10 Tragically Romantic Doctor Who Episodes

This is a double whammy for the TARDIS team, as both Donna and the Doctor end the episode having lost someone important to them.

Donna, having been saved by the library system, ends up in a virtual world where she is introduced to a sweet man called Lee, who has a stammer. The two get together, marry, and even have children. It’s your typical, lovely romance that ends with a happy family life, but of course Donna soon realises it’s all virtual reality – or so she thinks. When she is returned to reality Donna is unable to find her husband in the crowd, and merely assumes he was made up, like her children. However, the audience sees that he is real, and in a cruel twist of fate, his stutter prevents him from calling to Donna before she leaves.

The Doctor, meanwhile, has just had to witness the death of River Song, who has hinted that she is someone very important to him. The scene takes on more potency when re-watched now, since the entire backstory of River has been revealed and we all know that she is, in fact, his wife. All in all, it's a very sad ending.