Who is Clara? The character of Clara Oswin Oswald, or Closwin if you will, has been puzzling us since she first appeared on Doctor Who. Are you still totally confused? We break it down and explain.(spoilers)

For months, there have been multiple theories on who exactly Clara is, which Clara is the “starting point” or “base model” Clara, and if Clara is ultimately a friend or foe of the Doctor. Obviously, there are some things are meant to blitz our attention like “run you clever boy and remember,” and “the impossible girl.” On the other hand, there are more subtle references that may be lost on the casual viewer, and some things we are betting may still be in play for the 50th anniversary special on November 23, 2013. Steven Moffat dropped a series of hints as to who Clara is, so let’s take a look a recurring themes, images, and clues.

A Rose By Any Other Name is Rose Tyler

It was starting to feel like a game of Where’s Waldo. Every episode, there seemed to be roses that were featured. In “Asylum of the Daleks,” Oswin had a rose tucked behind her ear while Bizet’s “Carmen,” a character know for the infamous rose in the teeth, blared in the background. Flash-forward to Christmas, and Victorian Clara is working at the Rose and Crowne pub. Next up, in “The Bells of St. John,” there are roses in Clara’s room, and the dress the book character wears. Now, if you want a metaphor for Rose, Rose Tyler that is, we got that in “Cold War” with Clara singing Duran Duran’s Hungry Like the Wolf. In the “The Crimson Horror,” the roses were in the bell jar room, and just in case you missed it, in “Nightmare in Silver” Clara’s dress was a rose pattern. We know Rose Tyler is back for the 50th anniversary. We think there has to be a connection.

Red, the Blood of Frustrated Fans

Aside from the fact that the color red favors Jenna-Louise Coleman’s skin tone, red seemed to pop up everywhere. Oswin was practically dripping in red. In the prequel, pre-teen Clara had red hair clips. Clara has her bright red gloves in “The Bells of St. John,” and she clutched her red bag in “Hide.” Moving right ahead, there was the giant red leaf in “The Rings of Akhaten” that kept changing size and shape faster than you could say continuity problem. “The Crimson Horror” needs no explanation as just about everyone was looking like a steamed cherry popsicle. Back to our metaphors, Clara faced the Red Menace of 1980’s communism in “Cold War.” So all of our obsession over the color red, in light of the season finale, seems to have been nothing more than…dare I say it…a red herring.

Lost, A.K.A. ‘Run You Clever Boy and Remember’

Talk about a repetive theme, we were getting ready to look for was Oceanic flight number 816! Oswin was quite literally lost on the Dalek asylum, and as the Daleks converted her she stated “I don’t know where I am.” In the prequel, pre-teen clara runs through a litany of things she’s lost ranging from her mojo to her gran. In “The Bells of St. John,” the wifi sucked in Clara multiple times which resulted in her screaming “I don’t know where I am.” Clara comforted Merry in “The Rings of Akhaten” by telling Merry about her childhood, and getting lost and found in Blackpool by her mother who tells her that (shades of a Once Upon a Time crossover) “I will always find you.” Back to extended metaphors again, “Hide” was all about retrieving what was lost and hidden, and “Nightmare in Sliver” was about retrieving what was lost and captured. Well, tonight we finally understood this recurrent theme. As River Song explained it, it was like echos of Clara, not the totally real and complete Clara scattered throughout the Doctor’s timeline. She saved the Doctor by doing the thing she most feared: getting lost herself.

Are You My Mummy?

Throughout “Asylum of the Daleks,” Clara recorded messages for her mom, even mentioning it was her birthday on one recording. Clara is the nanny, the surrogate mum, to both the Victorian Era children, and to Artie and Angie. Oh my stars, Clara’s mum died on the day Rose Tyler met the 9th Doctor, and her loss is felt in missing years, and an infinity of missing possibilities. Clara’s birthday is on November 23rd. We are convinced that all these dates will come into play again on the 50th anniversary. It can’t just be a benign tribute.

When Idris Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy

Listen to your TARDIS, Doctor! The TARDIS knew that something was wrong with Clara, a la Jack Harkess in the “End of Time.” Alternatively, the TARDIS wouldn’t allow her entry such as in “The Rings of Akhaten” and “Hide” or cordoned her off as in “Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS.” It then arranged its corridors giving her information she needed. It makes you wonder if the TARDIS knew its ultimate fate as the tomb in Trenzalore. Was she avoiding her fate as much as the Doctor’s?

Echos of the Past

All season long, the Doctor has been referencing past companions like never before. Beyond the Rose Tyler references, classic companions are featured several times. In the “Rings of Akhaten,” the Doctor mentions having visited the planet before with his granddaughter, Susan. “Journey to the Centre of the Tardis” is a cacophony of voices from the past: Martha Jones, Ian Chesterton, Jo Grant, and Sarah Jane Smith just to name a few. Tegan gets a nod in “The Crimson Horror” as the gobby Australian who couldn’t get to Heathrow. With Clara being partially embodied in everyone from Sarah Jane to Ace, the Doctor was probably feeling more nostalgic than usual.

Elevenses

Clara is rather obsessed with the number 11. In “The Bells of St. John,” the 10th chapter of the book “Summer Falls” will make you cry, but 11 is the best. Whiskey is the 11th most disgusting thing in “Hide.” Clara is very clear about having seen 11 versions of the Doctor. This one is absolutely still in play as far as we are concerned. The 10th and 11th Doctor meet each other in the 50th anniversary special. And let’s not forget about the 12th, or whatever number he is, as played by John Hurt.

So where does all of this lead? Certainly to the 50th anniversary special, but more than that, in our opinion it leads directly to the novel by Amy Williams entitled Summer Falls. It was Clara’s favorite book that Artie then got. If it doesn’t come up again, it’s a plot hole bigger than the Medusa Cascade.

The novel reads like a how to manual on how to defeat the Lord of Winter (which operates an awful lot like the Great Intelligence), and how Barnabas (a Doctor like character) does so aided by three devices and a collection of companions. The book centers around interactive painting, and Matt Smith already teased that the 50th had to do with painting. Our guess is the Great Intelligence is back, Clara has the book, the Doctor has multi-companions aiding him, and we are on our way to solving it all. The only downside is waiting six months.