‘Doctor Who’ may bring back Clara for Twelve’s swansong

Peter Capaldi (Twelfth Doctor) and Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) in "Doctor Who" bbc.co.uk

“Doctor Who” may see the return of Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) for the Christmas episode. The Twelfth Doctor’s (Peter Capaldi) first companion may be appearing in his swansong episode after it has been claimed BBC would be shooting in Eddie’s Diner, the façade of Clara and Ashildr’s (Maisie Williams) stolen TARDIS.

According to a report on Twitter (via Creators.co), the diner was booked by the BBC, which could mean that they would be shooting scenes with Clara and perhaps even Ashildr for season 10. The filming date is said to be in July, the same month that Capaldi will reportedly film his last episode.

“Eddie’s Diner got booked by the BBC for filming in July for 2 days. Given the fact that my friend asked the owner about Doctor Who, ad did his Doctor Who photos in the Diner, I’m sure that he means Doctor Who. I only got the date of July… No specific date was given,” (sic) the tweet reads.

Gizmodo points out that the show has used the diner before, specifically in the opening episodes of season 6 (“The Impossible Astronaut”), so even if the report about the booking of Eddie’s Diner was true, it isn’t a confirmation of Clara’s return. However, Clara appearing in Twelve’s last episode before he regenerates makes sense. Previous companions often returned to their corresponding Doctors’ last episodes as well.

Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), “the first face this [Eleven’s] face saw,” also appeared just moments before Eleven (Matt Smith) regenerated into Twelve in “The Time of the Doctor.” All of the Tenth Doctor’s (David Tennant) companions – Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke), Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and Sarah Jane Smith (the late Elisabeth Sladen) – also appeared in his last episode.

Clara died in season 9’s “Face the Raven” but was brought back in “Hell Bent.” She is technically still not alive as the Doctor only retrieved her from the instant before her death in her timeline. This left her without a pulse but alive. And like Ashildr, who is immortal, she cannot age and die unless she goes back to her original timeline to die.

Meanwhile, Twelve is off to his last adventures with new companion Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie). He will regenerate in the Christmas special, which Capaldi said has already been filmed.

“Doctor Who” airs Saturday on BBC One in the UK. It airs Sunday in Australia on the ABC.