Series 7 Mysteries: Predictions for the Finale
Guest contributor Shay Hatchard takes a look at what might be in store.
As we enter the final quarter of Series 7: Part Two, we still know next to nothing about Clara and the build up to the whole Trenzalore-based finale, The Name of the Doctor, is wearing a little thin. Does this mean we can expect a rushed finale from Moffat? A cheap repeat of The Wedding Of River Song, where we’re promised to have answers, but all we get is more teasing? Steven has stated that “questions will be answered” – some hidden in plain sight, and some not. The producer has teased that Moffat is playing with us with all these clues, and that he will “lead us right down the garden path”. So what can we expect from this year’s finale?
The Doctor’s Greatest Secret
Probably the most talked about between Whovians is whether or not Moffat will reveal ‘The Name of the Doctor’ as the title suggests. Knowing Moffat and his clever ways, I believe he WILL NOT, but in fact just have the characters discover his name (supported by the earlier rumour
- The Eleventh Doctor isn’t the Doctor.
- He did something terrible back on Gallifrey that is unspeakable.
- Something that he needs to hide/is scared of (i.e: Room 11, The God Complex).
I, for one, love the last one and think it is plausible. Wouldn’t it be great to find the Doctor’s greatest fear – what the Doctor is scared of people discovering, his “greatest secret?” It could also lead to why his name cannot be revealed, which could make this finale very interesting! (As for the first theory… who even came up with that?)
Could the real Clara Oswald stand up?
Although we know for certain that the Clara Oswald story arc is going to be cleared up, I’m going to be very interested to see how Moffat fits this alongside the return of River, Dr Simeon and the Pasternoster Gang, AS WELL as letting us all in on the Doctor’s greatest secret. I feel a little let down by the amount of build up there has been to the resolution, and hopefully the penultimate episode, Nightmare In Silver, will give us more to think about.
Honestly I feel as if nobody even remembers that two big mysteries are lined up to be solved in two week’s time, and the whole thing has just worn thin. After the disappointing recent overnight viewing figure of 4.6 million compared with The Bells Of Saint John’s 6.18 million, it looks like some viewers believed that the mystery would have kicked into gear a little bit more.
Anyhow, we’ll all know who Clara is soon, but for the time being let’s speculate (and laugh) at some of the theories:
- She’s River Song
- A spy of the Silence
- The Doctor’s Daughter
- A message from Rose Tyler – like the Bad Wolf spread across time, she’s put the same woman across time leading the Doctor to Trenzalore…
…which could also explain the woman in the shop! She knew the fate that was coming for him, so she created a companion for him. Seems logical in the mad world that is Moffat’s mind.
River Song
Like many fans when I picked up the latest issue of DWM last week, I skipped straight to the finale’s episode guide and one thing caught my attention before anything else – [Spoiler warning…] that the River Song featured in this episode is a already dead River. Well, at least after she’s been in the Library. Does that mean she’s somehow survived (no!)? That this is her last adventure with the Doctor on Trenzalore before she’s six feet under (yes!)? After all, the trailer showed us the grave of the mysterious “…ONG”! Not everyone will make it to the end of the episode alive, so I still have hopes held…
Silence Will Fall & The Fall of the Eleventh
Dorium: “It’s all still waiting for you. The Fields Of Trenzalore, The Fall Of The Eleventh and the question. The first question. The one that must never be answered…”
“Silence will fall when the question is asked”. That was what was promised in 2011. And that question was told as the infamous first line “Doctor who?” Does this mean we can expect the Silents’ return? Or does “silence falling” mean something else entirely?
There’s also the “Fall of the Eleventh”. First off, there’s no actual confirmation that the two events are linked, and the Fall Of The Eleventh could relate to a Series 8 arc. Or, as some fans are suspecting, that it could be a link with Clara, who throughout the series has had many runs in with the number 11. Jenna-Louise Coleman stated in a interview that her character being born on the same date that An Unearthly Child aired is no coincidence, so it would be logical to have that involved in Clara’s reveal. Then again, when is Doctor Who logical?
We can (hopefully) also guarantee that the end of The Name of the Doctor will be left on a cliffhanger following previous years’ patterns, and I hope to see a appearance from either David Tennant or Billie Piper – or even both! That would be nice….
Look out for the final two articles The Series 7 Mysteries: Nightmare In Silver released on 13th May and The Series 7 Mysteries: The Name of the Doctor released 20th May.
Catch up on previous articles in this series:
