So, way back in 1996 we had the Eighth Doctor share two kisses with Grace Holloway, and more recently both the Ninth and Tenth Doctors have kissed Rose Tyler and it's been pretty much confirmed that their relationship is a strong romantic one. I just wondered, now that we've had everything with Rose, how do people feel about the Doctor having these kind of relationships with his companions? Practically everyone seemed to be infuriated with the kiss in the '96 TV movie, has anything changed?
The Doctor and romance
- Thread starter EJA
- Start date
I loved his relationship with Rose. Moreso, I loved that his relationship (or lack thereof) with Rose remained an important part of his character for the following seasons. However, I feel like TEoT gave us enough closure so that The Doctor can finally move on.
That said, I would love it if the new companion didn't just immediately fall in love with the Doctor. One of the things that bugged me about Martha was how she claimed to be in love with him. My response was, "Really? Why? You've known him for like 2 days." On the flip side, I thought it was fantastic that Donna did NOT fall in love with him.
So it really just depends. I really feel like this new Doctor is going to begin a new era with new people. Hopefully we don't ever see the return of Rose, Martha, or (and it pains me to say this) Donna.
That said, I would love it if the new companion didn't just immediately fall in love with the Doctor. One of the things that bugged me about Martha was how she claimed to be in love with him. My response was, "Really? Why? You've known him for like 2 days." On the flip side, I thought it was fantastic that Donna did NOT fall in love with him.
So it really just depends. I really feel like this new Doctor is going to begin a new era with new people. Hopefully we don't ever see the return of Rose, Martha, or (and it pains me to say this) Donna.
I'd laugh too except that this does actually seem to be the attitude of many fans. (And to be fair for a moment, it's not just Doctor Who. Anytime any ongoing characters in TNG, DS9, Voyager or Enterprise developed any sort of romance you had people responding the same way, usually with some variant of accusing the writers of being immature.)
The fact is you have people who think the Doctor should be utterly asexual, and this list includes some honoured members as Tom Baker. Part of this is a holdover from the now-obsolete view that Doctor Who is a children's program. It's not a children's program and hasn't been since the day the first Dalek menaced Barbara Wright. It's a family program, and as such it opens up the possibility of there being romance between characters. Back in Hartnell's day we saw a bit of this with Susan falling in love (and snogging!) David Campbell, and Barbara and Ian of course barely hid their relationship. And even the Doctor (yes, old grey-haired Billy Hartnell himself) had a bit of a romance going on in The Aztecs.
Those who think the Doctor only just started to notice girls after getting shot in San Francisco haven't watched enough of the series. Watch The Green Death where the Doctor (Pertwee now) clearly shows he has feelings for Jo Grant. And despite Tom Baker's opinion that the Doctor is asexual, there is no denying that sparks flew between the Doctor and both Romanas (even more so with Lalla Ward since she and Tom were dating in real life).
Now that the Doctor is pretty much staying "young" (at least for the fourth incarnation in a row), I don't think it's realistic for him not to have romances from time to time. He's lived too long to not have them. And the fact is we've not seen this as often as critics accuse. Rose Tyler was a special case; Jack and Martha were in love with the Doctor but he did not reciprocate; Donna loved the Doctor but in a non-romantic way. As for others, Joan Redfern was a special case because the Doctor fell in love with her in his John Smith incarnation with no memory of being the Doctor. Lady Christina came on to him, but he never really reciprocated. Really, except for Rose, the only cases of "guilty as charged" is Madame de Pompadour and the off-screen relationship and marriage he had with Queen Elizabeth I as mentioned in End of Time.
We can't count River Song yet until we learn what her story really is.
Matt Smith's Doctor will probably get into romances as well. As long as the stories are good, and remain true to the spirit of Doctor Who, I could care less if he snogs Amy Pond or gets caught in a compromising position with a Dalek...
Alex
I'm new to Doctor Who and only know the show from 2005 on. That being said, I really liked the relationship between the Doctor and Rose. I didn't mind any kisses. I was always hoping, he would find her again.
On the other hand I liked the relationship between Donna and the Doctor, too, because they were such great friends in a none romantic way. So, I don't mind that he has a romantic relationship but he shouldn't have one in every season or with every companion.
On the other hand I liked the relationship between Donna and the Doctor, too, because they were such great friends in a none romantic way. So, I don't mind that he has a romantic relationship but he shouldn't have one in every season or with every companion.
Exactly. It's just going to get silly if that happens.
I'd really like to see this new Doctor trying very hard not to become attached to his companion given the way the last few years have turned out.
provided you wear suitable protection they can be enjoyed. You do have to look out what girl cooties of course, that can be a major killer.
seriously now I dont feel informed to talk about the Doctor & Romance, being only really a New series fan, ive only ever known him to have feelings for women, it doesnt shock me, whilst the romance has been over played, im not sre we should go back to a time where the Doctor has no romantic feelings of any kind.
Before the movie was shown I was pretty much dead against it, especially having seen Green Death. This was prior to having seen any Romana episodes
After seeing the movie, I actually thought 8thDoctor/Grace was rather good. Certainly I still prefer it to Doctor/Rose and 3rdDoctor/Jo. The relationship may have been increadibly rushed, but I liked it.
After that I saw a few Romana 2 episodes and became a fan of the characters and the 'ship. For one thing unlike the other "romantic" possibilities, Romana actually fitted him. She could keep up with everyword he said, was just as capable and barring the odd occasion, was never much a damsel in distress (anymore then a captured Doctor was).
Of the new series though, I find myself shocked to say that the only companion I found that fit the Doctor was Donna. Rose was a bit of a Jo Grant, while the Doc didn't really have much chemistry with Martha. Donna on the otherhand he actually started talking too as an equal, especailly when she started to act with maturity.
After seeing the movie, I actually thought 8thDoctor/Grace was rather good. Certainly I still prefer it to Doctor/Rose and 3rdDoctor/Jo. The relationship may have been increadibly rushed, but I liked it.
After that I saw a few Romana 2 episodes and became a fan of the characters and the 'ship. For one thing unlike the other "romantic" possibilities, Romana actually fitted him. She could keep up with everyword he said, was just as capable and barring the odd occasion, was never much a damsel in distress (anymore then a captured Doctor was).
Of the new series though, I find myself shocked to say that the only companion I found that fit the Doctor was Donna. Rose was a bit of a Jo Grant, while the Doc didn't really have much chemistry with Martha. Donna on the otherhand he actually started talking too as an equal, especailly when she started to act with maturity.
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I think the key is here:
This might be why a relationship with River might work. The Doctor already knows how it will end, he already experienced it, so he can move past it, and knowing exactly how long he has with her, he can focus on enjoying it, and worrying about how and/or when it will end is irrelevant.
A little romance for the good Doctor is fine by me. I just wish that the writers wouldn't hook him up with teenagers.
I do like the romances Moff has given him so far. (Reinette & River)
I do like the romances Moff has given him so far. (Reinette & River)
As a viewer since '75, I think it's a good and logical progression for the character. Just as Spock eventually found a place for (limited) emotion in his life, so to do I think the Doc is now getting used to expressing feelings for the "lesser" beings that he's attracted to. I think that, in the early days, the Doc felt like the old Brit colonists used to feel among the natives. You know, a polite superiority. Jo Grant's departure seemed to be the first real chink in his armor. Today, he seems to have so much admiration for humans that he's more comfortable dealing with them on an equal basis. This is what allows him to have more personal interactions.
Er, we really haven't had everything with Doctor/Rose. They were clearly in love, but they never acted on -- never decided to have a real relationship. It was Unresolved Sexual Tension all the way -- unresolved being the key word.
I'd be really interested to see the Doctor try to have a real relationship with someone.
Actually, Martha never claimed to be in love with the Doctor until "The Family of Blood" -- episode 9 of the season, and an unknown amount of time after she met the Doctor. (We don't know how much time took place between "42" and "Human Nature.")
Oh, sure. She was infatuated right away.
But she never referred to herself as being in love with him until "Human Nature." Which, really, it's understandable -- the Doctor's an amazing guy, they'd probably spent months together by that point, her mother hated him [surely a prerequisite for all potential boyfriends, right?
], he saved her life multiple times on a regular basis, and, well, they were practically living together in the TARDIS.Which is why, really, Freema Agyeman's finest moment as an actor on Doctor Who was the speech she gave at the end of "Last of the Time Lords" about why she needed to get out.
Oh, certainly she had feelings for him as early as the ending of "Smith and Jones." But, again, not the same thing as being in love.
I much prefer Doctor Who with some romance and sexual tension to the original, neutered-for-the-tots version.
Any show is going to be more interesting if the main characters are allowed a full range of emotion. Hell, they had Spock weeping by the fourth broadcast episode of Star Trek and he was allowed more romance stories in three seasons than the Doctor got during DW's 26 year run.
The people who clamor for a love-less Doctor would be happy to have Sylvester McCoy starring in the new season, performing the long-lost scripts from series 27. They're more interested in reliving their childhoods than in getting any sort of compelling (or affecting) television.
The people who clamor for a love-less Doctor would be happy to have Sylvester McCoy starring in the new season, performing the long-lost scripts from series 27. They're more interested in reliving their childhoods than in getting any sort of compelling (or affecting) television.
