the thirteen/yaz stuff has had me thinking about honest, real-feeling relationships with the doctor (both romantic and not), and how they're sooo few and far between. even the iconic ones like ten/rose or eleven/river felt...showy? very...TV? even though it was fun to watch the actors act together, moments of *real* chemistry and depth felt rare.

but, dang if capaldi didn't feel like he was connecting with every character he met on a genuine level. his relationship with river (for as limited as it is) is honestly my favorite too, it's the only time i really buy them as a husband and wife. hell, he even made Clara work (beautifully!), when her whole arc with matt smith was kind of a disaster. good acting and good writing together can be magical.

here's hoping RTD and whoever our new doctor is can make stuff feel real again.