Tori’s Epic Dissertation on Why Doctor/Romana is Her Ultimate OTP
Romana, for those who are not already familiar with her, is really very unique as far as companions go. She is one of only two fellow Time Lords to ever travel with the Doctor (the other being Susan, his granddaughter, who travelled with his first incarnation) and is the only person that he has actually been forced to travel with, at least at first. How was he forced, some of you are probably asking? Well, let’s just say that the White Guardian said “you’re going to take an assistant with you to find the Key to Time or we’re wiping you out of existence entirely” and, BOOM, Romana I appeared on the TARDIS all naïve and haughty and putting holes in the console. That doesn’t exactly sound like the beginning of a great romance….which is part of the reason why I love this ship so much. This isn’t love at first sight, or even infatuation! There is no instant attraction, such as we see with Rose, no building sexual tension…there’s just two people who each think they are superior to the other. Romana thinks she knows everything because she received nearly perfect grades at the Academy, the Doctor thinks he knows everything because, well, he’s the Doctor.
They’re both entirely wrong, of course, and the result is several episodes of them butting heads and bickering in such a way as only two people who are brilliant and have finally been faced with an intellectual equal can. All the while, however, you can see the beginnings of admiration on both sides. Romana very quickly realizes that the bizarre looking, apparently insane, renegade she was sent to babysit is actually a rather charming genius (but still bonkers, mind you). Similarly, the Doctor realizes that, while she might know nothing about the universe, this spunky young Time Lady is actually quite talented and able to hold her own in the face of danger. What I’m trying to say is this relationship develops and beautifully, at that. By the time Romana regenerates in “Destiny of the Daleks” they have gone from a pair of rivals to a pair of equals who have a great deal of respect and, quite honestly, affection for each other.
Romana II’s serials are when things really start to get adorable and romantic though. First of all, she chooses to regenerate into the form that she does because it looks like Princess Astra (In reality, Lalla Ward played both characters. They liked her so much that they called her back in to take over when Mary Tamm quit), whom the Doctor seemed rather fond of. If that’s not adorable enough for you, he takes her to Paris! And they spend a good portion of the serial running around holding hands and looking at the sights! But really, their relationship just develops into something beautiful and sweet during this time. She’s outgrown her prickly “teenaged” phase very nicely and has become very much like the Doctor himself, in some respects, now that she’s seen and come to better understand the complexities of the universe….however, she still loves to poke fun at him, as he does to her, and she never, ever misses an opportunity to show him up. When she makes her own sonic screwdriver it is, of course, a superior version of his own…the Doctor even tries to pocket it! The bickering and competition is still there, as it should be since their intelligences are so well-matched, but now it’s taken on an entirely fond tone. What else can I say? I challenge you to watch “City of Death” and deny that the two of them are head over heels for each other.
But, the question still remains, why do I, Tori, love this pairing so very much? There is just something about this relationship that seems so solid, so real, and so workable. This isn’t some burning, brilliant passion or even a simmering, long-suffering crush. It’s something much more complicated than that. This is two people, who are every bit a match for each other’s wit and intelligence, developing a working relationship, then a respect, and then an admiration that smoothly flows into an obvious and genuine romance. No, neither of them ever say “I love you” outright like Rose (and even Martha!) do to the Doctor…but somehow I think that makes the ship even more special. It’s very real, but also very subtle. They say it all without saying anything at all, as ridiculously corny as that sounds. I think there’s also something very adorable and lovely about the fact that this is a relationship that is not tied up with physicality in any way. So often, I think, we tend to associate ships with “THEY’RE SO HAVING SEX” almost instantly (I’m guilty of it too) but with Four and Romana this is anything but the case. Four, though wonderful and amazing, was hardly what you’d call “sexy”. And, while both of Romana’s incarnations were very beautiful and there are certainly moments in which it is clear that the Doctor’s thinks so too, the attraction they develop is primarily mental. It makes a lot of sense, too, considering that they’re both Time Lords. For them, appearances are transient, so naturally, a romantic attachment couldn’t be too focused on that. That is to say, they’re attracted to each other’s intelligence and personality. As I said, this is something we don’t often see in the world of fandoms and shipping, and I find it very nice. At the same time, I personally think that there aren’t many couples more adorable to look at than Four and Romana II. The height difference, for one, makes me squeal with glee. He towers over her and yet she can put him in his place if she wants to. It’s utterly adorable. I use that word constantly when I talk about them because, really, there’s no other word as suitable. I might describe other ships as “hot” or “hhhnnnggg”…but this is just “awwwww”. When it comes to Four and Romana, I’m reading the fanfiction for the affectionate taunting, the awkward flirting, the furtive sideways glances, and the shy, tender kiss at the end…not the smut, to put it bluntly. I love my other ships, both in the Whoniverse and in other fandoms, but there’s something about the innocence of this pairing that gives it a special place in my fangirl heart.
Oh, how to wrap this up, now that it’s gotten ridiculously long-winded? Essentially, I adore these two characters. Four is My Doctor, for all the reasons stated in the post I made earlier this evening, and Romana is my favorite companion and, in my humble opinion, the Doctor’s perfect match. Yes, yes, Doctor/Rose is wonderful and beautiful and the stuff of legend…but for me Doctor/Romana is endgame. He loved her when he had curls and a ridiculously long scarf, he loved her when she was Lady President and he was commanding troops in a frock coat and cravat (oh, don’t even get me started on my Time War headcanon for these two…) and I think he still loves her now behind that bowtie and floppy hair. So, I’ll just sit here and wait for the day when some lovely ginger lady shows up and says, “Hello Doctor, still not following the manual, I see?”.
They’re both entirely wrong, of course, and the result is several episodes of them butting heads and bickering in such a way as only two people who are brilliant and have finally been faced with an intellectual equal can. All the while, however, you can see the beginnings of admiration on both sides. Romana very quickly realizes that the bizarre looking, apparently insane, renegade she was sent to babysit is actually a rather charming genius (but still bonkers, mind you). Similarly, the Doctor realizes that, while she might know nothing about the universe, this spunky young Time Lady is actually quite talented and able to hold her own in the face of danger. What I’m trying to say is this relationship develops and beautifully, at that. By the time Romana regenerates in “Destiny of the Daleks” they have gone from a pair of rivals to a pair of equals who have a great deal of respect and, quite honestly, affection for each other.
Romana II’s serials are when things really start to get adorable and romantic though. First of all, she chooses to regenerate into the form that she does because it looks like Princess Astra (In reality, Lalla Ward played both characters. They liked her so much that they called her back in to take over when Mary Tamm quit), whom the Doctor seemed rather fond of. If that’s not adorable enough for you, he takes her to Paris! And they spend a good portion of the serial running around holding hands and looking at the sights! But really, their relationship just develops into something beautiful and sweet during this time. She’s outgrown her prickly “teenaged” phase very nicely and has become very much like the Doctor himself, in some respects, now that she’s seen and come to better understand the complexities of the universe….however, she still loves to poke fun at him, as he does to her, and she never, ever misses an opportunity to show him up. When she makes her own sonic screwdriver it is, of course, a superior version of his own…the Doctor even tries to pocket it! The bickering and competition is still there, as it should be since their intelligences are so well-matched, but now it’s taken on an entirely fond tone. What else can I say? I challenge you to watch “City of Death” and deny that the two of them are head over heels for each other.
But, the question still remains, why do I, Tori, love this pairing so very much? There is just something about this relationship that seems so solid, so real, and so workable. This isn’t some burning, brilliant passion or even a simmering, long-suffering crush. It’s something much more complicated than that. This is two people, who are every bit a match for each other’s wit and intelligence, developing a working relationship, then a respect, and then an admiration that smoothly flows into an obvious and genuine romance. No, neither of them ever say “I love you” outright like Rose (and even Martha!) do to the Doctor…but somehow I think that makes the ship even more special. It’s very real, but also very subtle. They say it all without saying anything at all, as ridiculously corny as that sounds. I think there’s also something very adorable and lovely about the fact that this is a relationship that is not tied up with physicality in any way. So often, I think, we tend to associate ships with “THEY’RE SO HAVING SEX” almost instantly (I’m guilty of it too) but with Four and Romana this is anything but the case. Four, though wonderful and amazing, was hardly what you’d call “sexy”. And, while both of Romana’s incarnations were very beautiful and there are certainly moments in which it is clear that the Doctor’s thinks so too, the attraction they develop is primarily mental. It makes a lot of sense, too, considering that they’re both Time Lords. For them, appearances are transient, so naturally, a romantic attachment couldn’t be too focused on that. That is to say, they’re attracted to each other’s intelligence and personality. As I said, this is something we don’t often see in the world of fandoms and shipping, and I find it very nice. At the same time, I personally think that there aren’t many couples more adorable to look at than Four and Romana II. The height difference, for one, makes me squeal with glee. He towers over her and yet she can put him in his place if she wants to. It’s utterly adorable. I use that word constantly when I talk about them because, really, there’s no other word as suitable. I might describe other ships as “hot” or “hhhnnnggg”…but this is just “awwwww”. When it comes to Four and Romana, I’m reading the fanfiction for the affectionate taunting, the awkward flirting, the furtive sideways glances, and the shy, tender kiss at the end…not the smut, to put it bluntly. I love my other ships, both in the Whoniverse and in other fandoms, but there’s something about the innocence of this pairing that gives it a special place in my fangirl heart.
Oh, how to wrap this up, now that it’s gotten ridiculously long-winded? Essentially, I adore these two characters. Four is My Doctor, for all the reasons stated in the post I made earlier this evening, and Romana is my favorite companion and, in my humble opinion, the Doctor’s perfect match. Yes, yes, Doctor/Rose is wonderful and beautiful and the stuff of legend…but for me Doctor/Romana is endgame. He loved her when he had curls and a ridiculously long scarf, he loved her when she was Lady President and he was commanding troops in a frock coat and cravat (oh, don’t even get me started on my Time War headcanon for these two…) and I think he still loves her now behind that bowtie and floppy hair. So, I’ll just sit here and wait for the day when some lovely ginger lady shows up and says, “Hello Doctor, still not following the manual, I see?”.