Doctor Who Review: The Witch’s Familiar – How 7 Characters Reveal Their Relationship Status

4. Clara

clara doctor who
BBC

The Clara of “The Witch’s Familiar” is a marked contrast to the one from “Magician’s Apprentice”. This is a Clara who has lost all control of the situation. She is no longer the confident, self-assured young woman who easily takes control of UNIT but a helpless pawn in Missy’s and Davros’ games. Watching Missy hook Clara into the Dalek shell is profoundly disturbing. In a brilliant call back to Oswin from “Asylum of the Daleks”, the dialog echoes Oswin’s insistence that she is still human even after conversion while Clara is forced to declare “I am a Dalek” though she remains in human form.

What separates the Doctor’s treatment of his companions from Missy’s relationship with Clara is compassion. The Doctor allows his companions a way in. While they can never truly know or understand him the way Missy does he accepts that he can learn from them and remains open to that potential knowledge. Clara is a student of the Doctor’s but she is also a teacher and the Doctor takes her seriously.

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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.