7. Clara Oswald Will Voluntarily Depart During The Final Episode
Most seasons ended with the departure of a companion. Amy left midseason, but everyone else left during big finales. Amy was also the longest-running companion, beating Roses record by five episodes. So its pretty safe to say that Clara will be a more old-school companion, departing in the finale. There are three ways someone leaves the Tardis: theyre forced off, by death or some equivalent (Rose and Donna), theyre left behind (Jack, Amy, almost), or they leave voluntarily (Martha, Mickey). I think Claras going to become the latest companion to walk away from the Doctor. Like all the other companions, Clara knows the score. She knows the risks of running away with a spaceman in a box, and she knows what could happen to her, and she does it anyway. But unlike Donna and Rose, who were determined to stay with the Doctor forever, Clara hasnt left her old life behind. Shes kept it open, so that she can walk back into it at any time. Shes too smart to just throw everything out to run away with the Doctor. She leads with her head, not her heart. The Eleventh Doctor needs Clara too much to leave her behind. Maybe the Twelfth wont, but I doubt it. Clara gave the Doctor hope and faith in life again, gave him a person to care about, and she saved his life a thousand times over by giving her own. Hell never stop owing her for that: he cant leave her. Sure, its possible that Clara could die or something. But shes smart enough to leave before that happens. Because shes smart enough to know that, if she stays with the Doctor, shell either die or be forgotten. Even if hes in love with her, she saw what happened to River Song. She wont stick around for that. The question is, how will the Doctor react to this abandonment? Would Clara really abandon the Doctor? Is she smart enough not to just stick with him, like Rose did, but to walk away? Or will she crack and hang around until she has to leave?