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Death comes to Time?
For some time I've been speculating in this space about what I call the lonely god character arc in Russell Davies Doctor Who; that the Doctor's behavior since his regeneration in 2005 - pining for the Lords, and treating this companion like an angel and that one poorly - is reflective of a story arc planned to last for as long as David Tennant plays the part. I'm not the only one who's independently noting that the Doctor's indulged in some less-than-role-modelish behaviors and hoping that there's a resolution coming.
On one or more of my Doctor Who LJ communities it's being linked to news that Elizabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith with Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker in the 70s and in one episode with Tennant in 2006, is coming back for near the end of Season 2008. All Tennant's companions are shooting reappearances for late in the new season. Even the season's new companion is a reappearance, because she was in the 2006 Christmas special.
People are speculating that the companion reappearances are building up to the annual season finale climax, and that that climax is one of them is going to die.* And I think that's exactly what would happen if what I call the lonely god arc is in fact planned.** The good news is, a companion death is precisely what it would take to snap the Doctor out of his funk so he'd take a needed look at himself. The bad news is, we're going to go another season before the turnaround.
* One of them who doesn't currently head up a spinoff.
** Edit On more thought, I supposed it could have evolved the same way without being planned.
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Of course, one of the things I like about the new series when compared to the classic series (which, don't get me wrong, I love as well) is that the new series deals with emotional fallout... I'd say better, but it's really that it deals with the fallout at all, whereas the classic series just... didn't, really.
One of the main reasons why I am so excited for Donna to travel with the Doctor is that I think she just will not tolerate the level of mopeyness and angsting that Martha let the Doctor get away with. I think her presence and her attitude are going to make a lot of progress towards forcing the Doctor to take a good hard look at himself.
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when Adric died, ... there was practically no emotional fallout
Illusions of Adric were used against Nyssa and Tegan by the Master in Timeflight, and against the Doctor by his own subconscious in Caves of Androzani. As non-RTD Who goes, that's sobbing at the headstone. Besides, while the Doctor has never been entirely forthcoming at expressing his deepest feelings, Doctor Five was almost as downright paranoid about it as Doctor Ten is.
the new series deals with emotional fallout
We oughtn't say "old series" and "new series" just yet. We ought to say "old series" and "Davies series".
Donna ... just will not tolerate the level of mopeyness and angsting
That was my initial reaction to the casting announcement too. Though I think the general enthusiastic anticipation of slapping among those who like the casting is getting out of hand.
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Or Rose, for that matter. Nobody's really been willing to call him on his shit yet. They just let him repress it or mope or whatever. I think the closest we've gotten is probably Martha at the end of Gridlock (and that was just the one time) and Donna in TRB. We need more of that, damnit!