The Impossible Girl
The impossible girl is the brainchild of showrunner Steven Moffat. Whovians know her a Clara Oswald and the role is played by Jenna Coleman. The first time we see this character is in the Asylum of the Daleks. Her name in this story is Oswin Oswald. She turns out to be a human who becomes a Dalek without her knowledge.(1) Now, I really did not know where this will lead at this point in the story arc. Then I really don’t know if anyone besides Moffat knows that either.
The impossible girl is a character which Moffat wants to spread out over the timeline of the Doctor. As the story progresses the Doctor and the fans see her throughout his history. She is suppose to be there to help him make the right choices. I remember one where she tells him which TARDIS to steal as he is leaving Gallifrey. Now, that is a little far fetched but this is Doctor Who so anything is possible.
In the beginning, I liked this idea of the impossible girl. It made the story interesting and this is one of Moffat’s moments to remember. The impossible girl brought some fans to the show or at least I believe that some fans come just because of her. She is impossible and the Doctor calls her this because she to always show up in the least expected places. Matt Smith’s Doctor remembers back through his life and sees her like what seems to be everywhere.
Since I haven’t really watched the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor’s stories once or twice each, I can’t remember too much. What do recall is that during the Eleventh Doctor’s reign she pops up a number of times for brief moments. And these moments are ones which shape his timeline significantly.
This idea is one which made the show interesting and as a fan I never knew where I would see her again. But then She becomes the Doctor’s companion and that changes everything. Now, when she is with Matt things are pretty good, but when Peter takes over it seems to change. Now, some people may not see this but I do believe most whovian see this. I don’t know why a shift take place, but for me I did not like the shift. Now, I could be wrong about this and tell me if I am, but there is a shift from the stories being Doctor focused to being companion focused.
This does not stop me from watching, but it does bother me. The impossible girl becomes the center of attention. Moffat gives her a life on earth as a teacher and boyfriend. Then here and Danny are the focus for several shows. This stories are okay, but the idea of the Doctor just popping in and taking Clara with seems rather strange to me. I don’t know the reasoning behind this move, and I don’t know how it affects the ratings if any.
As a fan, the impossible girl is an enjoyable character and moves Doctor Who in a different direction. I can’t say that this is one of Moffat’s greatest moments, but it is a significant moment for Doctor Who.