Mickey Smith - Reception

Reception

Charles McGrath of The New York Times described Mickey in "Rose" as Rose's "well-meaning but dopey boyfriend". In their review of the episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three" Graeme Burk and Robert Smith? praised the character's development stating that "by the time he faces down a Slitheen in his apartment, armed only with a baseball bat... you want him to become a regular companion." The authors felt that the character had "grown magnificently" by the time of his temporary departure in the second series, remarking favourably on his "zero to hero" arc in light of his status as the first ethnic minority companion in the televised series. By "Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday" they contend that the character is "at last... flirtatious, smart and dashing".

IGN's Ahsan Haque praised the addition of Mickey as a companion in "The Girl in the Fireplace", writing that he "adds a new sense of discovery to the show, as the audience can easily relate to his sense of awe and his infectious excitement about being onboard a spaceship". Haque was also positive about Mickey's development in "Rise of the Cybermen" when he finds his parallel universe counterpart and his grandmother alive in the parallel universe, as Haque felt that previously "he's always been treated as a tossed-aside comic relief character that has no bearing on the story". In a review for the follow-up, "The Age of Steel", Haque believed the episode was "worth watching" to see Mickey "finally up and finds a purpose" and become a hero. Ben Rawson-Jones of Digital Spy highlighted Mickey as a "Cult Spy Icon", praising his development into a hero.