Saving Grace: Sharon D Clarke returns to Doctor Who

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The Doctor wasn’t the only woman who fell to Earth in the first episode of Doctor Who Series 11.

After Graham O’Brien’s wife Grace tragically fell from a crane to her death in The Woman Who Fell to Earth, fans were left wondering why Sharon D Clarke’s character was described as a “returning role.” When the fourth episode in the series aired, they got their answer.

While he continues to grieve her death, Grace appears to Graham (Bradley Walsh) as a gently chiding vision as Sharon D Clarke reprises her role as Grace in two brief scenes in Arachnids in the UK.

Grace’s vision, true to her memory, reminds Graham to take out the trash bins, just as he had relied on her to remind him in while she was alive.

A still from Doctor Who: Arachnids in the UK, BBC

Grace’s vision also has words for Graham when he wistfully brings her coat to his face.

“Graham O’Brien – what you doing sniffing coats? How’s that gonna help, eh?”

A still from Doctor Who: Arachnids in the UK, BBC

Graham ultimately chooses to travel with the Doctor rather than confront his grief at home, which is “full of Grace.”

A still from Doctor Who: Arachnids in the UK, BBC
Grace, Graham, The Woman who fell to Earth, Sophie Mutevelian photo, BBC

I think it’s quite likely that Graham’s visions of Grace will continue to guide him in further episodes of Doctor Who Series 11.

Some questions remain.

Would a certain friend with a time machine allow Graham to reunite with Grace at a time when she is still alive?

Would it even be possible to change history and save Grace?