Doctor Who: Why Clara Was (Almost) Good | Video Essay 

I would agree. She did the best job she could with the utter shite she was given to play.

Exactly like with Peter Capaldi.

Magister Of Steam Capaldi actually probably did the best acting out of all the new who doctors (can't include classic because I haven't seen it all). If not for the shitty writing he would undeniably been the best out of all of them.

All of this is true. Love the actress and actor. Don't love the writing.

Kevin the Fabulous I agree. Though Matt Smith is my personal favourite, Peter Capaldi did an excellent job and is my second. Too bad that after writing my favourite Doctor Who episode (The Snowmen), Stephen Moffat started writing terribly for the rest of his career, pretty much just in time for Capaldi.

Makes me miss the classic series, when we had more diverse companions. Loved the dynamic between 21st century cold and calculating mega-genius Zoe and 18th century passionate and pigheaded highland warrior Jamie.

they were the same person

@@ogcgaming7524 No they weren't. She was born again and again, but her life each time shaped who she was. Victorian Clara was brilliant. Witty and clever. Clara Prime was a do nothing basic who needed to have her intelligence artificially increased by a computer for her to figure out how to even sign into a computer on her own.

I have always thought the same. The doctor always takes companions from whatever the current year the show's being made... Why is that? It would be cool, but what if a companion came from the past... And maybe another companion could be from current time.

@@wildfilms365 It's why i somewhat enjoyed the Dinosaurs on a spaceship episode. Because even if only briefly we got to see The Doctor travel with companions who were from different periods of history. Also weird to think it took until season 10 before we got a non-human companion for an entire season in Nardole. (Not counting his own Granddaughter).

I agree she was awesome

Me too. Clara is one of Fav top 3 o 4 problably. Amy, Donna, Rose and Clara are Tie.

100% agree. I had no idea anyone had a problem with her.

@@swbarron I think a bunch of whiney fans who take themselves and the television shows they watch way too seriously are an extremely vocal minority who create the illusion most fans hate Clara. Meanwhile, non-incels, people with lives, and those who just love Dr Who without it becoming their identity are absolutely shocked when we see arrogant Tubers declaring Clara was almost good and the comments that follow from folks whose social lives revolve around subreddits and the like.

Yeah but I don’t remember any of these scenes (aside from her first two introductions)

yes i LOVE THIS they missed such a good opportunity with her

I agree with you, it was a big chance they missed

I believe there was one such companion in Classic Who. Katarina was from Troy but they had to drop her quickly because a person from the past wouldn't be able to understand modern concepts. Maybe nobody else tried again because the inherent difficulties in trying to make audience believe that a person from the past doesn't find all this mind boggling are too many

Krishna Eluri well i mean give them the right stories & development and i think a character from a different time period (like victorian Clara) in new who could’ve been pretty sick ? Idk Its just a shame it didnt happen

@@KCEluri there was a 2nd doctor companion who was Male I'm pretty sure, I thought it was a great idea bc he didnt just have to be shocked in space but on modern earth aswell Edit: yeah it was a guy called Jamie Mccrimmon from 1746

Doctor_Disco greatest line in Doctor Who history

John Moraites lol it’s really not

@@johnmoraites6020 Depressing if that is so.

That's not the quote. I think it's: Clara-"I'm his carer" 12-"Yes she cares so I don't have to."

@@Stamnley It really shows why I like 12 and Clara. 12 was this grumpy old man, and Clara was this over controlling, but human companion. They call each other out on each others bullshit. And in season 9, their relationship makes so much sense.

All the companions were flawed, but they were flawed before they met the Doctor and they became better people for having known him. Clara was pretty much a decent person from day one, and became flawed because of her association with the Doctor.

@@rocketguardian2001 you actually named one of the reasons I liked her. I could never quite put my finger on it, but she's sort of the inverse of the other companions. She became a bit too cocky, and it was the reason she died (even though she came back). It was interesting to watch how being in constant contact with a powerful being like the Doctor could have inadvertent ill effects.

I get what you're saying and I would agree only... They never actually acknowledge how flawed she was. How she had become a worse character with the doctor. Sure, they mention she tried to be too much like the doctor and that's what got her killed, but the frame her as a mighty heroine for it, not a cautionary tale. They made her this big important person who got a whole lot of seasons, framed her as this ultimate rolemodel but never said "no, this character is flawed, be warned".

Not personally having watched all of Clara's seasons, she sounds very similar to Donna but more forced

@@jessicaable5095 ... Isn't that a good thing? The show doesn't shove the message down your throat but the message still exists. We can all see that Clara was flawed, we see how she became more flawed by interacting with the doctor, and we see that those flaws led to her demise. Yes, she's a mighty heroine, yes, She's a role model, but She's a role model for what not to do. She's someone that you should strive to never become.

Yeah, they kept on going with that theme for a while. Personally I thought the next companion was overly exaggerated.

Yes. I think this is why Martha and Donna (and amy and rose to a degree) worked so well.

Yeah, one of the main problems I have with Jodie's run is actually the fact that she's pretty much because a cameo in her own show

@@emotion_deluxe DONNA!!!! I wish Donna could of gone longer they were such a duo 😂😂

I've never really seen the problem with the take of "the Doctor didn't seem like the lead anymore". We've literally had over 30 years of exactly that, it would kill us to try something a bit different for merely a couple? It's not like he was completely relegated to the background.

That is a general response to any "X is the worst Y of Doctor Who" statement.

@@WerewolfLord When people say a s11 episode is the worst ever I point to Hell Bent. Or Warriors of the Deep, or Kill the Moon, or Nightmare in Silver, or Idiots Lantern.

Ben Warburton Kill the Moon definitely wins

Every episode of season 11 is dull as dirt and so are the companions

Martha was a pretty trash companion in my opinion

It genuinely felt jarring when she died, including the setup. If I wasnt so used to the rule of 3 I'd probably have been mad about it. Looming back, I'm even more mad about it because a Victorian era companion with the wit and cognition to adapt to space would be exceedingly interesting! The only issue would be how she would leave the tardis eventually, but considering how the mentality of the Victorian era was it would be believable that she never felt a need to settle down or rest anywhere. She already moved at the Doctor's reckless pace....actually.... What if the way Viccy Clara dies was not due to either of them tripping up.or sacrificing, but due to fatigue from both of them running a million miles a minute? 11 was always excessively reckless and fast paced, the companion bringing him into Capaldi dying due to both of them going too fast for too long would easily whiplash him into the slower and more aged 12. Moffat really dropped the ball, that kind of story would have been amazing in his hands.

For some reason the new who companions are all modern, victorian clara would have been new ya know

chara loves clara

I really liked Clara too. My only complaint is that she should have stayed dead after face the raven.

@@FullFatVideos ozzie loves the squaddie

@@Dandidoodles they probably thought that reviving her would get a better response.

Your not alone.

God, the tenth-Donna chemistry was just perfect

Me too loved donna

And I think Donna should meet 13 and make her laugh

Donna was perfect in every way, but I think Amy will always be my favorite (I started watching around when season 5 was released) Its always the red head companions with the powerful personalitys, which sadly makes more subtle characters like Clara and Martha pale in comparison, still love them too though.

ten and donna have amazing chemistry and shes a great companion but i personally like amy more just because donnas a bit annoying to me

Agreed except my favourite is Donna and her character development is the best imo.

I loved Clara.

@@crashfan9997 of the new ones Donna is mine too she took absolutely no crap off the Doctor ( or anyone except her horrible mum) was getting to like Bill but she was too short lived

@@Marisa_zulk too much information!

Her personality was all over the place. One episode she could boss the Doctor around, the next one she was screaming for help, etc. Her origin being a plot device and being too 'important' for the Doctor didn't help either to ground her as a true character.

It's the usual loud and vocal minority. People don't post as much when they are happy with things, only complaniers do that.

lwaves it's not a minority

+loags22 It's always a minority that are loud and vocal.

lwaves again. It's not a minority that didnt like her

+loags22 I respect your right to be wrong. It's true that a lot of people don't like her but it isn't the majority. The majority of fans who watch the show don't share their opinion online, their viewpoint is unknown, therefore they are the majority. Like or dislike Clara are both minorities. :-)

Good acting doesn't mean a lot if your script is garbage. Look at 13th

Actually it happened in the "blood and ice" doctor who comic, published in Doctor Who Magazine and later in the DWM compilation "The Eye of Torment". In this story Clara meets one of her splinters, and she can't get over the fact that all of her splinters have to die in order to save the Doctor. But i won't say more, spoilers.

With matt smith , they were like a couple

@@ssssSTopmotion a transaction from a kind of boyfriend to a father is creepy.

@@ssssSTopmotion yeah i never liked how they tried to make 11 have a couple dynamic with Clara

@@vanisha6000 The worst for me were 10 and Rose, whose relationship I found nauseating; 11 and Clara were tame by comparison.

@@ftumschk oh i kinda liked rose and ten lol

Yeah, it tainted that entire season.

@madder66mortem I hated Rory and Amy the silly sod died every week so when he actually died it was ho hum what again! Danny Pink I didn't like the whole love story arc felt tacked on but I did like his interaction with the Doctor calling him an officer and it wounding the Doctor right to his core. the acting between the two in those scenes was bang on. I would like to see a companion like this who doesn't hang on the Doctors every word and at times thinks he's actually a bit of an arsehole ( Donna was Brilliant for this! and when she let loose the Doctor was actually in awe and scared of her! I think he mentioned he'd rather face a hoard of Daleks than Donna when she's upset. I loved that about her.)

I *hated* Danny Pink so much... Rose and Mickey were good. Amy and Rory were amazing. Danny Pink and Clara ruined episodes.

your not alone there! although I did enjoy the argument he had with the Doctor calling him an officer that was just about the only thing he did worth watching

@@drankydrank1 I didn't like Rory (I'm dead again this week!) and Amy (I'm crying over Rory again! this week) much preferred the Doctor and Amy without the interference of old big nose

I think their relationship is impossible to categorise as romantic or platonic, it's makes it so beautiful. And only 12 could have a relationship like that, because he's not as flirty as the other doctors, and he deeply needs an emotional pilar

Absolutely. I think the relationship can be read in various ways. It was intended like that by the writers. In your head it can be as platonic or romantic as you want it to be. But to me the absolute worst interpretation is father/daughter.😄 I seriously wonder if people were watching the same show when they say that. I mean, to each their own, if that's how you want to read it go and do that. But it's just weird imo. I feel like people say that based on the age of the actors and literally nothing more.

i would agree with the intimacy, though i do firmly believe that the relationship between clara and 12 is more of an emotional support type of relationship. because 12 is supposed to be the real doctor, the “veil lifted”, he’s shown to be someone very cross and feels very lonely. in comes clara, someone he finds himself latched onto because of the support that someone like her can offer to the personality like his. like missy said “a control freak and a man who does not like to be controlled”. these opposite personalities cant help but be attracted to each other in the sense that their egos want to prove to the other that theyre right. theyre emotionally attached to each other because of this

12: I'm not your boyfriend. Clara: 12: I never said that was your mistake. (Sorry forgot what Clara said). 12 Obviously loves her intensely. I mean he murdered a man (Timelord general) to bring her back from her last second of life. I like Clara as a companion, just think Moffat was on fumes after the Ponds left with his best work being the 50th and 11ths send off. To me 12 is a slow burner who doesn't get good until well into his run. Agree with everyone else Victorian Clara was the one people liked the most and they don't see the basis for the relationship as Victorian Clara had the grounding to it.

Basically Moffat wanted there to be a romance between Clara a 12 but Capaldi said “not on your life.” I agree with Capaldi, especially as Clara was a different person every week. How to do base a good romance on that?

That’s why I really liked Donna as well. After three years of Rose and Martha drooling over/just shy of worshiping the Doctor, it was awesome to have someone who called out his flaws and refused to put herself beneath him, and he liked it. Then they kinda just reverted with Amy, and Clara would have been a great opportunity to do that again, but then there was such a weird will-they-won’t-they with Matt Smith that, even once they got the vibe right with Capaldi (because he’s older and less attractive I guess?), it just wasn’t the same.

I've heard the loss of Victorian Clara was due to executive meddling from on high, as they thought audiences would be driven away by a Victorian companion.

Arielina captain Jack wasn't from this era.

Arielina captain Jack wasn't from this era.

@@jamesgrieves2669 They do know this is a show about *Time* Travel right?

Jack is from another planet. no one really knows what era he is from. he cam fit in, as a time agent, he can adapt to any era. That's why he was accepted so much.

Well what else should she say? She clearly was not interested in having a conversation at that moment, when trapped in a Russian nuclear submarine decades in the past, on one of her first adventures. So she tried to end the conversation, and that's how you do that. I thought Clara prime was instantly the best Clara.

Could you imagine if she had said: Surfing the web, texting my friends, playing WoW and other modern "stuff". She is QUITE aware that the timeline could be Frelled up so she kept it low key.

HoshiReed true, true, that does make sense, didn't think about it like that. (I do actually like Clara, and that Cold War is one of her best episodes, just wish she hadn't been burdened by her series 7 arc and we'd got to know her better sooner)

Moffat likes to introduce characters then either do a time skip or say “Wait! That’s not the main one lolz, here’s the real companion.” Which makes character introductions to the Doctor feel forced. When adult Amy first saw the doctor she was only angry for leaving her and obsessed with him being her “raggedy man.” Clara was literally just a giant mystery meaning Clara’s first introduction to the Doctor are nothing but him and her going on an adventure for the lulz because he knows another version of her somewhere. Rose simply met the Doctor, got along with him, proved her bravery and off she went. Martha met the doctor, proved her intelligence and bravery and got along with the doctor and off they went. Donna at first didn’t like the doctor but warmed up to him and she already had a great introduction in the Christmas episode and it was only a year between those episodes that she decided to join him. Point is, while Rose, Martha & Donna joined willingly, because they really enjoyed the doctor’s company and wanted to help people, and I would argue Amy is the same (just wish they didn’t have him meet her as a child first). Clara though, everything is so rushed because we’ve met her two times already that there is no chemistry, we don’t really know why she goes with the doctor and we’ve already met two versions of her that are infinitely more interesting. I can forgive meeting Amy while she was young, as it does pay off and proved some real emotional moments. But Clara? Holy crap, the “mystery girl” plot followed by the “Born to save the Doctor” plot BS is the worst thing I’ve seen in doctor who history. All I can see is Steven Moffat going “Yeah that’s right, MY companion has saved all the doctors. MY companion chose the Doctor’s TARDIS. MY companion is super important & special.” I don’t usually use the word Mary Sue, but holy crap is she a Mary Sue.

I find it amusing that one of the clips used to show how she was "almost good" is one of the clips that so completely illustrates for me, one of the main problems with her. "And don't you dare lump me in with the rest of all the little humans that you think are so tiny and silly and predictable." And earlier in that same scene "Tell me what you knew, Doctor, or else I'll smack you so hard you'll regenerate."

Kind of sad when you think about it. In a way she split her soul and sacrifice every piece individually for the Doctor.

100% agree

lol

100% agree

I had the idea watching this that she should have been revealed as the Doctor during his death arc. She was upstaging him all the time, almost like she was taking his mantle. Then, she falls into his timeline and is scattered. What comes of that? How does that stop his death and get the TARDIS rotting on the fields of Trensalor? That graveyard is literally brushed under the rug! No, her falling into the timeline should have been followed by 11 getting shot and River pulling his body into the current Tardis, them crashing on Transalor in the past and River lacking his body in the vault, letting his Time Lord body decompose into the time vortex we see. Then, in present day as the bad guys celebrate, the vortex vanishes. The remains turn to dust, the TARDIS begins to wheeze. Clara is back from the Timeline, and through the shattering in time and subsequent refocus at the point of break, she returns as a fresh new doctor with all the regenerations back. The bad guys, in trying to kill the Doctor with Time, instead restored the Doctor to full power. A fixed point in time of their making that allowed the Doctor to transcend the only limitation Time Lords had, for awhile longer at least. Then she dumps them in a black hole or something and she takes on capaldi as a companion I dunno.

ClayXros you spent that long writing this 😂😂😂😂😂😂 but good point that would be amazing

fuck you. adric is the best

Me too! I didn't even know there was such hatred towards her! I'm actually hoping that we get to see her again (and Maisie Williams as well)

Kevyn King | The joke is that everyone who's watched Classic Who universally hates Adric. When people dislike a companion and want them to get "the Earthshock treatment," they're referring to Adric. No one genuinely thinks he's the best even if he didn't grind their nerves to dust.

comicconcarne Well shit I liked Adric too. Probably my least favourite companion ever but I didn't hate the guy.

If all most everyone hate her why did she last so long

YourLocalBritishGangsta Amy and rory arguably the best companions 😂😂😂🤕🤕🤕🤕👍

Nope. Rose foreva.

Donna

twenty one cries for help Donna is my favorite companion

Yea I really liked Amy and Rory, they kinda felt like the new who version of Jamie and Zoe. Which is of course a very good thing :)

she took the show over near the end. she has her own damn tardis now which is dangerous she will mess up time and space now and or have the tardis captured by hostile elements aka daleks. her coming back to life ruined what ever repsect i had for the writers or character. she really made me rage in some episodes. she ruined doctor who backstory like his childhood, the fate of galifrey. the actress was great though.

HistoryFan476ad Yeh, I think every actor on doctor who is normally great it's just the poor writing which is its downfall; Peter Capaldi's series weren't very good in my opinion but if you compare that to Torchwood S3 I think he was brilliant in that.

That literally is the point lol. She died because she wanted to be like the doctor

Moffat said himself that that was intentional.

Yes, but just because that is the point, that doesn't automatically mean it made her likeable or a good character. Besides, I personally think Moffat massively undermined his point about the dangers of wanting to be like the Doctor when he made Clara practically immortal just moments after she died and gave her her own Tardis. For all intents and purposes she is the Doctor now and she got rewarded for her arrogance.

Gravastars1 this is now my headcanon 🤩

Oh that actually might have been wonderful! I would pay to see that version play out.

so the tardis was just jealous about she isn't the only girl in doctor life? xD

Thiiissss. Seriously, they had the perfect setup. Clara (in her "in-character" episodes) is shrewd, disobedient, and obstinate. It would have been so much fun to have her tag along after their meet cute because how could you refuse time and space when it is so freely offered? And have her character battle with loving the traveling but not loving 11's big personality so much. So much potential for comedic moments, especially moments when Clara would inevitably need to rely on the Doctor. And if the writers played their cards right, that moment of interceding to save the Doctor's timeline would be more suspenseful. Would Clara risk everything to save someone she has previously decided she didn't like? I could see the Doctor saying, "just leave me to die, save yourself." Clara trying to convince herself to listen, then maybe make a joke about that being the first time she'd have obeyed him and go in to save him. I'm becoming more and more convinced that Clara just needed a second draft.

@@Meggsie Clara is clara . But Not better amy Pond .my meaning. 🙄

Yeah

Me neither

Holy moly! That's brilliant!

\o/ you're right!

Featuring a girl, a long dark haired boy and a smaller blonde boy, wait a minute...

Trust me a lot of people DO like her

I am one of them. But its annoying because people are so vocal about hating clara.

I didn’t like Clara mainly because I’m a huge Amy fan lol

@Moana Subs Clara is perfect.

Honestly I liked Clara believing that she could do everything the Doctor could and I liked even more that it costed her life.. Shows how the Doctor and running with him can influence others but reminds you that they still aren't him..The problem is that it getted tired because since she Start everything was pointing how important she was , even when they were getting to the Doctors problems it still would end with Clara have a connection with everything . Clara's arcs were amazing but they were a lot , the Tranzelor could not exist since it wasn't the actual place the Doctor was meant to die ,it only happened to show us how important and necessary Clara was. Messing around with two doctors maked the situation worsht , tho she didn't run that much with 11 it felt too much because of the story arcs.. Moffat is a genius but sometimes his writing and his ideas are many and too good to be transferred in the show without problems..

Clara was perfectly fine until the end. Imo when her bf showed up than her Stort arc got really dry and that's kind of how I knew she was gonna die. Honestly I didn't mind Hell Bent, except the idea of Clara being alive going on her own adventures is really fuckin dumb

I also thought Clara was breath of fresh air!

Lol this is what I loved about it. That the doctor became the companion. Thats what made it magic for me hahahahaha. The doctor is the biggest narcissist and needed someone to point that out and also steal the light away. It made it more interesting to watch for me anyway.

I agree

I strongly agree

TheMidnightwolf15 I disagree, that wasn’t the issue with her exit. Bringing her back had a good explanation, story, and reason. Where Moffat made a big mistake was bringing her back from the end of S8. I think people forget how perfect her S8 exit was, and just how awful her returns were.

Am I the only one that actually likes how Clara was saved in "Hell Bent"? It doesn't undo her death being her fault. It could be interpreted as a sort of Christian grace metaphor. Clara dooms herself through her own mistakes, but the Doctor suffers on her behalf and saves her anyway because of how much she means to him. Plus, there's something incredibly poignant to me about her "the long way 'round" sendoff. We all have to face our fate some day, but Clara gets the gift of being able to live a full life and face her fate head-on when she's ready.

@@hardwickebenthow If she gets to live as long as she likes and postpone it as long as she likes, there's really nothing to it. She learns nothing and nothing is achieved. What's the point of learning to accept something that you have complete control over? What is there to accept?

@@fellinuxvi3541 Immortality has its downsides. There's a reason that in "Highlander" the ability to die is seen as a prize.

I, on the other hand, wanted to scream when she came back after I thought she was _finally_ dead. And to this day Im haunted by the knowledge that shes out there in a diner Tardis and could come back at any time and continue on not being f*cking dead .............i really dont like Clara

@@bloodyneptune If it's not weird to ask, why did you hate Clara? I understand people have opinions and I'm not trying to bash on them. If you don't want to make a list, why did you hate Clara the most [other than the fact shes practically immortal because she keeps getting reborn again]

​@@bloodyneptune LOL thats how I feel about Rose. Clara on the other hand is a gangsta

I loved when they first introduced her, but hated when they made her physically abusive.

@@bloodyneptune I'd love to see Michael Burnham from Star Trek Disvovery meet 32nd Century Clara...😀

yeah like, amy and rory could die in the end off season 7, giving them a gew more episodes and cara to be introduced in season 8

Matt Smith was planned to stay another season with Clara and Clara’s last season was gonna be with capaldi first season #Woufle I love Matt Smith and Clara’s run

I guess that's the real reason she was the Impossible Girl.

she is also the reason why the war doctor decided to go back and face destiny. before they well ruined the time war. i'm surprised in the end she did not cure cancer. she was also used as a mouthpiece by the show runners to sprout there views on matters.

moffat was just a terrible writer he cut corners, couldn't write even mediocre charters and lost the show like 3 million viewers as a result

I think you should look up what a Mary Sue is. Being capable and important is not a Mary Sue. She has more pronounced negative character traits than any other companion. She makes serious mistakes she suffers from herself. She is still the only main character that actually dies on screen, and that is because of a mistake she made. Also, she is definitely not loved by everyone, unlike every companion ever. Quite the opposite of that. She always has a hard time getting her way, and no one in the entire show is more distrusted by complete strangers than she is. Vastra, the TARDIS, virtually everyone in Flatline etc.Or do you just label every smart female character a "Mary Sue"?

Ok you can split hairs over the definition but my argument stands. But way to make some half-assed sexism accusation, even though I consider Liz Shaw one of the best and criminally underused companions. Dismissed for being too smart. Nor did I have any problem at all with Bill, who also deserved a longer run.

the show has really lost the flare it once had. it just feels so mundane now to watch. never mind the digs at men written in the script or said by characters. they even have swearing in the family show.

i hope you do a 5th dr who video soon

God yeah she was

Best looking companion by far, but also probably the most fucking annoying.

am i the only one finding Amy fuggin hot ?

very fit

I will tell you what was funny. At the end of Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS. Matt Smith was doing his lines, then he suddenly spanks Clara with a Towel. She only smirked and kept in character. Matt smith must have really liked Jenna....in real life.

I agree, she would have made a great Doctor. Heck, with the whole impossible girl nonsense, that would have been a great loophole past the 12th regeneration! The battle where the doctor finally dies, the Tardis ruined and rotting on the fields of that fateful day. The Doctor himself goes there with Clara, ready to meet his end. Then they are forced to the center. River opens the vault, Clara falls into the Doctor's grave, and the Doctor is killed. River drags him into the vault in the living Tardis, where it crashes in the past where it would lay. Then, a familiar sound rings through the derelict Tardis. The enemies of the Doctor look around, confused and scared. They just killed him, they closed the loop. Why is the Tardis waking up?! They rush to the console room only to be captured by the Tardis containment field, and Clara flipping switches as the Tardis begins to heal. "The girl?" They ask, then the main woman's eyes widen in fear. "The impossible girl...." and Clara smirks and says "The Doctor, back from my own timeline and my old body. Thought it would be that easy, did you?" Being scattered through time, through the Doctor's timeline, and through the events of the Day of the doctor and Gallifrey's return, let the doctor reincarnate through Clara. So now Clara takes up her mantle that she had taken as the old Doctor fades, a new timeline to be lived through. And 12 new regenerations ready to burn. Would have been way more satisfying than that dumb space magic "The time lords gave me more" bullcrap that completely upends the one limitation and time limit Time lords had.

@@clayxros576 they should hire you :D would have been waaayy better than what we got :)

@@clayxros576 love it. Just so long as we can get Capaldi in there somewhere. Omega or Rassilon maybe?

@@ronaldfrechette2045 The Doctor after Clara, or even go buck wild and have Capaldi as the 14th Doctor and have him travel with Clara (his past self now) and have a REALLY wild paradox that needs to be cleaned up. Clara in my scenario would still be Clara, just with the Doctor's entire memory. The next Doctor making sure she doesn't screw up would make sense, and the TARDIS would let it happen cause it would force a stable time loop. Course that would mean Calpaldi needs to watch himself die and become himself in the inevitable finale, but that just gives some fun for the writer.

Her character is named "Clara" because that was Elisabeth Sladen's middle name.

@@JohnSmith-bw7cx Wow is this true?

daman 71 something about the career actress. Character didn’t come through. Same in everything she does

There are quite a lot of fans that really like Clara, despite how desperately some people are to negate their existence. She is one of the most hated, but also one of the most loved companion.

I think a lot of the "hatred" directed at her is misplaced, as the main problem is Moffat's writing - he's pretty crap at developing character, particularly in women. Clara was a mixed bag overall, but I agree she was a better companion to 12 than 11 - it was just too little, too late.

As Clara is a character in Moffat's scripts and only exists within this fictional universe, saying that the problem is that Moffat's writing is bad does make the character bad. If we were talking about a fictional representation of a real-life historical character, we could say "this person was bad in the show only because of the script, in history she was actually an ok dude" then the arguement would hold true, however, Clara is fiction, therefore bad script = bad character (however not the worst, in my opinion that goes to either Rose or Donna).

You're right. But she did have amazing scripts, which meant that she is a great character. To me, she is the best written companion character in all of Doctor Who.

Her ending up with Ashilda is the most awesome slap to the face of the time lords. Like hearing a snap, then watching a mouse run off with the cheese.

I agree. With the 50th looming (and I dunno, was he writing Sherlock at the time?), Moffat threw a bunch of spaghetti at the wall re: Clara's characterization. LOVE Clara and Twelve, and series 9 is so much fun.

It figures given that the writers didn't seem to have any idea what to do with Capaldi's doctor.

I know this is late, but I just wanted to add my opinion. I didn’t mind the relationship, I found Danny a little annoying but that’s all. Also, am I the only one that thought Clara and Rigsy has so much more chemistry in the 2d episode?

Ugh, the Danny-Clara romance was so awkwardly shoehorned in and sat uncomfortably with me. There was little to no chemistry between them so when Danny made his sacrifice in the name of lurve it seemed empty as I wasn't convinced they were in love in the first place.

It all happened too quick but still somehow took a hole season. We once got them knowing each other then we instantly have them arguing about the fact that Clara travels with the Doctor and lies to Danny and then boom Danny dies and the end of the world is coming.. They had a story but they didn't know how to handle it. They wanted to show that Clara was happy by finding someone in the normal part of her life , classic thing the place they show us that the Doctor has no right , but Danny should be important or what's the point of having him. They kill him so Clara can be sad and cross the lines by throwing the Tardis keys in the volcano,he is 'important ' , and the try to find him so Missys plan can exist. I still can't understand if all this happened just to show us how important Danny is or to show us Missys plans or both. It would be more interesting if Danny was just a 'fan' a fellow teacher that was likening Clara warning her about the dangers of Doctors life because he was worrying and somehow he end involved and he saved them. It could be more dramatic like this but still the story wouldn't be that forced

Danny just didn’t work.

YES!! I SO AGREE WITH THIS!! One reason I love Clara so much is because she reminds me of season 1 Rose. Like how in the beginning of the show, it was kind of Rose’s story plus the Doctor, Clara is the same. There are even parallels between 9 and 12. It’s so refreshing after 6 seasons of the Doctor being the main character with the companions as tagalongs. And I get it, people like having the Doctor as the main character because, well it IS his show, but seeing him through a human perspective is what I love about seasons 1, 8-9. It’s like we are the companions being pushed into this strange new world, trying to balance everyday life with epic adventures. Something about it is way easier to get attached to because its more relatable

idk if that made any sense but I tried 😅

@Moana Subs Clara is not the doctor, but she wants to be one, that's the whole point of her story. Everybody know she's not the doctor, smartass. Besides, martha isn't that great she's like a shallow cardboard character.

Agreed. I think the problem is the age/ experience difference between a 2000 yr old Time Lord and an 18 yr old earthling. I've dated much older and younger a few times and after a while you get something like "what's a rotary phone?" Companion: "So Andrea dared me so I actually did the Cinnamon challenge. So gross. So how was your day?" Doctor: "I saved a planet from crashing into its Sun, then I played a game of chess with King Arthur, finally I beat the Daleks ... again oh one of them exploded and got over me, so gross. Then I had breakfast..."

Yup, that's why Donna was such a great companion 😄

I don't so much have an issue with the companion falling for the Doctor, because I think it is realistic that a number of them would. That being said, it also needs to be handled well. Martha's feelings for him and his moping over Rose was annoying, but when Martha walked away from the TARDIS, that redeemed her for me. Donna was such a breath of fresh air after all that. Amy was even OK for me as she wasn't "in love" with the Doctor but rather simply obsessed with him, for lack of a better term.

I don't mind the Doctor having love interests- Rose's felt honest, natural and took two seasons to fully develop. The other romances following felt like cheap responses to that. It is kind of ironic that Moffat low key "slut shames" 10 (Case in Point 50th anniversary) when his own 11 not only kisses all of his companions, gets married, but also has a near romantic-fling with his TARDIS. xD I was glad that they finally got River Song right at the end, when she proclaims her love affair with the Doctor is one-sided and the Doctor realized he never let her know how he felt. I don't know if it was Capaldi or Moffat but that was the only episode I actually believed there was actually something there.

Rares Macovei and that’s a fact

for 13 they shoulda introduced them more like amy/rory. with 1 person as the companion, build an on-earth relationship with the other (this with Yas and then Ryan) and they both join the Tardis, then Graham shoulda been a more Wilfred or Brian Williams character but actually stayed for a while. introducing all 3 was a big no no imo

@@peepeetrain8755 exactly. None of them ever had meaningful friendships. The 13th doctor knows them 5 mins and says “you’re all my fam now” and they just go along with it? It makes no sense

Its an underrated run imo

Martha was alright imo

change Martha with Amy and we're good

Martha could have been better if they hadn't made her lovesick for the Doctor, especially after the whole Rose story.

tbh i liked martha,clara and amy

Donna was a B#tch I didn't like her

Karlo K no, she’s my favourite companion personally. But I can understand why some fans don’t like her.

I like her

Right? I feel like hate's harsh out of nowhere. The old ones are put on a pedastal

No, I was just thinking the same thing. I loved Clara.

You're one of very few

Completely! When people mention Clara I never think about S7 Clara...

Her copies didn't 'save' him, they undid what the GI did, returning everything to the way it was before the GI got involved, i.e. the Doctor saves himself. Who says no companion should have that much influence? Where is this written/stated in any official capacity? The show has always been about the Doctor AND the companion(s), they are just as important as each other.

How much you hate Donna then? Turn Left proved that without her he would be DEAD! And not from some outside influence like the GI but his OWN actions.

Rose got glowy eyes, mucked about with time, and, with a wave of her hand, destroyed the Daleks. Donna was told she was the most important person in the universe, got a Time Lord brain, tapped some keys... and destroyed the Daleks. Clara got inserted into the Doctor's timeline, but I really don't think her importance is any more forward than Rose's, and people still love her. Clara was inconsistently written, and not really given proper agency until The Day of the Doctor onwards, and also was written to be a bit unlikable at times in series 8. But rewatching the show, and knowing the bond Capaldi's Doctor demonstrably develops with her, I really grew to like her.

I took the whole copies-saving-the-Doctor thing as a fluffy and fun goof to celebrate the 50th. Stuff like this can be washed out of canon with the next space/time reset. Lather/rinse/repeat until years later when someone finds a way to make that shit awesome

I thought she was just chasing the Great Intelligence through time, stopping him from unfairly thwarting the Doctor whilst he was solving other problems. And not, for example, swooping in to stop the Toymaker or the Cybermen from "getting the Doctor."

Clarlek.

Yeah but the Daleks would become a joke

Not just that... It would be a way to cheese the copyright

@@demonking86420 this man gets it

@@jimhalpert9816 They already are after how overused they are now.

One of the interesting things about Moffat is that from an in universe prospective all his companions are dead Amy and Rory died of old age in New York as evidenced by there graves. Hell bent is quite clear that there’s no way to stop Clara’s death and she just has however long it takes her to get back to gallifrey while bill and nardole being part of testimony means they are dead given the rules established in the episode (the novel expands on there fates between the Doctor falls and twice upon a time)

janetracer so what about Martha then

I'm so embarrassed that I overlooked Martha but I suppose she should be used to it. Martha is the companion who loves the Doctor but he doesn't return the sentiment. In fact as 10 mopes for Rose Martha stays in the friend zone all the while going above and beyond taking care of a Time Lord who can't cope. She has to take a degrading maid job and try to keep things together while the Doctor forgets who he is lives a good teachers life and flirts with still someone else. She gets stuck with him sans TARDIS in 1969 and again has to get a job to support them while 10 is out blowing up chickens. Finally while the old Doc is sitting in a birdcage Martha takes a short walk... AROUND THE WORLD. No wonder she couldn't wait to split.

Moffat's problem is that he falls in love with the characters he creates.

janetracer I have to admit, despite it all, Martha's still my favourite New Who companion (next to Donna).

great actress though.

i agree moffat was just a terrible writer it's the only way to describe it back when RTD was writing it was one of the best shows on TV

HistoryFan476ad I never feel that Amy Pond take the series, at contrary she barely had impact in the seriew until Series 7. Not even see her cry for the lost of his baby.

i never said Amy pond took over the show i said Clara did. i did say that Clara has a lot of Amy's personalty in her though.

I think you have a fair, balanced opinion.

In what way was it "rubbish material"? Her character was explored in more detail than that of any other companion, she had a fluid character growth and development, more of that than any other companion, and was involved in many great stories, where she wasn't just along for the ride, but played a role in the story as well. And her roles in the stories were not some deus-ex-machina solution because the writer ran out of ideas, but a sensible interaction between her and the other characters, fully in line with Clara's character. For me she clearly had the best writing of any companion.

@@euler4273 about the Deus ex machina thing, have you forgotten about the bells of saint John?

@@notmyrealname2235 No, I haven't. And I don't see any deus ex machina moment for Clara in Bells of Saint John.

Same can be said of every actor who came after Coleman. Very talented actors who are perfect for the role - severely hamstringed by gradeschool quality writing.

Same here. Without Clara, Peter Capaldi would have crashed and burned in Season 8. He's nowhere near as good an actor as the fanbase builds him up to be, so Clara was carrying that entire season on her shoulders. They should have swapped Peter Capaldi with Sir John Hurt. If Capaldi had done The Day of the Doctor, it would have still been great, perhaps even better than it already was because Capaldi would have really sold that the 9th Doctor is VERY different from the others, therefore justifying his refusal to use the name, and he also still had the physicality to do scenes where we could SEE him fighting in the Time War instead of just being told about it. With John Hurt leading Season's 8, 9 and 10, we could have had one of the strongest eras, if not THE strongest era, in Doctor Who history. Clara was able to carry Capaldi's first season but it felt like the Doctor hadn't come along for the ride, apart from when she was pretending to be him. As for the rest of the 13th Doctor's series, imagine listening to Sir John delivering the line "Doctor, I let you go". Don't get me wrong, by that point Capaldi had found his footing and grown comfortable in the role, so he delivered that line perfectly. However, it took him FAR longer to become a legitimate Doctor than any of the New Who Doctors before him and probably longer than all the Classic Who Doctors too. Yes, even Colin Baker. The only bit of credit I can really give to Capaldi is that he DID become a legitimate Doctor eventually, which is more than I can say for Jodie Whittaker or Jo Martin. However, he really pushed "the long way around" to its limits, so Clara was carrying most of the weight while he was having his identity crisis. When Matt Smith phoned Clara up in Deep Breath and told her "he needs you", he was just talking about the Doctor. I doubt he realised that Capaldi needed Clara just as much if not more than the Doctor did. Capaldi himself might have realised though because apparently he and Steven Moffat begged Jenna Coleman to stay for Season 9. The Doctor finally showed up again in The Zygon Inversion, so Capaldi had learned to, in an ironic twist of his own words in Kill the Moon, "take the stabilisers off" and stand on his own two feet after relying on Clara to carry his entire debut season for him. Furthermore, Steven Moffat and Jenna Coleman both have a better understanding of human psychology than their critics do. You'd be hard pressed to find a more multifaceted and well developed character than Clara, especially since so many of the characters in the modern film industry are safe, boring, predictable and handled by people who are either too lazy or just don't have the talent to create a real human being.

ikr, i always hated how they tried to set clara and eleven up as a couple, their friendship would have been just fine :(

@@vanisha6000 Clara is my favorite but I agree, she and 11 didn't work, their dynamics seemed like 11 and Amy but worse, she gives her best with 12, the kinda father/daughter relationship is cool and unique. I enjoyed it cause it was different than the previous dynamics in which the young cute companion flirted or fell in love with the Doctor. (Except for Donna of course)

what? i can't hear you from the beeping

@@Fordring1776 very funny

same matt, amy and rory was my favorite era tbh I don't think anything will top it

true but season 10 go in second for me bill is super cool the combo with the two is just great

Donna Noble is, in my opinion, the best one of them all. I hated her at the beginning, but the character development was awesome, as well as the Doctor having a mature grown woman that wasn't fallng in love with him. Sad that she lasted only a season

Umm so it's all about David....lol but matt did a great job too .he a close 2ed .Amy had a good exit and dona was really spicy lol .I do like them all. The impossible girl was great too just i think it should have ended with that Clara was not fun enough to get 3 sorry

@@baas8888 yeah I love donna .its kinda weird to think cuz the doctor like his partners young ,submissive and hot .no offense to donna but she a grown ass woman lol doctor couldn't even handle her . I also loved her exit ,not as sad as Amy

That's kinda what was so tragic about it though. Companions don't always walk away better off than they were. That's why I was sad about her leaving. Clara though? COULD NOT HAVE CARED LESS. She had a good long stint with the doctor, it felt overdue.

That was the point of Donna's departure, she was a tragedy. She grew and grew and grew so far beyond what any companion before her did, and in order to save the universe and her family she had to let that all go. The most brutal sacrifice one can make, not the giving of one's life but who they became. It also capped off Tennant's theme of painful victory. Every time he won there was disastrous sacrifices that was made, often times without his consent. The kid from the reintroduction of the Sontarans, the woman from the Water's of Mars, Davros, The Master, and so many others gave themselves either in reckless bravery or spite, in defiance of the control that 10 tried so hard to enforce. He wanted to save everyone, but he couldnt. They knew that, he couldn't accept that, and never let go. So he tried even harder the next time, again and again. Then, his final day. He couldnt let Donna die because of him, not when he could do something. He couldn't take that kind of pain, even if the result he left her as was more painful to her family. So he saved her by taking away her growth, the thing she most treasured. Then he gave himself for her father, because he could do something. And it cost him his life. 10 was an era of mountain highs shattered by somber losses, hard choices, and his control slipping away at every turn. In his last moments he forced control in a way that none could refuse, and in the moment he tried to be the god he said he was his own hubris destroyed him. Donna's exit was masterful, and a perfect finale to Tennant's run. Clara gives me a headache.

@@clayxros576 wow your comment gave me the chills and reminded me of why I loved the Tennant/Donna era so much

That was the point. It's like how Danganronpa kills off their developed characters. It's more realistic that way. Good people who don't deserve to suffer end up suffering all the time and we hadn't seen that type of thing yet (which was sorta because that was how 10's arc was supposed to wrap up. it was planned from the beginning). Martha kinda walked out without and got to keep "all the emotional growth of the (her) character" Rose got pretty much what she wanted (to be with 10), and Donna's character development being coupled with her memory loss is beautifully tragic irony. Donna finally became everything she thought she wasn't on her final moments and then it's all taken away from her? someone had to lose something, because that's what doctor who is all about. 10's curse was watching horrible things happen to good people that didn't deserve it. remember what happened to his daughter? the mission on mars? Beautifully tragic.

Vincent Perretta tbh I agree w you. I understand tragic endings can be good, but they need to be satisfying at least for me to consider them well-handled, and Donna just felt like they sorta shoved her out. Plus, I didn't really like Donna as a companion anyway, but that's a very unpopular opinion lmao

That happened with Turlough in like 1983 or whatever

@@stardustnation2480 cool bro I started watching at the start of chris Eccleston

Moffat to Mark upon seeing her cameo in Twice Upon a Time