.jpg)
Thasmin is a fan-nickname given to theship, a relationship between two fictional characters desired by fans, and later on-screen romance between theThirteenth incarnation ofthe Doctor, the main character of science fiction television seriesDoctor Who, and her travellingcompanionYasmin Khan. The two characters, portrayed by actressesJodie Whittaker andMandip 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 ofInternet memes andslash fiction. Both Whittaker and Gill became aware of the ship, and Whittaker brought it up with series showrunnerChris 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 ofqueer andLGBTQ+ communities, though it has been criticized asqueerbaiting due to a lack of proper conclusion to their relationship.
Prior to the Thirteenth Doctor and Yasmin's romance,Doctor Who had previously featured numerous openly queer characters, such as thebisexualJack Harkness andlesbians such asMadame Vastra andcompanionBill Potts.[1] Romance between the Doctor and other characters had also been seen multiple times in the series prior such as between theNinth andTenth Doctors withRose Tyler, theEleventh Doctor withClara Oswald, and theTwelfth Doctor with characters such asMissy andRiver 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 openlyLGBTQ+ 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 andslash 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] TheNew Year's special episode "Revolution of the Daleks" also teased the relationship further, with Yaz spending ten months in solitude inside of aTARDIS 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] Prior to its use within the series, fans dubbed 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 conventionGallifrey 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 lead actressJodie Whittaker'sfirst series as the Thirteenth Doctor, though Whittaker was aware and explained it to him.[7][8] Khan's actress,Mandip Gill, was also aware of the ship, having seenfan art andfan fiction surrounding it.[8] Strevens forgot about it while they were working onDoctor Who series 12 but later helped incorporate it into thesubsequent series.[6]
Whittaker approached showrunnerChris Chibnall about including the romance in the series and making it canon.[4] 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.[9] Prior to the airing ofDoctor 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.[10]
During series 13 ofDoctor Who, also known asDoctor 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, as they share emotional moments together.[3] In "Eve of the Daleks", companionDan 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.[11] 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 enemythe Master. As the character begins toregenerate, 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.[9]
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.[9] Chris Chibnall stated on theWHO 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.[12]
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."[13]
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.[14] David Opie, writing forDigital 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 forRadio Times stated similarly, believing that while its execution inFlux was not well-done, its later expansion in subsequent episodes helped provide positive representation for LGBTQ+ audiences.[15] In a prior article forRadio 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 forBleeding 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 anasexual 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 forDigital 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.[9] BJ Colangelo, writing forSlashFilm, decried the relationship asqueerbaiting, 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.[16]
| Programme |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plot devices |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Related media |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publications |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
