Since joining Team TARDIS with the Eleventh Doctor, Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald has proven to be very worthy of her title as companion, showing intelligence, bravery and compassion to those around her.

In this relatively short time she has left her mark, with some very notable actions that no doubt helped save the day more than once.

Here we look back at Clara’s best bits so far…

 

5. Hacking into the internet in ‘The Bells Of Saint John’

Clara started to add to her Impossible Girl status when, having been given a technology upload by Miss Kizlet (Celia Imrie) and those behind the sinister Data Cloud, she hacked into the internet and managed to pinpoint the exact location of the shady organisation that was uploading unsuspecting people’s souls.

This development helped The Doctor face off against Kizlet and was a major step, despite Clara being re-uploaded again, to the day being well and truly saved. A lovely little moment in the character’s official debut story, it’s a scene peppered with witty Moffat-penned banter and showcases that Clara is very much the Doctor’s equal.

 

4. Communicating with General Skaldak in ‘Cold War’

Having determined that neither The Doctor or the Russian crew of an invaded submarine can communicate with the captive Ice Warrior onboard, Clara nominates herself on their behalf because, well… because she doesn’t smell, basically.

The face-off between the two is suitably tense as Clara musters all her bravery in the face of the imposing creature, with it showing that Clara is willing to step up, even in the most dangerous of situations, to save those around her.

 

3. Facing off against Grandfather with the Leaf of Infinite Possibilities in ‘The Rings Of Akhaten.’

Realising that The Doctor needs help to destroy the all-consuming planet, Clara sacrifices her most prized possession to save the inhabitants of Akhaten, The Doctor and herself. By forcing the alien entity to gorge himself on the infinite potential of a life unlived, Clara shows that she is willing to make brave and selfless sacrifices to help those around her.

Jenna Coleman is also particularly notable here for making her short speech to the planet so filled with genuine emotion and heartbreak that you really feel the loss for her, given that we learn she has lost so much already in this episode.

 

2. Convincing her Doctor not to push the Big Red Button in ‘The Day Of The Doctor’

When Clara is obviously upset at the thought of her Doctor being the one to help destroy Gallifrey, she is paramount in the Moment’s decision to help the three Doctors (Ten, Eleven and The War Doctor) realise there must be another way.

That she then stands side by side with him and convinces him to simply be the Doctor (not a warrior, not a hero) when they are transported to Gallifrey’s last day is a beautiful moment. This rousing speech of hers is instrumental in the Doctor’s finding an alternative to destroying Gallifrey.

 

1. Clara voluntarily splinters herself within the Doctor’s timeline in ‘The Name Of The Doctor’

Realising that the only way to stop The Great Intelligence from entering the Doctor’s timeline and  infecting all the positive events from his past, Clara enters the timeline too, attempting to right this wrong.

Fracturing herself into many versions, each with the sole purpose to save the Doctor, we see her make the ultimate sacrifice and we also finally see the relevance of that repeated phrase ‘Run you clever boy, and remember’ – it was her epitaph. Or so we thought, because the Doctor then enters his own timeline to rescue her. His first rescue mission of his restored timeline and for once, it’s him saving Clara.

 

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Series 8 is currently filming in Cardiff and will begin on BBC One in August.

> Here’s everything we know about Series 8 so far.

What’s your favourite Clara moment so far? Let us know below…

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> Order Series 8 on Blu-ray on Amazon.

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