In other words: the Doctor has had a tendency to look at things from a more distant perspective, often weighing the life of one person against many. From the get-go, season 9 has been concerned with an important aspect of the Doctor's personality and his behavior, something that is inevitable given the way in which he experiences life on a grand scale and in a peculiar, non-linear fashion. It is even more impressive, then, that in delivering an episode already weighted and made significant by the death of the Doctor's companion, Doctor Who so successfully ties the event to the main ideas and themes that have, for the most part, been an integral part of the season's story. Naturally, there are plenty of variations on those ideal scenarios, but it is always gratifying – even when, or especially because, the feeling of heartbreak is so strong – for the event to echo beyond the immediate shock of registering the loss of a prominent and well-liked character such as Clara. The death of a major character – especially when they are, like Clara Oswald, the Doctor's companion – ideally comes in two flavors: 1) surprise, and 2) expected, but still emotionally resonant.
![trap street doctor who trap street doctor who](https://i0.wp.com/49.media.tumblr.com/8e10203d333e16c43c78f427500cac45/tumblr_ny8knwfJjH1ut0vjbo2_400.gif)
When an episode of television ends the way 'Face the Raven' does, the importance of the hour hitting all the right notes increases exponentially.