10 Quintessential Doctor Who Moments From The 12th Doctor

To fully come to terms with Clara’s death, The Doctor needed to spend 7,000 years in almost complete solitude. Whether he was compelled to do so by an unseen force, or if it was a punishment of his own design, will never be entirely clear. What will be remembered is Capaldi’s 55-minute tour de force of solo acting that equated to one of the most powerful episodes in the show’s 55-year run.

It’s been ages since one of The Doctor’s companions was killed. For the most part either The Doctor’s been very good or each companion had been very lucky. However, this break from the status quo led to a break in The Doctor that looked like it would last a lifetime. In the end, the mourning period lasted a brief 7,000+ years, time enough for him to punch a hole in a crystallized wall—little by little. If only it were that simple for everyone to work through the loss of a loved one.