[elisian @replies]

@barnable Actually, it sounds like you just disagree that the physics of S8 is wonky. Yes, I’ve seen opinions differ on that.

I do count governess-Claricle because while her death was due to her being a Claricle in one sense (ontological) it was also a point of evidence for the pattern of travel invitations prefiguring a violent, sudden death (narrative). Which is to say, those invitations seem to foreshadow death in order to lend additional poignancy to those deaths. I honestly don’t think SM-et-al predicted how much fans would take Osgood’s death to heart, any more than we would be upset by Rita’s or Astrid’s or Madame Pompadour’s… (M. du Pompadour could also be considered one of the doomed ‘almost companions’ though her death was one of fate/timing from the Doctor showing up too late rather than violence).

Anyway, the fact that governess-Clara was fated to die to save the doctor doesn’t take away from the pattern that the women the Doctor promises to take onto the Tardis “as soon as we get through this one next thing” seem to never survive that next thing. Seems they either hop onto the blue box immediately after invite, or they are DOOOOMED.

[elisian @replies]

I really hope there won’t be a timey-wimey reboot for “PE”. In Series 5/6 with Doctor 11, there definitely would; that’s a world in which Amy could effing [i]remember the Doctor into existence.[/i] What?! But Series 8 has been notably more reasonable about metaphysics (death is death!) even as it’s gotten less realistic about normal physics (the thing with the moon egg, the ridiculous psychic trees, etc). I would be very disappointed if we just found another Danny in S9; it would erase the emotional wallop of Danny’s sacrifice in the end of S8. And we really don’t need another Rory. I am sick of women being willing to sacrifice themselves for the Doctor and men being willing to sacrifice themselves for those women.

While I was really horrified at Osgood’s death — same screech of panic as when Danny was killed last episode — I actually saw it coming from the moment the Doctor offered to let her travel with him. Has anyone else noticed the pattern of women dying soon after the Doctor picks them as possible companion (in rebooted series)?
– Astrid Peth, “Voyage of the Damned”
– Jenny, “The Doctor’s Daughter” [though reversed]
– Rita, “The God Complex”
– Clara v2/governess, “The Snowmen”
– and I might be missing others…

On the other hand, Martha had to gradually get herself upgraded from 1-time to real companion, Donna demanded to (re-)join, Amy was promised and left alone for 20 years, and Clara was actively sought out as “Invisible Girl” after other Clara was killed. Any time the Doctor identifies someone as “companion worthy” without a lot of drama before that moment, the drama happens AFTER that moment.

EDIT: this is my first post, so please forgive me for not using primarily @ replies. I did read the whole thread 🙂

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