The nature of Doctor Who is to constantly evolve, which has enabled the series to thrive for over 60 years, spanning numerous stories across its classic and! revived eras. As part of this evolution, the show often revisits trends it has explored before, albeit in new ways. For the first time in a while, Doctor Who‘s most recent pairing introduces a dynamic not seen in quite some time, particularly in its modern age: a companion who yearns to return home, away from the adventures in time and space.

This character is Belinda Chandra, portrayed by Andor‘s Varada Sethu, a young nurse who finds herself drawn into the Doctor’s life but struggles to extricate herself in time for her next work shift. According to Ncuti Gatwa, who recently spoke with io9 over Zoom, “Belinda understands the responsibility and, in some ways, the loss that enables her to not be whiled or charmed by this creature.” He added, “The Doctor’s craving connection. Belinda wants to get home, he wants to get home. The challenge to him is in terms of how charged [their relationship] is.”

Sethu shared her thoughts on the relationship between Belinda and the Doctor, stating, “I think what I loved about their relationship was that they’re very much equals.” She explained, “They both have main character energy—Belinda has her own life, that she’s so desperate to get back to. She has her own purpose, her own set of values, which eventually she discovers do align with the Doctor’s.” However, Sethu noted that it will take some time for their values to align.

Regarding their core values, Sethu said, “They’re both very selfless. They’re both very protective, of each other and the people that they care about and love—their core value is one that comes from a place of love.” She continued, “But it takes a while for her to warm up to him, because she’s not impressed by this.. I mean, I guess she’s impressed, she’s very impressed. But she just wants to go back to her life, because she knows that where she belongs.”

Sethu teasingly added, “What I love is that she will give it back to him,” emphasizing their equal dynamic. “They’re equals.”

While Belinda’s dynamic with the Doctor differs from his previous companions, such as Ruby, she is not as standoffish as Sethu’s character, Cinta Kaz, in Andor. Sethu will reprise her role in Andor‘s sophomore season, which coincides with Belinda’s debut in Doctor Who.

For Sethu, Doctor Who‘s appeal lies in its unique characters. “I think a big part of [what drew me to Belinda] was that she was so different,” Sethu reflected. “She’s so different from Cinta, she’s so warm in comparison. I love so much within the sci-fi space—excuse the pun—of Doctor Who you still get to experience so many other genres. There’s comedy, there’s horror, thrillers, all sorts of plots and genres.”

Sethu further expressed her enthusiasm for the show, stating, “What I love about Doctor Who is that each episode is so different, each season is different. I like that you get to experience so many different dimensions through one character. That’s what really appealed to me about Belinda, and Doctor Who as a whole.”

Belinda represents a challenging element to the Doctor’s life, but she’s not the only one – the Doctor is also challenging himself after the losses of Ruby and Joy. Gatwa said, “I think he’s in a place where he’s searching for connection and he’s constantly curious.” He added, “The Doctor embodies curiosity a lot, so he’s searching for something—the Doctor’s always been searching. And he meets Belinda and sort of, instantly… oversteps boundaries? She stands up to him. And I think she just teaches him so much about himself, and I think actually teaches him a lot about responsibility in a way that he hasn’t thought about it before.”

Gatwa continued, “The Doctor’s able to live quite an irresponsible life. He’s got a spaceship and can go anywhere, he can do whatever he wants.” Sethu interjected, “He endangers people all the time!” Gatwa laughed, “Like, each episode you’ve almost died! I think it’s just that [with Belinda]… I wanted to continue on a trajectory of exploring the Doctor’s compassion and his curiosity, and just how his interpersonal relationships develop with other people, because they’ve always been quite skewed. And if companions die, or he loses them or he leaves them, he’s become emotionally distant with them.”

The new season of Doctor Who premieres on Disney+ worldwide and the BBC in the UK on Saturday, April 12, offering a fresh dynamic with Belinda’s introduction.

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