The Single Biggest Mistake Every Doctor Who Series Has Made

The early years of the revived series did lots to develop the Doctor as a character. Series 1 made him a war survivor. Series 2 made him a romantic hero. And Series 3 made him… a bit of an arse?

It’s understandable that the Doctor would still be reeling from the loss of Rose when his next companion came along, but the writers leant way too far into the Doctor’s ‘rebound’ characterisation, and his frosty attitude towards Martha just comes across as unnecessary.

It’s a double-edged sword, since the Doctor’s mistreatment of Martha is what allows her to come into her own. Indeed, episodes like Human Nature/The Family of Blood use her unrequited love to interesting effect.

And then you have scenes that play it for laughs, like the Doctor and Martha sharing a bed in The Shakespeare Code, or the whole “one more trip” thing in the first half of the series.

Yes, the Doctor is an alien with questionable social skills. But the idea that he could remain totally ignorant of Martha’s advances is ridiculous, stretching plausibility to the point of farce. It’s painful to watch.