WARNING! SPOILERS: This post contains spoilers and speculation for the Doctor Who series nine episode Hell Bent. The Doctor Who series nine finale Hell Bent is a giant fake out and that is both a good and bad thing. The often referenced hybrid is an enormous red herring soon rendered meaningless in a cloud of clever dialog and determined misdirection. The true series nine arc is the Doctors descent into selfishness and his unhealthy obsession with Clara. Hell Bent briefly masquerades as a war story but soon turns into a narcissistic romance where our heroes are so busy admiring their own reflection in the other persons eyes they ignore whats going on around them. Its brilliant up until the point the script falls in love with its own cleverness. The power of Claras death is undermined for the sake of a sly and convenient happy ending and the episode falls to pieces. Its fitting Clara is left without the pesky bodily functions that signify life as her character was never truly allowed to breathe. Instead of a fully realized human being we are left with a second-hand copy of the Doctors path and personality. Clara may be one of the longest running companions but in the end we still dont know her.
Mary Ogle is the author and illustrator of “Orangeroof Zoo” a whimsical tale of magical realism told through the pages of a coloring book for adults. Working as a professional artist in the digital medium, Mary’s commissions have included everything from fine art to fan art, book cover design, illustration and book layout. Find more of Mary’s work at www.maryogle.com. Mary currently finds inspiration in the Ojai Valley, residing in a snug little cottage with a recalcitrant cat.
