Donna is my favorite of all the companions in the modern series, hands down. She started out shrill and obsessed with the mundane, but once she was shown how much more there was to the universe than the tabloids and the newest crisp flavor, she stepped up and revealed a much more caring, humane, fantastic self. And then that was all taken away from her, which made me (and many, many other fans) incredibly bitter. So this story was in part a fix-it for her. (As for her story about her fiancé, Lance, that's most easily relayed by pointing you to the write-up for the episode that introduced her, "The Runaway Bride" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Runaway_Bride_(Doctor_Who)). She is in no way exaggerating or making anything up here!)
To be honest, she is a bit Sue-ish; companions in the modern DW series generally are, but with her I found it easier to take. I did try to tone it down a bit — she unknowingly says hurtful things, she doesn't magically just "get" high-level physics or machinery tinkering, and at least she didn't single-handedly save the day at any point, heh — but you're right, that deal does look a bit one-sided, isn't it?
What I really wanted to get to there was that I honestly don't think Rodney is as bad a person (in a relationship) as he's often painted, and all those plots in which he doesn't think of something and his (boy- or) girlfriend silently seethes at his thoughtlessness really annoy me. You knew what he was like going in! So their deal amounts to him agreeing not to do things that she's a bit triggery about (thanks to Lance) but he likely wouldn't do anyway; and her agreeing not to expect him to do that standard-plotline thing of expecting him to suddenly be the "perfect" mind-reading boyfriend. His flaws, so to speak, are called out, but the (slightly) more demanding concession is hers, I think. Which doesn't necessarily balance properly.
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Donna is my favorite of all the companions in the modern series, hands down. She started out shrill and obsessed with the mundane, but once she was shown how much more there was to the universe than the tabloids and the newest crisp flavor, she stepped up and revealed a much more caring, humane, fantastic self. And then that was all taken away from her, which made me (and many, many other fans) incredibly bitter. So this story was in part a fix-it for her. (As for her story about her fiancé, Lance, that's most easily relayed by pointing you to the write-up for the episode that introduced her, "The Runaway Bride" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Runaway_Bride_(Doctor_Who)). She is in no way exaggerating or making anything up here!)
To be honest, she is a bit Sue-ish; companions in the modern DW series generally are, but with her I found it easier to take. I did try to tone it down a bit — she unknowingly says hurtful things, she doesn't magically just "get" high-level physics or machinery tinkering, and at least she didn't single-handedly save the day at any point, heh — but you're right, that deal does look a bit one-sided, isn't it?
What I really wanted to get to there was that I honestly don't think Rodney is as bad a person (in a relationship) as he's often painted, and all those plots in which he doesn't think of something and his (boy- or) girlfriend silently seethes at his thoughtlessness really annoy me. You knew what he was like going in! So their deal amounts to him agreeing not to do things that she's a bit triggery about (thanks to Lance) but he likely wouldn't do anyway; and her agreeing not to expect him to do that standard-plotline thing of expecting him to suddenly be the "perfect" mind-reading boyfriend. His flaws, so to speak, are called out, but the (slightly) more demanding concession is hers, I think. Which doesn't necessarily balance properly.
Anyway, thank you!