Doctor Who: Series Nine Without Jenna Coleman

Series Nine of Doctor Who was a breath of fresh air, a perfect mix of the classic episodes and the magic of the newer incarnation of the program. But what would last season have been like had Jenna Coleman departed as she had considered?

Even though Doctor Who had been rebooted just over a decade ago, there have been quite a few ‘what if’ moments on the show. What if Christopher Eccleston had remained for more than one season, or had come back for the 50th Anniversary special? What if Amy had decided to leave Rory behind, and travel with the Doctor instead? What if Jenna Coleman had actually left after Series Eight, leading to a new companion coming aboard the TARDIS in Series Nine?

There is no denying that last season would have had a much different feel. Part of why Series Nine was so enjoyable to watch was the interactions between Clara and the Doctor, where they had realized how much they needed one another and became a true team fighting together.

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It is possible that a new companion would have had the same result. In bringing in a companion better suited to the personality of the Twelfth Doctor, we could have had that same symmetry and feeling of togetherness that the Doctor and Clara had last season. However, we would have lost Clara’s transformation from being a manipulative, lying person into someone that the Doctor could trust.

That transformation may well be the biggest part of Clara’s narrative. In becoming a true friend and confidant for the Doctor, she went from being the companion that fans loved to hate to being a companion whose strengths may have matched best with the Doctor.

Just imagine how she would have been viewed had Coleman departed after Series Eight. Our lasting impressions would have been about her lying to both Danny Pink and the Doctor, of her throwing the keys to the TARDIS into the heart of a volcano and of her walking away in anger. Instead, by staying for one more season, we have a Clara who finally reached the potential that she had when first introduced in one of her many incarnations throughout the Doctor’s timeline.

Next: New companion likely to be announced soon

Series Nine of Doctor Who not only would have had a different feel had Clara departed from the show, but our perception of her would have been skewed negatively. With her return, Clara instead dramatically changed how she is considered amongst the Doctor’s former companions.