Were they Friends?

[Paul Monk]

I was listening to the audiobook of Castravalva earlier and there a bit in it where it describes Nyssa and Tegan as friends. I wasn't sure about this, it didn't seem quite right. Friends? Really? It got me thinking. Is there any scene or story where they are shown to be friends? Or is it just assumed? I can't really see any evidence that anyone in the season 19 TARDIS crew were good mates. They just seem to be a bunch of people thrown together and getting on with it. Tegan's permanently wanting to get home, Adric's being a smart arse and Nyssa is ...well... just Nyssa. In fact when Tegan is accidentally left behind at the end of the season nobody seems that bothered.
So were they friends? What do you think?

[Rob McCow]

That bunch? Friends? I don't think so! Tegan couldn't wait to break Adric's head open (Four To Doomsday), the Doctor shouts at Adric (Earthshock) and Nyssa would rather spend a whole story asleep than with the rest of them (Kinda). They seem more like a bunch of ill-at-ease work colleauges rather than friends.

[Paul Monk]

Thats what I think. And is it just me or is there just a little bit of Tegan bullying from Nyssa and Adric sometimes? They're not very tolerant of her lack of science knowledge are they?

[Si Hunt]

They seem to share a bedroom at one point don't they? The mind boggles at what went on amid the heavy fumes of organic crystallography experiments.

Si.

[Paul Monk]

I can't imagine that anything went on. What would the pair of them have in common at all?

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Me either but the whole suggestion that they were in the same bedroom was rather silly. Anyone would think they couldn't afford to redress the same set.

[Rob McCow]

Tegan is a scientific thick-o in Season 19, but by Season 20, Nyssa has come to appreciate her softer, warmer side. She's desperate for her to re-join the TARDIS crew in Time-Flight, despite the Doctor's apparent horror at having that bolshy stewardess back in his life.

[J.R. Southall]

I think the idea must have been that they were supposed to be friends, otherwise why would they stay together? Okay, so they are essentially all orphaned on their way into the TARDIS, but that wouldn't be a reason to stick around if they didn't like the company. It's just that the only window into their world that we ever were a party to, was when they were bickering. My, but didn't it begin to grate pretty quickly though.

[SiHart]

By Black Orchid they're generally good friends I think. They seem relaxed and close. Maybe it was the threat of Tegan leaving in The Visitation that... "I know I haven't always been the easiest of travelling companions, but I'm really going to miss you..."

[WhiteCrowNZ]

They seem to share a bedroom at one point don't they?

Yes, my friend pointed that out, as well as the way they look annoyed when Turlough joins, like he's going to spoil their fun.