Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Doctor Who Episode 6.
The big picture
- The
Doctor Who
The episode “Rogue” breaks new ground by having the Doctor romantically involved with another man for the first time. - Before
Doctor Who
seasons kept their subtextual LGBTQIA+ representation, but the Doctor and Rogue's canonical relationship breaks the mold. - The Doctor and Rogue share a heartfelt love story that shows in meaningful ways
Doctor Who
progressivity
The sixth episode of Doctor WhoThe current season of “Rogue”, features a pioneering moment of representation, and it is not the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) sharing a kiss with Rogue (Jonathan Groff), the episode's titular guest star. Despite reports to the contrary, The series' first same-sex kiss didn't happen in 2024. If we go back 19 years to 2005, Season 1 did it first. Doctor Who it has always been inherently queer, even in the classical years before Russell T Davies revived the series. Since the fleeting kiss between two men in 2005, however, everything LGBTQIA+ has been relegated to subtext or supporting characters. Even the kiss in season 1 is not reciprocated by the Doctor. The key difference as far as “Rogue” is concerned, then, is the heartfelt romance that develops between the Doctor and Rogue. For the first time in Doctor Who60 years of history, a doctor presenting a man spends an episode actively in love with another man. This fact, enhanced by two openly queer actors playing both characters, is the true achievement of the episode.
'Doctor Who's Early Queerness is based on jokes and subtext
when Doctor Who returned to BBC screens in 2005, it was rare for LGBTQIA+ characters to be the focus of their own stories. Will & Grace debuted in 1998; Davies's With a lot of feathers released in 1999; and Showtime's The L word was a creation of 2004. Pioneering dramas like Orange is the new black they were still years apart. By this measure, Davies made history by integrating Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), a gleefully odd man, in the season 1 finale arc and kissing the Doctor goodbye.
Still, context is still key. Before “Rogue”, all of the Doctor's canonical romances are with the opposite sex. The love story between Rose Tyler (billie piper) and the ninth and tenth doctors (Christopher Eccleston i David Tennant, respectively) become the cornerstone of Davies' original career. His successor, Steven Moffatspends seasons weaving a tragic marriage between time-traveling archaeologist River Song (Alex Kingston) and multiple doctors.
Comparatively, the Doctor's strange interactions are subtext, however applied these implications may be. The series' baby steps, while important, come off as flirtatious banter or kisses played for laughs. The Tenth Doctor and the Master (John Simm) dangerous intimacy does not exploit this tension beyond dialogue laden with innuendo and queer coded performances. Thirteen, the first woman the doctor introduces, corresponds to Yaz Khan (Mandip Gill) feelings, but refuses to act on them. The progressive nature of an intentionally progressive series fails to cross the finish line, even if it's a hair's breadth away. Given Doctor Who'A long-standing fixture of our global culture, what he does matters.
'Rogue' makes the Doctor explicitly queer
Throughout “Rogue,” the Doctor's quirkiness is no longer hidden or conveniently dismissed. His flirtation with Rogue turns into a legitimate romance based on emotional recognition and deep tenderness. Also, the Doctor instigates on almost every occasion. He approaches Rogue in the Bridgerton-esque party because the haunting, mysterious and reserved bounty hunter stands out from the crowd; it's a mystery, and the Doctor is notoriously fond of riddles. And with this puzzle, flirt up a storm. Not to be confused with his deceptive smiles and loaded compliments as the Time Lord is his usual quirky self. The Tenth Doctor was a blatant flirt, but Gatwa's magnetism goes beyond charisma. Quinze does not hesitate to express interest or to pursue such interest.
In the style of a classic enemies-to-lovers situation, episode co-writers Kate Herron i Briony Redman Start with sarcastic banter before building the layers of this new relationship. The Doctor and Rogue's goals and personalities collide. The former plays up the cheerful, extroverted conversation with Rogue's introverted introvert. Every exchange reads like toddlers pulling tails in the playground, or the kind of lovelorn irritation capable of ending in a kiss or a curse. It's hard for anyone to keep up with the Doctor, but Rogue is his intellectual partner and therefore the Doctor's type. It's Rogue who grabs the Doctor's hand and runs off, not the other way around. The latter is charmed from the beginning, and the result is a doctor who is deliciously and unusually unbalanced. His feelings catch him off guard; vulnerability rears its ugly head.
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Meanwhile, Rogue dismisses the Doctor's departure even as her walls begin to crumble. He's charmed in spite of himself, elevating the banter in a back-and-forth exchange rather than stoic responses. His irritation turns to fascination once the Doctor reveals he's a Time Lord, but he doesn't match the Doctor's vulnerability until Fifteen confirms how overwhelming it is to lose a loved one. Once they cross this emotional bridge, Rogue naturally understands the Doctor's closest secrets; his own harrowing tragedies shaped him. A connection is formed, fragile but palpable. Compared to one-off kisses or suggestive jokes, these interactions mean something.
The Doctor and Rogue's romance is sincere
The Doctor and the Rogue connect because they are two. Each traverses the stars in their spaceships. They mourn the dead whose memories haunt them. Rogue surrenders to her miserable loneliness by traveling alone, while the Doctor fills the void in his heart with a series of companions. Finding your mirror is rare, let alone developing a genuine bond while literally and metaphorically dancing around each other. Its fulminant performances are the first floor of the architecture of this story. They discover how their differences complement each other, even energize each other, and the fusion reaction ignites.
The romance moves quickly, but previous standalone romances run at a similar speed. In addition, the Doctor diving headlong into the white reflects Ncuti Gatwa's distinctive perspective. From the beginning, Gatwa's nuanced performance and Davies' writing have emphasized Fifteen's maturity, empathy and vulnerability. He still has demons, but Fifteen is the Doctor reborn after two decades of meditation, trauma and emotional repression. The audience never heard Ten say “I love you” to Rose Tyler. Fifteen is lively, bright-hearted and in tune with a range of emotions. Asking Rogue to travel with him may seem impulsive, but he's looking for connection and reciprocates. The Doctor's relationships are no longer a one-sided crutch; they are an association.
The Regency setting only adds to the romantic atmosphere of the episode. “Rogue” understands why millions of people find Bridgerton absorbing: the emphasis on emotional intimacy, the lovers' growing tension, the audience's investment in their happiness, and the sweeping, sexy, swoon-worthy aesthetic that can only be achieved with ball gowns and flowing coats. As Rogue and the Doctor arrive “outrageously” on the dance floor, the camera pans with them in an uninterrupted shot. They don't break eye contact the entire time, so each hand placement resonates with hypnotic meaning. Lighting illuminates these two men as they dance through a galaxy of their own making. The painfully romantic connotations go unsaid because the words aren't necessary. “Rogue” takes the essence of the genre and delivers Shonda Rhimes a run for their money.
'Rogue' makes the Doctor's strangeness meaningful
When words are needed, they point to the heart. No one but the Doctor can express their love by offering, “Let's argue among the stars” or by improvising “Tell me what your heart desires, or I'll turn my back on you forever” as part of a bogus argument. When Rogue responds by pretending to propose, down on one knee with a ring and all, the image cuts the Doctor deeply. Maybe she's asking him for memories of those she's lost, or she's afraid of such a deep future. Either way, his new sensibility comes at a price. He reverts to his old ways, temporarily turning his back on Rogue.
This vulnerability persists and goes both ways when Rogue sacrifices herself for Ruby. Falling for the Doctor has given Rogue something to live for beyond collecting money; it has been revitalized, its priorities have changed. He knows that the Doctor will doom the world rather than abandon Ruby to certain death. He loves her enough to take Ruby's place, effectively choosing the Doctor's happiness over his own. And the kiss they share before it fades away isn't just a peck; he is tender, passionate and persistent. The Doctor's first gay love story is introduced all the focused attention that a Regency romance requiresand that's what he does Doctor Whowelldoctor WHO: the stakes, the conflict, and the emotional legitimacy resting alongside ridiculous alien birds.
The fact that Rogue survives the episode, albeit stuck in a random dimension, subverts the infamous “bury your gays” while still giving the Doctor a tragedy to mourn. After Ruby forces him to sit down with a broken heart, the Doctor smiles. Thoughtfully, he slips Rogue's ring onto his little finger. The gesture suggests marriage, but the placement is also a historical gesture signifying the wearer's queer identity. “Rogue” canonizes the Doctor's estrangement not through random kisses or empty jokes, but through serious romance met with loving care. In 2005, the Doctor and Jack's kiss was the starting point. After 19 years, the Doctor and Rogue bring strange visibility to the finish line.
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