Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 1, “The Robot Revolution.“Doctor Who’s season 15 opener, “The Robot Revolution,” quietly repeats a storyline that happened during theera of Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor- but with a twist. Despite “The Robot Revolution” being written by Russell T. Davies, the showrunner uses the season 15 premiere to put an interesting spin on an arc penned by Steven Moffat - the showrunner who stepped in as theDoctor Whoboss after Davies' first departure in 2009. Davies' nod to the mind-bendingarc of Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswaldcan be easy to miss, even for long-timeDoctor Whoviewers.
Jenna played Clara alongside Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor for his final two seasons and stayed on for Peter Capaldi’s first two runs as Twelve. Her complex timeline and unique place within the show’s canon make her one of thebestDoctor Whocompanionsever. AlthoughColeman hasn’t appeared in the show since her brief cameo in 2017’s “Twice Upon a Time,“the door technically remains open for Clara to return at any time. She doesn’t appear in “The Robot Revolution,” but Davies certainly borrows from her character’s lore.
The Doctor Experiences Belinda’s Timeline In One Go In “The Robot Revolution”
Fifteen now appears throughout Belinda’s life, just as Clara did in the Doctor’s
Near theend ofDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 1, the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) steps in and absorbs the energy from the paradox being caused by Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) and the AI Generator (Jonny Green) touching together two temporal copies of the same star certificate. By doing so, Fifteen permeates his new companion’s timeline - as proven by the shot ofGatwa’s character holding Belinda as a baby. To new viewers, this may seem like an original concept, butit’s pretty much what Clara does to the Doctor inDoctor Whoseason 7’s finale, “The Name of the Doctor.”
Clara enters Eleven’s time stream in “The Name of the Doctor,“accounting for the various characters he has experienced throughout space and time that look just like her. “The Robot Revolution” flips that storyline, as it’s the Doctor this time who slots himself in throughout his companion’s history. It’s not yet been revealed how this will impact the rest of Belinda’s life, or even if it will, but it’s a fascinating turn of events considering something so similar has canonically happened before. I would be surprised if Fifteen’s actions didn’t come back to haunt the story.
How Belinda Is Different (& Similar To) Doctor Who’s Clara Oswald
Sethu & Coleman both play “mystery girl” companions
Belinda made her debut as part of theDoctor Whoseason 14 cast, playing Mundy Flynn in episode 3, “Boom.” Theconnection between Belinda and Mundy has been confirmedas a distant genetic link, but other unanswered questions about Sethu’s newestDoctor Whocharacter make her the latest in a long line of “mystery girl” companions. Clara fits into this category as well, as she was introduced as an enigma to be solved rather than just a traditional TARDIS passenger. Regardless,neither version of either character the Doctor first meets is the “original” versionof each respective companion.
While Clara being aDoctor Whocompanion was voluntary, Belinda is being forced into the role by circumstance.
Clara and Belinda are very different people, though. The biggest difference is thatClara always gravitated to the Doctor, eager to either learn more about him or travel to the stars with him. Inversely,Belinda has no interest in being aboard the TARDIS. She was taken to an alien world against her will by the Robots, and only wants the Fifteen’s help so she can get home to Earth. So, while Clara being aDoctor Whocompanion was voluntary, Belinda is being forced into the role by circumstance.
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Doctor Who
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An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
Doctor Who: Released on July 31, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
