10 Tragically Romantic Doctor Who Episodes

This episode from the second season sees the Tenth Doctor meeting Madame De Pompadour, or Reinette, after he discovers time-windows into her life on a spaceship.

He meets her first as a young girl, but when he returns to find an adult Reinette, the French noblewoman quickly takes a liking to the Timelord. The Doctor seems to fall for her too with each meeting. They especially bond when he has to shift through her memories, and clever woman she is, she is able to see his mind too. Reinette realises the Doctor feels lonely, and insists he come dance with her at the ball.

Eventually the Doctor stops the horde of clockwork robots by literally riding in on a white horse to save her, but ends up trapping himself in the past in the process. Luckily, he is able to get back to the spaceship. However, this is where the tragedy comes. There is a time difference between Reinette and the spaceship, with hours on the ship translating into weeks, months and years. So, when the Doctor returns, time has passed and she has died - leaving only with a letter asking that he come back soon.