7. The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Ourselves
Doctor Who often explores the consequences of allowing our fear to control us. If we base our decisions on our fear of the unknown, then we are preventing ourselves from seeing more than one side of the situation. Our knee jerk reactions often make a problem worse, as we are unable to perceive information that may be helpful to us. Skaldak is so blinded by fear of loss and abandonment that he is willing to destroy a world to combat those feelings. He is a mighty warrior who is reduced to a terrified child. Clara does not truly face her fear until she is confronted by the dead bodies of the crew. Until then, it is easy for her to put herself into a dangerous situation because she does not fully understand its implications. She is not yet brave when she volunteers to talk to Skaldak because she doesnt know what that means. After her fear manifests, she is understandably hesitant to continue. Bravery, however, is not the absence of fear but the willingness to act in spite of it. By the end of the episode, Clara has shown herself as willing to put the need to protect the world in front of her own requirement for personal safety. This is the point where it truly feels that Clara has accepted her role as a hero and established herself as a companion of the Doctor.