On the significance of Clara's birthdate - meta and speculation

[ibishtar]

[Spoilers for up to and including The Snowmen (click to open)]
"Nothing is truly forgotten. And if it can be remembered, it can be brought back."
-The Doctor, The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang
"Remember me, for we shall meet again"
-Clara's tombstone, The Snowmen
"We are all stories, in the end."
-River Song, The Pandorica Opens/ The Big BangClara Oswin Oswald's tombstone says that she was born November 23rd 1866

Comments

[10littlebullets]

But why the three-year (or ninety-seven-year) shift in dates?! Mysterious.

One of the threads that's already started to recur with Clara is, in Victorian terms, forgetting her station. As in literally forgetting, or just refusing to pay attention to, her external circumstances, and acting on whatever she believes/wants herself to be. Junior entertainment manager? Try screaming genius computer hacker. Barmaid? Nope, governess. Dalek? She's human, dammit. She's smaller on the outside, but it doesn't matter, because she's also inside-out. I can't help but see that as related to this whole running character thread of the Doctor's reputation. Last of the Time Lords, Lonely God, Oncoming Storm, Predator, Woobie Destroyer of Worlds... I bet Clara is going to help him shake all that and focus on the basics of who he thinks he is...I'd also lay down money that whoever the original Clara is, she's dead and doesn't know it yet. Maybe even that something/someone imprinted on an ordinary girl named Clara and doesn't know it isn't actually her. (

[travels_in_time]

why the hell did the TARDIS blow up on Amy and Rory's wedding day?

I originally thought that the Silence were trying to prevent River's conception, since her wedding to the Doctor is what restarted time...but then I remembered that they wanted River, to act as a weapon against the Doctor. But then maybe it was in retrospect that they decided to take River and use her as a weapon, hoping to make her hate the Doctor and kill him instead of marrying him and saving the universe. But it was their treatment of her that started her on the path that would lead her to fall in love with him and try NOT to kill him, therefore causing a paradox and freezing time...

And now I have a headache.

So, yes, I would like that resolved too, thank you very much.

[ibishtar]

It really is headache-inducing to think about this stuff. I once tried to do a flowchart explaining the Silence's plan and it's just absolutely maddening. There's contradictions and logic fails everywhere!

[ibishtar]

I don't know why they didn't go ahead and give Clara a 1863 birthyear. Possibly to not make it too obvious or cutesy, or to make the Arthur Conan Doyle reference work, or because someone at the art department screwed up again

[jjpor]

I'm not sure I entirely buy this idea, but I like it very much. I want it to be true and for the "reveal", and the 50th anniversary story, to be some sort of mind-screw for the ages. I suspect that when it comes right down to it, Moffat will play it safer than that. It would be cool, though. :)

[ibishtar]

Here's my thing: I want the 50th anniversary to be The Eleven Doctors. Anything less outrageous would disappoint me. Some people say the 50th anniversary story should be a well-plotted proper story rather than some self-indulgent celebration, but I favour 'break out the bubbly, we're having a partaaay!'.
If 'The Eleven Doctors' proves to be logistically impossible, the only alternative I would be happy with is, yes, a giant ridiculous mind-screw of epic proportions for the ages muahahahaha.

[gratiela]

Basically, yes,

THIS!

I'm too fresh into Who to debate, but spectacular-epic-giant-ridiculous... everything, hahaha!... sounds only appropriate!

[ibishtar]

Yay! *high fives* Ooh, you're fresh into Who? New fans always make me happy, haha.

[ladymercury_10]

This is a very neat idea. Nice spotting!

[ibishtar]

Thank you! It's exciting to think about.

[viomisehunt]

Good analysis. I buy it.

[ibishtar]

Cheers! Nice to hear the ideas have merit and aren't just wishful thinking.

[purplefringe]

Oh this is great! Some fantastic observations and conclusions here. And knowing Moffat, I imagine most of them ARE deliberate! I particularly like what you said about the Great Intelligence 'ringing a bell' = a nod to the lost episodes, and also about 'canon' being the things you remember

[d1loui]

[ibishtar]

Very good observations. But it does make me even angrier that Moffat never had Amy and Clara interact in Asylum of the Daleks. Now it feels like a missed opportunity on even more levels!