No Paternoster Gang in Doctor Who Series 9? Good

With the arrival of Doctor Who Series 8 to Netflix this past weekend, all hope of accomplishing anything productive went out the window. As I binge-watched Series 8, I was, of course, looking forward with eager anticipation to Series 9 and all of the big storylines – Missy’s return to life, Maisie William’s guest spot, and, of course, the miraculous return of Osgood. As I rewatched Series 8 with an eye toward what’s coming next, I couldn’t help but hope that the Paternoster Gang is not among them, despite the recent announcement that Strax will be joining Jago and Lightfoot in his own audio spinoff from Big Finish.

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With so many rumors and confirmed rumors in advance of Series 9, it can be easy to miss the clues as to what might not be coming. When Moffat quashed rumors of a Paternoster Gang spin-off back in March, he did so by suggesting that the joke is getting old:

"“I’m always slightly worried that you can’t keep repeating the joke… The moment you start relying on something, you should probably throw it away. I always kind of feel that nothing should stay in the Doctor’s life.”"

In Moffat’s eyes, it seems, Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax have served their purpose. If we take Moffat at his word (admittedly, not always a safe bet), it would seem that we should not hold our breath for a return of the crime-solving trio.

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I, for one, am okay with that. As I sat down to rewatch Series 8 this weekend, I had almost forgotten that the series kicked off with the aid of the Paternoster Gang. While I think that their relationship with the Doctor and his companions reached new storytelling heights in ‘Deep Breath,’ particularly with Vastra’s flirtatious attitude toward Clara and Jenny’s jealousy, their interactions with the Doctor seem to have hit a lull. Moffat seems to know it, too – the Paternoster Gang and the Doctor have very little direct interaction; only Clara has any meaningful dialogue with the trio. Strax has become largely one-dimensional and offers little more to the episode than a few one-liners.

As I watched the Paternoster Gang work independent of the Doctor in ‘Deep Breath,’ I couldn’t help but think that this was actually the better use of these characters. Madame Vastra is a strong character – nothing highlighted that strength as well as her dialogue with Clara about why she wears a veil – but I suspect that she is too strong of a character to bring alongside the Doctor. A Big Finish Paternoster Gang spin-off is a great idea – but there’s no need to bring them back to interact with the Doctor in Series 9 (or beyond).

Next: Steven Moffat: Female Doctor 'Would have been a disaster'

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