Apollo's Rebellion

Okay, that was shocker wasn't it? Probably one of the most packed episodes of Doctor Who in the entire series, I would say. My tea was cold, my sandwich was left abandoned and my eyes were transfixed on that screen for a full 45 minutes. If there was anything I missed I don't know how I did. Kindly look away now if you want to avoid any spoilers.

Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting from the finale. I didn't want to ruin it by speculating things or generally talking about what happened. But I did anyway. Previously, I had posted two articles about who Clara Oswald may be which you can find here and here, but I was pleasantly surprised that all those theories weren't right because the real truth was perfect. In true Moffat style we got the timey-wimey end of the stick and worked back to the beginning. Having Clara seem like an impossible person, but have her turn out to be ordinary and be impossible by meeting the Doctor made her more like the older companions and made all those people who complained about it happy. I loved the fact that Clara did what she did because she wanted to save him, because she knew what saving him will do to the entire universe. In a sense Clara didn't only save the Doctor, she helped him save countless lives and planets and galaxies andI stand by my word in saying that she is my favourtie companion.

How about that cliffhanger, eh? That was a surprise, too. John Hurt had mentioned that he was playing the Doctor in a sort of Doctor trilogy in the fiftieth, but I did not expect to see him in the finale. How many secrets does this man have? I'm not sure how he fits into the Doctor's timeline, but I think that each Doctor still retains their number placing as in Matt is the still the Eleventh and so on until William Hartnell being the First. And John Hurt was the Doctor somewhere between all this or after all this or before (take your pick), but not properly considered as the Doctor, because he chose to use his own name, by the other incarnations. That would sort out the order thing and mess with people's heads. Although, Doctor Who does have a tendency to mess around with people's heads, anyway. It's going to be a long wait till November, but at least I have exams to keep my mind busy.

Lastly, what about that River story line? I was almost on the verge of tears. I honestly, didn't know what to say I was just sitting trying to wrap head around everything and just trying not to cry or scream or move. Steven Moffat really does know how to write something heartwarming and sad. Just like the Doctor, I hate endings and that's why liked the fact that she said that the best type of goodbye is the one where he will see her later, saying that her story hasn't ended yet.

This is possibly one of the better episode of the series, if not then the best. I'm still in awe of how Steven Moffat managed to fit everything into one episode, as a writer myself I can tell is must have been hard for him to pick the best scenes and bits to add and what scenes to miss out. The subtle humour in it was perfectly done at the right time seeing as the entire episode was shrouded in darkness. Most of the loose ends were tied and it left me considerably satisfied. And the throwback to the past Doctors was wonderfully done.

So a few weeks ago I posted this little article on all the Clara Oswald theories circulating and I thought I would follow it up with my final theories seeing as it's the series finale next Saturday.

A few things have cropped up over the past few episodes that hint at who Clara Oswald may be and there have also been more Rose references. In The Bells of Saint John the Doctor puts a vase of roses by her bedside, in Hide she walks past a crate that says "Rose" (as in the wine) on it and in Cold War she sings Hungry like the Wolf by Duran Duran. Previously I had dismissed all theories about Clara being connected to Rose, but I think I may have a theory that could allow all these multiple references make sense. We now know that both David Tennant and Billie Piper are returning for the fiftieth anniversary, it has been hinted that the finale leads into the fiftieth and it seems like they will be playing a big role in it.

"I want you safe, my Doctor."

My first theory is that Clara was created by Rose. Hold on, I know what you're saying, how was she created by Rose? You don't mean that she's Rose and Ten.5 child? No, that's disgusting, the Doctor kissed her and he does seem very attracted to her! Let's cast our minds back to the Series 1 finale The Parting of the Ways when Rose creates the Bad Wolf. She looks into the heart of the TARDIS because she wants to save the Doctor. She absorbs all the energy and she can see everything, the past, the present and the future just to save him because she wants him safe. If she could see everything, couldn't she see what will happen to him in the future. That he may need help at some point in his life? So, what if she created someone who could help him? The perfect companion aka Clara Oswald. In the prequel She Said, He Said the Doctor says that she's too perfect. In one of the previews one of the pieces of dialogue is "I'm Clara Oswald and I was born to save the Doctor." She was born to save the Doctor, her sole purpose is to save the Doctor. She's done it twice before in Asylum of the Daleks and The snowmen, but what if those parts of her were just to spark his curiosity in her and lead him to modern day Clara where she will, ultimately, save him from the fields of Trenzalore. Rose has placed her in different places and eras knowing that somehow the Doctor will find her and take her as his companion. This could explain why the TARDIS doesn't like her because she's anomaly, just like Captain Jack and in series 3 she tried to also get rid of him. Rose doesn't remember what she saw when she absorbed all that time energy so she won't remember what she had seen or done. Maybe, somehow Clara and Eleven have to find Rose and Ten to solve Clara's problem or something thus accounting for their involvement in the fiftieth anniversary.

Clara dressed as Ace

In the same preview mentioned above I have noticed that she is dressed up in different outfits namely one that looks out of the eighties and another from the seventies. I read some of the comments and seems as if they resemble Ace and Sarah Jane Smith when she first met the Doctor. I'm not sure what this could mean, but I'm assuming that it still has something to do with her being the perfect companion. She possess qualities from each companion that the Doctor has ever had. I assuming that the outfits are more about what she's going to do in the episode rather than what she is actually, but I thought I would just point it out.

Maybe Doctor Simeon knows the truth?

My other theory is that she is a manifestation of the Doctor's mind, created by him for him. The Doctor is old and he has traveled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, but what if in one of his adventures something got into his mind and thought up the most perfect companion alive and scattered her throughout time and space to allure him toward her. Thus accounting for the two other Claras he has met before. We also know that Doctor Simeon and the Great Intelligence are returning, could it be that she was created by them as a sort of experiment and while she was being created she heard these stories about a man called the Doctor who saves universes and helps people in need and instead of turning into something evil to fight against the Doctor she turns into someone good, who wants to save him, knowing what will happen in Trenzalore. She tries to escape and in some way gets split into different people from different times, but with the same personality, waiting to meet the Doctor and save him, but in the split she has lost all memory of him. This theory may need a bit of work, though and it seems to parallel with River's story in Series 6.

"Aren't I a clever girl?"

I didn't come up with this theory, but I did read about it on various occasions: Clara is CAL from the Library. Although, some minor continuity errors and the fact that CAL was a little girl in that computer for a long time, it could actually be slightly plausible. Doctor Who magazine released some spoilers about the finale and one of them was that  post-Library River returns. If post-Library River can return back into her human form then maybe CAL could too, and age a little in the process. In Forest of the Dead CAL said "Aren't I a clever girl" and Clara's repeated phrase, "Run you clever boy and remember," both allude to the intelligence of a person. CAL referring to herself and Clara referring to the Doctor. The "and remember" part could also be her urging him to remember her from the library. This theory is good, but it doesn't explain why he met her before.

In an interview, Jenna-Louise Coleman said something that made me scratch my head a little. She said, "The Doctor hasn't just meet Clara three times before." Three times before. But he's only met her twice before. This could be a slip on Jenna's part or a clue to something that might happen in the finale. Also judging from the preview and the fact that she's wearing previous companion's clothes it could mean that sometime in his other adventures as his previous forms, he has unknowingly meet her before.

The excitement for this episode is killing me. I can't wait to see the direction this goes with regards to her story and the Doctor's and if it is possible that both are connected in a way. I don't know how they're going to achieve it in one 45 minute episode or how I'm going to be able to study for my upcoming exams with this mystery plaguing my thoughts. Next Saturday is going to be one for the history books.

Since it's Doctor Who's fiftieth year and I'm a fan of making lists, I decided to make a list of my favourite Doctor Who companions. This is a list of my favourite "full-time" companions (i.e. were on for more than a few episodes). My list of once-off companions is coming soon, so watch this space. Bear in mind that I have not watched a sufficient amount of ClassicWho episodes to add some of the well-loved classic companions and that all opinions are my own.

She's been described as the impossible woman, the woman twice dead and the only mystery worth solving, but how much do we actually know about Clara Oswin Oswald? She's not your average girl with a cute face, a she's fast talking, no nonsense type of girl. There's a few things that I picked up about Clara from both Asylum of the Daleks and The Snowmen that could give us a few clues as to who she may just be.

Oswin, Victorian and Modern day Clara

When we first see her she's Oswin, a junior entertainment officer for the Star ship Alaska. She's playing the classic Habanera from Carmen on her crashed ship. The title of the song is L'amour est un oiseau rebelle which means Love is a Rebellious Bird. The song is all about how love is something that cannot be tamed and knows no law. Another line of the song is L'amour est enfant de Boheme which means Love is a gypsy's child. I only point this out because the first three times we see her, she is wearing red. This doesn't necessarily imply that she is a gypsy-gypsy, but, rather, a traveler someone who the Doctor will keep bumping into everywhere he goes. She exists in almost every time stream and keeps popping up wherever he is, sort of like a traveler. Also, if you think about it, the Doctor is also a sort of traveler because he doesn't have a home and lives in his transportation device.

A thing I also noticed with Clara is roses. In Asylum of the Daleks she is wearing a rose in her hair (also associated with gypsies) and in The Snowmen she works at the Rose and Crown pub. Some people's theory is that it has to do with Rose Tyler, but I think Moffat would be smarter than that. A red rose is a symbol of love and beauty, but it can also symbolise courage and respect. We know that Clara is very courageous and brave from our first two encounters with her. Firstly, in Asylum of the Daleks she helps the Doctor out and fights with all her strength to not kill him when she finds out she is a Dalek and in The Snowmen she deliberately goes against all orders given to her and follows the Doctor even though she doesn't know where exactly she is going. The rose is also the national flower of England, but I don't know how that helps. The fact that a rose keeps cropping up in the series could be a sort of sign to the viewers (like Bad Wolf) and that it has a bigger meaning in the grand scheme of things. That or Moffat just likes roses...

Rose in her hair, The Rose and Crown, the Doctor giving roses and roses on her headstone.

She has three names Clara Oswin Oswald. In Asylum of the Daleks she's just Oswin Oswald and in The Snowmen and The Bells of Saint John she's Clara Oswin Oswald. I don't know the meanings of the names give away anything, but Clara means bright, clear and famous, Oswin means God's friend and Oswald means God's power. Ignoring the famous part we could say that when the Doctor meets her in The Snowmen she's clear as in right in front of him and he can see her, whereas in Asylum of the Daleks he can't see her and he doesn't know what her human form looks like. which would explain why in Asylum of the Daleks the Clara is dropped from her name. The other two names Oswin and Oswald seem very religious, both referring to God. Oswin, meaning God's friend, could imply friend of the Doctor. In Series 6 we find that the Doctor goes have a bit of a god complex and we know that he is someone that people look up to in a way. He's saved galaxies and worlds and possibly to some he can been seen as a god. In a recent prequel or teaser the Doctor does refer to Clara as his friend. This doesn't imply that the Doctor is an actual god, just that he's seen as a god or godlike figure by others. Oswald means God's power which could also reiterate the fact that it's the Doctor's power. If we go with the theory that Clara is a trap for the Doctor we could also say that whoever is planting the trap (ie the Great Intelligence) also view themselves as a god or having the power of a god. Or it could be that I'm looking too much into this and it's just a bunch of random names that Moffat picked out, although with Moffat nothing is coincidence unless he forgets about it, then it's coincidence.

Lastly, her occupations. Clara is a barmaid and a governess, but I'm assuming that she was a temporary barmaid and is usually a full time governess judging by the way the family treated her when she came back. Oswin was a junior entertainment officer which, I'm assuming, is someone whose sole purpose on the ship is to entertain people which will account for her enjoyment of Carmen. The Clara in modern day London seems to be a nanny judging from this teaser from CultBox where a piece of dialogue is "You don't look like a nanny" I'm assuming this is said by the Doctor to Clara. So, in short, Oswin was a junior entertainment officer which is a sort of nanny (having make sure everyone is happy, no one's causing trouble), Victorian Clara was a governess which is basically a nanny and Modern day Clara is a nanny. This could mean that all the Claras are not only connected by their names and looks, but also by their personalities and occupations. They are, quite simply, the same person.

Some of the theories circulating are actually pretty good and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were true. My theory when I first saw Oswin in Asylum of the Daleks was that, when the planet exploded, fragments of her got scattered into pieces through all of space and time, but because she had erased the memory of the Daleks she too forgot who the Doctor was. This would explain why she doesn't know him in the Christmas special.  But, after watching the Christmas special, I think that theory may not be all that plausible. I think Clara has something to do with the Great Intelligence which I know made its first appearance in the classic series. I have not watched that episode yet, but I do know that the Great Intelligence from the Classic Series and the on from the Christmas special are linked and it has been confirmed by the official site that they are the same. I only say this because the snow seemed to correlate with Clara and the family she worked with, like when she met the Doctor and the snow started to feed off her thoughts and the fact that the governess before her drowned in the pond, how convenient. Maybe she is a trap for the Doctor, the perfect companion to lead him somewhere, although this may be along the same lines of the Series 5 finale where the Alliance created the perfect scenario for him. It could explain why she is so clever, brave and overall perfect. What if the Great Intelligence is feeding off the Doctor's thoughts just like the snow fed off the peoples? This is the theory that almost everyone thinks of because it seems to be the most plausible.

The one thing that I believe will play a big role the Clara/Oswin story is memory. "Run you clever boy and remember" is the line uttered by both Oswin and Clara as they are dying, but what is it that the Doctor has to remember? He is meant to remember "the girl who can"? Or is he meant to remember the adventure they went through? Or is it something bigger? Maybe he's meant to remember someone or something from his past and not only her. Is this Steven Moffat trying to tells us to remember something that we may have forgotten? Or is she just begging him to remember her because he was that special? Moffat plays a lot with the memory thing like when Amy's memories were played with by the crack in her wall and she had to bring back the Doctor by remembering him. The main villain in Series 6 where the Silence who you forget once you looked away from them. Memory is a big thing for a writer because you have to know what happen to each character and when certain things happen in order for the story to flow and have continuity. For a show like Doctor Who memory is a big thing, there's nothing worse than having a fan of the show pick up something that the writer should have known. If the show doesn't have a lasting continuity then the viewer will begin to get bored and give up on it completely.

Summing everything up, roses, red, nannys and something to do with memory. I wonder how much this links together. Clara is as much mystery to us as she is to the Doctor and only time will tell if our theories are true or not. Whatever or whoever Clara is, one thing is for sure, it's the fiftieth year which means everything is going to be big. Bring on March 30th (or 31st in my case) because it's going to be a fantastic second part to Series 7.