest daughter was [[Dodo Taylor]], named in honour of his former companion, although he did not believe that she was anything like her namesake. When [[Sida]] asked him about why he abdicated the [[throne]] of [[planet (The Savages)|their planet]], he told her about his adventure with Dodo on [[Comfort]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The War To End All Wars (audio story)|The War To End All Wars]]'')
 
Centuries after first meeting Dodo, [[the Doctor]] was questioned by the [[Time Lord]]s about his actions in [[1572]] [[Paris]] and how he attempted to save [[Anne Chaplet]]. The Doctor claimed that Dodo's existence was not proof of Anne's survival as "Chaplet" was not an uncommon name, but thought to himself about Dodo's resemblance to her. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Massacre (novelisation)|The Massacre]]'')
 
The [[Tenth Doctor]] named the last [[dodo]] "Dorothea" after her. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Last Dodo (novel)|The Last Dodo]]'')
 
[[Danny Pink]]'s body was kept at the [[Chaplet Funeral Home]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Death in Heaven (TV story)|Death in Heaven]]'')
 
== Personality ==
Whilst not academically gifted, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') Dodo had an extensive knowledge of [[animal]]s and [[plant]]s from around the world ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'') and was interested in the [[Wild West]], always wanting to meet [[Wyatt Earp]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (TV story)|The Gunfighters]]'') and see [[Eddie Foy]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (novelisation)|The Gunfighters]]'') She drank [[red wine]] and [[brandy]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'') and enjoyed practising the [[piano]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (TV story)|The Gunfighters]]''; [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Mother Russia (audio story)|Mother Russia]]'', ''[[The Demon Song (audio story)|The Demon Song]]'') going to [[nightclub]]s ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'') and playing [[snakes and ladders]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'') also being skilled at cards, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ark (novelisation)|The Ark]]'') [[poker]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (TV story)|The Gunfighters]]'') and [[tennis]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ark (novelisation)|The Ark]]'') She was also a great [[ballet]] fan. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (novelisation)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'')


The [[Tenth Doctor]] named the last [[Dodo]] "Dorothea" after her. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Last Dodo]]'')
Dodo did not much care for being told what to do ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'') and encouraged [[Steven Taylor|Steven]] to disobey [[First Doctor|the Doctor]], pointing out that he was a grown man. In Steven's words, she would be "first in the queue" for something that was not allowed and would go absolutely anywhere, exploring places that others of her age would be too afraid to. Indeed, she did not care for conducted [[tour]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Savages (TV story)|The Savages]]'') Her impetuousness meant that she often got herself and others into trouble. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'', ''[[The Savages (TV story)|The Savages]]''; [[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Horror at Bletchington Station (audio story)|The Horror at Bletchington Station]]'') She always liked winning an argument. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (novelisation)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'')
 
A caring person, Dodo disliked cheating and other unfair behaviour but could also be naïve, being easily fooled by [[Cyril (The Celestial Toymaker)|Cyril]] pretending to be injured ([[TV]]: ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'') and by [[the Monk (The Black Hole)|the Monk]]'s claims of [[philanthropy|philanthropic]] intention. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Outlaws (audio story)|The Outlaws]]'') She had a bad [[sense of direction]] and said that she never knew where she was. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Miniaturist (audio story)|The Miniaturist]]'') She did not like [[dentist]]s ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ark (novelisation)|The Ark]]'') and thought that [[Aubrey Waites|John Smith]] of [[John Smith and the Common Men]] was "a bit past it". Whilst the band was [[Janet (Salvation)|Janet]]'s preferred pop group, they were not Dodo's. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'')
 
Initially enjoying travelling in [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'') Dodo was lonely, although Steven was unaware of this, and was always happy to talk to the people she met on her adventures. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Secrets of Det-Sen (audio story)|The Secrets of Det-Sen]]'') She thought on how travelling with the Doctor changed her and made her more likely to risk her life ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Horror at Bletchington Station (audio story)|The Horror at Bletchington Station]]'') and that she might not be best suited to it, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden (short story)|There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden]]'') something which [[Padmasambhava|Oddiyāna]] told her was okay. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Secrets of Det-Sen (audio story)|The Secrets of Det-Sen]]'')
 
Dodo was unsure about whether she would ever want to get [[marriage|married]] as it would mean an end to her adventures ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Murder in the Dark (short story)|Murder in the Dark]]'') and was content to leave [[love]] to those older than her. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Gunfighters (novelisation)|The Gunfighters]]'') Missing Steven, she decided that she would be leaving the TARDIS sooner rather than later. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'') When she was "older and wiser", she regretted her decision to leave, believing that she was unable to properly appreciate her travels at the time but, later in life, she would be. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Ships (short story)|Ships]]'')
 
The Doctor was fond of Dodo, calling her "special" ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Miniaturist (audio story)|The Miniaturist]]'') and being reminded of [[Susan Foreman|his granddaughter]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'') but he disliked how she spoke ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'', ''[[The Gunfighters (TV story)|The Gunfighters]]'') and, when faced with capture by the [[Time Lord]]s, considered leaving her behind in the [[19th century]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Horror at Bletchington Station (audio story)|The Horror at Bletchington Station]]'') He did not believe that she had a devious bone in her body ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Outlaws (audio story)|The Outlaws]]'') and described her as a brave and loyal friend. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The War Machines (novelisation)|The War Machines]]'') [[James Stevens]] believed that she was intelligent, charming and naturally innocent. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'')
 
[[Ben Jackson|Ben]] said that Dodo seemed like a "nice bird", finding her friendly and, unlike [[Polly Wright|Polly]], not stuck up. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'') Whilst Steven was fond of Dodo, he sometimes called her silly and a fool and told her off for acting stupidly. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'', ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]''; [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Savages (novelisation)|The Savages]]'') [[Nicholaa de la Haye]] did not believe that Dodo seemed "the conniving sort". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Outlaws (audio story)|The Outlaws]]'')
 
== Appearance ==
[[File:Dodo head on.jpg|thumb|right|Dodo. ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'')]]
Dodo was short and slim with dark hair, black eyebrows and hazel-green eyes. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'') She was elfin-like ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Ark (novelisation)|The Ark]]'') and had an oval-shaped face with a wide mouth and thin lips and had small and delicate hands. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'') According to one account, she was flat-chested and looked [[sex (trait)|sexless]] with her short hair. She described herself as short and dumpy with bad [[tooth|teeth]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'')
 
Dodo was the spitting image of [[Anne Chaplet]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Massacre (novelisation)|The Massacre]]'') and reminded the Doctor of [[Susan Foreman]], to whom she bore some resemblance. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]''; [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'') Her friend Janet likened her to [[Rita Tushingham]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'') and ''[[City Watcher]]'' reported that she had "one of those faces" which made it impossible to tell how old she was. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Tarnished Image (short story)|Tarnished Image]]'')


== Behind the scenes ==
== Behind the scenes ==
=== Development ===
* In initial drafts of ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'', it was [[Anne Chaplet]] who joined the Doctor and Steven. The character of Dodo was created when [[John Wiles]] and [[Donald Tosh]] realised the burdens of having a companion from the past, the same which had caused [[Katarina]] to be killed off.<ref name="SSTM">[http://www.shannonsullivan.com/doctorwho/serials/w.html Production Notes for The Massacre]</ref>
* [[Jackie Lane]] had long hair when she auditioned and [[John Wiles]] hoped that Dodo could be made distinctive by having her hair styled differently in each of her stories. However, Lane had her hair cut short after passing her audition, making this impossible.<ref name="SSTM"/>
* Lane was contracted to play Dodo for thirteen episodes, from the final episode of ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'' to the last of ''[[The Gunfighters (TV story)|The Gunfighters]]'', with an option for thirteen more.<ref name="SSTM"/> During the filming of ''The Gunfighters'', it was announced that Lane and [[Peter Purves]] would be leaving with Lane being issued a contract for six more episodes, the reason being to allow for the introduction of more fashionable companions.<ref name="SSTG">[http://www.shannonsullivan.com/doctorwho/serials/z.html Production Notes for The Gunfighters]</ref> The script for ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'', which originally had Dodo continue her adventures with the Doctor and new companion Rich (later renamed [[Ben Jackson|Ben]]), was rewritten to include [[Polly Wright|Polly]] and to write Dodo out.<ref name="SSTWM">[http://www.shannonsullivan.com/doctorwho/serials/bb.html Production Notes for The War Machines]</ref>
* Dodo appeared in ''[[The Massacre (TV story)|The Massacre]]'' with a northern accent, one which was kept in mind when the script for ''[[The Ark (TV story)|The Ark]]'' was written. However, Lane was asked to make the accent less pronounced due to displeasure with a regular character not speaking Received Pronunciation,<ref name="SSTA">[http://www.shannonsullivan.com/doctorwho/serials/x.html Production Notes for The Ark]</ref> in-universe explanations for which were given in the novels ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'' and ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]''. Dodo's original accent was used in [[Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]] audio dramas, namely by Purves, [[Stephen Critchlow]] and [[Lauren Cornelius]]. In ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'', her original accent is described not as northern but as cockney.
* As years have gone by, Dodo has appeared in novels and audio dramas to further flesh out her travels with the Doctor. However, as established by the Doctor noting in ''The War Machines'' that Dodo never encountered the Daleks, Dodo is notable amongst companions for being one of the few who can never have a story in which she battles the Doctor's greatest foes, unless memory erasure were to be used.
=== Will the real Dodo Chaplet please stand up? ===
=== Will the real Dodo Chaplet please stand up? ===
Because she only had four-and-a-half stories on television, Dodo is one of the companions least featured in other media. Unfortunately, almost all of these other appearances conflict. ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'' differs from ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'' on what Dodo's childhood was like. ''Salvation'' differs from "[[The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve|Bell of Doom]]" over why she first approached [[the TARDIS]] in [[Wimbledon Common]]. ''Mask'', ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'' and ''[[Ships]]'' all disagree over what might have killed her in the [[1960s]] or [[1970s]] — or even whether she died in those decades. To be sure, other companions have stories which differ over the odd biographical detail. We can wonder, thanks to [[TV]]: ''[[Death of the Doctor]]'', whether [[Liz Shaw]] ''actually'' died in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Eternity Weeps]]''. However, the degree of difference between individual Dodo stories is unusually high and approaches that of the conflicting descriptions of the life of [[Ace]], who effectively has several largely irreconcilable [[alternate timeline]]s.
Because she only had four-and-a-half stories on television, Dodo is one of the companions least featured in other media. Unfortunately, almost all of these other appearances conflict. ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'' differs from ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'' on what Dodo's childhood was like. ''Salvation'' differs from "[[Bell of Doom]]" over why she first approached [[the TARDIS]] in [[Wimbledon Common]]. ''Mask'', ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'' and ''[[Ships (short story)|Ships]]'' all disagree over what might have killed her in the [[1960s]] or [[1970s]] — or even whether she died in those decades.
 
In the twentieth anniversary edition of ''Kennedy'', [[James Stevens]] contacts the [[Twelfth Doctor]] and convinces him to alter the coordinates of {{Delgado}}'s [[Time Ring]] so that he can travel to [[11 August]] [[1971]] and prevent [[Francis Cleary]] from killing Dodo. Both he and Cleary die in the struggle but it allows Stevens' younger self and Dodo to live on happily together. In the new timeline, it is no longer known who killed [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] and Stevens and Dodo eventually write [[The Doctor in popular culture and mythology|a series of children's stories]] about an old man who travels through [[time]] and [[space]]. She had died by [[December]] [[2015]].
 
To be sure, other companions have stories which differ over the odd biographical detail. We can wonder, thanks to ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' story ''[[Death of the Doctor (TV story)|Death of the Doctor]]'', whether [[Liz Shaw]] ''actually'' died in the novel ''[[Eternity Weeps (novel)|Eternity Weeps]]''. However, the degree of difference between individual Dodo stories is unusually high and approaches that of the conflicting descriptions of the life of [[Ace]], who effectively has several largely irreconcilable [[alternate timeline]]s.


=== Did Dodo die from syphilis? ===
=== Did Dodo die from syphilis? ===
There is a widespread belief in fandom that Dodo's fate in the novels is that she contracted [[syphilis]]. This view was taken by the long-running podcast, ''Radio Free Skaro'', some of whose hosts vociferously maintained in [http://www.radiofreeskaro.com/2010/01/17/radio-free-skaro-177-dr-who-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-russell-t-davies/ episode 177] that she "died of syphilis" in ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]''. Even [[David Bishop]], the author of ''Kennedy'', said in his notes to the e-book version of his novel that Dodo contracted "an illness interpreted by some as a form of space herpes".
There is a widespread belief in fandom that Dodo's fate in the novels is that she contracted [[syphilis]]. This view was taken by the long-running podcast, ''Radio Free Skaro'', some of whose hosts vociferously maintained in [http://www.radiofreeskaro.com/2010/01/17/radio-free-skaro-177-dr-who-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-russell-t-davies/ episode 177] that she "died of syphilis" in ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]''. Even [[David Bishop]], the author of ''Kennedy'', said in his notes to the e-book version of his novel that Dodo contracted "an illness interpreted by some as a form of space herpes".


All that's pretty wide of the mark, however. The idea that she died of syphilis is a common conflation of ''Who Killed Kennedy'', where she's simply killed by {{Delgado}}, and ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'', where she contracts the genetically-engineered [[Minski's virus]] through sexual contact. However, she doesn't die from it, nor was it even ''possible'' for her to do so, according to the Doctor. Minski's virus wasn't anything close to a venereal disease and could have been contracted by drinking water or consuming food contaminated by it. Perhaps more to the point, the word ''syphilis'' doesn't occur once in either novel. Dodo does have two sexual tragedies in ''Kennedy'', however; she admits to having killed her would-be [[rape|rapist]] in unarmed combat and she is murdered while pregnant.
All that's pretty wide off the mark, however. The idea that she died of syphilis is a common conflation of ''Who Killed Kennedy'', where she's simply killed by {{Delgado}}, and ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'', where she contracts the genetically-engineered [[Minski's virus]] through sexual contact. However, she doesn't die from it, nor was it even ''possible'' for her to do so, according to the Doctor. Minski's virus wasn't anything close to a venereal disease and could have been contracted by drinking water or consuming food contaminated by it. Perhaps more to the point, the word ''syphilis'' doesn't occur once in either novel. Dodo does have two sexual tragedies in ''Kennedy'', however; she admits to having killed her would-be [[rape|rapist]] in unarmed combat and she is murdered while pregnant.
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== Footnotes ==
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Latest revision as of 20:10, 27 October 2024

Dodo Chaplet
Appearances

Dorothea Anne Chaplet, also known as Dodo, was a companion of the First Doctor.

When she first met the Doctor in 1965, Dodo had lost her mother and father and was living unhappily with her great-aunt. At sixteen years old, she mistook the TARDIS for a police box and joined the Doctor and Steven Taylor on their travels, outstaying Steven and eventually choosing to remain in London in 1966 after a period of conditioning by WOTAN.

Accounts differed on Dodo's life after leaving the Doctor. Whilst one said that she spent her life in psychiatric hospitals before falling in love with James Stevens and being murdered, others agreed that she lived past the 1970s.

Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]

Childhood[[edit] | [edit source]]

Dorothea Anne Chaplet, (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy) also known as "Dorry" when she was a child, was born in 1949. (PROSE: Salvation) Her grandfather was French (TV: The Massacre) and, for a school project, she researched her family tree, finding evidence that she was descended from Huguenots who left France to escape persecution. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy) Steven Taylor would later speculate that she was a descendant of Anne Chaplet (TV: The Massacre) who, according to one account, fled to Picardy with her brother, Raoul, to avoid the St Bartholomew's Day massacre. (PROSE: The Massacre)

Whilst one account had Dorothea claiming to be born in one of the poorest parts of London, (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask) others agreed that she came from north of the capital city, (PROSE: Salvation; AUDIO: The Incherton Incident) with one specifying Yorkshire (AUDIO: The Incherton Incident) and another mentioning that she had family in North Yorkshire. (AUDIO: The Miniaturist) The family lived near a man who suffered from shell shock because of World War II. (AUDIO: The Incherton Incident) Her mother told her about Maureen, whom she called "Mole", and said that she and Dorothea had the same ears. (AUDIO: The Miniaturist)

As a child, Dorothea played Mary in a nativity play, stuffing a pillow up her front to look pregnant and riding into Bethlehem on a hobby horse, but had no lines. She played under an oak tree in a park during the summer holidays, once trying to climb it but cutting herself in the attempt, and was banned by her mother from climbing after a boy from another school fell from it. When she was alone at birthday parties, including her own, she would fidget by scratching imaginary itches. (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask) She was never very good at hide and seek. (AUDIO: Fugitive of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Fugitive of the Daleks (audio story)"])

Dorothea went to a school where her uniform included a beret, gymslip and black stockings. (PROSE: The Celestial Toymaker) As a child, she traced an atlas and pinned it to her bedroom wall, drawing a star to mark that she and her parents had been to Florida, intending to do the same for other places that they would visit in the future. A recurring dream of hers involved flying above the clouds and into a fairy tale land, but the mundanity of her life as she grew up led her to forget about this dream.

The last time that Dorothea saw her mother, her mother was leaving the house in an old Morris Minor. (PROSE: Salvation) Whilst in her living room in her uniform (PROSE: The Celestial Toymaker) circa 1962, (PROSE: Salvation) a man shook his head to let her know that her mother had died, after which she turned away and hid her face as she cried. (PROSE: The Celestial Toymaker) Her dreams in the world on the other side of the Gateway implied that her mother died in a car accident on the way to Dodo's great-aunt Margaret's. (PROSE: Salvation)

Life with Margaret[[edit] | [edit source]]

Dorothea would later claim that she had no parents. (TV: The Massacre) She told Bressac that her father died during her childhood just as her mother did, (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask) but another account indicated that her father was committed to an asylum following her mother's death. (PROSE: Salvation) Without any parents, she moved to live with Margaret, her great-aunt, with whom she did not share a good relationship. (TV: The Massacre) Dorothea took the map of the world that she had traced off of her wall and folded it up before putting it in the bin with only Florida marked.

Dorothea switched schools in the middle of the year, moving to a secondary modern school as she was not bright enough for grammar school. She was ridiculed by her classmates and nicknamed "Dodo" for her north-of-London accent, which they thought made her sound stupid. After she had settled in and began to put the loss of her parents behind her, she embraced the nickname and, using the southern accent she developed at elocution lessons her great-aunt made her attend, sought to change its connotations. Margaret insisted on calling her "Dorothea", however, and she became torn between these two identities, (PROSE: Salvation) her accent becoming situational; (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask, Salvation) she would later remark that she had felt like an actor all her life. (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask) Margaret also made her attend church, but Dodo did not pay much attention.

A photograph of Dodo. (PROSE: The Traveller From Beyond Time [+]Loading...{"page":"23","1":"The Traveller From Beyond Time (short story)"})

Margaret forbade Dodo from frequenting discotheques, which kept her from being able to completely penetrate "the scene". She was not a good student and had no aspirations to go to university, although Margaret insisted that she study for it. (PROSE: Salvation) She did not take History for her O-levels, (AUDIO: Fugitive of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Fugitive of the Daleks (audio story)"]) neither spoke nor understood French, largely because she skipped lessons to learn how to kiss behind the gymnasium, (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask) and paid no attention in her scripture classes. (PROSE: Bunker Soldiers) She took a first-aid course at school but was not very good at it (PROSE: The Gunfighters) and also learnt a lot about animals and plants, visiting Whipsnade Zoo and later remarking that she knew everything about nature. (TV: The Ark) She played tennis at school and won a county championship. (PROSE: The Ark)

Dodo once owned a snakes and ladders set. (TV: The Celestial Toymaker) She was familiar with Castle Coch in Wales and went to Spain several times, the rain "bucketing" down the final time she went. (PROSE: The Ark) Before joining the First Doctor, she was a virgin, (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask) had never been given flowers before (TV: The Celestial Toymaker) and had never ridden a horse. (AUDIO: The Outlaws) According to one account, she attended a finishing school where she learnt how to play poker. (PROSE: The Gunfighters)

Travels in the TARDIS[[edit] | [edit source]]

Meeting the Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]

On a Friday the 13th, (PROSE: The Ark) in March 1965, the sixteen-year-old Dodo (PROSE: Salvation) entered the the Doctor's TARDIS on Wimbledon Common, believing it to be a police box, and encountered the First Doctor, claiming that she was after the police as she had witnessed an accident in which a young boy was injured. (TV: The Massacre)

According to one account, Dodo had visited Neville Albert Miller to help with his shopping as usual and was held captive by Joseph, who had accidentally killed Mr Miller and taken his form. Dodo escaped onto the common after Joseph tried to have sex with her and ran to what she believed to be a police box, lying to the Doctor about having seen an accident as she was afraid that she might have run into Joseph's spaceship. (PROSE: Salvation) According to another account, however, Dodo had not been escaping any danger when she met the Doctor. (AUDIO: Conflict Theory)

After Steven Taylor entered the TARDIS and warned the Doctor of approaching policemen, the Doctor dematerialised the ship without giving Dodo a choice. She told Steven that she had no parents and assured him that her great-aunt would not mind if she never returned. (TV: The Massacre)

Early adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]

Dodo's first adventure was in New York City in her present day. She and the Doctor explored the city together and, after the Doctor apologised to her for having taken her from her home, she told him about her parents and Margaret, whom she later called to let her know that she was in New York and that she would be home in time for her exams. After meeting the Latter-Day Pantheon and being arrested by Charles Marchant's soldiers, she told the Doctor about Joseph, who later took her through the Gateway and wanted to marry her. Dodo kissed him on his cheek when he elected to stay in the Land of the Gods and returned to Earth, where she told the Doctor that she wished to travel with him and see Hollywood, Egypt, Paris and Florida.

Dodo was given a bedroom on the TARDIS which she planned to brighten up and asked the Doctor to take her anywhere but home. (PROSE: Salvation) One account indicated that Dodo had several adventures between New York and the Ark, with her becoming familiar with the names of the TARDIS instruments, remarking that she "never liked" materialising, saying that she, the Doctor and Steven "always assume[d]" that the ship would materialise on land and the Doctor saying that he "always told [her]" that time was relative. (PROSE: The Ark)

Dodo and the Doctor on the Ark. (TV: The Ark)

Dodo went to the wardrobe room and put on a tabard without asking. When the TARDIS materialised on the Ark, she exited before the Doctor could check the readings, a concern that she waved away due to her initial belief that they were in Whipsnade Zoo. She was distraught when she inadvertently passed on her cold to the Guardians and Monoids, causing a plague which infected Steven. Once the Doctor dealt with it, they arrived seven centuries in the future, where Dodo helped the Guardians on Refusis II. (TV: The Ark)

In the Celestial Toyroom, the Toymaker showed Dodo a video of her learning of her mother's death and made her and Steven play his games, including blind man's buff with living dolls, a riddle, hunt the thimble, a dancefloor with Mrs Wiggs and Sergeant Rugg and TARDIS hopscotch with Cyril. In the final game, she was frustrated by Cyril's cheating and was fooled when he pretended to be injured. Back in the TARDIS, she gave the Doctor a sweet (TV: The Celestial Toymaker) which gave him toothache.

Seeking a dentist, the travellers landed in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881, fulfilling Dodo's lifelong wish to meet Wyatt Earp. As Miss Dodo DuPont and Steven Regret, she and Steven were forced by Billy, Ike and Phineas Clanton to play "The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon" non-stop before she was taken captive by Doc Holliday for a time. Prior to departing, the Doctor said that Dodo had been "fast becoming a prey to every cliché-ridden convention" of the era. (TV: The Gunfighters)

Dodo learnt that other people had travelled with the Doctor before her when she came across their things in their bedrooms. Steven told her about Vicki Pallister and how he and the Doctor left her in Troy. (AUDIO: Fugitive of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Fugitive of the Daleks (audio story)"])

Dodo is held hostage by Johnny Ringo in Tombstone, Arizona. (TV: The Gunfighters)

Only a few days after facing the Toymaker, the TARDIS was returned to the Celestial Toyroom where Dodo was made to play musical statues and various Halloween-themed games, including one that she was horrified to find involved real human organs. They managed to escape the Toymaker's game of Murder in the Dark when Dodo played a violin and the Doctor declared that they were once again playing musical statues, confusing him. (PROSE: Murder in the Dark)

In the Himalayas in 1630, Dodo and the Doctor were saved from the Yeti by Oddiyāna, who taught Dodo a peace mantra to soothe them due to her affinity for them. He also told her, when she said that she felt that she ought to stay with the Doctor should Steven remain in Tibet with Pema Tsering, that the Doctor would understand if she decided that she would like to leave the TARDIS and find a new home. When Norbu and his bandits attacked Det-Sen Monastery, Dodo brought the Yeti in the hopes that they would frighten them away, but the bandits did not wish to abandon their loot and many were killed. (AUDIO: The Secrets of Det-Sen)

Dodo, the Doctor and Steven stayed in Russia in 1812 for several months to enjoy a holiday, having not long left Tombstone, and she was hired as Olga Nikitin's companion on the condition that she taught her how to play the piano. She and the Doctor agreed not to tell Steven about the French invasion until after Glasha and Semion Borisovich Stasov's wedding and found him after he was attacked by the Shape Thief. After the Thief took the Doctor's form, Dodo and Steven were separated, but she was reunited with the Doctor and travelled to Moscow where they were reunited with Steven and the TARDIS, which Napoléon Bonaparte had stolen. (AUDIO: Mother Russia)

Steven's last trips[[edit] | [edit source]]

Steven, Dodo and the Doctor. (AUDIO: Return of the Rocket Men)

Upon learning that the TARDIS had landed on Steven's birthday, Dodo found a 1967 diary and gave it to him as a present. She immediately befriended Carla Carson on Ulysses 519 and was kidnapped along with the women and children of the colony by the Rocket Men, who intended to sell them as slaves. Dodo briefly managed to get away, but Steven, disguised as a Rocket Man, returned her and allowed her and the others to escape discreetly. She was astounded when Steven told her that he had survived Van Cleef's bullet thanks to the diary that she gave him and was amused when Bill Carson asked him for permission to name the colony after him. (AUDIO: Return of the Rocket Men)

At Dodo's suggestion, the trio visited 1966 London where they investigated the theft of the Jules Rimet Cup. Dodo chased the alien who shoved the cup's base and a ransom note into Steven's hands before he teleported away and, once the cup had been recovered, asked the Doctor if he had known how the cup was supposed to be found after he sent her to buy sausages so that a dog would find it. (AUDIO: This Sporting Life)

On a passenger liner to Bukol, Dodo and Steven were captured and imitated by Orsa and Alëza. Dodo found a hatchway, enabling them to escape their cell, and the two were reunited with the Doctor, later going to a carnival together whilst the Doctor spoke with Yerma. (PROSE: The Golden Door)

Dodo, the Doctor and Steven followed Roztoq to 64 Carlysle Street, where Dodo successfully applied to become a maid. She was instructed in her new duties by Alice Fittle and left with her companions after Roztoq's defeat. (PROSE: 64 Carlysle Street)

In 1240 Kiev, Dodo befriended Lesia and visited Steven with her when he was arrested. She unwittingly inspired Dmitri to catapult diseased corpses into the city and potentially giving the Mongols the idea to do the same, resulting in the Black Death. However, the Doctor comforted her and assured her that that was not the case. (PROSE: Bunker Soldiers)

Dodo and Steven accompanied the Doctor to the Jungle of Tropicalus where he defeated Questor in a battle of wits. (COMIC: Death to the Doctor!) After receiving a distress signal, they landed in Africa during the Boer Wars and investigated a crashed spaceship from which they learnt Kali Carash had escaped. (AUDIO: Tales from the Vault)

On Comfort, Dodo was made to take part in the evaluation and scored less well than Steven. After the two of them attempted to escape, the Doctor having been arrested as a subversive element, the two of them were split up and sent to the front lines. Dodo found Steven in her side's trench one day and helped him with his political campaign to end the war, but she was recorded suggesting a surrender and was arrested. However, the Doctor saved her and brought an end to the war by working outside of the system, after which they returned to the TARDIS. (AUDIO: The War To End All Wars)

Dodo exploring the City. (TV: The Savages)

On an unnamed planet in the far future, Dodo wandered off during a tour of the City and discovered Senta's laboratory, uncovering the life-force transference that kept the Elders alive. She said farewell to Steven when he chose to remain on the planet to oversee the peace between the Elders and the Savages, telling him that she would miss him and asking the Doctor if they would see each other again. (TV: The Savages)

Sole companion[[edit] | [edit source]]

Dodo and the Doctor did not mention Steven for some time after his departure, with Dodo resenting the Doctor for abandoning him until realising that he had done so to keep him from being lonely. She looked after the Doctor as he became increasingly frail, but he told her that he would have to face the next phase of his life alone. They arrived in France in an alternate timeline where she lost her virginity to Dalville and contracted Minski's virus, possibly sexually, which she chose to keep as a reminder of the lost timeline. (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask)

After spending some time "moping" in the TARDIS, the Doctor and Dodo landed in the 13th century and encountered the remnants of an outlaw attack. She was arrested for treason as her education taught her that King John was a bad man. William of Berkshire kidnapped her from her cell and she met the Monk. He showed him their ways and brought her to ambush the Sheriff's tax collection. The Doctor managed to find her. She helped the Doctor tend to the wounded. Her confession to Nicholaa de la Haye meant that the Monk was to be executed. (AUDIO: The Outlaws)

The Doctor and Dodo landed at Coulton Salt Mine. She was curious about learning about her family which apparently came from this area. She went down the mine and heard a weird noise. Shortly afterwards she saw an ethereal girl, which looked like her mother Maureen and encountered the Miniaturist taking on her appearance. She found that the small dolls house size were miniaturised originals,[statement unclear] such as the TARDIS. She theorised that the Miniaturist took the energy from the universe to show people what they missed. (AUDIO: The Miniaturist)

In 2020s Camden Town, Dodo fell under the control of a Siren's song and left the Doctor to join her choir beneath a derelict church. The Siren spoke through her, allowing Dodo to feel her loneliness and learn that the Siren needed to return to her dimension to keep herself from dying and killing numerous people with the resulting energy release. After the Siren returned home, Dodo sobbed and, later, went to Camden Market with the Doctor. (AUDIO: The Demon Song)

Dodo and the Doctor arrived near Incherton-on-Sea in 1947 after Sanderson's spaceship forced the Doctor to land the TARDIS. They joined Virginia Hancock and fled from Captain John Andrews, with Dodo being shot and taken to the army base to be interrogated by Sanderson. She eventually escaped with Lia Halloran, resisting Sanderson's hypnosis, and rejoined the Doctor, who faded away in the TARDIS after Sanderson was killed and her ship destroyed. (AUDIO: The Incherton Incident)

She was locked in a TARDIS bedroom by Vicki Pallister who told her about her recent travels with the Robot Dr Who. She thanked her for letting her out. Telling Vicki about what had just happened, she heard the Cloister Bell when she found the Robot version. After escaping from the Daleks on the DARDIS, she took the robot Doctor onto the TARDIS. She was then used as his hostage before she was taken to earth. She worked out that they had landed in Brussells. She encountered the Doctor inside the TARDIS, before the time tracked changed. (AUDIO: Fugitive of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Fugitive of the Daleks (audio story)"])

Dodo and the Doctor after Steven's departure. (AUDIO: The Horror at Bletchington Station)

In 19th century England, Dodo was concerned by the Doctor's lack of curiosity regarding strange goings-on and sneaked out of the inn to investigate. She joined Jay and the other platelayers in following the beast, which she later found to be a hyper-evolved European mole. The Doctor hurried Dodo away into the TARDIS after returning the mole to its usual size, not telling her that the Time Lords had arrived. (AUDIO: The Horror at Bletchington Station)

Dodo and the Doctor arrived in Rotar City on Tarron circa 10,000,000 and investigated the Azmec Corporation and Vorassan cult murders, breaking into the Azmecs' main building and discovering time travel technology used to summon assassins from the past to keep the Azmecs' deceptions a secret. The two travellers spoke out against them and exposed their lies, with Dodo taking a newspaper digest with her before they left. During the adventure, she remarked that she would likely return home when the Doctor could arrange it. (PROSE: Tarnished Image)

Dodo and the Doctor visited 1947 Scrabster Harbour where Dodo had difficulty finding her sea legs (AUDIO: Master of Earth) and the Golden Hind. (AUDIO: Maker of Demons) When the Doctor mentioned the Daleks to her, she had no knowledge of them and he said that she had never met them. (TV: The War Machines)

Due to previous adventures, Dodo became mistrustful of the Doctor and, on a planet in the grip of a crystalline parasite, wondered not for the first time if she was cut out for adventure. She initially thought that the planet was horrible and wanted to leave, but came to realise that it was beautiful. (PROSE: There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden)

Departure[[edit] | [edit source]]

Dodo being hypnotised by WOTAN. (TV: The War Machines)

Dodo helped pilot the TARDIS to London on 20 July 1966 and felt as she left the ship that she was saying goodbye. (PROSE: The War Machines) She and the Doctor went to the Post Office Tower, where WOTAN affected Dodo. She went to Inferno with Polly Wright and met Ben Jackson, later receiving a phone call which conditioned her to serve WOTAN. Under its control, she tried to recruit the Doctor to the cause but was found out and was released from its control by the Doctor's hypnosis.

Dodo, who was left in a forty-eight hour sleep, was taken to recuperate with Sir Charles Summer's wife (TV: The War Machines) at their country estate in Hertfordshire. (PROSE: WOTAN - The Super Computer!) Upon awakening, she sent a message with Polly for the Doctor, saying that she felt much better and planned on staying, (TV: The War Machines) intending to go back to live with Margaret. (PROSE: The Smugglers) Since she had been reported missing while travelling with the Doctor, she was questioned by police and told them that she had no memory of where she had been. Sir Charles Summers was interviewed about why she was there, which caused a scandal in the press. (PROSE: WOTAN - The Super Computer!)

Later life[[edit] | [edit source]]

Struggles and death[[edit] | [edit source]]

According to one account, Dodo experienced visions of her time on the Ark, in Tombstone and in the Celestial Toyroom following her conditioning, none of which she believed had really happened to her. She remained in the country for several months, recovering before returning to London seeking employment. However, she began suffering from blackouts and was repeatedly hospitalised as a result before being sent to a string of psychiatric hospitals.

In an institution near Colchester, Dodo was subject to shock therapy over a fourteen-month period. When she attempted to leave, she was put in a mixed sex ward for serious cases and accidentally killed a fellow patient in self-defence when he tried to rape her. She was declared a "hopeless case" and sent to the Glasshouse where she was interrogated by the Master about the Doctor and UNIT, eventually being left in London with her memory largely wiped.

Homeless, Dodo regularly stayed at halfway houses and got clothes from the Salvation Army. In 1970, she read James Stevens' article in the Metropolitan and contacted him to tell him what she could remember of the Glasshouse. The two became friends and lovers, with Stevens letting her live with him. She became pregnant, but before she could tell Stevens she was shot and killed by the conditioned Francis Cleary on 11 August 1971.

Dodo's funeral was attended by only Stevens and the Doctor in his second or seventh incarnation. Upon hearing of Dodo's death, the Third Doctor told Stevens that he still saw Dodo as being his responsibility and that she had died before her time. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy)

Survival[[edit] | [edit source]]

Dodo bumps into Sarah Jane Smith. (PROSE: Ships)

According to other accounts, Dodo lived past the 1970s. One source stated she went on to have a relationship with a man called Bill and worked as a secretary. One day, whilst questioning her decision to leave the Doctor on her way back from the shops, she bumped into Sarah Jane Smith and scattered the contents of their bags. Upon returning home, she realised that she had accidentally picked up Sarah's diary and decided to return it anonymously the following morning. (PROSE: Ships)

In the 21st century, Dodo attended Sarah Jane's memorial where she discussed her with the other guests and helped fight the Jackals of the Backwards Clock, foiling the Trickster's revenge plot. (WC: Farewell, Sarah Jane)

Undated events[[edit] | [edit source]]

At some point, Dodo, along with all the other companions, was scooped out of time by Adam Mitchell and held captive until the first eleven numbered incarnations of the Doctor arrived. She was later freed and returned to her own time. (COMIC: The Choice, Endgame)

At some point, Dodo was taken to the Black Archive by UNIT to have her record as a companion of the Doctor taken. Her memories of the visit were subsequently erased and she was sent on her way. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

Parallel universes[[edit] | [edit source]]

In a parallel universe, the First Doctor, Steven and Dodo went to Kiev in the 13th century. A short period after, they went to Logopolis. After accidentally time-ramming his younger self's TARDIS and killing him, the Valeyard planned to kill Dodo in order to prevent the Doctor's visit to Logopolis. (AUDIO: He Jests at Scars...)

Legacy[[edit] | [edit source]]

Steven's youngest daughter was Dodo Taylor, named in honour of his former companion, although he did not believe that she was anything like her namesake. When Sida asked him about why he abdicated the throne of their planet, he told her about his adventure with Dodo on Comfort. (AUDIO: The War To End All Wars)

Centuries after first meeting Dodo, the Doctor was questioned by the Time Lords about his actions in 1572 Paris and how he attempted to save Anne Chaplet. The Doctor claimed that Dodo's existence was not proof of Anne's survival as "Chaplet" was not an uncommon name, but thought to himself about Dodo's resemblance to her. (PROSE: The Massacre)

The Tenth Doctor named the last dodo "Dorothea" after her. (PROSE: The Last Dodo)

Danny Pink's body was kept at the Chaplet Funeral Home. (TV: Death in Heaven)

Personality[[edit] | [edit source]]

Whilst not academically gifted, (PROSE: Salvation) Dodo had an extensive knowledge of animals and plants from around the world (TV: The Ark) and was interested in the Wild West, always wanting to meet Wyatt Earp (TV: The Gunfighters) and see Eddie Foy. (PROSE: The Gunfighters) She drank red wine and brandy (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy) and enjoyed practising the piano, (TV: The Gunfighters; AUDIO: Mother Russia, The Demon Song) going to nightclubs (TV: The War Machines) and playing snakes and ladders, (TV: The Celestial Toymaker) also being skilled at cards, (PROSE: The Ark) poker (TV: The Gunfighters) and tennis. (PROSE: The Ark) She was also a great ballet fan. (PROSE: The Celestial Toymaker)

Dodo did not much care for being told what to do (TV: The Ark) and encouraged Steven to disobey the Doctor, pointing out that he was a grown man. In Steven's words, she would be "first in the queue" for something that was not allowed and would go absolutely anywhere, exploring places that others of her age would be too afraid to. Indeed, she did not care for conducted tours. (TV: The Savages) Her impetuousness meant that she often got herself and others into trouble. (TV: The Celestial Toymaker, The Savages; AUDIO: The Horror at Bletchington Station) She always liked winning an argument. (PROSE: The Celestial Toymaker)

A caring person, Dodo disliked cheating and other unfair behaviour but could also be naïve, being easily fooled by Cyril pretending to be injured (TV: The Celestial Toymaker) and by the Monk's claims of philanthropic intention. (AUDIO: The Outlaws) She had a bad sense of direction and said that she never knew where she was. (AUDIO: The Miniaturist) She did not like dentists (PROSE: The Ark) and thought that John Smith of John Smith and the Common Men was "a bit past it". Whilst the band was Janet's preferred pop group, they were not Dodo's. (PROSE: Salvation)

Initially enjoying travelling in the TARDIS, (TV: The Ark) Dodo was lonely, although Steven was unaware of this, and was always happy to talk to the people she met on her adventures. (AUDIO: The Secrets of Det-Sen) She thought on how travelling with the Doctor changed her and made her more likely to risk her life (AUDIO: The Horror at Bletchington Station) and that she might not be best suited to it, (PROSE: There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden) something which Oddiyāna told her was okay. (AUDIO: The Secrets of Det-Sen)

Dodo was unsure about whether she would ever want to get married as it would mean an end to her adventures (PROSE: Murder in the Dark) and was content to leave love to those older than her. (PROSE: The Gunfighters) Missing Steven, she decided that she would be leaving the TARDIS sooner rather than later. (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask) When she was "older and wiser", she regretted her decision to leave, believing that she was unable to properly appreciate her travels at the time but, later in life, she would be. (PROSE: Ships)

The Doctor was fond of Dodo, calling her "special" (AUDIO: The Miniaturist) and being reminded of his granddaughter, (TV: The Massacre) but he disliked how she spoke (TV: The Ark, The Gunfighters) and, when faced with capture by the Time Lords, considered leaving her behind in the 19th century. (AUDIO: The Horror at Bletchington Station) He did not believe that she had a devious bone in her body (AUDIO: The Outlaws) and described her as a brave and loyal friend. (PROSE: The War Machines) James Stevens believed that she was intelligent, charming and naturally innocent. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy)

Ben said that Dodo seemed like a "nice bird", finding her friendly and, unlike Polly, not stuck up. (TV: The War Machines) Whilst Steven was fond of Dodo, he sometimes called her silly and a fool and told her off for acting stupidly. (TV: The Ark, The Celestial Toymaker; PROSE: The Savages) Nicholaa de la Haye did not believe that Dodo seemed "the conniving sort". (AUDIO: The Outlaws)

Appearance[[edit] | [edit source]]

Dodo. (TV: The War Machines)

Dodo was short and slim with dark hair, black eyebrows and hazel-green eyes. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy) She was elfin-like (PROSE: The Ark) and had an oval-shaped face with a wide mouth and thin lips and had small and delicate hands. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy) According to one account, she was flat-chested and looked sexless with her short hair. She described herself as short and dumpy with bad teeth. (PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask)

Dodo was the spitting image of Anne Chaplet (PROSE: The Massacre) and reminded the Doctor of Susan Foreman, to whom she bore some resemblance. (TV: The Massacre; PROSE: The Man in the Velvet Mask) Her friend Janet likened her to Rita Tushingham (PROSE: Salvation) and City Watcher reported that she had "one of those faces" which made it impossible to tell how old she was. (PROSE: Tarnished Image)

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Development[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • In initial drafts of The Massacre, it was Anne Chaplet who joined the Doctor and Steven. The character of Dodo was created when John Wiles and Donald Tosh realised the burdens of having a companion from the past, the same which had caused Katarina to be killed off.[2]
  • Jackie Lane had long hair when she auditioned and John Wiles hoped that Dodo could be made distinctive by having her hair styled differently in each of her stories. However, Lane had her hair cut short after passing her audition, making this impossible.[2]
  • Lane was contracted to play Dodo for thirteen episodes, from the final episode of The Massacre to the last of The Gunfighters, with an option for thirteen more.[2] During the filming of The Gunfighters, it was announced that Lane and Peter Purves would be leaving with Lane being issued a contract for six more episodes, the reason being to allow for the introduction of more fashionable companions.[3] The script for The War Machines, which originally had Dodo continue her adventures with the Doctor and new companion Rich (later renamed Ben), was rewritten to include Polly and to write Dodo out.[4]
  • Dodo appeared in The Massacre with a northern accent, one which was kept in mind when the script for The Ark was written. However, Lane was asked to make the accent less pronounced due to displeasure with a regular character not speaking Received Pronunciation,[5] in-universe explanations for which were given in the novels The Man in the Velvet Mask and Salvation. Dodo's original accent was used in Big Finish audio dramas, namely by Purves, Stephen Critchlow and Lauren Cornelius. In Who Killed Kennedy, her original accent is described not as northern but as cockney.
  • As years have gone by, Dodo has appeared in novels and audio dramas to further flesh out her travels with the Doctor. However, as established by the Doctor noting in The War Machines that Dodo never encountered the Daleks, Dodo is notable amongst companions for being one of the few who can never have a story in which she battles the Doctor's greatest foes, unless memory erasure were to be used.

Will the real Dodo Chaplet please stand up?[[edit] | [edit source]]

Because she only had four-and-a-half stories on television, Dodo is one of the companions least featured in other media. Unfortunately, almost all of these other appearances conflict. The Man in the Velvet Mask differs from Salvation on what Dodo's childhood was like. Salvation differs from "Bell of Doom" over why she first approached the TARDIS in Wimbledon Common. Mask, Who Killed Kennedy and Ships all disagree over what might have killed her in the 1960s or 1970s — or even whether she died in those decades.

In the twentieth anniversary edition of Kennedy, James Stevens contacts the Twelfth Doctor and convinces him to alter the coordinates of the Master's Time Ring so that he can travel to 11 August 1971 and prevent Francis Cleary from killing Dodo. Both he and Cleary die in the struggle but it allows Stevens' younger self and Dodo to live on happily together. In the new timeline, it is no longer known who killed Kennedy and Stevens and Dodo eventually write a series of children's stories about an old man who travels through time and space. She had died by December 2015.

To be sure, other companions have stories which differ over the odd biographical detail. We can wonder, thanks to The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor, whether Liz Shaw actually died in the novel Eternity Weeps. However, the degree of difference between individual Dodo stories is unusually high and approaches that of the conflicting descriptions of the life of Ace, who effectively has several largely irreconcilable alternate timelines.

Did Dodo die from syphilis?[[edit] | [edit source]]

There is a widespread belief in fandom that Dodo's fate in the novels is that she contracted syphilis. This view was taken by the long-running podcast, Radio Free Skaro, some of whose hosts vociferously maintained in episode 177 that she "died of syphilis" in Who Killed Kennedy. Even David Bishop, the author of Kennedy, said in his notes to the e-book version of his novel that Dodo contracted "an illness interpreted by some as a form of space herpes".

All that's pretty wide off the mark, however. The idea that she died of syphilis is a common conflation of Who Killed Kennedy, where she's simply killed by the Master, and The Man in the Velvet Mask, where she contracts the genetically-engineered Minski's virus through sexual contact. However, she doesn't die from it, nor was it even possible for her to do so, according to the Doctor. Minski's virus wasn't anything close to a venereal disease and could have been contracted by drinking water or consuming food contaminated by it. Perhaps more to the point, the word syphilis doesn't occur once in either novel. Dodo does have two sexual tragedies in Kennedy, however; she admits to having killed her would-be rapist in unarmed combat and she is murdered while pregnant.

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ According to The Man in the Velvet Mask, Dodo was born in London. Salvation claims that her accent is "north-of-London" and The Incherton Incident says that she came from Yorkshire.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Production Notes for The Massacre
  3. ↑ Production Notes for The Gunfighters
  4. ↑ Production Notes for The War Machines
  5. ↑ Production Notes for The Ark
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Companions of the First Doctor
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If a medium is not mentioned, then this incarnation did not have companions who were original to that medium; it does not mean that this Doctor failed to appear in that medium.
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