The Doctor and Rose...

[fajrdrako]

As I read the livejournals of other Doctor Who fans, I am interested to see that many people weren't happy with the loss of Rose, or her sundering from the Doctor's life.

Now, I loved it. And I'm not sure why I loved it so much, because I also loved the Doctor/Rose romance, which entirely convinced me through season 2. So why do I like the ending of Doomsday so much? Didn't I want Rose and the Doctor to be together forever, the way they wanted to be?

No, I didn't.

Why not? That isn't so easy to answer, though I can poke at the edges of the answer. I like the Doctor as a loner, and an alien - a relationship with Rose tended to humanize him. I like hints of suffering in the Doctor's background, which this reinforces. I even like the idea that Rose, having found her heart's desire in fulfillment of adventures with the Doctor, must now adjust to the human condition - another lesson for her to learn.

I also like the sense of tragedy. Romeo and Juliet would be less compelling if they lived happily ever after. Pawn in Frankincense would be less haunting if the little boy didn't die.

Frankly, I'm still more sorry to have lost Nine and Captain Jack than to lose Rose. For whatever reason. I'm glad she had a worthy (and emotionally powerful) send-off.