Did my heart love till now?

It’s that time of year again! The shops have heart-shaped boxes of dairy milk, bunches of red and pink flowers and rows upon rows of sickly sweet lovey-dovey cards with unoriginal, impersonal poems inside. Yep. It’s Valentine’s Day this week.

Valentine’s has never really bothered me before. Usually I just toddle through, shrugging with indifference if anyone asks me my opinion on it, and generally ignoring the whole affair. However, this year I feel different. I now live in a flat at uni with some really brilliant people, and I love them just as much as the friends I’ve known for years… but that means that when the day comes, I’m going to be around a good few couples gazing into each other’s eyes. Also, three of my best friends back home are in committed relationships (one recently engaged). Don’t get me wrong, that’s all good and fine, and I’m happy for them. It just reminds me of the fact that I’m not really anywhere near to having the same.

Not that it particularly worries me right now. There’s plenty of time for all that.

If you’re interested, on February 14 itself I will be surrounding myself with those (super-awesome) flatmates in the same boat as me, watching a couple of good movies that probably won’t be anything to do with romance/love/perfect couples (urgghhhhh).

Speaking of, when it’s not Valentine’s Day, I do like a good love story whether it be on the big screen, small screen or pages of a book. And, as I don’t want this post to be an entirely anti-Valentine’s one, I’ve ranked my favourite fictional couples (I like lists):

1. Jack & Rose (Titanic)
2. The Doctor & Rose (Doctor Who)
3. Captain Jack & Ianto (Torchwood)
4. Rapunzel & Flynn (Tangled)
5. Amy & Rory (Doctor Who)
6. Monica & Chandler (Friends)
7. Sheldon & Amy (The Big Bang Theory)
8. Forrest & Jenny (Forrest Gump)
9. Romeo & Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)
10. Belle & the Beast (Beauty and the Beast)
11. Harry & Ginny (Harry Potter)
12. The Doctor & River (Doctor Who)

These are susceptible to change at any given moment, except maybe for the top few… Jack & Rose are just beautiful, and the Doctor & Rose… weelllll… it’s the Doctor & Rose. Come on. If you’ve not seen them together, then DO IT NOW.

(If that has made you go watch the first 2 series of Who, then I apologise for inflicting Doomsday upon you…)

So, if you’re in a dedicated and beautiful relationship, then have a lovely Valentine’s Day with your lucky guy/girl. If you’re not, enjoy the cut-price chocolate from Saturday onwards, and look forward to the time when you’ll be one half of a couple on Valentine’s! ♥♥

JK'S Hermione Bombshell - My Thoughts

In a recent interview for ‘Wonderland’ magazine (the interviewer being Emma Watson), JK Rowling admitted that her famous characters Hermione and Ron should never have ended up together, and went even further by saying that Hermione should have been with the protagonist himself: Harry Potter.

This was super cute, though...

Being a big Potterhead I immediately had many opinions on this, the first being that I do agree with half the idea. I never really believed in the Ron/Hermione relationship. To me, they just seemed too different and regularly got on each other’s nerves. Throughout the first few books (before Order of the Phoenix, I’d say), they were more like brother and sister, and that would have been something that I would have whole-heartedly shipped. Having said that, I did want them to get together by the end of the Deathly Hallows… just because it had been such a long wait, and I was faithful to the story.

This was adorable, too... but in a brother/sister way 

However, I disagree with the other half. Ron and Hermione weren’t quite right for each other, but Harry and Hermione were even further away from it. They are the definition of best friends: comforting each other, understanding, and simply being there (examples include Harry comforting Hermione when Ron leaves them in the Deathly Hallows, and Hermione constantly being worried when Harry is missing). They are the ultimate brother/sister type friends, and also, that pairing would have brought back the time-old tale of hero-gets-the-girl-and-sidekick-gets-no-one. #PoorRon

Speaking of, what effect would it have had on our favourite Weasley if his two best friends did get together? We all saw how he reacted when he thought something was going on (just look at that evil locket apparition in the Deathly Hallows). And, Harry might not have been the Boy Who Lived any longer had he left Ginny for Hermione (Ron can be a fiercely protective brother at times).

If I was the writer in control of the Potter characters, I would have done something different to JK. Harry and Ginny, in my opinion, were good for each other (weeelllll… the book Harry/Ginny at least). She was patient and supportive throughout the last couple of books, something that Harry would have needed given his circumstances. He and Cho never suited each other as well as these two.

Ron, I would pair with someone laid-back and motherly, who could stay calm during his common rants and tantrums (Hermione was not this person). However, there isn’t a character written by JK that leaps to mind who fits this persona and age group… the closest would be Hannah Abbott, Cho, or even Luna (that would have been hilarious).

Hermione is a tricky one. I think she would need someone to match her intelligence, but also be there to calm her panics about homework etc… (Ron kind of did do the second one, I guess). This mystery guy might even have troubles of his own, so that he and Hermione could understand each other. There is, in fact, one character who has popped into my head, but I really really really don’t want to admit it.

…Dare I say Draco?

P.S. I’m NOT a Dramione shipper. No way. It’s just after reading JK’s article, I can’t help but think that they might have worked, once the pure blood/mudblood ‘Romeo and Juliet’ family style feud was out of the way… possibly…

Who Episodes That Will Make Me Cry

My friends will back me up when I say that I cry at quite a lot. Being a Leonardo DiCaprio fan, the obvious one is Titanic, which despite the fact that I can recite pretty much the entire movie due to the amount of times that I’ve seen it, I still weep at every time. Again, my mum will vouch for me when I tell you that I properly broke down when Ianto died in Torchwood (and I mean bawling). However, if you really want to make me cry in front of the telly of an evening, then play an episode of Doctor Who.

I recently wrote a piece entitled ‘Why Rose Tyler is the best new Who companion’, so obviously I’m going to be biased towards anything to do with her. However, I think anyone who’s seen ‘Doomsday’ will agree that it’s one of the most heart-breaking episodes. From the moment that Rose clings to her magna-clamp, I sit there struggling to hold my tears in. When she desperately bangs on the wall in Pete’s world, the Doctor silently shocked on the other side, it gets even more difficult. But once we’ve reached Bad Wolf Way, there’s no hiding it, and I think that’s down to a pair of brilliant actors and their script writer. It’s Billie’s shattering cries as her Doctor can’t do anything to help, and his unfinished words “Rose Tyler-“

Who writers often send companions off in a very emotional way. Amy and Rory’s last story, ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’, is one that gives Rose a run for her money. In that episode (which I am watching as I write this) it’s the teasing of the audience from Moffat that keeps the tension high: the Ponds’ throwing themselves off of the roof of Winter Quay in a particularly Reichenbach fall fashion, then popping back up alive a matter of seconds later. We think they’re going to be OK, then look what happens… and finally, Amy’s afterword for the Doctor. Moffat certainly knows how to rip our hearts out, but here, I put some blame on Murray Gold, too. ‘Together or Not At All – The Song of Amy and Rory’ is simply stunning.

Another piece of brilliant music is ‘The Long Song’, which featured heavily in the series 7 episode ‘The Rings of Akhaten’. That episode brings tears to my eyes not because of character deaths or terrible separations. It’s that damn song… (Along with Matt’s speech that can’t be described as anything other than magnificent. That NTA was well deserved.)

Another one not specifically due to a departure that makes me cry is the brilliant 50^th anniversary episode ‘The Day of the Doctor’. Although I’ve not seen most of the classic Doctors (I’ve started recently, right at the beginning with Hartnell), the moment when all 13 come together to save Gallifrey is just spectacular. Then, right at the end, another of Matt’s speeches as he joins the line of Time Lords looking up to his home planet… Rassilon, that’s when I properly well up with happy tears. However, my heart(s) dropped when David left in his TARDIS, because at that moment I realised that it is unlikely he’ll ever tie up the laces on his Converse or swing his big brown coat on again. And they just had to do it, didn’t they? “I don’t want to go…”

Which brings me nicely to ‘The End of Time Part 2’. Regeneration episodes are commonly emotional, but the most recent ones have been particularly earth-shatteringly heartbreakingly awful. The last 20 minutes or so of David’s last episode (where he visits all his old companions) is tough to watch, especially Donna’s wedding and Rose’s first encounter (on a side not, a very clever move by Russell T Davies). But then, that Ood appears in the snow and ‘Vale Decem’ starts and that’s it. One last line. And… result? I’m an utter mess.

Although David was my Doctor, it was Matt’s last episode that totally destroyed my sanity and reduced me to a complete wreck (Seriously. I’m talking hyperventilating, shaking, blubbing.) ‘The Time of the Doctor’ has met with some less than positive reviews, so I think I’m in the minority when I say that it was a wonderful farewell to the eleventh Doctor. For this one, the uncontrollable tears began when we saw the Doctor as an old man, forgetful and weak, not even able to pull a cracker with Clara. At this point, I already couldn’t stay still sat down, so I was pacing up and down the room all through his explosive defeat of the Daleks, and back into the TARDIS. I’ve mentioned a couple of Matt’s speeches during this blog, but this one, his very last, was his very best. For the majority of it, he was the Doctor. But then, there are moments, seen in the glistening of his eyes as he says “I will never forget one line of this… I will always remember when the Doctor was me” when it is Matt being Matt. But still, that wasn’t what made an eruption of sobs gush from my eyes. Amy’s “Raggedy man, good night”… even thinking about it…

My list of 20 episodes, ranked in order of crying likeliness:

1. The Time of the Doctor
2. Doomsday
3. The End of Time, Part 2
4. The Angels Take Manhattan
5. Vincent and the Doctor
6. The Day of the Doctor
7. The Doctor’s Wife
8. The Doctor’s Daughter
9. The Girl Who Waited
10. Journey’s End
11. The Rings of Akhaten
12. The Family of Blood
13. The Last of the Time Lords
14. Father’s Day
15. The Big Bang
16. The Name of the Doctor
17. Forest of the Dead
18. The Girl in the Fireplace
19. The Parting of the Ways
20. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe

Evolution of Disney Princesses

You’d have a tough job finding anyone on Earth who has never heard of Disney. Part of the brilliant filmmaker’s success is down to the stories he chose to animate, which often include princesses. In fact, they’ve become some of the most recognisable and beloved character’s from Disney’s magical world. And for good reason; what girl doesn’t want to be a Disney princess? However, when I think about specific character traits and plot points, it’s clear that they have evolved from 1937 to present day.

If you took a trip in the TARDIS/in the Delorean/with a Time Turner (delete as applicable to fandom) back to pre-World War II, Snow White would have just been introduced to the world as Disney’s first princess. She was beautiful, innocent (helped along by her impossibly high-pitched voice) and to a thirties movie-goer, the image of the perfect girl (note the Magic Mirror’s most famous words). The next princess came along thirteen years later, and this one was presented with just as much likeable innocence and beauty: Cinderella. Like Snow White, she displayed the characteristics of what was thought as the ‘ideal’ woman; she cooked, cleaned, sang with animals (OK, maybe scratch that last one), and acted as mother on occasions. Just nine years after, Disney took on another classic fairy tale: Sleeping Beauty. Aurora had golden blonde hair, dreamed of her very own prince, and interestingly, only appeared for 18 minutes despite being the titular character (I’ll let you draw your own conclusions from that piece of trivia). But thinking about it from a 21st century perspective, were the original three really good role models? After all, they were damsels in distress waiting for their princes to rescue them, all the while playing the housewife.

Two more Disney princesses came about thirty years later. Ariel was a huge step up from the typical young woman of the fifties. Adventurous, ambitious and funny, she has lots of personality, similar to the next beauty in line. Belle remains my favourite princess: she was clever and caring, as well as having her own mind (something that some girls don’t, even to this day). On the downside, the pair of them (still) become objects of beauty… whether it be by taking away her voice, or being idolised by the likes of Gaston (ew).

One jump ahead (you’re super awesome if you get that reference) and we’re in a whole new world (they just keep coming). Jasmine was the first official Disney princess not to be the main character, but that didn’t stop her. She was fiery, stubborn and stood up for herself (“I am not a prize to be won!” 10 points to Agrabah!). Similarly, Pocahontas was brave and full of wisdom. She even managed to teach John Smith important lessons, and, like Belle and Jasmine before her, she was comfortable in her own skin. Even braver, though, was Mulan (I won’t insult your intelligence by going into those obvious reasons). What makes these three take a massive leap forward, however, is that they were the first princesses of different ethnicities (Arabian, Native American and Chinese if you’re interested).

Being a nineties kid, I didn’t grow up with the 21st century princesses. Doesn’t stop me watching them, though (don’t deny it, you loved them too!). Tiana was another breakthrough for Disney (the first black princess) and went even further than the previous princess’ stubbornness. She full on, point blank ignored any mention of love or handsome princes for the majority of her film, and got to her victorious ending by working hard for it (good job, Tiana). Finally, one of the most popular modern Disney classics presented to us a princess who only Mother Gothel can hate (and even her, I’m not certain on). Rapunzel is naïve (understandably because of her upbringing), independent (again, from being stuck in a tower on her own) and her only want is to see her “floating lights”. Overall, one of the most real princesses that Disney has ever produced.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Disney as much as the next person. I grew up with it, and to this day (a 19 year old student) I hold those childhood films close to my heart. Now with an adult perspective, however, I can see the evolution of those ten most famous princesses, and I am positive that those have been for the better. Not to imply that those created in the early Disney years were wrong; for the times, they were simply following social conventions. Neither am I suggesting that the modern ones are perfect, either. Speaking to some of my flatmates about it, it is clear that people have more ideas for inventing characters (a suggestion being with different body shapes), and there is no reason why this won’t happen in the future. Keep those princesses coming, Disney! We love ‘em all!

Why Rose Tyler Is The Best New Who Companion

When it comes to the universe of Doctor Who, everyone has their favourites. When meeting a fellow Whovian, the social convention is to ask and discuss all aspects of the show, and in many cases, you will end up defending your Doctor as faithfully as he defends the Earth. Everyone has their favourite enemy, episode, music (if you’re interested, mine are the Master, ‘The Day of the Doctor’, and ‘The Long Song’), and of course, companion.

Being too young to have watched the classic series’ when they were broadcast, my earliest memory of watching Doctor Who was the episode ‘New Earth’, the opening to David Tennant’s first full series as the wonderfully witty Time Lord. At eleven years old, the fast-paced show was like nothing I’d seen before, and the Doctor was simply a hero to everyone watching. As I continued with the intergalactic adventures every Saturday night, it quickly became clear to me that while the Doctor was every bit the enigmatic wonder, his companion Rose Tyler was just as brilliant. 

With her determination, loyalty and “domestic approach”, Rose (played magnificently by Billie Piper) was the perfect mix of intrepid adventurer and girl-next-door, providing the audience with the eyes through which we watch the show. Yes, she could be jealous at times (notably in ‘School Reunion’, which was not particularly helped by Sarah Jane’s equally derisive remarks), but quite simply, that’s what made her real. After all, wouldn’t you be a little displeased if another woman turned up and diverted David Tennant’s attention away from you? Yep, exactly. Me too.

Speaking of Sarah Jane, Ms Piper must have had a difficult task in bringing to life the companion who would reintroduce Doctor Who to Britain. I’d go as far as to say it was just as tough as Christopher Eccleston’s feat, and Rose Tyler has certainly lived up to my expectations. Going back to ‘Rose’ in series 1 after her tearful exit in ‘Doomsday’ (I’ll come back to that later), I can see why the nation took the character to their hearts. She was open and innocent with a brilliantly argumentative streak that was displayed during her scenes with the Doctor on many occasions. Creating a character who would follow in the footsteps of the greats (Sarah Jane Smith, Leela and Ace to name but a few) is an achievement to be applauded, especially when beginning the new series with an episode entitled as the companion’s name.

There is no doubt in my mind that Billie Piper carried the show through the first two series of the revived BBC classic, her very human portrayal keeping the ratings high even after Eccleston’s beloved ninth Doctor departed the TARDIS. Even after leaving herself, the show continued to run on the very idea of Rose. During series three, she was mentioned in no less than six out of thirteen episodes and returned for three full episodes in series four, as well as her image being used by the Moment in ‘The Day of the Doctor’. Surely this, to an extent, shows how much Billie’s character was loved not only by the nation, but the Doctor himself.

A companion/Doctor relationship was somewhat a new concept aboard the TARDIS when Russell T Davies took the show on. However, I am a believer that Rose was a perfect match for the broken Time Lord, picking him back up, sometimes kicking and screaming, when his memories of the Time War threatened to darken his character (look no further than ‘Dalek’ in series one). For the Doctor, Rose was a beacon of hope and love (much like the Olympic flame in ‘Fear Her’) who brought him out of the shade and gave him faith again, which he confirmed himself in ‘The Satan Pit’ – “I believe in her.” For saving our Doctor, we must love Rose Tyler just as much as he did (or does).

The Doctor’s love for Rose was blazingly obvious throughout the series’, culminating in the heart-breaking finale of series two, ‘Doomsday’ (told you I would come back to it). Even if you didn’t like Rose, the last ten minutes or so must have convinced you that the Doctor truly loved her, or at least pulled on your heartstrings a little. If not, then I’m afraid to say you might be part Dalek… which is OK, because it might just mean that you’re an echo of yourself after jumping into the Doctor’s time stream… which is a whole different companion. Sorry, back on track.

As I was saying, that memorable moment when the Doctor says “Rose Tyler” on Bad Wolf Bay is one of the saddest in the show, even beating Tennant’s regeneration and the Ponds’ departure for me. The only consolation I have when bawling my eyes out over the scene is that I know, eventually, Rose will have her very own Doctor.

Finally, I can’t possibly write anything about Rose Tyler without mentioning Bad Wolf. The end of series one perfectly summarises Rose’s character: her stubbornness and determination, shown as she desperately cries for the TARDIS to take her back to the Gamestation; her bravery, opening the heart of the TARDIS and absorbing the time vortex just to save her Doctor; her concern for her friends, displayed as she brings Captain Jack back to life (accidently forever, although we can’t blame her for wanting that. We wouldn’t have Torchwood if it wasn’t for her); her love for the Doctor, and lastly, his love for her.

While it is blatantly clear that Rose, in my opinion, is the best New Who companion to date, this is not to say that I dislike any of the others. In fact, every constant TARDIS traveller since Rose has been equally likeable (the others in my top three are Captain Jack and Donna), but what Rose Tyler brought to Doctor Who was love, compassion, humanity, a little rebelliousness, and ultimately, the Doctor that we hold close to our hearts.

First Blog.

Hi! I've never done a blog before. Not really sure what I'm doing, but if you're reading this, then thank you!
A bit about me? 
I'm a 19 year old student in my first year of Primary Ed. I do write, but it's FanFiction rather than this sort of thing (LunaRoseDicaprio if you're interested). I am a massive Whovian, Disnerd, Leomaniac, Potterhead & Galaxy Defender, as well as a newly appointed Sherlockian. Expect blogs about these things regularly. In fact, most will be about them. 
I also love watching Alex Day, Carrie Fletcher, Dan Howell & many others on YouTube. 
Ummmm... that's about it, really. 

Thank you for stumbling across my blog, and I hope you enjoy it. My other posts will be better, I promise. With both my hearts. <3 <3