Highlights
- Doctor Who’s upcoming special episodes for its 60th anniversary are generating a lot of excitement among fans, with the return of iconic characters like David Tennant’s Doctor and Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble.
- Kate Stewart, played by Jemma Redgrave, is an important character in the Whoniverse, serving as the Chief Scientific Officer of UNIT and frequently teaming up with the Doctor to fight alien invasions.
- Kate’s character is known for her intelligence, capability, and willingness to make tough decisions to protect Earth. Despite occasional disagreements, the Doctor respects and values her contributions.
As the release date comes closer, the buzz for Doctor Who’s new special episodes gets louder and louder. Not only are these three episodes celebrating the show’s 60th anniversary, but in doing so, they are treating fans with a throwback to iconic characters from the past. David Tennant is reprising his role as the Doctor, and Catherine Tate is returning as the sassy Donna Noble.
Along with this dynamic duo from series four of the revival, there are other callbacks, including Donna’s daughter, who is named Rose and played by Yasmin Finney. The primary antagonist in the special episodes is the Toymaker, an immortal entity who made his appearance in the show’s classic era. One more familiar face in the cast is that of actress Jemma Redgrave, who is returning to play her role as Kate Stewart. Here’s a refresher on who Kate is and why she is so important in the Whoniverse.
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Who is Kate Stewart?
Katherine Sally Lethbridge-Stewart, also known as Kate Stewart, is one of humanity’s fiercest protectors. She is the Chief Scientific Officer a military organization known as the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT), which works to protect Earth against extra-terrestrial threats. In this position, she has worked alongside the Doctor several times to deal with alien invasions.
Fighting aliens is very much in Kate’s blood, as she’s the daughter of Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. More commonly known as the Brigadier, he was a recurring character in the classic Doctor Who era. The Brigadier was a close ally of the Third Doctor in particular, and worked with him often. He eventually became one of the high-ranking leaders of UNIT, a legacy that is continued by Kate.
Growing up, Kate had several run-ins with aliens, thanks to her father’s profession. She ended up joining UNIT and following in her father’s footsteps. Over time, she rose through the ranks and became the Chief Scientific Officer. It’s from this point onwards that her adventures with the Doctor begin.
In the beginning, Kate might seem like just another person in the fight against alien invaders. But as time goes by, she proves her mettle. She’s not only intelligent and capable; she also doesn’t shy away from making tough decisions. Even though they don’t always agree, the Doctor is usually happy to see her whenever they cross paths.
What Is Kate’s Role in Doctor Who?
In the TV series, Kate is first introduced in Series 7 episode ‘The Power of Three,’ at which point she’s already leading UNIT. During this episode, she approaches the Eleventh Doctor when tiny, black cubes turn up all over the planet. In her first few moments of meeting the Doctor, she manages to impress him with the way she’s overhauled UNIT — leading it with science instead of military strength. When he asks how she did this, she coolly responds:
Well, I dragged them along, kicking and screaming.
This sense of proficiency is always hanging around Kate, who approaches every situation with a level head. But every now and then, her protectiveness of Earth gets the better of her. When Zygons invade London in ‘The Day of the Doctor,’ Kate is ready to blow up the entire city if it means the rest of humanity is safe. Again, in Series 9, Kate faces off against a Zygon faction and is willing to go to war with them, putting London at risk again. She does so out of her need to protect the human race. In both cases, though, the Doctor makes her see that war isn’t the solution. She agrees to a peaceful resolution in the end. And most importantly, for all her nerve, Kate doesn’t shy away from admitting that she was wrong.
Nor does she step down when things get really challenging. During the Thirteenth Doctor’s run, UNIT is infiltrated by a creature known as the Grand Serpent. Kate goes into hiding, but continues her fight for the human race from there as well, even leading the resistance against a Sontaran invasion. She ultimately does defeat the Grand Serpent and rebuild UNIT, but trouble is never too far away.
When Cybermen storm the new UNIT headquarters in ‘The Power of the Doctor,’ Kate bravely gives herself up in order to save the rest of her staff. She’s almost converted into a Cyberman, but Tegan, the Doctor’s previous companion, saves her in the nick of time. Throughout her tenure in the series, Kate is a worthy, if sometimes ruthless, protector of Earth.
Why is Kate an Important Recurring Character?
Kate’s appearances in the Whoniverse are not just limited to television. She has appeared in several Doctor Who novels, short stories, audio stories, comics, and even video games. And she is often in a significant role, if not the protagonist. The tales range from her experiences as a child trying to unravel her father’s unbelievable job, to her feats as the leader of UNIT. Through the years, she has faced a number of different creatures and alien races like the Silence, the Nestene Consciousness, Sontarans, Cybermen, and of course, Zygons.
Kate is a natural leader and highly intelligent, but fans admire her most during moments of strife when she stands up to villains like the Grand Serpent. Or when she faces a horde of Cybermen and threatens them, tossing a broken Cyberman head at their feet as evidence (“Death in Heaven”). Some fans do feel that she can be a bit one-note and could use more depth as a character, but many appreciate her tenacity and reliability.
Kate remains one of the few recurring characters on the show. The main leads from a Doctor Who series rarely work with more than one showrunners. But Redgrave has starred in both Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall’s eras, and is now all set to star in Russel T. Davies’ special episodes for the 60th anniversary. Over the seasons and through multiple versions of the Doctor, Kate is one of the few constant elements of the show in a show that is constantly changing. She, and other recurring characters like Captain Jack Harkness, provide a common thread of continuity to the series. Chances are, she will continue to do so in the 60th anniversary and beyond as well.
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