Fixing a Hole

"I tried to show you the universe!"

Writer: Samantha Baker
Format: Short Story
Released: May 2004
Printed in: Short Trips: Past Tense 16

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Tegan

Synopsis

When a TARDIS malfunction and interference with time transports Tegan back to the TARDIS, she isn't exactly thrilled. The Doctor she knew has gone, but her feelings have stayed the same. She has a life now and she needs the Doctor to get her back to Heathrow Airport. We've heard that before...

Verdict

Fixing a Hole was a very good penultimate story in the Past Tense collection of Short Trips! This one didn't exactly take place in the past but was more an exploration of a past relationship the Doctor has shared with a companion. Given how she departed in Resurrection of the Daleks, there has arguably not been such a controversial pairing than the Doctor and Tegan and whilst they never had a TARDIS trip alone as they were always joined by either Adric, Nyssa or Turlough, they really did have a tumultuous time together. She acknowledged her feelings here with how half of the time she really did love seeing the universe, and I thought it was fantastic that we got some flashbacks to her life on Earth. She was always waiting for the Doctor to come back to twentieth century Earth given how much he loved it which I thought was nice and whilst this one was surprisingly something of a sequel to A Fix With Sontarans, a little skit that really cannot be classed as canonical, I'll pretend I didn't notice the mention of Sontarans and for this to be the third time she was thrown back into the Doctor's life, I'll consider The Gathering as the second instance in its place. I think that still works for sure and she even mentions how different the Doctor looks here following his regeneration in The Caves of Androzani, so why would she mention it if she was already familiar with his sixth incarnation? I think my logic is sound. I at least like to think so. I think it's important to note that the logistics of how Tegan came to be on board the TARDIS again were unimportant in this one and it was the interaction between the pair that was the whole purpose of the story. I think the Doctor is still saddened by the way she left and he hoped she might stay with him for a little while here so he could make amends. A possible adventure in time and space between the Sixth Doctor and Tegan would be incredibly exciting and I think the possible dynamics between this pair would be superb. It'd be such a unique pairing and it would definitely work. But Tegan had put those days behind her now. Life had been a struggle after leaving the TARDIS and now she finally had her job back and she wasn't going to let the Doctor step in her way this time. The similarities to Logopolis were intriguing and subtle which worked well and I liked the ending with the Doctor finally bringing Tegan to Heathrow Airport. That was a great little way of (probably) rounding off their story together and bringing everything full circle. I also think it's nice that they perhaps get to depart on better terms here than they did in her televised exit. It's nice that they get this moment, even if the Doctor she shares it with is not what we're familiar with as an audience. He's still the same person and he shares the same feelings of sorrow towards Tegan. They get to patch things up with a quick conversation and it's nice that they can just talk. Overall, a lovely little adventure!

Rating: 8/10