Monday, April 15, 2013

Clara Oswin Oswald: A Theory, Part 2

Spoiler warning right here. If you haven't seen the most recent episode of Doctor Who, turn away right now.

Okay, I'm really starting to think I'm right about Clara being an extension of Bad Wolf. And I have more evidence. If you haven't read the first part of my theory, go ahead and click through to read Clara Oswin Oswald: A Theory in Progress.
And here's a link to the third part of my theory: Clara Oswin Oswald: Part 3

First off, the repeats of red and roses in her scenes. Scrolling through my Doctor Who board on Pinterest I came across this little gem of a Tumblr post. (Really do click through then come back here because I don't have enough text to keep it straight with all the photos.)

So looking there, you've got a red dress in Asylum of the Daleks. Roses in the background of her ship in the same episode. A rose in her hair in The Snowmen. The word Rose on the pub sign. And a red dress again in The Snowmen. Also in The Snowmen is a rose possibly carved into Clara's grave marker.

In The Bells of St. John she wore a red dress again. She also wore red gloves when riding through London on the Doctor's motorcycle (? Not sure what that was.)

See? You can only see one glove in this shot, but it's there.
She's carrying a red purse in The Rings of Akhaten, too.

And the one that takes the cake, that really makes me think I'm right?





In Cold War, when the Doctor's pockets are emptied, there's a blonde doll cast aside. A blonde doll that the Doctor kisses when it's returned to him. Over-abundant enthusiasm? Maybe. But could the doll remind him of Rose in some way? I'm thinking maybe. But it's important enough that the writers decided to have it be one of two items returned to the Doctor in that crucial climax scene.

It's given back to him just before Clara uses the song lyrics "hungry like a wolf" to (possibly) calm down the Ice Warrior and end the standoff.

Directly after which the Doctor remarks, "Well now we're safe."

Now they're safe. Because of Clara. Just like Rose as Bad Wolf wanted to ensure. And if the doll taken out of the Doctor's pockets was really a reminder of Rose in some way, that he got it back just before Clara accomplished the task she was designed for, then there's a connection there.

I also want to point out (and I have no picture nor direct quote on this) that in "A Good Man Goes to War" River points out to the Doctor that there are worlds who revere him. Her point is that in some of these Doctor=Great Warrior. But couldn't we also argue that these worlds hold the Doctor up as a god of some sort? If so, then looking at the meanings of Clara's three names (from my last theory post), she really could be a smart friend and helper to a god. Taken in that context, Bad Wolf was protecting this god from the false gods who would supplant him.

She's keeping him safe by always making sure he has a friend around to keep him from the Time Lord victorious state. (We could seriously argue that it was Bad Wolf who led Donna and Wilf to the Doctor all those times.)

And now for the crown of this theory. We've already seen that Rose/Bad Wolf is capable of far greater influence and foreknowledge than this.

Remember this? It's Rose and Donna talking in "Turn Left" when someone created an entire alternate reality around Donna. In this scene in particular, we hear Rose say to Donna two things. First, "He thought you were brilliant." And second, "You're the most important woman in all of creation."

How would Rose know anything about Donna and anything about how the Doctor viewed her? He didn't meet Donna until "Runaway Bride," immediately after losing Rose to the alternate universe. The only way she would know is if she retained a little bit of her Bad Wolf knowledge. Just enough to once again keep the Doctor safe by bringing Donna into his life. And keeping her there when time got rewritten.

But the events of "Runaway Bride" led directly into "Smith and Jones" where Martha ended up keeping the Doctor safe at various points. And then we can argue that Bad Wolf led Wilf to the Doctor in "End of Time" when it came time for the Doctor's greatest threat. Wilf helped the Doctor and helped Bad Wolf keep the Doctor safe. He tried to make the Doctor let him die. But the Doctor couldn't. Couldn't let that happen. So he did what only a Time Lord can.

In essence, Bad Wolf has been (arguably) responsible for the Doctor's safety since she was created. So it makes sense, then, to think that perhaps Clara has something to do with Bad Wolf.

28 comments:

  1. This makes sense in so many ways. And then the fact that Rose and Ten will be in the 50th anniversary episode with Eleven and Clara. Coincidence? I think not.

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    1. Well, as the Doctor would say, "Never ignore a coincidence. Unless you're busy. Then always ignore a coincidence." There has to be a Bad Wolf connection here. Thanks for coming by!

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    2. I think the Bad Wolf was one of the more clever plots in Doctor Who (I didn't really like the whole River Song being River Song). Though I don't want Clara to be the daughter of Rose/Ten, I really hope it's somewhere along the lines of your idea, Rose implanting Clara for the current Doctor!

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    3. I don't know how I'd feel if it was revealed that she's Rose and 10.5's daughter. Actually, I have this story in my head of how they end and it's beautiful and sweet and HEA. I don't want Moffat screwing with that vision in my head. But knowing him, he's got that planned for the 50th. LOL. I hated the whole River storyline. I can only hope now her parents are gone and she's not incarcerated any more she's out of the picture for good. (I rather like the theory going around that 11's already seen her off to the library, knowing what's gonna happen to her there.)

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  2. I thought I was the only one that hated the River storyline! I mean I loved her in the beginning when she had the mystery around her, I loved the Silence in the library episode! But I just hated how she was Amy and Rory's daughter because it just seemed a bit off! And knowing Moffat, I doubt he'll do the same thing again so I doubt Clara is biologically related to Ten/Rose. Yep, I just heard of that theory! I think it's an awesome theory as it ties up all of River's storyline! I can't wait for the 50th!

    (Regiya)

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    1. I definitely don't think Clara is the literal offspring of Rose and 10.5. What I disliked most about the River storyline/character was how smug she was all the time. Like she could just put out a message there she'd know the Doctor would see and be all confident he'd come running. And I hated that he did. That's, I think, why I like Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead so much looking at it with hindsight. For the first time in her life she's called the Doctor to her side and when he shows up, he's not the Doctor she knows. He has absolutely no idea who she is and why she would summon him.

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    2. See, I liked how she knew him but he didn't! It was confusing because of the whole "timey-wimey stuff" =P I think it's pretty clever how they meet backwards and if this upcoming episode(s) is the doctor saying "goodbye" to River to her death, then it's technically the 'last' time they meet. AH, it's so confusing! I loved that bit but not Amy + Rory = River part. Hm, I really hope I could watch SITL again! I can't exactly remember River's behaviour except as you put it, she was smug. But yeah, I think you're right - River calls for the Doctor as in 11, but she ends up meeting 10, leading to the whole thing to happen all over again.

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    3. She wasn't smug in Silence in the Library after she realized the Doctor really didn't know her. But she got more and more smug the further in the Doctor's timeline we got. And I'm going to pretend not to have heard anything about River in the upcoming episode so I don't go into it with any expectations.

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    4. River knows "all" his faces. I would assume this would include the ones we don't.

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  3. Holy crap. I thought your theory was good, then when I read this... You sold me on it at the song lyrics from Cold War...

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  4. Ahh, but you haven't worked in any of what was stated in this recent interview: http://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/steven-moffat-doctor-who-finale-will-change-eve/306741

    This states that Clara has met the Doctor more than three times.

    Also for people that don't like River Song, sorry...she IS coming back this season. At least for the last episode for sure.

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    1. No, it doesn't address that because a) I don't read articles lest they spoil future episodes and b) my theory only addresses the Clara episodes we've seen thus far (when I feel there's enough that needs addressing in a blog post here).

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  5. Oh and im pretty sure captain jack isnt coming back for anything major, ever. Thats because he's the face of boe and the face of boe revealed his greatest secret to be YANA....

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    1. Yeah, it's been confirmed that John Barrowman won't be returning for the 50th. Nor will Christopher Eccleston.

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  6. Oh and I really think that Billie Piper and David Tennant are returning as the tenth doctor and rose (during their early travels) for the 50th special and not as meta-crisis doctor and parallel world rose =P

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    1. That's my thought, too. I was thinking that maybe it's like what Eleven did in "The Impossible Astronaut" and sends out calls for help to all his past incarnations because the threat Earth faces needs that much help to prevent. But not all the Doctors will get the message in time thus we won't see all the Doctors. (Which would explain the absence of some of the early Doctors whose portrayers have passed away.)

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    2. I still think its a bluff =D Its kinda stupid of me but I really think its a bluff, the rest have to come! =P

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  7. And also, this present day Clara, I think she's completely normal just like Emma Grayling said she is "clever, pretty but completely ordinary".

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    1. That doesn't discount that she's not an extension of Bad Wolf though. All of them could have been completely ordinary, no weird things other than what the Doctor sees or thinks he sees/knows.

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  8. I completely agree with you on that though =D
    Best theory ever! =P plus, wait ill give you the link, this person has the same theory =P

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    1. http://who-lligan.tumblr.com/post/47304596201/the-bad-wolfed-clara-oswald-theory
      ^here you go =)

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  9. How would you explain the fact that the TARDIS doesn't like Clara.... ....is 'she' trying to protect The Doctor? Possibly by trying to avoid unavoidable events?

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    1. I think maybe the TARDIS doesn't like Clara because it recognizes her as an anomaly...kinda like when it tried to shake off Jack near the end of season 3.

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  10. oh, just a thought.... ....if Oswald was a re-incarnation of the Master, that would be very cool! He/She needs to come back!

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    1. Check out the link I posted above, it sorta answers alotta questions =D

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