‘Doctor Who’ Christmas special: Clara to return to say goodbye to Twelve

Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaldi as Clara Oswald and the Twelfth Doctor respectively in "Doctor Who" season 8 episode 1 "Deep Breath" BBC

“Doctor Who” former companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) will reportedly return for the Christmas Special. Before Twelve (Peter Capaldi) regenerates into Thirteen, the Impossible Girl will return to bid him goodbye.

According to the Mirror, Coleman, who played Clara and her other versions in the sci-fi show, is slated to come back for a cameo in Capaldi’s last episode. “Jenna Coleman has agreed to film something new as Clara. It’s become a tradition now for the companions to reappear as the Doctor regenerates, and Jenna isn’t letting the side down,” a source told the paper. “It’ll help to give Peter the send-off he deserves after three years.”

Clara was the Twelfth Doctor’s first companion. She was there when Eleven (Matt Smith) regenerated into Twelve in “The Time of the Doctor,” accompanying the Time Lord’s new incarnation until the later episodes last season, where she was killed and sort of brought back to temporary life. Clara and the immortal Ashildr (Maisie Williams) are currently travelling through time and space with a stolen TARDIS.

And it now appears she will be meeting the Doctor once more when Twelve leaves in the Christmas episode. While there is no official confirmation from BBC, it’s not unthinkable for a former companion to return to give their Doctor a proper send-off.

Amy Ponds (Karen Gillan) had a cameo just before Eleven regenerated. Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) and even DW classic companion Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) joined Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) in saying goodbye to the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). And by that time they all went their merry way, there was no companion left to witness Ten’s regeneration, giving then-incoming showrunner Steven Moffat a clear slate.

That is expected to happen as well when Chris Chibnall takes over from Moffat. Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) and Nardole (Matt Lucas) are also expected to appear “in some form” during the Christmas special but neither will return in season 11.

“Bill and Nardole are due to get brief appearances, but they could be clips or flashbacks from earlier episodes,” the Mirror quotes a source as saying. “Fans should accept this weekend’s finale was their big swansong.”

In season 10 episode 12 “The Doctor Falls,” Nardole was tasked by the Doctor to lead the humans at a solar farm to a higher floor so they could at least delay the Cybermen attack. Bill, on the other hand, was saved from existence as a Cyberman by Heather (Stephanie Hyam), her would-be love interest from the first episode. Bill and Heather, like Clara and Ashildr, are now travelling the universe together.

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