Well, it is official – Jenna Coleman, after the will she or won’t leave wavering from last year, will be departing Doctor Who. Considering how polarizing of a character she was on the program, this news is either being met with sighs of relief or a great deal of despair. Yet, regardless of how one views Clara, Coleman certainly made her mark upon the program, and not just as the longest tenured companion in the history of the show.
Yet, regardless of how one feels about Clara as s companion, her tenure has still been rather disappointing. As the Impossible Girl, one who has been splintered and strewn about the Doctor’s timeline, there was quite the potential for greatness in her story. Instead, Clara was relegated to the role of a lying, manipulative being, one who was much different than had been expected.
Perhaps in this, her final season, Clara will be able to find some redemption. It has been stated that the dynamic betwixt her and the Doctor will be changing this time through, and we did see the beginnings of such with the events at the end of Last Christmas. Could Clara be the companion that we had all expected in her final few episodes?
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It could also be that, with her eventual demise, we get a furthering of her storyline. Yes, this incarnation of Clara will be meeting her fate, but what of the other Claras that exist throughout all of time and space? With all of the other versions out there, Coleman could easily come back at some point in the future to make a guest appearance without needing to reprise her role as this Clara. Instead, we could get someone more akin to the delightful ‘Souffle Girl’ when she was first introduced.
Yes, this may be a positive for Doctor Who going forward. The Twelfth Doctor will be able to have a companion that is better suited to his style and personality, instead of having to tolerate the general insecurity that Clara has had. However, the perception that exists with Clara did not need to happen. If, instead of romantic subplot between her and Danny Pink, Steven Moffat and the writers had Clara there to help the Doctor through his transition and questions as to whether or not he is a good man, her image may be much different.
With her time coming to an end, Clara Oswald feels like a missed opportunity on Doctor Who. She could have been so much more, but instead, simply became a truly polarizing figure as they just did not seemingly know what to do with her.
Next: Doctor Who Could Finally have River Song as a Companion