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Jodie Whittaker (left) and Mandip Gill (right), respectively, depict the Thirteenth Doctor and Yasmin Khan in the series

Thasmin is a fan-nickname given to the ship and later romance between the Thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor, the main character of science fiction television series Doctor Who, and her travelling companion Yasmin Khan. The two characters, portrayed by actresses Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill, were shipped as a result of comments made by a character in the 2018 episode "Arachnids in the UK", after which it grew popular in the form of internet memes and slash fiction. Both Whittaker and Gill became aware of the ship, and Whittaker brought it up with series showrunner Chris Chibnall, who was enthusiastic about including it in the series. The ship was eventually incorporated into the television series, with the romance ending as a result of the departure of both Whittaker and Gill from the series in 2022.

Reception to the ship has been primarily positive, with praise directed towards it positive representation of queer and LGBTQ+ communities, though it has been criticized as queerbaiting due to a lack of proper conclusion to their relationship.

History and development

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Prior to the Thirteenth Doctor and Yasmin's romance, Doctor Who had previously featured numerous openly queer characters, such as the bisexual Jack Harkness and lesbians such as Madame Vastra and companion Bill Potts.[1] Romance between the Doctor and other characters had also been seen multiple times in the series prior such as between the Ninth and Tenth Doctors with Rose Tyler, the Eleventh Doctor with Clara Oswald, and the Twelfth Doctor with characters such as Missy and River Song.[2] Despite this, the relationship between the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz was the first time in the series' history that the Doctor had been in an openly LGBTQ+ relationship.[3]

The ship first came about following the airing of the 2018 episode "Arachnids in the UK", in which Yaz's mother asked if Yaz and the Doctor were in a relationship. This spawned considerable fan-works, including memes and slash fiction, which expanded the ship's popularity in the fandom[4] The episode "The Haunting of Villa Diodati" features a scene in which a character worries if another will reciprocate her feelings, to which Yaz replies that she “know[s] someone like that.”[2] Special episode "Revolution of the Daleks" also teased the relationship further, with Yaz spending ten months in solitude inside of a TARDIS attempting to figure out a way to get the Doctor back. Jack Harkness also talks to Yaz about having a relationship with the Doctor in the episode.[2]

Much discussion among fans had occurred prior to the romance being confirmed, with fans dubbing the pairing "Thasmin", a combination of "Thirteen" and "Yasmin".[5] The romance between the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz was not originally planned. While attending fan convention Gallifrey One, executive producer Matt Strevens stated that the romance was not initially part of the series,[6] and that he was initially unaware of Thasmin following Whittaker's first series, though Thirteenth Doctor actress Jodie Whittaker was aware and explained it to him.[7][8] Khan's actress, Mandip Gill, was also aware of the ship, having seen fan art and fan fiction surrounding it.[8] Strevens forgot about it while they were working on Doctor Who series 12 but later helped incorporate it into the subsequent series.[6]

Chris Chibnall (pictured), then-showrunner, was enthusiastic about including Thasmin in the series after a suggestion by lead actress Jodie Whittaker

Whittaker approached showrunner Chris Chibnall about including the romance in the series and making it canon.[9] Strevens stated that Chibnall wished to incorporate Thasmin into the plot of the series and "sort of play with it".[6][7] According to Chibnall, the romance grew "organically out of the material", as well as out of Gill's performance. Chibnall went with a "slow-burn drip-feed approach", believing that it kept fans wanting more out of the relationship instead of less.[10] Prior to the airing of Doctor Who series 13, Gill teased that fans of the ship would see more related to the ship as the series progressed, but did not give definite details on how it would end.[11]

During Doctor Who series 13, also known as Doctor Who: Flux, Yaz is seen pining for the Doctor when they are separated,[3] and holds a deep devotion to the Doctor during the series.[2] Toward the end of the series, the pair nearly reveal their feelings for each other, with the pair having an emotional moment together.[3] In "Eve of the Daleks", companion Dan Lewis confronts the Doctor about her feelings for Yaz,[5] while Yaz also admits her feelings for the Doctor to Dan in the same episode.[3] Prior to the airing of "Legend of the Sea Devils", it was stated that more information on the Doctor and Yaz's romance would be included in the episode.[12] In the episode, the Doctor quips about being a good date, but does not elaborate until later in the episode. The Doctor reveals that she reciprocates Yaz's feelings but doesn't want to go through with the relationship because "there’s no point. Time always runs out." The Doctor asks to live in the present, which Yaz agrees to.[5] In the following episode, "The Power of the Doctor", the Doctor is killed prematurely due to her enemy the Master. As the character begins to regenerate, the Doctor and Yaz go on one last trip, sitting on top of the TARDIS as they stare into space together. The Doctor declares she has loved being with Yaz, before bringing Yaz back home and going off on her own to regenerate.[10]

Chibnall stated that he wanted the story to convey an "impossible romance", as he knew the audience would be aware of the fact that Whittaker and Gill were departing from the show soon, and that the Doctor's character would have to carry on without Yaz.[10] Chris Chibnall stated on the WHO Corner to Corner podcast that the romance was an “unrequited love story”, believing the romance to be more heartbreaking for audiences if the pair were not allowed to kiss. He considered the final scene between the Doctor and Yaz on top of the TARDIS to be the equivalent of a kiss for their relationship. Despite standing by his decision, he believed that if he were writing the relationship again, he would have done it differently.[13]

Neither Whittaker nor Gill regret how the ending of the relationship was handled, with Whittaker enjoying the final scene's shooting and ending. Following the announcement that audio dramas featuring the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz would be produced, Whittaker teased that "we could be [kissing] in the background."[14]

Reception

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Following the airing of "Eve of the Daleks", Strevens described Thasmin as being the main talking point that emerged from the episode, stating that it was widespread over social media.[15] David Opie, writing for Digital Spy, praised the romance between the two, highlighting the positive representation that came from the relationship being center stage in the series' focus. Opie, however, criticized Dan's role in helping Yaz understand her feelings for the Doctor, believing that while the character had good intentions, it should not have been his place to try and influence it.[3] Molly Moss, writing for Radio Times stated similarly, believing that while its execution in Flux was not well-done, its later expansion in subsequent episodes helped provide positive representation for LGBTQ+ audiences.[16] In a prior article for Radio Times, Moss believed that while the relationship could be seen as "tokenistic" due to its late introduction, she highlighted that the fact the series was even willing to go through with it at all, stating that it helped to avoid the ship becoming queerbaiting.[1]

Adi Tantimedh, writing for Bleeding Cool, praised the relationship for the depth it gave to both Yaz and the Thirteenth Doctor's characters. Tantimedh stated that while it was criticized for failing as a lesbian romance, she saw it as helping to pioneer an asexual relationship on-screen in the form of the Thirteenth Doctor, citing the Doctor's lack of gender nonconformity and how the Doctor reciprocated Yaz's love in a non-sexual manner.[4] Opie, writing in another article for Digital Spy, criticized the final scene between the two, believing that, despite the scene being the culmination of Whittaker's time on the show, the romance was not fully enacted upon. He stated that while he was aware that it was designed as a "doomed romance", he felt its inclusion in "The Power of the Doctor" and usage overall was a disservice to the LGBTQ+ fanbase, seeing it as a negative for representation overall.[10] BJ Colangelo, writing for /Film, decried the relationship as queerbaiting, finding that the way the romance was built up yet quickly sidelined was a disservice to LGBTQ+ fans who wanted to see a relationship that represented them on-screen.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b Moss, Molly. "Doctor Who: Is Yaz's gay awakening too little too late? | Radio Times". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  2. ^ a b c d Coates, Lauren (2021-12-13). "Doctor Who's First Same-Sex Doctor/Companion Relationship Is Closer Than Ever". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  3. ^ a b c d e Opie, David (2022-01-01). "Doctor Who New Year's Day special just confirmed important Yaz fan theory". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  4. ^ a b Tantimedh, Adi (2023-03-27). "Doctor Who: How Shippers Saved the Show with "Thasmin" Love Story". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  5. ^ a b c Jeffrey, Morgan. "Doctor Who reveals Doctor's feelings for Yaz in new episode | Radio Times". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  6. ^ a b c Craig, David. "Doctor Who's 'Thasmin' romance wasn't planned, says producer | Radio Times". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2024-02-15. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  7. ^ a b Seddon, Dan (2022-02-21). "Doctor Who didn't originally plan Doctor/Yaz romance". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  8. ^ a b Hunt, El (2022-04-04). "Mandip Gill Just Shared A "Thasmin" Update That 'Doctor Who' Fans Will Love". Bustle. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  9. ^ Tantimedh, Adi (2023-03-27). "Doctor Who: How Shippers Saved the Show with "Thasmin" Love Story". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  10. ^ a b c d Opie, David (2022-10-24). "Doctor Who's final Jodie Whittaker episode fails the Doctor AND Yaz". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 2024-09-14. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  11. ^ Fullerton, Huw. "Doctor Who Thasmin in series 13 - do the Doctor and Yaz get together? | Radio Times". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  12. ^ Hibbs, James. "Doctor Who team tease Thasmin will "have something to talk about" | Radio Times". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  13. ^ Whitbrook, James (2023-09-18). "Doctor Who's Chris Chibnall Would've Done Things Differently With Its 'Unrequited' Romance". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  14. ^ George, Joe (2024-07-17). ""Never Say Never" Says Jodie Whittaker on Thirteen/Yaz Doctor Who Kiss". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  15. ^ Fullerton, Huw. "Doctor Who producer says Thasmin could lead to heartbreak | Radio Times". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  16. ^ Moss, Molly. "Doctor Who Thasmin twist just fixed the show's biggest problem | Radio Times". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  17. ^ Colangelo, B. J. (2022-10-26). "How Doctor Who Failed The Unspoken Queer Relationship With The Doctor And Yaz". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on 2024-10-03. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
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