Why Doctor Who’s 15th Doctor Was Able To Let Rogue In So Easily

The Doctor was surprisingly open to a romance with a new character in Doctor Who season 14. The fourteenth season of the series saw the newest incarnation of the Doctor embark on a short-lived romance with a bounty hunter alien called Rogue. This romance between Rogue and The Doctor only lasted an episode, but it was well-established and began very quickly. This isn’t the first time The Doctor has experienced a romantic connection with his allies, such as the connections he shared with Rose or River Song. Usually, though, The Doctor is quite reserved and closed off.

In the past, it has taken The Doctor quite a while to open up to the possibility of romance. It takes him a while to establish that kind of connection and trust with another being after everything he has been through and everybody he has lost, but Rogue was different. Even with characters like Rose Tyler who he had an instant bond with since they first met, their relationship progressed over the first two seasons of the revival. It didn’t take long with Rogue, within twenty minutes of screentime, they were flirting with each other and sharing their first kiss.

The Bi-Generation Changed Elements Of The Doctor’s Personality

It Allowed The Doctor To Share His Pain

When Ncuti Gatwa re-generated into the Fifteenth Doctor, it didn’t happen the same way as any of the other incarnations. Instead, he materialized out of the body of the 14th Doctor. This meant that there are technically two Doctor’s in the universe, with 14 and 15 living simultaneously. The Fourteenth Doctor is able to relax and live out his days with the Noble family, while the 15th Doctor is able to continue the work of The Doctor and travel through space and time. This split and so-called “bi-generation” in Doctor Who didn’t just split The Doctor into two, it also adjusted his personality.

The split between the two Doctors meant that all the pain and suffering he felt was shared between the two of them, meaning these negative feelings weren’t shoved onto just one person to deal with. This has shifted the personality of The Doctor as the 15th Doctor seems a lot more fun and bubblier than those before him, this is because he was able to reduce some of his suffering. This has been addressed by the series itself as Ncuti’s season has been re-branded as season 1, which’s convenient as his Doctor is quite new and different to the others.

Rogue Didn’t Give The Doctor A Chance To Hide

Rogue Would Have Killed The Doctor If He Hid His Identity

Although The Doctor’s change in personality made it easier for him to open up to Rogue and let in the possibility of romance, Rogue didn’t give The Doctor much choice other than to be open about himself. Rogue could sense alien activity on The Doctor, so he assumed him to be one of the shape shifters and was going to dispose of him. The Doctor had to be open and honest about his past and who he was to gain Rogue’s trust, so he would be able to survive and also help Rogue on his mission.

Because of this, The Doctor and Rogue got to know each other very intimately very quickly. This would have made it difficult for the two characters not to fall for each other as they shared their deepest feelings and emotions to one another. Ultimately it was a mixture between the “bi-generation” taking away some of The Doctor’s reservations and Rogue’s approach to questioning him that made The Doctor open up to Rogue a lot easier than any of his other love interests on Doctor Who.