A confession.
WARNING - MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ALL FOUR SERIES. ALSO, LOOOOOONG. Very long. It's also ranty at the start, but I calm down later.
I just admitted to myself that I don't ship Ten/Rose any more :( Or any other Doctor/Rose ship for that matter. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME.
It just has no appeal to me any more. And I think it's mainly due to Rose's characterisation.
Series 3 has a lot to do with it too. She was constantly getting a mention, making out that Martha was a lesser character, and I didn't like that at all, because that was her getting put down before she'd even properly started. I didn't like Martha much in most of Series 3 either, to be fair, but that's because she was so desperate for the Doctor's attention. She completely redeemed herself in my mind from LotTL onwards though, because even though she still had feelings for the Doctor, she realised that they would never be properly returned and got over it, and moved on, and did something with her life, which I can't really say for Rose. That bit in JE really pissed me off, because it turns out that the whole time she spent in that parallel world she was just trying to find a way back to him, no matter how dimension-shattering it might be, and to hell with the consequences. And she didn't seem to care what happened to her family either, as long as she was with her precious Doctor, which is pretty damn selfish. Sorry, getting pretty angry here. I don't like to bash characters, but I really have very little love for Rose right now.
But I hated how Rose was always made out to be this perfect, flawless companion, when she really actually wasn't. Yes, she was good, but she wasn't so ABSOLUTELYAMAZINGBRILLIANTWOWZAAWESOME. Martha and Donna are equally good and I wish people (and the Doctor, asdfghjkl!!!) would see that.
The Doctor and Rose did indeed have a special relationship, but I think this is because the Doctor is so grateful to her for saving him in a sense from the Time War, and all the pain it brought with it. I think he had given up on life really when they first met, and he was quite prepared to die saving the world from the Nestene that night, as I don't think he saw the point in carrying on. But she showed him that there was a point, as there were still so many wonders in the universe to see and share with people, and she accepted what he had done in the Time War, when I think he thought that it was completely unforgivable and he had no right to be happy and enjoy himself any more. And that's why he was so devastated when he lost her, because she meant so much to him and not just as a person, but because of how she changed him, for the better.
I think what Martha did in LotTL and what Donna did in TL to save the world were (was?? were doesn't sound right, but it's plural. huh?) much more, I don't know... impressive than what Rose did in TPotW. When it comes down to it, what she did only really required a lot of courage, determination, and a fair bit of stupidity to work. Martha spent a whole year full of terror and exhaustion and all sorts of unspeakable horrors to defeat the Master, and Donna actually gave her life in a sense for the greater good.
(While we're here, I personally don't buy the "Rose still has traces of Bad Wolf in her" theory - it makes good fan fic, but I don't think it's canon. She just channelled that power, she never actually had it used on her, and I imagine the the Doctor was pretty thorough taking it out of her if it was so deadly. I think Jack has his "problem" because Rose was basically the rewriting laws of the universe with the Vortex in her, and she must have written one along the lines of "jack harkness must live!!!1!1". And it's like being granted three wishes, you have to be careful how you word things because they can always be misinterpreted. So Jack Harkness did live - but she never said when this was gonna end. So he just carries on indefinitely. Also, the Bad Wolf stuff at the end of TL - I don't think that was the actual "Bad Wolf", I think that was the TARDIS, using her translation stuff to translate everything into Bad Wolf to warn the Doctor about the danger she had sensed, because that's like a recognised red flag for them now, and also to alert Rose's presence because it's connected to her. D'you know what I mean? That sort of thing.)
One of my pet hates is that attitude that some people have that all other companions are nothing compared to Rose and where they actually stopped watching the show when Billie Piper left, and they're all "marhta is crap!!1 i hat her bring rose bak she is the best companioun evar donner is crap to", when they haven't even seen them in any episodes. Okay, so that bit is really something that's just a problem with younger fans, but a lot of people who should know better write basically the same thing but with improved grammar and spelling. That's just being bloody narrow-minded. They can't accept change, and since change is the driving force of this show, they can't accept Doctor Who. There are probably a few people who stopped watching after Christopher Eccleston left, for the same reason.
Looking back now, now that we've had four series, two Doctors and three companions (just talking about New Who here), and I feel that I can actually comment on this, I liked Rose in Series 1, I really did. She was inquisitive and brave and caring and adventurous. Then the Doctor suddenly becomes a hell of a lot sexier and that's suddenly all she's interested in, getting really possessive and clingy and bitchy whenever anyone else comes near - Sarah Jane being the obvious example, but there's also that poor Lucy girl who got a mention in RotC, where the Doctor has barely mentioned her and straight away she's all "who's Lucy??". I know she wan't bitchy around Reinette, but that was a writing issue, because I don't think the Moff was informed that his episode was coming straight after SR and about how that episode ended, and it wasn't his fault at all. But seriously, that was all she was interested in - and fair enough, Ten is a very sexy guy, no one can blame her, but she didn't need to be so damn aggressive about it. She doesn't own the Doctor in any way. Also, she doesn't seem to recognise her own mortality, and has a slight delusion that she can stay with the Doctor forever. She doesn't seem to realise why he always moves on and finds someone else - it's not because he gets bored, it's because he can't let himself get too close to someone who will die very quickly by his standards, and also easily, because he leads such a dangerous life and odds are that that's what would kill them, and he'd never forgive himself. I think that's partly the reason why he still can't say it on the beach in JE, because then he feels he is making some sort of commitment to her, and then he could never leave and he would eventually have to watch her die. On the other hand, his clone can say it, because he's been brought down to her level in terms of lifespan and general scope (as in how much he can move around and be involved and stuff, he's not some big epic planet-saving Time Lord any more), and he can lead that perfect, simple life with her, which the original Doctor can never have.
And this is us getting to one of the things that really annoys me about JE - how Rose just completely forgets about the sad, lonely man who adores her but can never be with her and just pounces on the replica of him who has the guts to say what the other man thinks. I just hate that. Let me make it clear, I have NO hate whatsoever for that other Ten, I think he's wonderful and a fully-grown character in his own right, but shouldn't she really have kissed both of them? I know that could be awkward (and messy), but seriously though, she could at least grab the one that's most likely to vanish any second first and snog him half to death before starting on the other one, so he at least gets one little moment of happiness. Also, need to make this clear too, I don't hate the Doctor at all for his decision to leave Rose with his clone. I'm actually really proud of him for that, because that must have taken an immense amount of bravery and self-control to sacrifice his own happiness for hers. He's giving her that life with him that she's always wanted, where he won't leave her, while he's left with nothing. That's a proper man thing to do. **gives him a pat on the back**
I think JE should be the last we ever see of Rose, because that's closure, at last. I think the other Ten might come back though (but evil, mwahaha!), because that's a finale plot line waiting to happen - the Doctor versus, um, the Doctor. And it's a great way to bring David Tennant back later when he leaves the role, without having to explain aging and stuff.
But the truth is, every time some emotional Doctor/Rose thing happens, I'm more concerned about the Doctor, because I've grown to really majorly dislike Rose while she's been away - those constant references just got on my nerves, and in turn Rose in general got on my nerves. And her return in Series 4 has done nothing to change that - in fact, it probably made it worse. I would have been happy if Doomsday was the last time we ever saw her (though I thought differently when I first saw that ep. **cries buckets**), and then I might still have a reasonably good opinion of her, but bringing her back was a mistake to me. I really pretty much hated her in TL, to be brutally honest. She was even more self-obsessed than before and never showed any sort of concern for Donna, she was quite happy for her to die so she could see the Doctor again. She was too cold and distant, and trying way too hard to be like the Doctor - there's mysterious and then there's just plain annoying. And then there was TSE. Oh my god, I absolutely detested those "I was here first!" and "find me, Doctor" moments. I'm not going to go into why I hated them so much. Just... OH MY GOD. PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, ROSE TYLER, YOU'RE A GROWN WOMAN NOW.
Concerning the Doctor/Martha pairing, I don't think they're a perfect match, but right now I like it more than Doctor/Rose. I think Martha is better suited to the Doctor in terms of their interests, as in the more scientific side of things, but maybe not personality wise - sometimes the way she forces him to open up is good for him, but at times I think she pushes it too far and it's almost cruel. Donna, on the other hand, is perfect for this - she listens to him and nudges him gently in the right direction, and she gives him advice, completely as a best friend and in a non-romantic way. She's lived, and she knows what complete idiots guys are sometimes, and the Doctor really is just another guy when it comes down to it. But she's almost the opposite of Martha there, because she lacks Martha's scientific knowledge, and relies more on experience and gut instinct. Not a bad thing, just different. But none of them could ever really be with the Doctor in that sort of couple way. I don't think any normal human could really, due to the differences in lifespan and stuff, and also because the Doctor would be damn hard to tie down with a relationship - it would take someone really extraordinary for that. He could only ever really be with one of his own kind, I think - Romana, whoever Susan's grandmother is*, the Master (lulz), someone else, take your pick, they're all dead (for now) anyway - or maybe even Jack. Well, Jack can't die (probably), and they're both the sort of intergalactic roguish sort, so why not? Also, marriedcouple!Ten/Jack would make the BEST. SITCOM. EVER. XD XD XD OR THEY COULD BE SPACE PIRATES OMG. Right, there is gonna be a poll, right here, about which would be more awesome, squabbling!marriedcouple!Ten/Jack or spacepirates!Ten/Jack.
...
noooooo! It won't work! :( It worked in the preview, but it won't work in the actual thing! Why does LJ hate polls being behind cuts so much?? Or maybe it's Firefox. ARGH.
Right, where were we? Sorry, I am completely distracted by the thought of Ten and Jack as pir - OH MY GOD I JUST REALISED. CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS/CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW, OTP. Anyyyyway... Doctor/Rose. I don't like it any more, because there are many many many people the Doctor goes better with. And Rose's character has been completely ruined for me. And this rant-type thing is coming to an abrupt end now, because it's way too long and I've forgotten most of what I was gonna say.
I hope that wasn't too ranty - I don't want to cause any arguments. It's just my thoughts, I'm not saying anyone's a bad character or a bad writer, just stating my opinion. I'd really like some comments on this, because I'd like to see if other people feel the same about being a bit disillusioned with Rose, and also it took me ages to type :P
*though I personally think she was the result of an arranged marriage or something, because I can see Gallifreyan society being keen on that sort of thing, marriage just for the sake of status or advantageous genes or something. Actually, this is my personal canon now. **enjoys her personal canon**
(I wonder if
time_and_chips will kick me out because of all this.)