Doctor Who's centenary special "The Power of the Doctor" completed the journey of one classic series companion. In the closing moments of the special, as the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) prepared to regenerate alone, it was juxtaposed with scenes set at a support group for former Doctor Who companions. Spearheaded by Graham O'Brien (Bradley Walsh), the group featured at least one companion from every decade of the show from the 1960s to the 2020s.

Although the 2000-2010 companions were notable for their absence, Chris Chibnall toyed with bringing back Jackie Tyler (Camille Coduri) to Doctor Who via a laptop. The absence was consistent with Chibnall's reasoning for not including the modern Doctors, as he believed they may appear in 2023's 60th-anniversary specials alongside David Tennant and Catherine Tate. The most surprising member of the support group was Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford), companion of the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), mainly because she was last seen traveling through space with the Doctor's morally ambiguous associate Sabalom Glitz (Tony Selby) in Dragonfire, the closing serial of Doctor Who season 24.

Related: Every Companion In The Doctor Who Support Group

How Did Mel Get Back To Earth After Dragonfire?

Bonnie Langford as Mel in Doctor Who

There wasn't much time in "Power of the Doctor" for Mel to explain how she returned to Earth from Iceworld. In a specially-shot scene to announce the release of the Doctor Who season 24 Blu-ray boxed set in 2021, Mel had become a hugely successful businesswoman who met the older Seventh Doctor from "The Power of the Doctor" and left with him for more adventures in the TARDIS. As this was written by Chibnall-era writer Pete McTighe, it can be argued as the canonical version of how Mel returned to 2020s Earth in time to join the support group.

Alternatively, the answer may lie in Doctor Who's expanded media. In the Big Finish audio dramas, the Doctor and Ace (Sophie Aldred) were reunited with Mel after she had been unceremoniously dumped by Glitz on the planet Ricosta. They were still traveling together in the TARDIS in their Big Finish arc, so that version of Mel hadn't yet reached Earth. In the New Adventures novels, an older Ace returned Mel to Earth in the novel Head Games after she discovered how manipulative the Doctor could be. As Mel didn't appear to share Tegan's anger at the Doctor, Pete McTighe's more optimistic version of events was likely how Mel ended up back home.

What's Next For Mel & The Other Classic Doctor Who Companions?

Doctor Who Companion Support Group

The end of "The Power of the Doctor" heavily implied the companion support group will also double up as a recruitment pool for the Unified Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT). Ace and Tegan (Janet Fielding) had already been working for Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) before the events of "The Power of the Doctor," and it was clear she still needed help to protect the Earth in the Doctor's absence. As a computer programmer, Mel could be an invaluable addition to UNIT's technical team.

Tabloid rumors suggested Mel would return for Ncuti Gatwa's first series as the 15th Doctor, but it's more likely there were mixed messages involving the companion support group. However, the recent distribution deal with Disney+ started a conversation about possible Doctor Who spinoff ideas, and the companion support group is surely a ready-made series. As Bonnie Langford is still working on both stage and screen, it's possible that she and her fellow Doctor Who companions could get their own show in the future.

More: Did Doctor Who Fix Its Longest-Running Companion Problem?