The Evolution of Clara Oswald

SPOILERS: Doctor Who Season 8: "Robots of Sherwood"

Today I’m going to be talking about season eight Clara Oswald. A little background on my feelings toward Clare. When the news first spread about who Clara would be I got excited. From the description Moffat gave Clara sounded intriguing: quick on her feet, sassy, and witty. There isn’t more I could want out of companion. In “Asylum of the Daleks” she lived up to Moffat’s description. A lot of people would argue that overall “Asylum of the Daleks” is not a very good episode, for the most part I would agree, but I do like Clara/Oswin in that episode. (I also wish her name had been Oswin not Clara, but that’s beside the point.) She’s quick, kinda bossy, amusing, and makes her own decisions. In that episode she’s calling the shots and not looking to other people to tell her how to think. In the next episode she appears in for the most part Clara continues to stick with this persona of the clever young lady who could give the Doctor a run for his money, but when the second half of season seven rolled around my disappointment grew to a painfully high level. Clara lost all her personality, cleverness, and independence. She couldn’t make any of her own decisions and constantly looked to the Doctor for approval. This made getting to the end of season seven very difficult (this and many other reasons, but we’re here to talk about Clara.) When season eight rolled around I almost didn’t watch it because season seven had been so disappointing.

You will be glad to hear I found myself pleasantly surprised by season eight Clara. (Don’t get me wrong, there are still problems with Clara and just with the show in general, but progress is progress.) Now Clara in general up until the most recent episodes has been a disappointing companion, especially following in the shadow of companions such as Donna, Captain Jack, and Amy Pond. Then season eight rolled around, and I got really excited because all of the sudden Clara has a personality, a life, and an opinion. I almost threw a party from sheer excitement. This happened a bit in the first episode when the Doctor abandoned Clara and she had to fend for herself against the clockwork people. She had to figure out how to keep them from attacking her to kill her and use her body parts to mend the ship. In this instance she acted more out of necessity than because she wanted to, but in the next two episodes Clara really steps up and takes charge. This happens the most in the episode “Robot of Sherwood” where she pretty much runs the show. Throughout the episode the Doctor is obsessed with proving Robin Hood isn’t real, and instead of sitting around listening to the two men bicker Clara steps up and gets things done. She’s the one who gets the Sheriff to spill the beans about his plan. I particularly enjoy the new level of sass Clara possesses. She’s taken on a Rose-like quality (no, I know she can never equal Rose) in that she goes off on her own and figures things out. She wanders off. Companions who wander off and find their own adventures are my favorite. Clara is beginning to do that, and I sincerely hope she continues to be the type of companion who takes no flak from anyone and is capable of being independent like she has been thus far this season.

Clara has at long last grown into her character. She’s become an actual person with personality and opinions. I can assure you a vast majority of the Doctor Who fandom is just over the moon about this, but how are the rest of the characters in the show reacting to Clara’s new found independence. Well, it started out a bit rocky to be honest. The Doctor throws a lot of insults at Clara in the first episode, “Deep Breathe”. It undermined Clara and devalued her opinions and intelligence. There is a similar issue which Vastra in this episode. She has a very condescending manner toward Clara which makes it appear as if Clara is as naïve as a child or just plain stupid. (I’ve never had a particular fondness for Vastra, and I’ve only developed more negative feelings toward her as she appears in more episodes, but that might mean I have a bias.) Clara began to make her own decisions and form opinions, and the way the other characters treated her in this episode seemed to back-pedal all the progress being made in her gaining respect from viewers as a well-rounded character with solid ideas and opinions.

I am glad to say this has changed since that episode. In the most recent episode with Robin Hood the Doctor is singing a different tune. He seemed very luke warm when it came to Clara in episode one, but in episode three he is trying to make her proud. When he and Robin have a squabble in the dungeon while they’re locked up the Doctor stops and says, “There is a bright side-Clara didn’t see that.” The tables have turned. In season seven Clara looked to the Doctor for approval, but now it seems the Doctor is looking to her for approval, and I like that a lot. We are seeing the Doctor view his companion as an important asset and someone to rely on instead of a play thing to flirt with and show off too. When the Doctor tries to show off to Clara she tells him off for it. It’s good to see a companion keeping the Doctor in check again. The change in the relationship between the Doctor and Clara is refreshing, and I hope it is not just because the Doctor is unsure of himself due to having a new face. If we are lucky this will continue throughout the rest of the episode.

The evolution of Clara’s character into something that doesn’t make me want to tear my hair out has taken a long time, but I can finally say I am excited to see where her character is going. She has gained independence and is on the road to consistency. I feel like I can explain who she is as a character to other people when before there was no description because Clara had no personality. Doctor Who began to worry me as a show, especially its very bad representation of female characters. It is by no means perfect and has a lot of other issues to work on, but at least on the subject of Clara the writers have started to get something right. We shall see if progress in this area and other areas continues to be made.

Let me know how all of you felt about the newest episode of Doctor Who whether it be about Clara or something else entirely I want to know. Leave a comment or send me a message via my Contact Me tab. Until next time!

Krissy