Except for that one really uncomfortable scene in Episode 1, I actually liked the Doctor/Amy relationship because (again, except for the awkward attempted sex)it felt very father-daughter the way his previous companions didn’t. Amy wasn’t available romantically because of Rory, which is really good because then the Doctor/River relationship wouldn’t have been as beautiful as it was if there had been other tension.

The companion that has bugged me so far, though, is Clara. When she kissed him in the first episode, every particle of my being just screamed, “NOOOOO, THE LOSS OF RIVER SONG IS STILL TOO RECENT!” Besides, at that point she doesn’t even know him that well. It just felt like such a letdown.

I feel like Moffat is scared that without romance, we’ll lose interest. But the fact is, that’s not what Doctor Who is about. Clara doesn’t have to be his romantic interest to be a good companion–she doesn’t even have to like him. The faster she (and Moffat) realize that, the faster we can move on to the good stuff.