Dodo Chaplet
The orphan Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet joined TARDIS haphazardly and would later die young.
Profile
Early life
Dodo's grandfather was French (DW: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve). She was probably a Cockney, although her accent was hard to determine as it could be variable. Before meeting the Doctor, Dodo lived with her great-aunt, but there were indications that this wasn't a particularly happy arrangement as she believed that she wouldn't be missed when she left her home to travel in the TARDIS. (source?)
- She may not have left school, or she may have only recently left, and was probably aged about 16 when she met the Doctor.
Dodo's mother had died in an accident, an event that the Celestial Toymaker would later, cruelly, have her re-live. Her father suffered a mental breakdown and had to be hospitalized. Dodo was sent to live with an aunt and befriended an elderly neighbour. However, an alien ship crashed nearby and its pilot killed the neighbour, assuming his physical form. When Dodo learned what happened to her friend, the alien kept her prisoner for some time, until she was able to escape. (PDA: Salvation)
Seeking help, Dodo spotted a police box (actually the TARDIS) on the Common and entered it, When Dodo first entered the TARDIS, she believed it was a real police box. She had entered it and said she wanted to report an accident, in which a small boy had been hurt. (DW: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve)
Travels
The Doctor took his companions to New York City in the same time period, where they met and defeated the alien's compatriots. (PDA: Salvation)
Dodo's youthful vigour and excitement in all she saw reminded the Doctor of Susan, and the pair became close. She took the TARDIS , and Space/Time Travel, in her stride. The fact that the TARDIS wasn't a police box made her intrigued, rather than incredulous. When Dodo experienced Time Travel, she was equally excited about being on the Ark (DW: The Ark) as she was later to be in the Wild West (DW: The Gunfighters)
When Dodo, and the travellers, arrived on the Ark she, at first, believed that they were at Whipsnade Zoo. Dodo told the others that she went there as a child, and she displayed some knowledge of nature. Unfortunately, Dodo had a cold, and this virus was accidentally passed on to the Humans and Monoids inhabiting the Ark. As they had no resistance to this virus it became a plague. Dodo, being a caring person, was distraught that she had caused this terrible event. (DW: The Ark)
Dodo's caring nature was probably what made her dislike cheating, unfair, behaviour. Whilst this annoyance could be seen at 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. (DW: The Celestial Toyamker)
Whilst travelling with the Doctor, Dodo was lucky enough to have one of her life-long wishes granted. She was keenly interested in the Wild West, and revealed that she had always wanted to meet Wyatt Earp. When the travellers arrived in the American 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." (DW: The Gunfighters)
Despite this, and the sad events on the Ark, Dodo's interest, and excitement, were still evident as the travellers continued on their journey. Dodo was not frightened to investigate on her own, and on the next planet they visited she wandered off while the Doctor and Steven were busy with the Elders and the Savages. She had a look around this planet, and discovered the laboratory of Senta, which was used for the life-force transferance that kept the Elders alive. (DW: The Savages)
This independence may finally have been Dodo's undoing. When the travellers returned to 1966 London and discovered WOTAN and its War Machines, it was Dodo who WOTAN conditioned to betray the Doctor. On discovering this, the Doctor broke her conditioning, and sent Dodo to the country to recuperate. Dodo never returned, instead she sent her TARDIS key back with Polly, saying that she had decided to stay in London. (DW: The War Machines)
Life after the Doctor
Dodo would suffer severe and recurrent psychiatric problems as a side affect of being controlled by WOTAN. Shuttled from hospital to hospital, she was eventually sent to the Glasshouse, where she was brutally interrogated 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 the activities of 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.
The Doctor, in his second or seventh incarnation appeared at the funeral and attempted to give solace to Stevens. (PDA: Who Killed Kennedy)
Quotes
Key Life Events
- After tragic events, Dodo comes to live with her great-aunt and finds herself held prisoner. (PDA: Salvation)
- Dodo escapes, finds the Doctor's TARDIS and leaves with him. (DW: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day, PDA: Salvation, DW: The Ark)
- A computer, WOTAN, takes over Dodo's mind. Recovering from this, she decides to stay in 1966 London. (DW: The War Machines)
- Dodo spends years in psychiatric institutions as a result of her brief control by WOTAN.
- Dodo meets James Stevens and begins a relationship with him, but is killed by Francis Cleary, under control of the Master. (PDA: Who Killed Kennedy)
