I like Mickey because to me, okay.
Everyone says that the Doctor is accessed via their companion. However, the companion’s life with the Doctor becomes their new norm. With Mickey, we see someone who comes in and out of the life. He doesn’t always react positively, he doesn’t always understand, he isn’t always happy about what happens. He’s kind of bitter about what’s happened; because of this crazy fellow, his life has been turned upside down and his girlfriend has left him to travel through space and time.
To me, I think we see without necessarily realizing, the fact that crazy shit happens when the Doctor is around. We see the fact that there is chaos in his wake, that there are repercussions to all of his actions. Rose peaces out to go with Nine and when they come back, Mickey admits that he’s got a new girlfriend, that he’s dating her because he knows where she is every night. These are real fears.
For the companion, it’s easy to get lost in the wonder of visiting new places in time in space. Generally, the Doctor doesn’t have someone there providing a reality check. Most of the time, a companion is a cohort. Because Mickey doesn’t travel consistently with the Doctor, and because when he is on an episode he usually seems to be helping rather unwillingly, the audience gets to remember that, for instance, Rose just left it all behind without thinking.
As far as Mickey goes later on in the show, I absolutely adore how his relationship grows and develops with Captain Jack. I think their scenes are precious. I liked watching Mickey and Jackie interact; Mickey has become the son she never had. He’s a connection to both Rose and the Doctor but is a stable entity. I think Mickey and Martha together was great also. We didn’t see much of them together, but what we saw really showed us some great character growth. We see look at Mickey just 5 years earlier and see a kid who doesn’t want to let go and doesn’t want to believe, and then we can see him with Martha, married and hunting aliens.
I think Mickey is highly underrated as a character and I think we see him grow and develop more than really any other character on the show.
…Wow, I think I got a little carried away.
You said everything I would have said and I think better.
One of these days I want to write a fic about Mickey and Martha and Jack fighting aliens together. Or possibly a superwood fic with them.