“I’ve served under them. They push you and make you stronger, till you’re doing things you never thought you could.”
#Danny thought she was a soldier…#I have my doubts#even as the Doctor acknowledged her betrayal#he followed her straight into the underworld#she commands absolute loyalty#and suddenly he finds himself in places he never thought he would be#learning about a good Dalek#heeding her orders not to look for where they went#and searching for a dead man for her#what is too far for the Doctor?#and who’s left to carry them out of the fire?
Clara Oswald is most definitely an officer, and that tag about how she commands absolute loyalty speaks to me a lot. Clara not only likes being in control, but she’s very good at it. She has this magnetic personality with a terrifying combination of kindness and ruthlessness. She’s easy to fall in love with, easy to trust, presents as non threatening, but she also will go further than anyone would expect. She’s good at the tough calls, at people skills, at doing what needs to be done. She’s everything a leader and officer needs to be.
She’s not infallible – she’s seen her doubts and fears throughout this series over her growing leadership role. For most of the series she hasn’t felt like she was capable of that sort of responsibility, even when the Doctor was sure she was (see: Kill the Moon). In the last few episodes though, she’s more comfortable with the responsibility and power, and is relishing in how much she enjoys the control. Leadership is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and Clara’s walking it, but not perfectly. It would be easy to play it safe and take a back seat – less risk, and the responsibility is on someone else – but it comes so naturally to her that it seems a shame not to use her skills. Only problem is, control and power can very easily turn dark. One of the best examples of which is the Master.
This is going to be a very interesting finale.