The results of my thinking so far.

[elisi]

The Doctor's Wife in one word: Effulgent.

Which also perfectly describes this stunning wallpaper from said episode by the talented sueworld2003.

♥

Comments

[elisi]

*laughs* Doctor/River is definitely a no-go in that, and Doctor/Master a thousand times more. Romance, no matter what some people think, is not the be-all and end-all in relationships. There has to be more to it than that.
*nods a lot*

No, I haven't! I could honestly write a post on why I ship Doctor/Rose, why it became unhealthy, and why I don't read 99% of shipfic (it ignores or brushes over the problems). But no one would read it, and secondly, I don't really feel like stirring up a wankstorm.
You really should watch it! Because the vidder is one of the biggest Doctor/Rose shippers out there (she has about a dozen other Doctor/Rose vids which are all romance etc), so for her to tackle the inherent problems is just amazing because she comes from a place of love.

I honestly prefer Doctor/River. So much more interesting and equal.
You said it, not me. :)

[independence1776]

I watched it! Absolutely fabulous and heartwrenching. (Made worse because while I was waiting for the vid to load, I turned on BBC America just in time to catch River's "watch us run" speech.) People who criticize from a place of love often, I think, do it the best simply because they care enough to not gloss over the problems. (And obviously dislike-fueled crit more often than not reads as bashing.)

[elisi]

I watched it! Absolutely fabulous and heartwrenching. (Made worse because while I was waiting for the vid to load, I turned on BBC America just in time to catch River's "watch us run" speech.)
Ouch. That's like a double whammy of heartache.

People who criticize from a place of love often, I think, do it the best simply because they care enough to not gloss over the problems.
Exactly - and (IMHO) the problems are what make it interesting. Two people who are perfectly happy aren't really fantastically exciting to watch...

And obviously dislike-fueled crit more often than not reads as bashing.
Ooooh yes. It can work if it's pure meta, like Marble House f.ex. - actually vids on the whole work a lot better for me as a critical tool, as opposed to anything else.

[independence1776]

That's like a double whammy of heartache.

It was. I had to watch a happy vid immediately after. (And it was the first time I'd seen that speech since I'd watched the episode nine months ago, and I hadn't planned on a rewatch anytime soon.)

Two people who are perfectly happy aren't really fantastically exciting to watch...

Yup.

Ooooh yes. It can work if it's pure meta, like Marble House f.ex. - actually vids on the whole work a lot better for me as a critical tool, as opposed to anything else.

I just tend to avoid crit because I never know where someone is coming from. And I don't watch vids often-- I can't do it on my personal computer; I have to use the family's shared one-- so I don't even really know how to "read" vids.