#colepaldi

what's good about being in the fandom at the time is that i was also very invested in the actors' relationships -- namely Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaldi. In the same way as Billie Piper was, Jenna Coleman during series 8 was the senior partner of the duo, the experienced one when it comes to the dr who universe, well-loved already. In Peter Capaldi's words he 'came to the set with a lot of power' from his already being well-known playing Malcolm Tucker and extensive acting career 'but what [he] really needed was friends' -- and that's really sweet for Jenna,

who doesn't love being friends and partners with someone who is very skilled yet very humble? -- it's a measure of *your* worth that such an experienced actor will gracefully cede the spotlight to you

Jenna i feel like played second fiddle as Matt Smith's companion, she didn't really get to shine, and she was sort of seen as just sexy and cute and kind of shy, and Clara was framed as sort of an enigma (because the narrative was being told from the Doctor's perspective). Matt & Jenna's relationship I heard was really lovely also, but i feel like she grew a lot when they casted a new Doctor.

Peter consciously gives her the spotlight when acting together -- and she SHINES! narratively, Moffat gives Clara the spotlight in series 8, and we get to see that much more of her true self, her masks and flaws, the messiness in her life between her normal life and her Doctor life. that and Jenna Coleman plays incandescent fury so well that i'm just so glad she's given space to play that.

Jenna and Peter turned out to be best friends and really compatible actors! They match each other's energy and I remember being really impressed when Peter said sometimes he'll get slack and think 'oh i'll just say my lines in a vaguely Doctor Who-ish way' but then Jenna comes on set and 'brings such a truthful performance that I think oh i better up my game'

I feel like at conventions Peter held more gravitas, and that benefits Jenna, because people will ask her more serious questions (and *not* ask questions that aren't so appropriate). It seems during the 2014 Doctor Who World Tour Jenna learned to respond to panel questions in the thoughtful and character-focused way that Peter did. I feel like their time together really elevated Jenna in her career, and you can see that because she went on to play Queen Victoria in Victoria, and go on to win major awards for her portrayal of motherhood in serious TV dramas.

The videos of conventions that I watched a lot at the time, panels during 2014, 2015, 2016, they were really exciting, because the developments were all new, and I didn't know what was coming next. In the present, these videos kind of lose some of their value, and start to ache with melancholy, that these memories are of good times past. it was more exciting when everyone on tumblr and twitter was talking about them and sharing photos of them. now many of those photos and videos are lost to me! so while Jenna's and Clara's stories are undeniably important to me I don't know that I can tell them in the same complete way. of course, memories distort with time and changing context, so a story is never told exactly as it happened.

This story is about Clara, about Jenna, their growth into their power, and the people in their lives.

I will make sure my friends notice Clara when they're watching dw -- regardless of whether they like her or not.

*We can talk about how both my friend identifying with the Doctor and myself, who identifies with Clara (and the admirers of Clara), we're both engaging in power fantasies. It's a good pastime -- why else do we tell stories about heroes?

I kid you not... It's ten years (10!!! Like how old am I now?) . Ten fucking years since I created this blog. 🥳 Geez, we had some good times. #colepaldi #whoffaldi

I miss it sometimes. I honestly do.

“Stories are

where memories go

*touching his cheek*

*chaste kiss*

*their ridiculous height difference*

*laughing at a photo shoot*