Doctor Who: Is Missy Hindering Clara’s Development?

Jenna Coleman’s presence on Doctor Who, as her first couple of incarnations on the show, left viewers wanting to know more about the mysterious and clever young woman. Since she officially became “Clara Oswald,” however, something strange has happened to her character — one who has caused much frustration and contention amongst the fans of the program. Just when you think she has matured, something or someone eventually drags her back down.

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Some viewers simply see Clara as being spirited and charismatic. And while she does have moments of being such, she also seems to have a difficult time retaining learned lessons and maintaining a backbone. Her naiveté was forgivable at first. She was new and had not yet been hardened by the life of a companion of the Doctor. One of the only positives that came out of the trainwreck of Series 8 was her seeming (and long overdue) growth by the end of it. Finally, the show could move forward with a strong Doctor-companion team…

But, alas, now that Clara has grudgingly teamed up with Missy, she has regressed to a state practically akin to that of a helpless child. Perhaps there is something about Missy that so strongly intimidates Clara that she freezes up. Has she let Missy get under her skin so much that she is actually starting to believe that she is a puppy — a figurative “witch’s familiar”? The line “Can I have a stick, too?” was cute, but it certainly does not help her cause.

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Clara was given a tutorial in controlling the Dalek shell, and had the opportunity to do so for a good amount of time. Why then was she perplexed as to how to open it? And why was she caught off guard when Missy closed it on her? Did she really not see that coming when she was asked to climb in?

While the interactions between Missy and Clara are delightfully humorous, something feels rather off. The writers have truly done Clara a disservice by erasing much of the woman whom she had been through Hell and back to become.

What do you think about Clara’s character development? Let us know in the comments.

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