Before Tegan's official Doctor Who return, let's take a whirlwind trip in the TARDIS to revisit her finest moments, and the episodes worth watching before the feisty flight attendant's homecoming. Doctor Who's 2022 Easter special ("Legend of the Sea Devils") proved a predictably self-contained adventure with precious little beyond basic buccaneering. No revelations regarding The Doctor's origin were unveiled, nor any clues surrounding Jodie Whittaker's impending regeneration into the Fourteenth Doctor.
Arguably, the most exciting part of "Legend of the Sea Devils" was the trailer for Whittaker's upcoming swansong, which confirms a wave of familiar faces. Representing modern Doctor Who are Kate Stewart, Vinder and Sacha Dhawan's Master, and from the classic series come Sophie Aldred's Ace and Janet Fielding's Tegan Jovanka. As a companion of Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor, Tegan brings the most storied Doctor Who legacy, with Janet Fielding not officially appearing onscreen since "The Caves of Androzani" - the Fifth Doctor's regeneration story from 1984.
Often remembered among Doctor Who's very best companions, Tegan's comeback is the perfect opportunity to celebrate her character. And what better way to celebrate than combing through her greatest Doctor Who adventures? These are the Tegan episodes you need to see (or see again) before her long-awaited reprisal in Jodie Whittaker's 2022 regeneration episode.
Logopolis
"Logopolis" - Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor farewell - includes a regeneration, The Master as its main villain, and the mysterious "Watcher" lingering in the shadows, but this jam-packed slice of classic Doctor Who also serves as Tegan Jovanka's origin. Janet Fielding's franchise debut begins with Tegan innocently entering the TARDIS after breaking down on her way to a new flight attendant job. The Master wickedly turns Tegan's Aunt Vanessa into an action figure using his Tissue Compression Eliminator, and completely by chance, the aspiring hostess' life changes forever. "Logopolis" gives Tegan her very first meeting with The Doctor (alongside his current companions, Adric and Nyssa), while introducing the befuddled newcomer to time travel, deadly aliens, and Time Lord regeneration. Tegan quickly finds herself flying much further afield than any passenger liner could take her.
Doctor Who's "Logopolis" is far from a Tegan-centric affair, with plenty more important business happening elsewhere. The Fourth Doctor's last dance does, however, lay the foundations for Tegan's Doctor Who journey, all while establishing the central tenets of her personality - strong-willed, slightly sarcastic, and morally resolute with the bravest of hearts. Vital to understanding Tegan's travels with The Doctor, "Logopolis" can't be omitted from her Doctor Who greatest hits.
Kinda
A love-it-or-hate-it installment of classic Doctor Who, Christopher Bailey's wacky "Kinda" pushes Tegan down a darker route than any companion The Doctor traveled alongside previously. Lulled to sleep on the strange planet Deva Loka, Tegan is possessed and manipulated by an evil entity called the Mara, who takes a strange liking to this young woman from Earth. In the tradition of Doctor Who companions, Tegan would often find herself restricted to fleeing stuntmen covered in papier-mâché and requesting exposition from her Doctor, but "Kinda" allows Janet Fielding to stretch beyond the typical restraints of a TARDIS assistant and venture into territory both villainous and otherworldly.
Fielding is giving two distinct performances in "Kinda." After her fateful nap under alien wind chimes, Tegan finds herself mentally sparring the Mara - a procession of trippy, offbeat imagery that allows Janet Fielding to play sci-fi Alice in Wonderland, but with less tea and cake. Once the Mara wins its inner battle and seizes control of its new host, Fielding then portrays Doctor Who's slithering villain for real - a change of pace few other companion actors have enjoyed. Tegan never truly recovers from the Mara, and the possession might be considered her defining Doctor Who moment. Janet Fielding excels equally at both the mentally-tortured victim, and the intimidating alien force.
Arc Of Infinity
Doctor Who season 19 appeared to write Tegan Jovanka out of the BBC show altogether, with The Doctor and Nyssa weirdly leaving their friend at Heathrow Airport without a proper goodbye. Fortunately for everyone, Tegan promptly returns in season 20's "Arc of Infinity." Though hardly remembered as prime Doctor Who, "Arc of Infinity" does at least provide Tegan a brief spell of independence. Following her departure the previous season, Tegan investigates the disappearance of her cousin in Amsterdam. She perhaps expected to find Cousin Colin had lost his passport or checked into the wrong hostel, but he's instead been abducted by the legendary anti-matter Time Lord known as Omega.
Beginning "Arc of Infinity" away from Doctor Who's core TARDIS crew, Tegan takes the lead during her hunt for Colin, grabbing the opportunity to demonstrate how much growth she made since first joining the Fourth Doctor in "Logopolis." Janet Fielding's companion temporarily becomes a central figure, taking charge and making decisions in a manner that'd make her Gallifreyan travelling companion proud. "Arc of Infinity" also marks a vital turning point for Tegan's attitude toward being a companion. Beforehand, she were a TARDIS stowaway desperately wanting to go home; from "Arc of Infinity" onward, she openly seeks the thrill of adventure The Doctor so frequently provides. For the remainder of her Doctor Who tenure, Tegan is a lighter, more capable presence.
Snakedance
Effectively a sequel to "Kinda," Doctor Who's "Snakedance" takes Tegan's psychic Mara connection to the next level, allowing new shades of her character to surface. After a hypnotized Tegan deviously fiddles with the TARDIS controls, The Doctor deduces her inner Mara isn't quite as dead as previously suspected. A detour to the planet Manussa then goes spectacularly wrong, as the malevolent Mara once again snakes into Tegan's mind. Janet Fielding gets her best opportunity yet to showcase an inner darkness (even compared to "Kinda") and although "Snakedance" probably wouldn't rank among the Fifth Doctor's finer adventures, it does broaden Tegan's overarching Doctor Who narrative.
Fielding brilliantly flicks between frightened and frightening at the drop of a sonic screwdriver, managing to convince as her regular self terrified at the thought of becoming a killer snake monster, and as said killer snake monster. Not only does "Snakedance" represent the culmination of Tegan's most important storyline, but it sets her apart from almost every other classic companion. Doctor Who perhaps could've pushed the idea of a possessed protagonist further, but long-form storytelling wasn't as common in 1980s Doctor Who as in the modern format. "Snakedance" serves Tegan well nonetheless.
Enlightenment
An intriguing concept with a lasting Doctor Who legacy, "Enlightenment" is considered one of the Fifth Doctor's strongest outings. The script (penned by Barbara Clegg) also affords Tegan two of her most crucial Doctor Who developments - the introduction of an unwanted quasi-love interest, and resolution to her ongoing sibling-esque feud with Turlough. Materializing aboard an Edwardian-era sailing vessel floating through space, the TARDIS crew becomes embroiled in a sport played by Eternals (a godlike species recently returned in Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker era). One of them takes a liking to Tegan, fascinated by her ability to feel emotion. Tegan understandably doesn't reciprocate that interest, and their tension creates a compellingly difficult dilemma across the four parts of "Enlightenment."
It's also in "Enlightenment" that Doctor Who's ongoing Turlough storyline draws to a close. Often found bickering, Tegan always held her fellow TARDIS companion at arm's length, suspicious of his intentions (rightfully so; he was compromised by the Black Guardian). It's in "Enlightenment" that Turlough finally stands up to his oppressor and cements his loyalty to The Doctor and Tegan - a testament to their relationship growth over the course of Doctor Who season 20, and the perfect payoff to their semi-rivalry as Fifth Doctor companions.
Resurrection Of The Daleks
"Resurrection of the Daleks" does an infinitely better job of waving goodbye to Tegan than season 19's "Time-Flight." Joined by the two Ts, the Fifth Doctor returns to home turf (i.e. modern day London) and does battle against Davros and the Daleks. Tegan spends a chunk of the story knocked out, but soon kicks into life, first by helping the armed forces, and then in her attempts to escape Dalek capture. What makes "Resurrection of the Daleks" so significant to Tegan's journey, however, is how it brings her entire Doctor Who narrative to a close.
Tegan experienced her fair share of dark times whilst traveling in the TARDIS, most notably losing Adric to the Cybermen, but this final Dalek incident is a massacre too far, prompting a morose Janet Fielding to bid the Fifth Doctor farewell... for real this time. Though Doctor Who companions have tired of the Time Lord's deadly antics both before and since, Tegan's unhappiness had been building ever since she accidentally strolled through the TARDIS doors, and "Resurrections of the Daleks" ends that running plot thread perfectly. Tegan is able to say a meaningful farewell, forcing The Doctor to admit his wrongdoing, whilst still acknowledging the good times. It's a touching finale that puts the heart in "brave heart, Tegan."