#i love unsolicited doctor who thoughts in my inbox. im eating them.

[quietwingsinthesky]

Unsolicited Doctor Who Take:

I think the "why" that you're looking for in Hell Bent is that Clara's arc is a metacommentary on the violation of Donna's agency in Journey's End. That's its primary motivating logic. That's why there's so much emphasis on Clara's ability to choose. The "I insist upon my past" line is basically Moffat's direct answer to RTD circa 2008. Moffat's "hybrid" is meant to evoke the metacrisis, etc. So where RTD's narrative punishes Donna for doctoring too close to the sun with a paternalistic removal of agency, Clara's "punishment" for trying to be the Doctor is... to be the Doctor. Punishment enough for itself.

The 'forever summer inequality' thing you described is part of an inversion of the narrative roles of "the Doctor" and "the Companion". Clara usurps the role of the Doctor and the Doctor becomes the Companion, becomes Donna, who gave him his face. It's Clara who flies off in her TARDIS with a new companion, while the Doctor is left behind, always missing something he cannot identify. ("Clara Who?" is so loaded.)

Does that make any sense? There's more I could say but I'm not trying to spring a whole essay on you. I'm just So Normal about this episode. Obviously you can feel however you want on the topic, I just think it's neat.

No, no, I thank you for this. This actually helps with my perspective on the episode. As a commentary on Donna’s departure from the show, I love it. Clara as an inversion of the usual companion arc is one of my favorite things about her character. And I have come back around again on her getting travel and be the Doctor. It’s hardly a happy ending beyond her continued life, it’s more. Bittersweet, hopeful for the universe in the way that having the Doctor or anyone like him out there is, and tragic for Clara, even if she hasn’t realized it yet. Or maybe she did; She knew the Doctor and all the drawbacks of his life as well as the wonders of it. Knew it better than most, even. I think I like that she picked it anyway.

(There’s also something nice about how Clara gets a “companion” of her own, but it’s different than the usual ‘companions getting companions’ idea. Like say, in the sarah jane adventures or torchwood, where Jack or Sarah Jane are doing a little pseudo-doctoring of their own, protecting the world and all, there’s always a bit of a gap in knowledge and experience between them and their companions. I like that Me and Clara are basically on the same playing field at the end there. Though, I’m biased, I love Me, I love her whole arc.)

aksjfkfjsl sorry. distracted easily. i like Hell Bent. I think it’s one of my favorite episodes of the show. and yeah, I would have been satisfied with an ending where Clara chose to keep her death that she walked to willingly, I’m also happy that it ends with her getting to play the Doctor’s part for all the good and ill it will probably bring her.

I’ll certainly miss her on the show now, though. 🥺