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Do they play basketball in the U.K., or is U.S. idiom that universal?
Edit 10/6/07 Obviously they play basketball in the U.K., when that's what Torchwood Three is doing in the Hub in the opening of Cyberwoman.
I had a new thought this morning about the Doctor's relationship with Rose. Now, I'm of the but-they're-all-special school of thought. I don't believe that Rose was the Doctor's one true love, though there's no doubt that he believes it, and shall for some time, perhaps for the rest of his life. I've written before that what the Doctor mistakes for the overwhelming loss of Rose is actually overwhelming because he lost not just Rose but her whole family, which in his mind and hearts was tantamount to losing his family and planet all over again. Certainly Rose's loss has traumatized the Doctor in a way no previous companion's loss has done. Contemplating Martha's gripe at the beginning of Gridlock, I've identified yet another factor why this is so.
Every new girl in the TARDIS from Vicki, perhaps Barbara, forward has been, in terms of dramatic ecological niche and also in the Doctor's mind (as you can tell from the incarnations who have trouble with names), a replacement of the one who came immediately before. Except Rose, because in her case there wasn't a girl immediately before. There hadn't been one for two incarnations.* Perhaps Grace turned him down because she picked up on his rebound vibe (or perhaps only because she recognized she was on the rebound herself). And then the Time War and its attendant trauma intervened. Rose was the first woman to approach the Doctor while his slate was clean (aside of course from the PTSD; I mean girl-wise) since he and Susan left Gallifrey (depending on whether Gallifreyan family customs allow for marrying for love, perhaps the first ever).
Rose is the only one of the Doctor's girl companions who wasn't a rebound girl.
I wonder if that isn't grounds for admitting that maybe Rose was the one true love of the Doctor, or anyway the only true love we know about.
* Obviously I'm excluding tie-in continuity here, but that's perfectly fair for the present argument since screen continuity is obliged to leave it out by the BBC's charter.
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I believe Rose is the true love of the Doctors, but perhaps not the one-true love. I happen to belive there is no such thing as one-true love, but maybe a few true loves. There was something there that wasn't there with previous companions (and companions since) though - a kind of love that is somehow romantic... even if not sexual.
This (I believe) is what made Rose special. This doesn't however mean that he didn't love his other companions. But I feel he loved them in a more fatherly/grandfatherly way. Even the 5th Doctor (baby that he is!), when surrounded by girls of the age difference that wouldn't look at all pervy him being romantic to (Nyssa and Tegan) he still seems more paternal than a romantic equal... and I think the 9th Doctor is like that with Rose at the beginning of the new series run. I think their Romantic love develops. It isn't "love at first sight" and I think it even develops from a paternal love to a romantic love (case in point: The "Tell me your sorry" in Father's Day) which, when watching the 9th Doctor and Rose you do start to wonder...
But I think the 10th Doctor is a better match. There are theories that the Doctor (either inadvertantly or on purpose, I think the former) actully regenerated to become someone more compatable with Rose. They also have less "lover's tiffs" in series 2.
I also like the idea that Rose isn't a "rebound", but again, disagree. I think Rose is something to cling on to. If you imagine that the Time War happens (in which I believe he may have lost a companion, possibly Charlie or Lucie or maybe another) and the Doctor just hangs around space and time mourning for his planet, all on his own (for a good while I believe). Rose Comes along and "saves" him. She is the first person he touches and he grows to love her for that.
Martha seems to "save" him in a different way... from the loss of Rose (and possibly the rejection of Donna...) But I don't think that he does love her in a romantic way. I think that Martha definitally fancies him (almost streight off, or at least by the end of epsiode 1 of series 3 "And if you will wear a tight suit and travel all the way across the galaxy just to ask me on a date!") It's funny to see her flirting with him the way I feel he used to flirt with Rose.
I feel sorry for Martha personally. It's that thing of hanging around someone who doesn't notice your romantic intentions or even worse, see's you as someone else. The best thing is I don't think the Doctor even notices he's doing it sometimes (eg. Shakespear Code - bed scene).
I could imagine that this may be a driving force behind Martha leaving the Doctor. I'd love to see her storm off in a huff saying "You don't even notice me!" and the Doctor probably not even having a clue what she's talking about. Bless his little hearts... he's not very apt at this relationship stuff.
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