Despite being one of the most prestigious sci-fi shows in the world, Doctor Who isn’t afraid to implement a romance plot every once in a while. From Amy and Rory to Mickey and Rose, all of these couples work to add a touch of humanity to this futuristic and sometimes dystopian franchise. Not only that, the show isn’t afraid to sprinkle in a few Queer pairings, giving couples like the Fifteenth Doctor and Rogue the chance to shine. Overall, all of these couples help to give fans something to relate to and focus on while The Doctor continues to zoom across time and space.
One of the more notable couples, especially during the late 2010s, was Danny Pink and Clara Oswald. After meeting at Coal Hill School, the pair traveled alongside the Twelfth Doctor and explored everything that the galaxy had to offer. Though they shared a handful of tender moments, a lot of fans believe that the pair were not entirely suited for each other and actually showcased a ton of uncomfortable tension. But who are Clara and Danny, and why do fans find their relationship so difficult to understand?
The Pair Allowed Their Pasts to Get the Better of Them
When Clara and Danny first appeared on screen together in Season 8, Episode 2, “Into the Dalek,” the pair seemed to meld quite well together as a potential item. Danny Pink is a very charming and handsome man who seemed attracted to Clara’s spontaneous personality. At first glance, the pair seem like a great match. Yet, as Season 8 progressed, it seemed very clear that both Clara and Danny had a ton of emotional baggage, all of which was seeping into the inner foundations of their bond. For example, in Season 8, Episode 11, “Dark Water,” the audience gains more insight into Danny’s past as a Sergeant in the military. It’s revealed that Danny accidentally killed a small child while on the battlefield, a mistake that he carries with him every day. Throughout this season, Pink is very secretive about his work in the British Army and often responds with fierce anger when asked about his time. Yet, this episode signifies that Danny has more than just PTSD; he is riddled with guilt and remorse. This is a particularly interesting episode because Doctor Who typically denounces the idea of war and only really showcases violence and warfare from an extra-terrestrial perspective. However, “Dark Water” is an excellent example of how Danny is forced to carry the burdens of his past, tarnishing his relationship with Clara no matter how hard he tries to move on.
Though Pink is often recognized for having a somewhat controversial past, Clara Oswald isn’t exactly squeaky clean herself. In Season 8, Episode 10, “In the Forest of the Night,” the audience sees Clara preparing to tell Danny about her adventures with The Doctor. In order to do this properly, she places sticky notes all around her home, detailing every milestone she’s experienced with him. Alongside being a great way of reminding fans what important events have occurred during Clara’s reign, it’s a fantastic way of putting her journey into perspective. Though she has seen wonderful things that some people could only imagine, she’s also suffered a wealth of misfortunes. For example, some of the notes read “Robin Hood,” “Rob the Bank,” and “Impossible Girl.” All of these things would seem irrational to explain, especially when trying to communicate with a hot-headed man like Danny. As such, fans notice a mirroring between the two. While Danny is struggling to accept his past mistakes and focus on creating a more positive future for himself, Clara is finding it difficult to unravel the present and pinpoint exactly where her story begins. All of these things continue to build up throughout Season 8, giving their relationship a deeply unsettling air of frustration.
Danny and Clara’s Bond Was Formed on Rocky Foundations
Admittedly, most of Clara and Danny’s issues were evident towards the end of Season 8, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the pair were playing happy families from the start. Even on their first date, the couple got off on the wrong foot, leading to a charged and slightly aggressive fight. In Season 8, Episode 4, “Listen,” the pair embark on their first date at a fancy restaurant. Clara begins by making a remark about Danny killing someone, which he takes great offense to. The man believes that Clara is making harsh presumptions about him, and it would be just as hurtful if he did the same to her. Clara then responds with the same level of frustration and decides to storm out of the restaurant. Not only is this a prime example of how Clara and Danny obviously rub each other up the wrong way, but it showcases that the pair are not compatible. After unleashing a stream of unpleasant comments at each other, Clara decides that it’s best to leave the situation altogether. Instead of acting like an adult and apologizing, Danny slams his head on the table like a toddler. Fans should bear in mind that all of this takes place over t
he course of a few minutes, signifying that their argument quickly erupted. Thus, audiences are forced to sit through this very spiteful fight just to learn that Clara and Danny aren’t as sweet as they seem on the surface.
“Listen” also delves deeper into Danny’s childhood, particularly his time at West Country Children’s Home. As the TARDIS lands outside the orphanage, a younger version of Pink peeks outside the window and sees Clara standing outside with The Doctor. This scenario makes a lot of audiences feel uncomfortable as it suggests that Clara has an unfair advantage over Danny, especially since she witnessed him in such a vulnerable state. Therefore, it’s clear that Clara has the potential to hold a lot of secrets over her partner’s head, something that Danny cannot retaliate with. Plus, as an orphan, Danny doesn’t have any family to protect him or defend him, which leaves him in a very exposed state. Although she spends the majority of this episode trying to soothe Danny, it can be hard for some fans to simply gloss over the fact that Clara and Danny met many years before, but Danny can only remember hazy snapshots of these memories.
At the End of Danny’s Era, Their Relationship Was Tarnished by Grief
Though Danny is by no means a favored companion and is only really recognized as Clara’s love interest, there’s no denying that his death was heartbreaking. In Season 8, Episode 10, “Dark Water,” Pink was unfortunately run over by a vehicle on his way to Clara’s flat and died at the scene. His spirit is then uploaded to the Nethersphere, a Gallifreyan hard drive used by Missy to collect the recently dead and transform them into iconic enemies known as Cybermen. In Season 8, Episode 12, “Death in Heaven,” Pink defies the conventions created by his Cyber counterparts and tries to save Clara from the army of foes that surround her. Yet, their reunion doesn’t last long as he begs Clara to put him out of his misery and allow him to complete his Cyber conversion. Pink spends his final moments on Earth as a hero, commanding the rest of the Cybermen to fly into the sky and destroy the cloud. Many fans were devastated that Danny and Clara couldn’t work things out, but Pink finally got his dying wish: to be a soldier of peace on Earth and not a leader of war.
In previous years, fans were treated to a whole host of cute romances like Amy and Rory’s infectious bond as well as Jenny and Vastra’s intimate connections. So, seeing Danny and Clara fighting all the time was a stark contrast that may not have been the breath of fresh air that the writers were hoping for. Their deep-rooted conflicts sometimes made their bond unbearable, especially during the Twelfth Doctor’s era, which was already quite dark. However, many fans noted that their rocky relationship was a useful way of highlighting the downsides of traveling with The Doctor. Though a lot of companions enjoy living shoulder to shoulder with the Time Lord, it can also cause them to lose their sense of identity and personality. Regardless of whether Clara and Danny’s relationship was good or bad, many fans can agree that it helped to make Clara a more three-dimensional character before her exit and not just The Doctor’s long-running sidekick.