Back in 2021 when my A-Z theme was my favourite characters, Rose Tyler made the list but this year I’m going to be talking about her mum, Jackie.

I’ve always liked the relationship between Rose and Jackie, even when I was watching the first series back when it first aired in 2005 as a young teen and now rewatching the series as an adult I have a different appreciation for their relationship. It is such a well-written mother/daughter relationship and though my mum is very different to Jackie, there’s so many things Jackie says and does that remind me of my mum. That’s because it’s the ways she shows Rose how much she loves her, the way she’s always there for her daughter and will always stand up for her and protect her. Jackie is such a mum. She can be overprotective and reactive but she’s also kind and funny and has a shorthand with her daughter that just shows how it’s been the two of them against the world for so long.

In my Doctor Who rewatch last year, I’ve always cried during the series two finale (because Doctor/Rose has always been my OTP) but this time what really set me off was when Rose turned to Jackie on the beach, and she didn’t have to say or do anything, her mum knew and just ran to her. I was bawling as Rose ran to her mothers’ arms.

Another one of my favourite Jackie Tyler moments is in the series one finale – how those two series finales have such a focus on Rose and her family (which includes Mickey and the Doctor) is something I noticed and loved on this rewatch. After Rose tells her she went back in time to be with her dad as he died, Jackie is at first angry she would say such a thing, to bring up something so painful, but then she uses it to go and do exactly what Rose wants, she gets a truck powerful enough that will let Rose open up the heart of the TARDIS and get back to the Doctor.

I just the love and respect and trust Jackie has in her daughter is wonderful, even in those moments when she can see how much travelling with the Doctor has changed Rose – for better or for worse.