Interesting thoughts about post-Doomsday fic

[drakyndra]

I haven't been reading as much fic as of late - namely, since Doomsday aired. Partially because of the inevitable badfic wave which is swamping fandom, but mostly because even some fic writers who I normally quite like are taking their fics in directions I am not entirely comfortable with.

And I was having a bit of difficulty in expressing why.

However, then I stumbled across Battle of Wills (which is a highly amusing parody of said fics, by the way, and I'll recommend it to anyone), and castrovalva9 managed to explain the summary of said parody exactly why these fics weren't working for me.


"I've read quite a few post-"Doomsday" stories by now. While the odd one here and there has been outstanding, the plots of many horrify me. You've probably seen (perhaps even written!) some of the stories I mean: the ones where Rose spends most of her time bemoaning her meaningless life, mopes around listening to sappy songs and thinking about how well they describe her pathetic existence, cuts herself or commits suicide, etc. These stories basically posit that a Doctor-less Rose is a shell who can never lead a fulfilling life, because she is not an entire person in her own right and needs the Doctor to make her whole. I think that concept is pretty insulting and shallow, and it makes it seem like the authors don't like the character of Rose for herself, that they only like her when she is an extension of the Doctor.

Which is a long way of explaining why I wrote this story. I haven't always liked Rose, but she deserves some credit and respect."

And this is exactly the same for me. Yeah, I am not a particular fan of Rose. But the way these fics have been treating her is horrific. Aside from the rather offensive implication that the ordinary life isn't good enough for Rose (Dude, evem the Doctor can express how precious that is), the fact that people seem so content to make Rose wallow in her grief, or to fix things seems to show a remarkable lack of respect for the character.

And the remark about Rose only being liked as an extension of the Doctor - a terrifying thought, really, from the so-called fans of Rose, but it would account for a disturbingly large amount of reactions and fics.


So, to everyone else, thought, opinion?

Comments

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

If nothing else, she'll die eventually!

I read a feature from a Doctor Who Weekly from approximately a thousand years ago (or the Eighties) that did a little rundown of the companions, from which I learned useful and utterly non-biased things like how he loved Jo best and that if the Time Lords hadn't stolen Jamie he would "still be with the Doctor today". He'd be five hundred years old! (Unless he regenerated... IS ROSE JAMIE?!)

Also I'd say that if Rose stayed with the Doctor her chances of living to a ripe old age are pretty slim. I mean, he's regenerated eight times in the last four or five hundred years, and you'd think he'd be a lot more capable at not dying than your average human...

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

The other day, Nos pointed to a video from the 70s, which had Mary Tamm talking about how different Romana was to all the other companions who had come before (which, given the Time Lady thing, had some measure of truth, but still...)

History is being rewritten day by day. And as sad as that is, Rose's specialness will one day most likely be overwritten, too.

I think the idea that Rose wouldn't have left is a bit bizarre, personally. She'd most likely die young, and if she didn't, I am pretty certain sooner or later she'd want out. As much as she's all "I can have this life forever!" She's young, and as someone the same age as her, I know that what I want now? Not what I'll most likely want in 5 years.

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

I really don't get the argument that it's canon Rose would never have left on her own/would have stayed with the Doctor until the end of her life. It's canon that she, at age 20, believes this, but that's not anything like the same thing.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

"Rose said it, so it must be true!"

I think that sums up their argument. Which fits with the "The Doctor said he would never leave her, so he won't!" after School Reunion. Which got pwned mightily in Doomsday, yo. Not only did he send her away, but he didn't put the universe in danger to return her to him, shock horror!

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

I can think of several ways he could go back for her if he cared about her more than anything else ever.

I suspect the Doctor could as well.

My conclusion is obvious.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I used that argument on the "Why jumping through the mirror wasn't leaving Rose and Mickey to die" (Because if I can think of half a dozen ways to get back to them in a few seconds, the Doctor has got to have more ideas).

Apparently, some people prefer not to consider these arguments.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

If nothing else, where did the Voidship go?

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Good point.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

It should have been sucked in. But it's very big. And there's the godmaker code. Or cracking open the TARDIS console might help. ANY NUMBER OF THINGS, YO.