Former Doctor Who showrunner reveals why ‘Thasmin’ never kissed
The newest era of Doctor Who is on the way, but thanks to its former showrunner Chris Chibnall, fans are once more looking back toward Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor. Why? Because Chibnall has finally revealed why the fan-favourite couple Thasmin never shared a kiss.
Thasmin refers to the couple of The Thirteenth Doctor and Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill), who had one of the most heartbreaking send-offs of Doctor Who history.
Despite the two clearly having a huge amount of love for one another, they eventually parted ways after The Doctor regenerated during The Power of the Doctor. After three years of the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ between the two, some fans were left dismayed at not seeing the two share a kiss before their relationship ended. After all, it was implied that the feelings they shared for one another were mutual.
Thanks to DIVA, we know that Chibnall had a very different reaction to the couple. Not only was the relationship between Thasmin more complex than first thought, but it also spells out why the two never ended up sharing a kiss during their last moments together.
“We discussed [a Doctor and Yaz kiss], I think it’s an unrequited love story,” Chibnall told the WHO Corner to Corner podcast. “I don’t know whether that’s the right decision, but it is an unrequited love story. I felt it was more heartbreaking if they didn’t [kiss].”
Chibnall went on to state that if he could do the storyline again, he may have done so differently. “It was a really 50/50 one.”
Unrequited love being a reason why Thasmin didn’t share a kiss comes off as surprising, especially since The Doctor seemed to return Yaz’s feelings during Legends of the Sea Devils.
What Chibnall does make clear is that the lack of a kiss between the two was not because they “weren’t allowed” to kiss but that it was simply more heartbreaking that they didn’t. And, according to the showrunner, the scene where the two eat ice cream on top of the TARDIS was their kiss scene.
“It’s unspoken, the feelings they have for each other, as much as they’ve declared, there’s also a depth in that final scene.” He continued.
Whether LGBTQ+ Whovian fans agree with that or not is another thing entirely.
Doctor Who is set to return for its fourteenth season in November 2023.
About The Author
