This past weekend, just days before the first episode of Series Eight is to air, rumors started to surface that Companion actress Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) would leave the show at the end of the series (specifically, at Christmas). Should the rumors prove true, Clara’s departure comes sooner than I would have anticipated, but I can’t honestly say I’ll be sad to see her go.
That’s not to say I actively dislike the character, and I certainly think Jenna has done well with what she’s been given. I simply have never taken to her. As long as two years ago, before she even arrived on the scene, I was disinclined to enjoy Clara’s turn in the TARDIS. As I pointed out at the time, she’s yet another in a long line of 21st Century Brits to tag along with the Doctor, and it’s getting tiresome.
Once she had a chance to show her personality, though, she… barely had one. No, that’s not fair. Clara’s got a personality; what she doesn’t have is agency. The character’s entire raison d’être is dependent on the well being of someone else (“I was born to save the Doctor”). From a narrative standpoint, she’s only there—just like Amy was in Series Five—as a mystery for the Doctor to unravel (the Impossible Girl).
Some people may find that timey-wimey “I have to do it because I’ve already done it” plot device engaging, but it leaves me cold. Women aren’t just puzzles for men to solve; we are our own people. I can’t help but wonder whether or not the series arc would have appealed to viewers the same way if the Doctor’s Companion had been Clarence, the Impossible Friend—the young man destined to die again and again just to save the Doctor.
I’ve heard rumblings from folks who’ve either had the privilege of watching an advance screening of the series opener Deep Breath or taken advantage of the leaked raw video that Clara makes for a very strong Companion next to Capaldi’s Twelve. I would love to see that kind of character growth, and a shift in the dynamic between the Doctor and Clara generally.
Until such time as I witness such a change, though, I just can’t summon any real sense of regret at her departure. I’ve never connected with Clara, as from her very first appearance as Soufflé Girl, I couldn’t help but think of her as mere plot device. I don’t like feeling so agnostic about a Companion—it bums me out—but unless and until she shows the kind of individual spark that makes me say, “now that’s why the Doctor took her traveling,” I’ll be shedding no tears at the thought of Clara going the way of (the) Dodo.
C’mon, Series Eight—give her her due. Make me weep for Clara.
Glad to hear I’m not the only one…
I’m totally with you on Clara, and I think you hit the nail on the head with this post. I feel like there are two, and only two, reasons why I like Clara. A: She has a pleasant personality. B: She’s not Amy.
It’s just, there are only so many spins you can put on “feisty modern-day Earth girl”, if she has no other defining characteristics, and still have the character feel fresh and interesting. So far it’s only really worked with Rose (because she was the first… sorta) and Donna. And Sally, actually, which is probably entirely due to Carey Mulligan’s performance.
As much as I like Clara, I don’t really get her, except when she talks about her mother. It’s starting to improve, I think, now that “control freak” is becoming part of her character shorthand. But I’m mostly excited to see who replaces her, and hopeful that we get a Leela or a Nyssa or a Zoe rather than yet another “I argue with the Doctor but secretly I quite fancy him and who really needs a skillset anyway” companion. (I begin to understand, finally, why so many fans are critical of Dodo, coming as she does on the heels of the very similar Susan and Vicki…)
Dodo
That’s a really interesting insight on Dodo. Huh.
I’ve read that Moffat believes anything but a modern Companion would lose the audience, which I find slightly offensive. If he has no qualms throwing ridiculously convoluted plots (with big holes that need outside-the-narrative explanations later) at us, why can’t he trust us to relate to someone besides “feisty modern-day Earth girl”? It’s a general problem with assuming no one can relate to the Other.
But I digress.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. We’ll see what the coming months hold!
Amen to that!
I totally agree! Just like all that guff about “an older man wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pressures of today’s shooting schedule” to justify why we had three under-45 Doctors in a row. And RTD’s anti-Planet Zog spiels. I’m totally fine with Peter Capaldi, Leela and Zoe having adventures on the Planet Zog, as long as it’s a good story 🙂 Fingers crossed, eh?
(and for the record, I adore Dodo!)
~crosses fingers~
Fingers crossed, indeed