Thoughts on the end of Eleven's/the Pond era

[elisi]

I'm a lot more OK than I thought I'd be. Don't get me wrong, I'd happily watch Eleven forever, and oh, I will miss him LIKE BURNING. But.

The Eleventh Doctor is a Pond. And that is so fundamental that obviously he can't chance without changing completely...

He arrived, young and gangly, and met a young child... And they grew up together. They ran away from marriage and then accepted it, and dealt with the pains and difficulties that life brought - a lot of it back to front and upside down. And then he lost them. His Ponds. His family. First Amy and Rory, and then his wife. And this took its toll.

The S7 finale showed us that he'd also lost River - and yet not let go. He stepped off his cloud at Christmas, came back into the world, yet his hearts were still with his last Pond. I don't think he quite knows how to live without them. (He doesn't seem whole without them, y'know? River's goodbye was beautiful and so painful. The gap she's left behind can't be filled. So I almost welcome the end, because living with that emptiness would be unsustainable.)

So it seems to make sense that because they went, he goes too. There's still the business of Silence Falling (who DID blow up the TARDIS?) - and then Trenzalore (the Fall of the Eleventh). Because he needs to set his house in order. But it's clearly near the end. After all, the S7 finale took place in his tomb... (Not subtle, this show. *g*)

Which brings me to Clara. Wonderful, delightful, impossible Clara. Clara continues the trend of eras overlapping... River turning up 'too early' in the Library, Oswin turning up during the Pond era. It's like handing over, not leaving him on his own - giving him something to live for. (Amy, literally, tells River to look after him. And River pretty much does the same with Clara.)

Of course Clara exists across all of the Doctor's timeline, yet I think Twelve might be *hers*. Much like Rose imprinted on Ten...

Speaking of Twelve, here's Promethia:

I was just thinking how Clara is going to be the MOST PREPARED COMPANION EVER for regeneration. She's gonna be like "It's ok, Doctor, you're doing great. Just keep breathing and focus on my voice. You're going to be wonderful. I've got some tea here for you and a wide selection of eccentric clothing in a variety of sizes. Just . . . maybe try to keep the height under 6'6", yeah?"

Which reminds me that I was going to compare eras. This is slightly tongue-in-cheek (I *like* RTD! I will say nice things about Tinkerbell!Doctor), but I think it's fairly obvious that Moffat is a lot better for/nicer to the Doctor than RTD. (RTD is like Joss. He likes hurting his toys...) Using Texts From the TARDIS macros (so handy!), I shall illustrate where Ten and Eleven find themselves respectively as they come to the end of their time:





Ten was lonely, in pain, [half]-insane and generally a [terrifying] kicked puppy all round. Eleven has loved and lost, but made peace with his loss and found a new friend to hold his hand.

I'll be a mess come Christmas; but there's a time to live, and a time to sleep. Eleven has more than earned his rest.

Mind you - Twelve will have big shoes to fill! :)

Comments

[elisi]

I think the thing is that they had to be introduced, become familiar and then killed off in the space of less than an hour. With Original!Clara we have more time.

(Btw what do you think of the 'too perfect' accusation?)

[promethia_tenk]

I think the thing is that they had to be introduced, become familiar and then killed off in the space of less than an hour. With Original!Clara we have more time.
Mmmmm, I think it's more like the way that River has RIVER!mode--it's a lot of fun, but it's also a front. Oswin and Victorian!Clara are like Clara in CLARA!mode . . . except it kind of feels like that might be all there is.

I think maybe in 7.5 we were supposed to be seeing that Clara was developing CLARA!mode (I am the boss!). Except that I'm not sure that that growth was really successfully conveyed. It was kind of a jerky progression.

(Btw what do you think of the 'too perfect' accusation?)
Well, for once that accusation comes from the Doctor himself!

[elisi]

Oswin and Victorian!Clara are like Clara in CLARA!mode . . . except it kind of feels like that might be all there is.
I think the thing is that all the echo!Claras know who they are and what their mission is (something real!Clara only discovers/chooses at the end of 7.13 - and then it's a one-off, we don't know where she'll go from here). So the others are - deliberately - a bit one dimensional?

I think maybe in 7.5 we were supposed to be seeing that Clara was developing CLARA!mode (I am the boss!). Except that I'm not sure that that growth was really successfully conveyed. It was kind of a jerky progression.
Nah, I think CLARA!mode only engages properly when she jumps.

Well, for once that accusation comes from the Doctor himself!
Very true. Which is why I think there's more to it. He's talking to original!Clara, not the clones...

[promethia_tenk]

So the others are - deliberately - a bit one dimensional?
Yup, that was my point.

Very true. Which is why I think there's more to it. He's talking to original!Clara, not the clones...
This. Original flavor Clara, taken all on her own, still has something of the uncanny about her.

[elisi]

Long days at work. Not very busy, but not good for brain activity...

This. Original flavor Clara, taken all on her own, still has something of the uncanny about her.
Plus he met her when she was little - the echoes are all aimed specifically at him, but original Clara is 'just a girl'...

[promethia_tenk]

Ooo, I'd been meaning to bring that up, yes! Victorian Clara and Oswin were, essentially, looking for him. Modern twenty-something Clara was directed too him by the mysterious woman in the shop. But how do we explain his running into young Clara on the swings? Fate?

And when did she take a course on time machine fuel cell engineering?

[elisi]

More importantly: The Leaf changed.

That leaf is *her* - and it changed.

[promethia_tenk]

I have no idea why I'm not more caught up on that. Jacket!Doctor was totally real, and yet I'm still like 'eh, there was some weird production thing . . .'

Never mind that they totally make sure you can see the leaf clearly. IDK *knocks on head* Ignore me, I'm weird. It should totally be A Real Thing. It's better if it is A Real Thing.

[elisi]

I think it might be because it's unclear what it means? Like her date of birth and the date of her mother's death etc. Saying 'it means something' is almost redundant, because we can't see what.

[promethia_tenk]

That's a fair point. I guess the question I'd want answered is if the leaf is different, are her parents still the same? Just how sticky is she in this timestream?

But we've also seen enough inconsistencies that really just were production weirdness to make me wary. It's that tug between "the attention to detail on this show is ammaaaaazing" and "wow, how do you people manage to get this show made at all?"

[elisi]

That's a fair point. I guess the question I'd want answered is if the leaf is different, are her parents still the same? Just how sticky is she in this timestream?
Well her mum is still the same, we know that from the prequel. But then there is that possible Time Beetle... OK, I give up. Let's just wait & see.

It's that tug between "the attention to detail on this show is ammaaaaazing" and "wow, how do you people manage to get this show made at all?"
*laughs* This.

[promethia_tenk]

Could Clara's Dad show up in season eight and we're like "wait . . . who is this random dude?" This would be the show for it. It gave us Amy's unexpected!parents at the end of season five, after all.

[elisi]

But he's definitely there. The Doctor takes that message from him in the Bells episode.

[promethia_tenk]

He definitely is. But we didn't see him. Which is the sort of loophole that Moff likes to put in to exploit later.

Totally just musing aloud, but as you say, if the leaf changes, what the heck does that mean?

[elisi]

He definitely is. But we didn't see him. Which is the sort of loophole that Moff likes to put in to exploit later.
Indeed. And the leaf changes after that episode. But he's already 'destined' to meet her... OK, now my head hurts. It was a production error. /o\