10 Longest Pay-Offs In Doctor Who History

Ten and Rose had a romantic connection that sadly ended before they could fully confess their feelings. The tragic events of Doomsday, which led to Rose being sucked into an alternate dimension and Ten burning up a sun to say goodbye, emotionally ruined us all and left us devastated that neither of them got their happy ending.

A couple of years later in season four, Rose made a surprise return from her alternate dimension as the walls between realities began to break down. She spends the entire series reaching out to the Doctor, and when they're finally reunited, the Doctor is exterminated by a Dalek, only to regenerate back into himself.

This unconventional regeneration scene leaves the Doctor with a meta-crisis clone. At the end of the arc, once everything is worked out, the Doctor leaves his meta-crisis clone with Rose. This version of the Doctor is the same as ours, but will age and live as close to a human life as is possible.

Seeing Ten leave Rose with the him that he could never be, is absolutely heartbreaking but it's a pay off that was unexpected and even addressed the Doctor's final words to Rose which were cut short. Still, he doesn't get to say outright that he loves her.