[thenorthernchild]

tenmartha edit / love by keyshia cole

[thenorthernchild]

everyone say happy birthday to martha jones rn!!!

[aluvsblu]

martha my love, don’t forget me

[thenorthernchild]

tenmartha // love ridden by fiona apple

[thenorthernchild]

tenmartha x oh well by fiona apple

[leikeliscomet]

Who’s Afraid of Tenmartha? - Thoughts on Doctor Who’s Most Hated Ship 

All about attraction and desire, fandom morality and ‘ethical’ shipping, if that even exists.

Intro Chapter 1 - She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not Chapter 2 - Bad Girls Club Chapter 3 & Conclusion - All’s Fair in Love and Shipping

Intro

‘Martha deserved so much better than that’

This is the first thing you’ll hear if the word ‘Tenmartha’ is ever typed or spoken out loud. For many, Tenmartha is a problematic ship and one of their least favourites. But Doctor Who’s known for its messiness. The Master with their homicidal tendencies is still a big contender for Thoschei. Meeting River as a literal baby and her brainwashing didn’t stop the DoctorRiver train. There’s people who overlook the platonic bond of Ten and Donna and ship them romantically regardless. People even ship Thirteen and Graham. The ‘normal’ in the idea of a normal ship with the Doctor is doing A LOT of leg work when it comes to this show. But despite all of this, Tenmartha has taken the crown for the worst ship. Or at least, is sharing it with Thasmin. Tenmartha and Thasmin are battling out for the title of ‘worst’ ship but Tenmartha still has the upper (or lower?) hand. Whilst the thassies have built up a small community for themselves with zines and collabs galore, Tenmartha seems to take a beating every week on the tl and even outranking the more ‘problematic’ ships I just listed in most hated ship polls. If Tenmartha’s lucky to rank high you can bet the ‘why would you do that to Martha’ tweets fill the quotes. But on the flipside, we’re also in a Tenmartha renaissance, with Tenmartha archive accounts going viral every other day and viral snippets from series 3 because of how interesting the dynamic was. It seems Tenmartha is a marmite ship; you love it or you hate it. In the eyes of some it’s awful and for others it's Doctor Who’s guilty pleasure.

I don’t ship Tenmartha mainly from the fact I don’t really care about the Doctor’s ships like I did when I was a kid and I care more about companion ships generally (this is strictly a Clani and IanBarbara household only!). But also from the main fact I really don’t like how Ten (and RTD) treated Martha in series 3 at all. But, when you factor in the long-existing Martha Jones hate train, the misogynoir towards Freema Agyeman, the long history of fandom’s hatred of interracial ships, society’s even longer dynamics of romance, sex and how Black people especially Black women participate, or if we’re even allowed to in the first place, plus the concept of morality when applied to Black characters, I can’t say the anti-Tenmartha wave is entirely in good faith. Especially from how I’ve already done a deep dive into how Martha and Freema Agyeman’s treatment was rooted in rampant antiblackness and misogynoir. Is the buzz around Tenmartha fully about her ‘deserving better’ or are there missing pieces of the puzzle? Is Tenmartha even being shipped in good faith? Is there an ‘ethical Tenmartha’? I’m gonna try to unpack my thoughts on Tenmartha, its fans, its antis, everything in between and outside.

It’s time to ask the question, who’s afraid of Tenmartha? And most importantly, why?

Chapter 1 ->

[casasupernovas]

this is why you cast david tennant in things because why do i feel bad for tony when he is awful?

[thenorthernchild]

seeing freema on the 18th!

[thenorthernchild]

- picture i took of the screen that i later realised didnt focus because my hands were shaking 😭😭😭 SHE WAS SO BRILLIANT i’m in tears and i spoke to her afterwards with my sister (who was on stage!!) and she said we were gorgeous. i’m never ever ever getting over this ever like ever. ever.

[thenorthernchild]

the tenth doctor & martha jones / spoiler by amy woolard

[dandelionjack]

when you live in london you can’t escape

[thenorthernchild]

the tenth doctor and martha jones / after the girl from neck of the woods, by amy woolard

[devilmns]

Christopher Eccleston as THE NINTH DOCTOR Doctor Who (2005—) | 1.10 "The Doctor Dances"

[tenmartha]

i feel kinda bad for hoarding the tenmartha url. but she’s too iconic to give up

[thenorthernchild]

seeing freema on the 18th!

[theblueboxscholar]

Doctor Who Height Chart - nuWho Lady companion edition

Made this for our household for writing purposes (with room for the new companion~); boys edition/misc edition also coming at some point.

[casasupernovas]

stay safe guys.

[tvgirl4ever]