The Doctor In The TARDIS
March 29, 2024, 10:37:19 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Follow our Facebook group, or check out the Doctor Who News site by hitting the links below
 
  Home Help Gallery Doctor Who News Facebook Group FAQ's Staff List Calendar Members Login Register  

Falling in love

Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Falling in love  (Read 109 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Saber
Timelord
****
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
Favourite Companion: Liz Shaw
Posts: 3843



View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Second year Anniversary Apple User Mobile User
« on: March 27, 2012, 01:03:12 pm »

I am a big believer that the Doctor should be left out of love stories. I think they over complicate things, make the show feel soapy and really detract from the stories. I can sort of understand why a character would be taken with him but I don't ever think it should be reciprocated. I don't assume that the Doctor doesn't or even can't love, I just don't want my adventures in time and space bogged down with it. The stuff with Rose was the worst, though perhaps the most understandable. She helped him through a dark time and I think he perhaps felt he should return her feeling for him, but I still pretty much hated the story. Marthas story was annoying, but at least not reciprocated. Amy throwing herself at the Doctor made me want to yack, and the Doctor faing in love with Reinette after spending what amounted to about 15 minutes with her just seemed ridiculous to me. But then we come to this.

This love story, albeit between Joan and John rather than Joan and 'The Doctor', just works so well. Amazingly well. Throughout the story you are really rooting for them and hoping they will get it on, even though you sort of know it will never go anywhere. When he reverts to being the Doctor you can see that she is heartbroken and to her they really, truly are two very different men. Perhaps it's all down to the fact that it's 'John' and not 'the Doctor', but this is the only love story on the show involving the character that I can bear to sit through without moaning about it.
Report Spam   Logged
Vampyros Adric
Global Moderator
Timelord
*****
Favourite Doctor: 4/6/7
Favourite Companion: Jo Grant
Posts: 3174


He is also vain, ego-centric and quite mad


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Third year Anniversary Mobile User Search
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2012, 02:14:59 pm »

As with everything I think it is a question of balance. One of the wonderful aspects of the romance in this story was that it provided a counterpoint to the whole of the Doctor's existence. John Smith was capable of the deep, enduring love that the Doctor never can be. Martha, in this case shunted from one hopeless love affair to another - from being divided from the Doctor by species, she is divided from John by class. I think in this instance the love story works so well because it is understated.

I agree, the origins and the thrust of the Classic Era deliberately sidestepped the issue of companion/Doctor relations (although I must confess I find it hard to believe the Doctor didn't deeply love Jo or Sarah Jane in some way). Nu Who flew slap bang into the middle of that by making the entire Christopher Ecclestone tenure a love story between the war-damaged time lord and the lost, drifting shop-girl. Again, that was done beautifully.

I think the changing nature of the show has turned the Doctor into something of an intergalactic Lothario, and i'm not sure its a direction I approve of, any more than I approve of the "Christ-Like" figure that the Doctor seems to adopt. My own personal taste was of the Classic era Doctor - the slightly mysterious, batty old scientist. I liked the quotation from Tom Baker in City of Death about the dazzling Catherine Schell "You're a beautiful woman probably..." and it is that almost childlike approach to sexual relations that I appreciated (and relate to, though that is probably TMI).

But, like everything, if you tell the story well and don't play too far against the established character, then Human Nature/Family of Blood (and the indeed the entire Ecclestone series) shows that a love story plays perfectly well within the parameters of the show. As for the randy Doctor.. I think i'd prefer a little more mystique and a little more sophistication.
Report Spam   Logged

Roranicus
Global Moderator
Timelord
*****
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
Favourite Companion: Rory
Posts: 4677


Rory FTW


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Third year Anniversary Search Super Poster 50 Posts in one day
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2012, 06:45:41 pm »

It was ok in this story because Tennant played it in a way that you could believe it was another character. In general though I hate when the Doctor gets mixed up in love stuff. Never liked it, never will. I love River, but I hate that they have a relationship and that is referred to and overly flirty at times. Takes me right out of it
Report Spam   Logged

Oh my god Karen, you can't just ask someone why they're white!
Nyki
Guardian Of Gallifrey
****
Favourite Doctor: Jon Pertwee
Favourite Companion: Leela
Posts: 5334



View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Third year Anniversary 5000 Posts Second year Anniversary
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2012, 11:54:00 pm »

I agree, the origins and the thrust of the Classic Era deliberately sidestepped the issue of companion/Doctor relations (although I must confess I find it hard to believe the Doctor didn't deeply love Jo or Sarah Jane in some way).

I always felt, certainly as far as the Third Doctor was concerned, it was more like a father/daughter relationship, especially with Jo.  The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane - maybe.  Of course, the one classic Doctor to ever have a romantic subplot was Hartnell, in The Aztecs.

I agree with the other comments, that I generally prefer the Doctor not falling in love, but it can work if it's really well done.  It is here, and it actually helps develop the contrast between John Smith and the Doctor.
Report Spam   Logged


Tardis-Console
Timelord
****
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
Favourite Companion: Amy
Posts: 4660


Say it. Everybody does!


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Third year Anniversary Search Second year Anniversary
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2012, 01:02:07 pm »

I've never felt during any of the classics that I have seen that the Doctor has had any sort of romantic feelings towards a companion and I really like that. It's just friends on adventures. The way they do it in the new series feels like a cheap way of bringing in viewers. It's just not needed. I agree that in this story it works, but that is because of the circumstances in place by the watch and for me is an isolated case. Don't like any of the other romantic things they touch up in regards to the Doctor.
Report Spam   Logged


My Series 6 Ratings (so far):
TIA 10/10 | DOTM 10/10 | COTBS 8/10 | TDW 10/10 | TRF 9/10 | TAP 10/10 | AGMGTW 10/10 | LKH 8/10 | NT 4/10 | TGWW 10/10
Exterminate
Guardian Of Gallifrey
****
Posts: 6335

Do Not Blaspheme!


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Fifth year Anniversary Fourth year Anniversary Level 6
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2012, 12:27:02 pm »

For this story it works. The guy might have the same face but we aren't watching the Doctor fall in love. It's John, and it's easy to believe that. The Doctor though should be kept away from romantic plotlines.
Report Spam   Logged

Aneurin
Guardian Of Gallifrey
****
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
Favourite Companion: River
Posts: 5764


Formally River Song


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Level 6 Fourth year Anniversary Third year Anniversary
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2012, 01:15:19 pm »

I'm much the same as everyone else. I think it worked in this story but I generally don't like the Doctor getting all romantic.
Report Spam   Logged

hannahcole93
Global Moderator
Master Of Galaxies
*****
Favourite Doctor: 11 & 5
Favourite Companion: Amy Pond & Nyssa
Posts: 10061


"Fish fingers and custard..."


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Fifth year Anniversary 10000 Posts Fourth year Anniversary
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2012, 08:18:16 pm »

What I find the weirdest is that the Doctor is supposedly the same person though all his regenerations yes? Despite all his regenerations I still reckon there are or should be one or two things that stay the same throughout, like no way would I want all the Doctors majorly grumpy like the first, but I have to say I could never see the first Doctor fall in love with anyone, okay yes it worked in this story, but I still think they should leave the love aspect alone, it should be one of those things that stays the same though all the different doctors.

If any of that made sense... Undecided
Report Spam   Logged


"All of time and space; everything that ever happened or ever will…Where do you want to start?"
Nyki
Guardian Of Gallifrey
****
Favourite Doctor: Jon Pertwee
Favourite Companion: Leela
Posts: 5334



View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Third year Anniversary 5000 Posts Second year Anniversary
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2012, 12:13:57 am »

It actually worked surprisingly well with the First Doctor in The Aztecs.  He didn't exactly fall in love with Cameca, but she certainly fell in love with him.  One of the interesting things about the First Doctor is that he was grumpy and bad tempered a lot of the time, but he could seriously turn on the charm when he wanted to.
Report Spam   Logged


Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Administrator | Global Moderator | RP Moderator | Role Player
| Member Of The Month
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
Free SMF Hosting - Create your own Forum

Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy