10 Doctor Who Fates Worse Than Death

10. Living as a Face on Paving Slab

It feels harsh to call Ursula's life with Elton "worse than death", especially when it's one of those unconventional love stories that Russell T Davies usually tells so well. There's just something off about it, and it never feels like a happy ending for either character. Think about it, Elton is a bit of an oddball and a loner, who comes out of his shell due to his friendship with a group of people who share a fascination with the Doctor.

In saving part of Ursula from the Abzorbaloff, isn't the Doctor forcing Elton to shrink back inside himself? Is he going to go out and find new pals, dragging Ursula along with him? Or is he going to stay in again, always anticipating the moment he has to explain the face in the paving slab? And, incidentally, what does Ursula get out of this arrangement.

Whilst some have pointed to this as a metaphor for disability, it's a spectacularly misjudged one. Elton says that they have a sex life of sorts but how much enjoyment can she be getting from that? There's no escaping the suggestive choice of camera angle! It's a bizarre climax to a bizarre story.