#elevenrose

I have cracked the code. I can explain the Doctor’s relationships in terms like he’s human.

First off- Rose.

Rose was the love of his life. She was it for him. She gave him everything, healed him, taught him to live again. So when he lost her- was for all intents and purposes was widowed… He went a bit nuts.

Which brings us to- River.

River was a friend. Then she was his wife? But… not like a planned and wanted wife (a marriage just to make a fixed point then the timeline was aborted).

So she was kinda like a friend he got drunk and married in Vegas.

Then there was- Clara.

Clara is the woman he’d marry who came into the relationship knowing she’d never be Rose and that her husband would likely be buried next to the first wife, but she loved him anyway.

Slightly unhealthy relationship but they match each other’s freak.

I won’t get into this spiral any further. But I’m right and I should say it.

Thanks for coming to my TARDIS talk.

hi tumblr i found my apple pencil 😈😈😈

Every time Rose’s flaws come up, it’s oftentimes cited as a major reason she’s a bad (or even horrible) and unlikeable character:

1. She’s often rash with her decisions and doesn’t think them through (especially in the beginning of the series)

2. She can be quite jealous and mean (aka the Sara-Jane situation)[1]

3. She treats Mickey in a less than stellar way (instead of cleanly breaking up with him when it’s clear they can’t be what they need to each other anymore, she’s leaving him hanging in this limbo and then has the audacity to get upset when he’s trying to move on)[2]

I agree that these are indeed her main flaws and it doesn’t make her look good. But it’s not meant to and neither does that detract from her allure as a character. From what I’ve gathered, because of those obvious flaws it’s not understood why on earth people are still liking her. Why are we ”putting her on a pedestal“ when she’s ”mean“ and ”bitchy“ and rash?

I don’t think most Rose fans put her on a pedestal. The way I see it goes like this:

I see Rose in a lot of people in real life, including myself. Jealousy, pettiness, selfishness — those are all things any one of us have experienced. Being selfish and hurting people you’re close to, being mean to your friend that one time because you felt jealous, arguments escalating because being petty as hell felt so much better in that moment — all things most of us have experienced (especially in younger years), at least once because none of us are good and „unproblematic“ all the time.

So, yeah, Rose was jealous and mean and selfish at points (note how it’s only a few instances spaced out in like 2+ years of in-Universe time) But for all of her flaws, Rose is also so kind and compassionate; those are her core traits. She sees the people’s hurt and pain and reaches out with comfort and empathy. She asks everyone their names and makes sure they’re treated right.

She’s generally warm and charming, witty, intelligent and brave. Most of her flaws (just like in real life) are a result of unresolved issues and her immaturity due to her age (God, just think back on when you were 19 lmao). It makes her real, like somebody I could meet on the streets and befriend.

Which brings me to my next point: Rose grows so much as time passes, like she’s so much more mature and settled at the time she’s jumping dimensions. At this point she’s legit somebody who took on the responsibility of doing everything she can to save the multiverse because she knows she has the knowledge, skills and the fortitude to pull through. And yeah, she also did it to get back to the Doctor, ✨god forbid a woman in love trying to reunite with her beloved✨[3]

Also to underline my point: Amy, for example, can be brash, bossy and demanding (also she basically cheated on Rory just the night before her wedding…I’m remembering this correctly, right?), yet I still like her because that’s not all she is.[4] She’s also somebody with unwavering belief in her loved ones, brave and quick on her feet. Maybe I’m biased (I’d like to know your opinions on that) but sometimes it feels like Rose‘s flaws, things she grows past I might add, are dissected under a microscope, blending out the rest (which is like 95% of her personality).

Rose shows us the messy and oh so human side of all of us. She’s just a human girl with exceptional kindness but human failings trying to grapple with falling in love with an alien, finding out who she is and what she can do (more than she ever could’ve dreamed).

Her ”boring“ humanity becomes her most exceptional trait which charms and endears the Doctor (and many other characters. She’s really good with winning people over).

And that’s beautiful, really, because Rose shows us that every single of us ordinary people can do the most extraordinary thing, by just being our most authentic human selves.

Further notes:

[1] Sara-Jane was also quite mean, understandably so; she was hurt and betrayed, I’d be pissed too. She let that anger out on Rose at the beginning, and Rose reacted by lashing out. So far, so understandable. The thing is, this ”cat fight“ thing, further egged on by Mickey, is a result of misogyny permeating everything, yes, RTD‘s writing is not exempt from that. (He’s doing better than Moffat that’s for sure, but it’s still there). But I don’t get why people solely blame Rose when both gave as good as they got. All in all, Rose and Sara were getting along just great, in the end, so. Feel free to check out this post for a more nuanced perspective.

[2] Mickey didn’t exactly treat her right either, just saying. It doesn’t justify Rose‘s behaviour towards him but it’s not like Mickey is a blameless party in this relationship. Action’s and (bad) behavioural patterns do not exist in a vacuum, they’re rooted in previous actions that trigger certain responses. But this is a whole another can of worms best opened in a separate post. If you're interested about said can of worms, check out this post of mine: THE BLAME GAMES.

[3] It’s interesting how Rose is punished by some fans for fighting to get back to the Doctor, claiming her dimension hopping to return to the Doctor is allegedly underlining her inability to let go. So, basically being the „clingy gf/ex“. I beg to differ because

1. the main reason for her dimension jumps was the threat to the multiverse with the stars going out which is a Doctor-requiring threat tbh. Would it also result in reuniting with her love? Yep, so why not kill two birds with one stone?

2. Judging by the Doctor‘s reaction when they see each other, my bro had zero complaints. He saw Rose and was like rose,rose,omg its rose,my wife is baaack before running to her full tilt, completely missing the Dalek that shot him.

3. At the same time, River was actively about to destroy the whole universe because she couldn’t let go of the Doctor, so he was forced to go through with a marriage he clearly didn’t want. It don’t get clingier than that.

I would also like to add that there’s a beautiful parallel to this: I present you the Bad Wolf Bay scene where the Doctor explains he can’t come through the gap because both universes would collapse if he did.

Rose antis try to use Rose‘s line ”So?“ as a proof that she was oh so selfish by interpreting it as a so what; a callous question a lá who cares? I want you to come get me, universes be damned.

Again, I beg to differ. She wasn’t scoffing at the Doctor‘s explanation. Her choked ”So?“ was Rose simply seeking confirmation that she would never see the Doctor again, while clinging to the hope it wasn’t the case. It was her hoping he could provide another answer even if she knew he couldn’t. She had to ask, one last time, because hope dies last, as the saying goes.

[4] I blame Moffat‘s inability to write a single female character without a weird sexualising component. This goes beyond DW btw, he was the same in Sherlock, so yeah. Cracking a sexual joke once and again is fine, it’s fun even, but it does get old and annoying if it’s brought up a gazillion times. Also let’s not talk about his views of women, pregnant women in particular, and men too btw. Because wdym, men can’t be romantic or soft, or men avoid all types of attachment?? Dude doesn’t realise one of the reasons the Doctor was an outcast in Time Lord society is because he was a dreamer and a romantic… (romantic as in romanticising life but doesn’t necessarily exclude his want to belong somewhere or with someone) lol

Okay I’m done, now. Cheers!