How the Character of Clara Oswald Was Saved

Guest contributor Harpal Khambay believes the Twelfth Doctor was born to save Clara Oswald.

I think it’s fair to say that all companions grow and develop throughout the series, but none more so than those who witness and experience the Doctor regenerate. The greatest changes, I feel, come from the modern companions, one of which is Rose. Her character developed mainly as her romantic relationship with the Doctor grew and became more complex. The next new companion who witnessed regeneration is Miss Clara Oswald, whose character has developed and changed at an astonishing rate.

Right from ‘Deep Breath’ we saw Miss Oswald transform into a more independent woman who could hold her own in front of the Doctor as well as his foes. She was, of course, meant to be all those things from the word go, but I personally couldn’t see it. I believe her character changed so radically due to the Twelfth Doctor’s untimely arrival. In this article I will be looking at how his change altered her, and how the Twelfth Doctor ultimately saved the character of Clara Oswald…

Holding her own

When watching Series 7, I liked Clara but found no special quality to her. Some described her as a bit of a ‘nothing’, noting her as an insufficient character who was there to fill a hole. She was called ‘Feisty’ but were not all the companions structured as lively, determined and courageous? During Series 7, I found other companions to be feistier than Clara such as Amy or Donna… until the Twelfth Doctor arrived.

In ‘Deep Breath,’ ‘Kill the Moon’ and ‘Dark Water’ to name a few, we saw Clara go to places where many other companions would not have dreamed of going, and all because of the Twelfth Doctor. Who ditched Clara with no Sonic under the restaurant? Who left her on the Moon? Why did she think she had to use force to get the Doctor to try to save Danny? The answers to these questions are clearly: ‘The Twelfth Doctor.’ Granted that Clara was a bit slow under the restaurant, but 11 would’ve just given her the screwdriver, which probably would’ve helped her stay safe and not make her burst into tears.

As for ‘Kill the Moon,’ 11 would not have left her on her own, and in ‘Dark Water’ I bet Clara would’ve decided that she didn’t need to forcefully persuade 11, and with a quick discussion, he would’ve done as she asked. Clara quickly got to know the Twelfth Doctor and how he operated, and adopted a new way of reasoning with him, which made her more feisty and her hold her own in front of him more than she needed to when she was with 11. I believe Clara became feistier and stronger as she knew that talking to the Twelfth Doctor like she would to number 11 would have no effect, pushing her to become more authoritative and argumentative, along with ensuring she held her own stronger than before.

Emotion Matters

I think that the Twelfth Doctor’s frostiness has showcased Clara’s emotion, and any emotion for that matter – more than ever. As the Twelfth Doctor can appear frosty, this has projected Clara’s emotional range and limits to the viewers more than they would’ve been if she was still travelling with 11, as her and number 12’s attitudes are so juxtaposed, they each get an independent limelight. I also think that this has strengthened the fans’ connection to Clara as they are sympathetic toward her, particularly in episodes such as ‘Dark Water.’

Clara was also set with the big task this year of helping the Twelfth Doctor discover who he was, and accompanying him on this journey proves to be an emotional rollercoaster for Clara. It’s difficult to word, but adventures such as ‘Deep Breath,’ and ‘Dark Water’ told the audience about how Clara ticks emotionally, and how she copes with the dark adventures that come with the Twelfth Doctor, which is crucial for character development as it is important to know how a character adapts to different situations on all levels. Her emotions have changed in this way due to the Twelfth Doctor’s arrival, as he isn’t as fluffy and warm as Matt Smith was.

Competition for Control

In Series 7 I could not see how Clara was controlling, but in Series 8 it was very clear why she constantly described as a ‘Control freak.’ Relating this to the Twelfth Doctor, to put it simply, she found she had met her match. If she tried to control him, he would never back down, (‘Dark Water’) which forced Clara, linking to my first paragraph, to become more authoritative in order to try to take control. We also saw that in ‘Kill the Moon,’ the Doctor’s control of her made her snap, making her angry.

So, this constant battle of the Twelfth Doctor and Clara trying to gain control and dominance over each other escalated and with it Clara’s character development. I personally wouldn’t say she tried to control 11, but if she did I think that he would give in quite easily, as he had a bit of a ‘thing’ for her. So with number 12 Clara found herself having to assert her authority and do more to try and get that authority. This competition pushed her to be more outspoken about how she felt with the Doctor, and this really showed us a new side to Miss Oswald, one that I doubt would exist without number 12!

The more competition, the more respect –  Finding her Doctor

I think that the Twelfth Doctor always respected Clara, but he never saw her as an equal until the end of the series. Ok, yes they lied to each other as they thought they both knew best at the end, but even before the lies I think that they found mutual respect for each other because of the constant competition of control they had, linking to my last paragraph. With this battle I think Clara met her match, and in doing so also met HER Doctor. Even though her time with 11 was short, she could’ve still made a big impact on the show, but as the Ponds and her mystery shadowed her character I don’t think this happened (excluding her heroic moment from ‘The Name of the Doctor.’) I think she made a bigger impact with the Twelfth Doctor and to me, she will always be HIS companion.

We can see that she found her Doctor in ‘Last Christmas,’ where it is very clear that they need each other, shown when the Doctor returns for her. I think that this competition made them both realise that they can’t dominate each other, which led to them having mutual respect for each other, as they thought: ‘They’re almost as good as me.’ This is seen in ‘Death in Heaven,’ when they both admit that each other’s company made them feel special, and although they lied to each other, they did so with the best intentions for each other.

Concluding thoughts

In conclusion, I feel that the Twelfth Doctor’s frostiness and controlling nature have helped Clara to develop and show us her emotional limits, tell us that she can hold her own, and also that she has now found her Doctor. If Matt Smith had stayed, I believe Clara’s emotions would not have been viewed in a different light, and that she would not have been pushed to her limits as she has been with number 12 by her side. I feel she would’ve remained the same character as she was in Series 7, which could be labelled as ‘a normal girl’ with no extra something. It is apparent that 12 and Clara need each other, and I am thrilled that Clara is staying for Series 9, as I hope Twelve’s actions and stories help her develop further. There is only one thing left to say: Twelve, thank you for saving the character of Clara Oswald!