Doctor Who: Are we all shipping Yaz and Ryan yet?

The Thirteenth Doctor has a brand new set of companions for season 11 of Doctor Who. And two of them might be made for each other.

One of the best parts about Thirteen having more than one companion in Doctor Who season 11 is that we get to see multiple facets of all these people through their relationships with one another. We aren’t limited to just a companion’s relationship to the Doctor. We get the chance to learn more about them through the way they relate to each other, and the three of them all interact with one another in different ways than they do with Thirteen. It’s not only refreshing, it makes Graham, Ryan and Yaz all more complete, fully rounded characters.

All three of Thirteen’s new traveling partners are connected to one another in various ways, but not so much that it feels overbearing. Ryan and Graham are related, but not particularly close. Ryan and Yaz were in primary school together, but they don’t really know one another anymore. There’s plenty of room for everyone to grow.

Maybe even romantically speaking.

Yes, I’m here to admit that I’m a Ryan and Yaz shipper.  And that everyone else probably should be too.

Granted, we’re in early days yet. But the sparks between these two have been obvious from season 11’s first episode. Yes, they barely know each other in any real way, yet they’re adorable together.

So far, those of us riding the Yaz and Ryan train are basically existing on scraps. The two have exchanged glances that could be interpreted as flirty. Yaz is Ryan’s biggest cheerleader, constantly reminding him that he is capable of more than he thought. They had an amazing heart-to-heart about race in the U.K. and their experiences living as people of color during “Rosa.”

Even Yaz’s mom asked if there was something up between them in “Arachnids in the U.K.”. This has got to be going somewhere.

However, there was also a moment in that same episode where it also seemed like Yaz could have a bit of a crush on the Doctor, which is another possible twist I don’t completely hate. The idea of Yaz being bisexual is intriguing from a representation perspective in and of itself. And Mandip Gill and Jodie Whittaker have a charming sort of chemistry with one another.

But, quite frankly, as appealing as that all is, there’s also something to be said for a season in which a companion isn’t pining after the Doctor in some way. We’ve had quite a lot of that in the modern Doctor Who era. There’s something that feels rather refreshing about having the Doctor running around with a group of people who all feel strictly like her pals, and we haven’t had a real companion love story in some time, either. Sure, there’s Amy and Rory Pond, but those two had a preexisting relationship well before either of them ever boarded the TARDIS. Yaz and Ryan know one another, but they aren’t close enough that anything that might happen between them feels predetermined.

Maybe Ryan’s storyline this season is meant to predominantly focus on him building a real relationship with Graham. Maybe Yaz’s journey is about getting the chance to experience more than her life in Sheffield has offered. But that doesn’t preclude them finding something unexpected with one another.

And they’re just so darn cute. They’re like watching kittens wrestle.  After seasons of heartbreak and memory wipes and people just vanishing off into other timelines, we deserve this. Shouldn’t we get to see some companions being happy for once, just larking about exploring the universe?

Yes. The time for “Ryaz” is here. Get on board, folks.

Doctor Who season 11 continues Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on BBC America.