Well, here we are, at the end of series 8 of Doctor Who, and it looks like Clara is staying for at least one more series. Those that have followed my blog will know, I’m sure, that I have not been a big fan of Clara this series. I have not enjoyed the way that she and the new Doctor have been interacting with one another. This whole idea that Clara can’t stand this Doctor because he looks different has never sat well with me, and it hasn’t helped their chemistry. Then, when you throw in a love interest for Clara who doesn’t approve of or like the Doctor, it just starts to get messy. To the point, that when the rumors started going around that Coleman was leaving the show after the Christmas special, I started doing a happy dance. Which is all very sad, really, because I liked Clara before. They just butchered her character this series, and I didn’t like her. Now, however, it appears that Clara is sticking around, which could be good or bad news. I am optimistic since Danny is out of the picture now and she has finally warmed up to number 12, that Clara will be better in series 9.
One thing that may have bothered some folks was how it looked like it was all going to end between Clara and the Doctor at the end of “Death in Heaven.” It certainly wasn’t an ending that gave you the feels. Now that she will be back, many of you may be hoping that we will get one of those warm, fuzzy send offs for Clara. To those who are hoping for that I say: Don’t hold your breath. That just isn’t how it has gone so far for the Doctor’s companions since the series relaunched with Eccleston. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look:
Rose Tyler
Some might argue that leaving her with her mum and her dad, the two of them together now, so she could live happily ever after is a good thing. Except she was left with her mum and her dad (from a parallel universe) in a parallel universe, forever cutoff from the Doctor, who she was head over heels for, and who may have felt the same way toward her. That kind of sucks. Yes, she is safe, but she is cut off from the Doctor forever. I mean except for when she got back over into this universe and then she was stranded there by the Doctor again, with a copy of the Doctor, which I suppose could make it all better. I would argue it doesn’t. That Doctor that she was left with is not her Doctor, I mean not really. Plus, it still really is crummy for the Doctor who is cut off from Rose. In any case, it’s one of those tragic happy endings, at best. There is of course some deleted scene circulating about with some kind of home made TARDIS. Deleted scenes don’t count and are not canon.
Martha Jones
Martha always got a bad rap. I liked Martha. I thought she was a great companion. She was smart and witty and everything a companion should be. The only thing she wasn’t was Rose Tyler, which is why, I think everyone can’t stand her. It’s also why the Doctor didn’t like her. Her exit didn’t seem so bad. She walked away from the Doctor and from the TARDIS all on her own. IT was her choice. Except, I wonder, if there wasn’t some part of her that wanted the Doctor to try to talk her into staying. I think that is the real sad part here. She walked away, and the Doctor was totally fine with it. As were the fans. Poor Martha.
Donna Noble
One of the saddest departures was Donna’s. Her mother had always told her she would never really amount to anything, and she proved her wrong by running off with the Doctor and seeing the Universe and being just brilliant. Then she had it all stripped away from her because of the whole Doctor-Donna thing. Her memory is totally gone as far as anything to do with the Doctor, and unfortunately, anything to do with being brilliant. Now, she is back to being a temp again and living the life she had before, never knowing about her untapped potential.
The Ponds
Two of my favorites. I loved the Ponds, and just like everyone else, I was sad to see them go. The way they went didn’t help matters any. To have them just ripped away from the Doctor and River, just kind of sucked. The Angels had been a menace for the Doctor for a while now, and he and his companions always seemed to just barely get away. It was only a matter of time before they got someone. Unfortunately, that someone was Rory. Of course it would be Rory. It was only like the tenth time he had died. The big shock was when Amy decided to go with him, and just like that they were gone, and the Doctor could never go back to see them (one of those convenient Time Lord rules).
Looking at these examples, I think it is safe to assume that whatever ending the future holds for Clara, it will not be a happy one. The awkward conversation in the diner at the end of “Death in Heaven” may be as close as we come to a happy ending.
