Doctor Who Confirms Queer Romance

Doctor Who fans, time to celebrate. We’ve finally got confirmation of a long-suspected romance between two of our favorite Thirteenth Doctor characters. And whether or not you’ve been a fan from the very beginning or hopped on the Doctor Who bandwagon during its revival period, if you’re all caught up you probably know exactly which characters we’re talking about.

Considering its official start in 1963, Doctor Who has given fans a lot of personalities, romances, and relationships to keep up with—but as in many other shows (revived or original), we’re seeing more and more queer representation. But a recent romantic confirmation is causing quite the controversy about whether the sentiment is genuine and fair or a relatively cheap storytelling instrument.

Earlier this year, Out reported on the big moment in January’s holiday special, “Eve of the Daleks,” where suspicions that Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and her companion, Yasmin “Yaz” Khan, shared more than just platonic feelings for each other were confirmed. After quite a bit of hinting throughout the pair’s adventures in the series, having the raw and tender moment of acceptance—portrayed quite well by actress Mandip Gill—was a relief for many fans.

But as things often go, the recognition didn’t come without its critics. Some fans are convinced the move is “too little too late,” claiming Yaz’ sexuality had been left ambiguous for far too long (since mid-series 11) and that the admission to feelings is just another narrative tool. And despite there being an increase in representation across media and our favorite shows, it’s still very much a work-in-progress getting definitive answers and clarity about those who are portrayed as queer. So it’s understandable to think that some Doctor Who viewers feel the show strung us along for too long.

Still, fans come to the show’s defense, both happy that their hopes for a queer romance was realized, however so, and also voicing that the popular series isn’t exactly stranger to queer relationships (hey, Madame Vastra and Jenny Flint). But it’s hard to say there will ever be a consensus on the Doctor-Yaz romance and whether it was truly enough of a statement to be satisfactory.