How will Bill tolerate the rest of the season?
Credit: BBC
After the last three episodes, I can’t be the only one who is a bit worried about Bill. In the past three episodes, we’ve seen her give over the human race so that the doctor could regain his sight. In turn, once the Doctor was pretending to be on the side with the monks, she was so distraught that she pulled a gun and fired it. The worse part, the Doctor was expecting this enough to put blanks inside all guns in the room.
We’ve seen the Doctor do things like pretend to join the monks before. We’ve seen the Doctor give up himself for the fate of the world before. It doesn’t help to go in there guns blazing, and not being able to control reactions amongst a heavy situation.
And here’s the heaviest part: it’s not going to get any easier. In the second half of the season, things are bound to get worse. Think about the two-parter, that happens in only three episodes.
Here’s the thing though: Moffat isn’t stupid. Moffat’s writing these insane overreactions. Is it possible that there’s more to this? Is Bill going to have a dramatic ending, like Martha, where she decides that life, as amazing as it is with the Doctor, is too much? There’s no secret that we’ve seen more of her life outside the Doctor where she wants nothing to do with him.
I never sensed the “she will do anything for him” vibe that you normally get from characters. Did she get his sight back because she cared so much for him, or because she knew everything he did?
This isn’t Pearl Mackie’s acting, which is wonderful each time Bill makes a decision. This comes down to the writing of the character. Is it possible that part of the two-parter will be that there is not a companion for the Doctor to lean on when he needs one the most?
Martha’s exit
Bill could have an exit reminiscent of Martha. She did a fantastic thing that did rival Martha getting the word out about the Doctor in series three. Bill was willing to do anything to help the Doctor, even give the Monks the universe, so that the Doctor could see.
We also saw the Doctor basically say “thanks, but I never asked” in The Lie of the Land. That might have been part of “the act” but that doesn’t mean he was acting.
That’s the difficult thing about one-series companions, even if it’s because everyone’s leaving. Something has to drive them to leave a world of wonder so early, and normally, it’s not something good.
Episodes 11 and 12
She’s slated to be in the episodes entitled “World Enough and Time” and “The Doctor Falls”, which is eleven and twelve. There is no word yet on the Christmas episode. Maybe, like Clara, she can’t handle whatever are the Doctor’s last few moments and leaves. That would follow the pattern that’s beginning to happen.