I must admit, I haven't seen the Girl in the Fireplace for a while so assumed the article was right, even if it seemed very odd and not to match up with my memories. You're right, it really mis-represents the Doctor's character in that episode. Also, I think the episode was part of a wider trend of showing that the 10th doctor was more emotional and, perhaps, even sexual than other Doctors.
It's why I skip right over that episode. Don't get me wrong; it's a great story, very well written...it's just not Doctor Who. It feels like original fiction with the Doctor shoehorned in.
