LogFAQs > #965198505

2. Series 8 (The Doctor: Peter Capaldi, Companion/s: Clara Oswald)

*SPOILERS BELOW FOR SERIES EIGHT OF DOCTOR WHO*

Best Episode: Dark Water
Worst Episode: In the Forest of the Night

I've already said it, and it's a spoiler for when I inevitably rank the Doctors once I finish Baker 2's second season and all of McCoy, but Capaldi is my favorite Doctor of the reboot, and going into series eight, it was just so refreshing to have a strong change of pace from what we'd seen throughout the Doctor's run with Eccleston, Tennant, and Smith. I know a lot of viewers like the romance, and I'm fine with romance on occasion, but it's just so much more satisfying to see a grumpy old man who feels like he fits the shoes of the Doctor, without needing any romantic entanglements to build up his character.

Just like I said with series one, series eight is not PERFECT. There are some definite clunkers of episodes this season, and if I'm being completely honest, there are probably more bad or mediocre episodes than series nien, which I've already ranked. But where series eight succeeds is the fact that its highs are SO high, and the season as a whole feels really strong and coherent in its overarching narrative. Even series four (which at this point you know ranks highest) doesn't manage to quite match the level of storyline cohesion we get out of series eight.

Anyway, we're coming off Matt Smith's young, pretty, energetic Doctor, and he was paired with young, pretty, no third adjective Clara. That duo largely felt like they existed to cater to the vocal portion of the fanbase who encourages shipping and romance in the show. Suddenly, we transition to Peter Capaldi, and while I'm not saying the man has no sexual charm, the dynamic is JARRING when you pair him up with Clara. Deep Breath isn't the great intro, but it says a lot that they needed to film one final scene where Matt Smith has to reassure Clara (really, the fans) that the new guy is okay to stick with. So that's what we're working with, just going into the season: we have a companion who isn't necessarily on-board with the Doctor's regeneration, and the dynamic there is fascinating. Now, Clara can actually develop a character, and I'm invested in her story.

Up until this point in the show (and even after), traveling with the Doctor has largely been an exclusive experience. Yes, we met the families of companions prior, but for the most part, they were out-of-sight/out-of-mind. The closest we got to truly developing companions' personal lives were Rose (who largely mistreated Mickie until dragging him along and leaving him in an alternate universe), and the Ponds (who traveled together, so it's a different dynamic). Even Ryan/Graham are kinda like this with Whittaker. Series eight feels unique in that, aside from the first half of series seven, this is the first season that really has a vibe of a disconnect between companion and Doctor. Yes, Clara's good to go on a trip, but then she wants to go home and spend some time with her family. It's not just a life of galavanting through all of space and time for her, and in a way, that makes her feel a lot more human and relatable to me.

Enter Danny Pink. Admittedly, Clara's relationship with her family isn't as fleshed out as the trio of Rose/Martha/Donna, so to really ground her to her home life, we're introduced to Danny Pink. To me, he is one of the most fascinating characters the show has produced. Everything the show got right about Rory (the protective husband archetype), Danny does in spades. His early relationship with Clara is adorable, because she's scared to put himself out there; he's got some trauma in his past due to his time in the military. And when you think about it, that adds another layer to their dynamic. Much like how Eccleston was almost a surrogate father figure for Rose, Danny kinda fills the reverse purpose. The Doctor has been traumatized by his role in the Time War, but now he's this unobtainable character, so I have to wonder if Danny just happens to be the perfect surrogate for all those feelings Clara had for Matt Smith's Doctor.

The point is, with Danny around, Clara has this double life in a way we haven't really seen before. Going "traveling" and abandoning your family for month's on end is a dick move, but it's not the end of the world. Amy feels guilty and winds up bringing Rory with her. With Clara, she has this constant, nagging feeling that she can't keep traveling with the Doctor; she needs to stay home and be with Danny. That guilt makes her fascinating, especially when you consider just how dangerous some of the situations are that she gets into with the Doctor. There's definite tension between Clara and the Doctor as a result, and I think it goes a long way towards developing Capaldi's character. He's a POWERFUL actor, and if this was series seven Clara, she would be window dressing at best. But now, she can hold her own, and she does. The moment in Dark Water when she executes a plan to try and blackmail the Doctor feels earned, because she's a stronger character this season.

The decision to take an extremely likable character like Danny--who did nothing wrong in the season, mind you; he's not even that kind of nagging boyfriend who ruins a good time like people think of Skyler White in Breaking Bad--and kill him off is both brutal, but also extremely smart for storytelling purposes. Dark Water winds up being my favorite episode of the season for various reasons, but Danny's death and Clara's subsequent breakdown are two major components of it. Throw in Missy's involvement in the whole affair, and it's amazing to behold.