Ah, Donna Noble. Donna is my darling. I was initially going to write on the Tenth Doctor for today's Favourite Character, but although I adore Ten and find his character interesting particularly on an intellectual level, I'm going to save him for Favourite Arc, I think. And I don't write enough about Donna, because she is fabulous. She was the first companion I really related to on a personal level, and she'll always be my favourite, I think. She really is magnificent.
When we first meet Donna in The Runaway Bride, she's less than likeable. She's self-absorbed, shallow, and constantly yelling. Although it's obvious her abrasiveness comes from personal pain and disappointment, she doesn't immediately steal one's heart as a viewer. It takes a while for her to settle in to her new life as a time traveler, but as she does, we begin to see the person she's capable of being. The person she's always wanted to become, but never knew quite how.
Donna is very different from the previous companions. She's older. She already has a career of sorts. She's fabulously curvy, not fashionably skinny. She's not looking for a coming-of-age story with the Doctor, since she's already done all that. Donna knows her place in the world, and that's the problem. She's profoundly unhappy and dissatisfied with her life, and dimly aware that she's not living up to her potential. When she goes looking for the Doctor, it's because she wants to start over - to have a shot at living a life where she's happy and fulfilled.
Beneath her shouty exterior, Donna is a profoundly compassionate and empathetic person. The only person to date to call an Ood "sweetheart", she's always looking out for those who get neglected or trodden underfoot, precisely because she knows so well what it's like to feel worthless and invisible. For someone who struggles so much with her own feelings of insecurity and inadequacy, she excels in making other people feel valued. She also instinctively forms solidarity with other women and goes out of her way to befriend them. She's never jealous of Rose - wouldn't dream of having a catfight with Martha - makes the Doctor see his bond with Jenny - has a chat with Agatha Christie about unfortunate exes - listens to Miss Evangelista when no one else will.
Donna and the Doctor have so much fun together. They're the galaxy's greatest screwball couple - except not a couple, thank you very much. David Tennant and Catherine Tate have fabulous chemistry - they remind me a bit of Grant and Hepburn - and their characters are bonkers in exactly the right ways for each other. Donna's never daunted by the Doctor - she's always viewed him as an equal - and they truly are best friends. They're platonic soul mates, and their eventual merge as the DoctorDonna is a beautiful symbol of their closeness.
One of the loveliest things about watching Donna evolve over Season 4 is seeing her develop self-esteem. And that happens in slow, realistic steps. She's never quite able to describe herself as a worthwhile person, but she will say she's the best temp in Chiswick. A super-temp. She soaks up all those wonderful experiences, and the Doctor's constant verbal affirmation (something she desperately needs), and slowly but surely comes into herself.
Donna's demise is wrenchingly tragic. I avoid watching the end of Journey's End for that very reason. It's a fate worse than death, really - utterly brutal - and as much as I admire Russell T Davies' writing in general, a part of me will never forgive him for ending Donna's story in such a heartbreaking fashion. Donna loses her memories - the best part of her life - but does she retain any of the confidence and self-esteem she gained? The story isn't clear. I desperately hope she does.
