Doctor fromHe, just like the Doctor himself, has a complicated relationship with romantic plots: he’s always joking, he’s never committed. Of course between the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Renegade Ood, who has the time (or is… the space)? Well, the doctor does, apparently. Whether he’s engaged to Marilyn Monroe, an affair to Queen Elizabeth I, or he’s just struggling to catch up while TARDIS discovers kissing, the Doctor often seems to be involved in the romance. These are fleeting flirtations, usually – though not always – that are mined for their comedic value. New Who has made one serious attempt at plot romance in the form of River Song, whose multi-season arc includes some of the series’ notable episodes. River herself is an exhilarating character (thanks in large part to the incomparable Alex Kingston, who showers River with vibrancy and dynamism), but her story struggled almost from the start with writing that couldn’t do the character justice.
Some viewers will immediately protest that romance isn’t Doctor from about, but this objection ignores how much of a “who’s new” character is driven. Each iteration of The Doctor builds and refines the character, and the Doctor’s relationships with his comrades facilitate relational storylines — not to mention the rich character drama that the book has proven so adept at constructing and resolving within individual episodes. number, Doctor from It revolves around the characters, and the characters engage in romantic intrigue. The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), in particular, was known for engaging in powerful and compelling romance novels – he captured the imagination of the French aristocracy, as well as her heart (“The Girl in the Hearth”), suffering from the heartbreak of human communication with a teacher (“Human Nature”/ “Blood Family”), letting his heart go on after losing a girl he met in Titanic (“Voyage of the Damned”). Tennant’s pity sparked when he called on the public to invest in these relationships, even knowing they were temporary.
Doctor from He had good reason to keep this romance temporary, however, as romantic plots are inherently tied to considerations and caveats that would weaken the show as a whole. As many viewers know, a good romance plot requires tension, which forces the writers to either alienate the participants or escalate threats to their relationship from outside forces. This kind of layout would not be acceptable in a show like Doctor from, which is already keeping untenable close bets. Each serial threat must be existentially more dangerous than the previous one, and each improbable rescue must elevate the figure of the same physician approaching Christ.
One of the things the show has done so right in introducing River (and in its re-presentation, its introduction to the front, and the building of its mythology) is to tie these romantic stakes to the season’s main conflict. Series 6 is as much River’s story as it is the Doctor’s, and the most important moments in its arc are important to the overall plot. So what is wrong with the book?
Introduction River Song sound. The Doctor’s first encounter with River, in series 4, is River’s last encounter with the Doctor, bringing a new twist to Benjamin Button’s physique. However, there was already a drawback: Alex Kingston could not age backwards. Her appearance alongside the Doctor was automatically limited by the degree to which makeup and highlighting could deceive her age.
In developing River further in Season 6, Doctor fromKuttab themselves gave a solution to this problem…and then immediately nullified it. It turns out River can regenerate—like the Doctor, she can continue to appear in different forms throughout the show. This would have been a great way to preserve the character, with the added bonus of being able to choose different actresses based on their chemistry with different doctors. Alas! In the same episode in which River’s first prototype (“Let’s Kill Hitler”) is introduced, River uses all of her regenerative energy to save the Doctor. This closes the circle of her life, with no possibility of other forms in the future.
The second mistake writers make is pledging too much and giving too little – an extension of an ongoing problem with Doctor from. As a syndrome, put it briefly The Incredibles, “And when everyone is great, no one will be.” This is how viewers experience mystery box schemes: if each challenge is the Doctor’s toughest, audiences stop holding their breath because viewers expect the Doctor to prevail. Tension depends on failure. The Doctor has failed more than once during the River Song Race (in fact, her mission begins/ends with a failure), and this is a strong point of her story. But the doctor’s ultimate success depends a lot on River herself. To fulfill many of the expectations in previous seasons, the writers needed to incorporate River into every major rhythm of the series 6 story. They didn’t leave themselves anywhere to go with the character, who became less personal and more a collection of significant discoveries. What chemistry she might have with the Doctor is buried under successive twists, weakening her plot without developing her character.
The good news here (for both Riversong fans and romance lovers) is that the show isn’t likely to deviate from its pattern. Whether resurrecting the Master as Messi or bringing back Russell T Davis, Doctor from It doesn’t seem to help itself. River may not be back (or maybe!), but it probably isn’t the Doctor’s last epic story. Connecting River in the plot of silence, the book also tied its uniqueness to a single story line, one season. Another story, in another season, might offer another solo love interest to the Doctor.
In pursuit of more romance, the writers would be wise to plot the love interest after one season, especially if they intend to keep it around for longer. However, in the short term, viewers will likely expect the romance plots to stand on their own, following the formula being followed. Doctor from He proved to be the most skilled.
