Face the Raven review

I’m sure that you’ve seen the episode by now, but just in case you haven’t, don’t read on any further because this review DOES contain spoilers and I do not want to be responsible for ruining it for you. If you have watched it, enjoy!


I feel as though there is only one thing to discuss from Face The Raven, and that is, of course, the death of Clara Oswald. So, before I offer my thoughts on her final episode, I thought I would pick my three favourite Clara episodes and explain why I have chosen them.

3 – Deep Breath (Series 8, Episode 1, 2014)

This episode brought a real test for the character of Clara, because she had to deal with the newly regenerated Doctor, and how much he had changed. Much like Rose Tyler in The Christmas Invasion (2005), Clara found it hard to accept that her Doctor had “gone” and that he was a different man, and yet the same one she had always known. It was also a brilliant episode because it showed how the new Doctor and companion dynamic had changed, as well as how the two characters would have to interact in a new way and get used to each other again.

2 – Asylum of the Daleks (Series 7, Episode 1, 2012)

I couldn’t talk about the end of Clara without going back to the very beginning and her shock first appearance three years ago.
At that point, we knew that Amy and Rory would be leaving to be replaced by Clara Oswald, but we all got a massive surprise when she popped up in the first episode of series 7 as “Oswin”, the “soufflé girl” who had been turned into a Dalek. It proves that although she has been criticised as a bad companion at times, Clara did come into the show with a bang. I still love this episode after three years and shows all of the character’s known traits; being sassy, her toughness and flirting with the Doctor.

1 – The Zygon Inversion (Series 9, Episode 8, 2015)

This is possibly a controversial choice, partly because for the majority of this episode, Jenna Coleman wasn’t actually playing Clara, but the Zygon version called Bonnie. However, it is my favourite of Clara’s episodes for this reason. Over the three years, we never really explored Clara’s dark side, so for Jenna Coleman to get to show off her skills as a darker form of the character was amazing. She delivered a wonderful performance and this is without a doubt, the peak of her time on the show and came at the right time.


Now onto the latest episode. So, after three years and her fair share of Doctors, Clara Oswald has faced the raven and left this world. It felt like a very fitting thing that she became so reckless as to think that the Doctor could save her from anything. Over time, we have seen how she is strong, yet dependant on the Doctor to rescue her when things go wrong. I guess this was the step too far, resulting in the comeuppance for her recklessness. Although it is sad, it seems to have been a very powerful and final ending, which is a perfect way to end this character. It was a very well-written, heart-breaking and tragic episode which delivered a great, if somewhat upsetting, exit for Clara Oswald.

Rating for Face The Raven

9/10

That’s it for this review. You can let me know your thoughts on the episode by following me on all of my social media links (all below) or by leaving a comment on this post. My next post will be my latest life updates, so keep up to date with me for that. Until then, keep active, keep smiling and above all, keep believing!

TRENT

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