Varada Sethu travelled from "Boom" to Companion.
Prepare for some magic in Doctor Who casting! Officially joining the cast as a friend in season 15, Varada Sethu surprised us all with her appearance as Mundy Flynn in the season 14 episode "Boom." Showrunner Russell T Davies has leaked the details, likening Sethu's circumstances to those of Martha Jones's actress Freema Agyeman.
Davies said Sethu performed so brilliantly that he knew he had to work with her once more. "I was loving Boom, watching like the fifteenth edit. Every time I see her, I say, "God, she's fantastic." She really is brilliant, in my opinion. Watching her ponder, "God, what a shame we can't work with her again,'" Davies told SFX Magazine. "I suddenly went, 'Oh, let's just cast her again,' thinking, 'Should we go back to the 51st century, could we meet her again?' and then We have done this already. Beautiful."
Davies was so passionate about casting Sethu that he skipped even her audition! He simply asked her to meet, but Sethu assumed it was for an audition, which resulted in a funny incident. "We were wanting her to like us so much she would want to come back!" Davies laughed. "She seemed rather delighted and amazed." Wonderful. Excellent content ahead. Once more, a totally fresh character; once more, a totally fresh narrative; and that is a fantastic new narrative spanning eight episodes."
Familiar Faces, New Roles in Doctor Who
Doctor Who has brought back performers for fresh roles before this. Before rising to be either the Doctor or a companion, Pete Purves, Colin Baker, Eve Myles, Freema Agyeman, Peter Capaldi, and Karen Gillan have all played minor roles. For Agyeman and Myles, family ties helped to explain their past appearances; Capaldi's past performance had deeper narrative relevance and related to the Doctor's values.
Though Davies hasn't said specifically how Sethu's past character relates to her season 15 performance, it's obvious that her appearance in "Boom" will be relevant to her friend's narrative. Her participation adds an intriguing layer of mystery that piques our even more interest about her path alongside the Doctor and Ruby Sunday.
What fresh adventures await Sethu and how well her character fits the TARDIS team will be much awaited. With Davies leading, Sethu's narrative promises to be a singular and gripping feature of Doctor Who season 15.
