Lookback: 3 most important ships from Capaldi’s era

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Friendships, relationships, marriages, we’ve had them all during 12’s era on Doctor Who. Whether they were obvious, or through the eyes of many fanfictions and youtube videos, the Doctor always has some sort of relationship with his companion.

During Capaldi’s three years, we saw his interesting relationship with Clara, a friendship with Bill, and definitely something special with Missy/Master. Companionship is important for anyone, but we’ve seen throughout the years, that no matter who plays the Doctor, no matter what regeneration, he needs a friend. Sometimes that turns into something more, and sometimes it doesn’t.

The fandom of Doctor Who may be known for maybe a little over exaggeration, (I mean, what? Us?) but the Twelfth Doctor showed us that there are many different kinds of relationships. Some are romantic, but not sexual, some are just friends, and some are…relationships to the core.

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Clara/The Doctor

Fresh out of the regeneration, Clara didn’t quite know what to do with our new Doctor. It seemed odd since she saw every regeneration of the Doctor. But for whatever reason, the change from the Doctor she knew to this new man made her question everything. At first, she seemed skittish around him, unsure of what exactly to do. Of course, as with any regeneration, this only lasted an episode, but it was obvious things weren’t going to be the same.

Until they were. Sort of. Almost immediately after Deep Breath, the Doctor and Clara developed a very close friendship. Throughout the two more seasons Clara would star, the Doctor relied on her more and more. At one point, anyone would argue that she was everything to him. The Doctor didn’t know how to cope without her because he relied on her. Saying things like “she does the caring for me”, or Clara often understanding the Doctor enough to find him when he thought he would die.

Since there’s no time in Doctor Who, we have no idea how long these two travelled together. They could have been together two months, or ten years. Eventually, when Clara faces her death in Face the Raven, we see something come from the Doctor. A form of a relationship that had romance in it. The Doctor did and always had, loved Clara Oswald. It may not have been the sensual love we saw with River or Missy, but there was a romantic love. (Peter Capaldi even confirmed it, guys!)

That’s what’s so amazing about Clara and the Doctor, specifically 12. They didn’t get off to a great start. They had a rocky beginning. Their relationship completely started over the minute Matt Smith’s face was gone. But the two of them created a relationship that would last as long as a relationship can on Doctor Who.

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Missy/The Doctor

You don’t need eyes to know that this ship pretty much explains itself. While we do have to talk about the chemistry between the actors, what’s amazing about this ship is that it’s not new. This isn’t something that a group of fans are trying to find what isn’t there – the relationship between the Master and the Doctor dates back to the Classic Era of Doctor Who.

In fact, it’s heartbreaking that these two characters are perfect for each other, even though they’re so different. They’re both Time Lords/Ladies, they’ve known each other since the Academy on Gallifrey, and they obviously have some kind of past. Even when the Master was played by John Simm, there was still a chemistry between him and Ten that was undeniable. Fast forward to this week, we learn that the Doctor has always had some kind of crush on the Master.

Specifically, with Missy, it’s amazing to see the Master wanting to change for him. It shows how much she loves him and is willing to change (or try) to be with him. At this point, she’s just trying to be his friend, but it’s still amazing that she’s willing to do this for her friend.

The actors also lend a hand to this relationship. If there was no chemistry between the two, then as hard as they tried, it wouldn’t work. But the chemistry between Gomez and Capaldi is almost palpable when they’re together. No other regeneration of the Master would be able to convince so many people that they would turn good for the Doctor, but Gomez pulls it off.

Bill and The Doctor

Not every relationship has a romantic aspect. Bill and the Doctor are the epitome of how a friendship can bring out the best in someone. Throughout the season, we’ve seen the Doctor in a new light, a completely different version of who he was with Clara.

As we previously talked about, he depended on Clara for many things. To tell him if he was a good man, to be by his side – she basically became essential to him. Bill isn’t like that. Bill, as we’ve seen, has a life outside of the TARDIS. She doesn’t want the Doctor around 24/7. She wants her friends.

On the flip side, when Bill is with the Doctor, he’s a new person. We’ve seen the Doctor come out of his shell this season, be a bit funnier, much lighter. He’s not the dark time lord, he’s a man who eats chips with his friend on the roof of the college. This friendship is reminiscent of Donna and Ten, another friendship that helped the Doctor when he needed it most.

Bill is the prime example of how not every companion should be a potential love interest for the Doctor. However, that doesn’t mean she’s not just as important to him. It doesn’t make her less in anyone’s eyes, especially his. She just brings out a different side that we’ve been wanting to see, and is good for the Doctor.

So even though she’s not a romantic relationship, it’s still an incredibly important relationship for the Twelfth Doctor.

Next: Here's what we know about the Christmas episode

These relationships all helped shape who the Twelfth Doctor became. Our rock and roll, angsty, dark Time Lord with an obvious soft side. The Doctor always needs a friend, or more, with him, and these three people are a huge part of what shaped the Doctor this era.