Doctor Who: 10 Things Series 8 Must Do To Be The Best Yet

3. Really Explore The Companions

For much of Doctor Who's history companions existed largely in a vacuum. Their lives were often wholly dismantled shortly before their travels with the Doctor, like in the case of orphan Victoria Waterfield, and in the end many of their lives were heavily rerouted by his influence. Few Classic Who travellers ever expected to return and face the lives they had left behind. At the start of Modern Who we saw the damage life with the Doctor can wreak on those who travel and the people that love them. Amy and Rory gave us a glimmer of a struggle of a different sort. They revelled in the allure of both worlds, caught in the pull between their lives both inside and outside the TARDIS. Clara has been a product of her mystery, a puzzle to solve, until now. With her mystery concluded, and the Doctor freshly regenerated, Clara's character can be taken in new directions. Additionally, now that all sorts of relationship history has been established, we can really get to know Clara and Danny in their own right. Series eight is a chance to discover them both as individuals and as a unit. All of this freedom means that series eight has time to work toward forging a bond between the companions and the audience, and it is that deep bond that carries a lot of the emotional punch of Doctor Who. Companion-related triumph and heartbreak has a chance to be at the forefront of events, and it is a chance the Doctor Who team should seize. Speaking of heartbreak...