The Doctor's relationships with companions
I've been relistening to some of the Eighth Doctor audioplays lately, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed Charley's and the Doctor's relationship. It struck me as much more meaningful than any attempts at giving the Doctor a romantic relationship by the new series, and I don't even ship the Doctor and Charley. It got me thinking about the Doctor's relationship with his others companions, and I'd like to know what you think.
Here be major spoilers for Neverland, Zagreus and Scherzo, which are awesome stories and you really should listen to them if you hadn't already. Also major spoilers for Earth-shock and The Caves of Adrozani.
So, while I completely buy the Doctor's love for Charley, what I'd like to understand how, if at all, different are his relationships with his other companions. Was it just not spoken of in so many words and in terms of love before? If Charley is somehow special, I seriously doubt it has anything to do with physical attraction.
Here are some key points and relevant quotes.
So, the Doctor rescued Charley from the doomed airship, altering history, which posits great danger to the Web of Time and the Universe. In Neverland we learn that Charley became a breaching point between our Universe and the universe of anti-time, which is fatal for the linear time in our Universe. At some point, it seems, the only way is to kil Charley, which she asks the Doctor to do.
The Doctor: Charley, I can't... You're my friend and I love you. I can't look you in the eye and shoot you, no matter what.
Charley: Doctor, I love you too... And this is no way to say goodbye, but please, please! Oh, what's wrong with you? You've saved the Universe before, so do it again, the only way how.
The Doctor of course doesn't kill Charley. In the end he materialises the TARDIS around the time station to contain the explosion of anti-time in out Universe, saving Charley and not expecting to survive.
Well, wouldn't the Doctor not be able to kill any of his companions to save the Universe? Any person, for that matter. Sure, he let Adric die, but only through inaction. I seriously doubt he'd ever kill anyone like that, so that's not exactly the basis for saying he's in love with Charley. And, well, saving the Universe at the cost of his life is also a no-brainer for him.
So then we have Zagreus, where the Doctor survives the explosion, but is infected with anti-time. Which for some reason gives him split personality? with the second part being Zagreus, who is fictional. It's all terribly complicated, but Zagreus is evil and wants to do something or other with our Universe. As it turns out, since the TARDIS is infected too, her personality has also splitted. So we have evil jelous TARDIS in the form of Brigadier who is pissed at the Doctor for choosing to save the Universe not by killing Charley, but by killing himself and the TARDIS. Next bit of dialogue is very interesting:
The Doctor: Where's Charley?
The TARDIS: Is that all you care about? Your woman?
The Doctor: My friend.
The TARDIS: Oh, friend, is it? And what is your idea of friendship, Doctor? I'd really like to know.
The Doctor: Friendship.. it's caring for somebody more than you do for yourself.
The TADIS: Fool! That's not friendship. That's love. Blind heedless love.
So, judging from the Doctor's idea of friendsip, one can safely assume that the Doctor was in love with all of his companions? Or do I misunderstand something?
The most interesting bit happens in Scherzo, when the Doctor, having mostly got Zagreus under control, leaves our Universe for the Divergent Universe where there is no time. He doesn't really expects to survive and tries to leave Charley in our Universe, but unbeknownst to him Charley sneaks into the TARDIS. For the Doctor the absence of time is like loosing one of his limbs, and he's completely defeated and fatalistic throughout. He react's very badly when Charley tells him she loves him. But then this bit happens:
Charley: That's what I was to you? Something to kick against your vanity?
The Doctor: I didn't expect to care for you as much as I did. That was my mistake. When it came to it, with the Web of Time hanging in the balance, having to make a choice between you and the Universe, I'd say "Hang the Web of Time, you are more important. Let the Universe rot. Charley's worth more than all that." I sacrificed myself to save your live! And I did it gladly. Ithought I'll never see you again but it wouldn't matter so long as I knew you were safe.
Charley: I don't understand... You're saying that you did care for me after all, that you... loved me?
The Doctor: Of course I loved you! I killed myself for you, didn't I? Of course I loved you! Of course I love you. <...> But you're not safe, are you? You've followed me in. So what was the point of my sacrifice? What was the point, after all these years of memento mori to find myself finally loving, a friend, somebody who meant that much more to me.
<...>
The Doctor: Your love for me has killed you, just as mine for you has killed me. What was the point of all this love? What was it for.
While I love this dialogue to bits, I'm not sure I completely buy the bit about Charley meaning more to him than any of his previous companions judging by his actions? Hasn't he died in The Caves of Adrozani to save Peri (who, depending on your point of view he either barely knew or has travelled for years with).
So, do you think his relationship with Charley is somehow different or is just the circumstances of these plays are so extreme the Doctor finally forced to acknowledge his capacity for love for his companions? Or are they're all wrong and all his relationships are friendships?
Here be major spoilers for Neverland, Zagreus and Scherzo, which are awesome stories and you really should listen to them if you hadn't already. Also major spoilers for Earth-shock and The Caves of Adrozani.
So, while I completely buy the Doctor's love for Charley, what I'd like to understand how, if at all, different are his relationships with his other companions. Was it just not spoken of in so many words and in terms of love before? If Charley is somehow special, I seriously doubt it has anything to do with physical attraction.
Here are some key points and relevant quotes.
So, the Doctor rescued Charley from the doomed airship, altering history, which posits great danger to the Web of Time and the Universe. In Neverland we learn that Charley became a breaching point between our Universe and the universe of anti-time, which is fatal for the linear time in our Universe. At some point, it seems, the only way is to kil Charley, which she asks the Doctor to do.
The Doctor: Charley, I can't... You're my friend and I love you. I can't look you in the eye and shoot you, no matter what.
Charley: Doctor, I love you too... And this is no way to say goodbye, but please, please! Oh, what's wrong with you? You've saved the Universe before, so do it again, the only way how.
The Doctor of course doesn't kill Charley. In the end he materialises the TARDIS around the time station to contain the explosion of anti-time in out Universe, saving Charley and not expecting to survive.
Well, wouldn't the Doctor not be able to kill any of his companions to save the Universe? Any person, for that matter. Sure, he let Adric die, but only through inaction. I seriously doubt he'd ever kill anyone like that, so that's not exactly the basis for saying he's in love with Charley. And, well, saving the Universe at the cost of his life is also a no-brainer for him.
So then we have Zagreus, where the Doctor survives the explosion, but is infected with anti-time. Which for some reason gives him split personality? with the second part being Zagreus, who is fictional. It's all terribly complicated, but Zagreus is evil and wants to do something or other with our Universe. As it turns out, since the TARDIS is infected too, her personality has also splitted. So we have evil jelous TARDIS in the form of Brigadier who is pissed at the Doctor for choosing to save the Universe not by killing Charley, but by killing himself and the TARDIS. Next bit of dialogue is very interesting:
The Doctor: Where's Charley?
The TARDIS: Is that all you care about? Your woman?
The Doctor: My friend.
The TARDIS: Oh, friend, is it? And what is your idea of friendship, Doctor? I'd really like to know.
The Doctor: Friendship.. it's caring for somebody more than you do for yourself.
The TADIS: Fool! That's not friendship. That's love. Blind heedless love.
So, judging from the Doctor's idea of friendsip, one can safely assume that the Doctor was in love with all of his companions? Or do I misunderstand something?
The most interesting bit happens in Scherzo, when the Doctor, having mostly got Zagreus under control, leaves our Universe for the Divergent Universe where there is no time. He doesn't really expects to survive and tries to leave Charley in our Universe, but unbeknownst to him Charley sneaks into the TARDIS. For the Doctor the absence of time is like loosing one of his limbs, and he's completely defeated and fatalistic throughout. He react's very badly when Charley tells him she loves him. But then this bit happens:
Charley: That's what I was to you? Something to kick against your vanity?
The Doctor: I didn't expect to care for you as much as I did. That was my mistake. When it came to it, with the Web of Time hanging in the balance, having to make a choice between you and the Universe, I'd say "Hang the Web of Time, you are more important. Let the Universe rot. Charley's worth more than all that." I sacrificed myself to save your live! And I did it gladly. Ithought I'll never see you again but it wouldn't matter so long as I knew you were safe.
Charley: I don't understand... You're saying that you did care for me after all, that you... loved me?
The Doctor: Of course I loved you! I killed myself for you, didn't I? Of course I loved you! Of course I love you. <...> But you're not safe, are you? You've followed me in. So what was the point of my sacrifice? What was the point, after all these years of memento mori to find myself finally loving, a friend, somebody who meant that much more to me.
<...>
The Doctor: Your love for me has killed you, just as mine for you has killed me. What was the point of all this love? What was it for.
While I love this dialogue to bits, I'm not sure I completely buy the bit about Charley meaning more to him than any of his previous companions judging by his actions? Hasn't he died in The Caves of Adrozani to save Peri (who, depending on your point of view he either barely knew or has travelled for years with).
So, do you think his relationship with Charley is somehow different or is just the circumstances of these plays are so extreme the Doctor finally forced to acknowledge his capacity for love for his companions? Or are they're all wrong and all his relationships are friendships?