The companion returns!

[BruntFCA]

I thought Clara was almost unbearable during some parts of season 8 but that was down entirely to the writing. Jenna Coleman is a great actress and I think that the character of Clara could easily be fixed. I just REALLY REALLY hope that the Christmas special doesn't end with Clara having yet another "emotional" goodbye only to show up again at the beginning of season 9.

 

[Ithekro]

Well with Clara, the writer can cheat. Can't figure out how to write yourself out of the corner you made with this character? Leave her behind and introduce a new one (one of her fragaments like Oswin Oswald (Dalek Clara) or Clara Oswin Oswald (Victorian Clara)). Lots of Claras to go around. Just has to be one that either save the Doctor from the past eras, or will do so in a later story (allowing a crossover tie in with one of the old Doctor's adventures).

 

[Candlelight]

Clara's main issue is the inconsistent writing. Fix that and she would be likeable.

I had hoped for a new companion. I want companions to stay with the Doctor like days of old. None of this dropped off in time for tea nonsence.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I was over at a friends house, and they had been showing their kids NuWho in order.

They were up to the Impossible Astronaut Part 2.

I couldn't believe how much I was caring about everyone and everything that happened.

The last two seasons haven't come close to gripping me like that.

 

[MacLeod]

Well given that she hadn't offically left yet, she can't exactly return. Still I suspect if sher continues for another series it'll be her last

 

[The Wormhole]

Well given that she hadn't offically left yet, she can't exactly return. Still I suspect if sher continues for another series it'll be her last

In show, Clara has told the Doctor at least twice she intends to stop her TARDIS travels. The first time, she ended up changing her mind the week later, it's going to be really annoying if she decides to retract that decision at Christmas.

Moffat doesn't know when to let go of characters. Maybe it is a good thing after all that Alex Kingston's schedule is preventing more River appearances...

 

[Ithekro]

River and the Mistress.....

(and Missy, oh wait)

 

[Richard Baker]

I rather like Clara as a companion but the stories have been uneven, I did not care for the Danny Pink saga at all though and I do wish she would mostly travel and leave her earth career behind more. I kind of dislike her using the TARDIS for joy rides.

I do like how she can step up to the plate and innovate without the Doctor telling her what to do. Despite age differences two people can be fond of each other without it resorting to relationship flirting. They do need to be more honest with each other- lying, even if it is to prevent complications or pain, is not a good foundation.

 

[RoJoHen]

The sad part is, I can see this happening since as evidenced with Amy and Rory, Moffat doesn't seem to know when to say good-bye. I'm fine with Clara coming back for Christmas, give her a chance to have one final adventure and all, but that really should be her last episode. Her story is done, rammed into the ground, and finished. There's nowhere left to go, aside from an epilogue explaining what she's up to now and possibly that she's pregnant with Danny's child or something. There certainly isn't any reason to bring her back even for half a season.

I'm not really sure how her story is "done." She and Doctor left each other with some pretty big lies, and Clara seems to be headed down a pretty dark path. I could easily see her playing a role in another series.

 

[The Wormhole]

The sad part is, I can see this happening since as evidenced with Amy and Rory, Moffat doesn't seem to know when to say good-bye. I'm fine with Clara coming back for Christmas, give her a chance to have one final adventure and all, but that really should be her last episode. Her story is done, rammed into the ground, and finished. There's nowhere left to go, aside from an epilogue explaining what she's up to now and possibly that she's pregnant with Danny's child or something. There certainly isn't any reason to bring her back even for half a season.

I'm not really sure how her story is "done." She and Doctor left each other with some pretty big lies, and Clara seems to be headed down a pretty dark path. I could easily see her playing a role in another series.

That's why I say bring her back for Christmas, resolve all the loose threads left dangling with the lies they told each other, reveal she's pregnant with Danny's child or something, then have them say one last good-bye. There, that's all we need.

Moffat has taken things from one extreme to another. While the abrupt "I'm done travelling with you, good-bye" approach when companions left in the classic era at times didn't do proper justice to the characters, this "good-bye, Doctor, oh what the hell, maybe one more adventure. Or two. Or three. Probably call it quits after ten more adventures. Might stay longer" isn't helping much with the characters, either.

 

[Sindatur]

The sad part is, I can see this happening since as evidenced with Amy and Rory, Moffat doesn't seem to know when to say good-bye. I'm fine with Clara coming back for Christmas, give her a chance to have one final adventure and all, but that really should be her last episode. Her story is done, rammed into the ground, and finished. There's nowhere left to go, aside from an epilogue explaining what she's up to now and possibly that she's pregnant with Danny's child or something. There certainly isn't any reason to bring her back even for half a season.

I'm not really sure how her story is "done." She and Doctor left each other with some pretty big lies, and Clara seems to be headed down a pretty dark path. I could easily see her playing a role in another series.

That's why I say bring her back for Christmas, resolve all the loose threads left dangling with the lies they told each other, reveal she's pregnant with Danny's child or something, then have them say one last good-bye. There, that's all we need.

Moffat has taken things from one extreme to another. While the abrupt "I'm done travelling with you, good-bye" approach when companions left in the classic era at times didn't do proper justice to the characters, this "good-bye, Doctor, oh what the hell, maybe one more adventure. Or two. Or three. Probably call it quits after ten more adventures. Might stay longer" isn't helping much with the characters, either.

Yea, I'd love to see her stay into next Series, personally, but, if she does, I don't want to see another Goodbye in the Christmas Special, I want them to resolve stuff and move forward with their relationship.

If they do have another "Final" goodbye in the Christmas Special, don't bring her back for more episodes and more "Final" goodbyes.

 

[RoJoHen]

Moffat has taken things from one extreme to another. While the abrupt "I'm done travelling with you, good-bye" approach when companions left in the classic era at times didn't do proper justice to the characters, this "good-bye, Doctor, oh what the hell, maybe one more adventure. Or two. Or three. Probably call it quits after ten more adventures. Might stay longer" isn't helping much with the characters, either.

That's fair. If the Christmas Special is written as her last episode and then she comes back, I agree that would be annoying. Whether she stays or goes, I want her to have a good send-off when it eventually comes to that.

OR...just leave it open-ended. Clara has been shown to have her own little life outside the Doctor. There's no reason her final episode has to be a permanent end. Instead of "goodbye," they could simply say, "Until next time...." Not every companion needs to have some crazy alternate reality brain wipe Weeping Angel ending. Sometimes it's okay to give them a Martha ending.

 

[Ithekro]

Or perhaps this is Clara finally deciding to be a full time companion, rather than going home every week. Saying something like, "Okay we lied to each other, but lets go find Gallifrey".

 

[Mr Awe]

Like I said earlier in this thread, if she stays, she needs to decide she's staying to travel with the Doctor. No more of this part time companion act. And, no stick in the mud boyfriend either.

That said, I do like her character and I hope she returns.

Mr Awe

 

[Guy Gardener]

Does the Doctor have 10 months of solo adventures inbetween Clara adventures or does he just immediately skip ahead to the next moment that he considers Clara will put up with him for a little bit more?

He may be older than his companions, but if this is his new modus operandi, his companions will be MATURING faster than he is since they have weeks months to digest ever adventure before the next one starts when he only has moments.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

Clara and the Doctor in Series 7 = utter magic. Loved every single second of it. Awaited new episodes with excitement. Loved seeing them onscreen together, loved watching them interact.

Clara and the Doctor is Series 8 = utterly unbelievable in their behavior towards each other, hampered by the writers changing Clara's character. Didn't look forward to new episodes. Hated the awkwardness and the distance between them.

Jenna Coleman DOES have chemistry with Capaldi, just as she did with Matt Smith. If this is true and she's sticking around for a bit longer, do justice to that. Bring back the magic. Let them interact like best friends and be playful, and fix the damage done in series 8. Then give her a proper sendoff.

But part of me thinks this is not true.

 

[Timewalker]

Ugh. She's become my second most hated companion during the events of the last series (after Mel, although honestly as a character Clara is probably worse, Mel is just more irritating) and I was really hoping that the Christmas special would be the last we'd see of her. Still, maybe with Danny dead she won't be as bad as she was in series 8. I liked her well enough in series 7, so hopefully she's more like that now that her annoying boyfriend is gone.

Danny didn't help matters, and I do feel he was a low point of season 8, but the problems didn't start or end with him. The main problem is how they went about re-working the relationship between the Doctor and Clara. We start in Deep Breath with Clara having trouble adjusting to the regeneration with the usual old crying. "Wah! He's not my Doctor! I want my Doctor!" That was a mistake, since Clara is the first companion in the entire franchise who was on hand for a regeneration who knew about it and has met other Doctors. Instead of playing with this new story idea, we get the usual old routine of the companion finding the new Doctor difficult to get used to and too different from his predecessor.

Clara has gone straight to the bottom of the list. I hate her most of all of the worst of the companions. Mel was an annoying screamer with an irritating voice, but at least she wasn't a liar who changed her mind every ten minutes and acted irritated instead of grateful to be shown the universe.

The bolded part of the above quote is incorrect, in my recollection. The Brigadier was on hand for the Pertwee-Baker regeneration, he knew what regeneration was, and he'd met all the previous Doctors.

Well with Clara, the writer can cheat. Can't figure out how to write yourself out of the corner you made with this character? Leave her behind and introduce a new one (one of her fragaments like Oswin Oswald (Dalek Clara) or Clara Oswin Oswald (Victorian Clara)). Lots of Claras to go around. Just has to be one that either save the Doctor from the past eras, or will do so in a later story (allowing a crossover tie in with one of the old Doctor's adventures).

Too damn many of them!

Write her out and keep her out, never to return unless they want her back for the 60th anniversary special. And then let us never see or hear her again.

A modern-day Sarah Jane? Pfft.

 

[The Wormhole]

The bolded part of the above quote is incorrect, in my recollection. The Brigadier was on hand for the Pertwee-Baker regeneration, he knew what regeneration was, and he'd met all the previous Doctors.

The Brigadier's status as a companion is debatable, but let's not get into that right now. The Brigadier is not someone who was travelling with the Doctor on a regular or even semi-regular basis. Clara is the first one of those to have been on hand for a regeneration with prior. Unless you count Rose and Captain Jack being on hand for Tennant's thing in The Stolen Earth, and even there we had Rose worried she was going to lose "her Doctor."

 

[Timewalker]

Since the Brigadier has traveled in the TARDIS and was a regular during the Pertwee years, he should at least have "Honorary Companion" status.

I won't change my mind on this, so we'll have to agree to disagree.