Guest contributor Chris Goodger takes a look at the newest Doctor Who recurring character, Danny Pink, and offers some explanations as to who he could be.
Last Monday it was announced that Samuel Anderson would be joining the Doctor Who cast as recurring character Danny Pink. He will be a teacher at Coal Hill School, where Clara is also currently working. On first glance it seems like Danny Pink is a potential love interest for Clara (and I'll get to that soon), but is there more to the character? Is there possibly something nefarious?
Steven Moffat sure does like to dangle carrots, calling an episode The Name Of The Doctor was a great way to stir up controversy for weeks on end, the internet went in to meltdown as fans complained that we should never know his name. Now, instead of just releasing a statement welcoming Sam Anderson to the show, Moffat can't help but tease us with a cryptic offering.
"For the fourth time in Doctor Who history, Coal Hill School is coming to the aid of the Tardis." said Moffat. "In 1963 teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright accompanied the first Doctor. These days it’s the turn of Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald. And very soon now, Sam Anderson as Danny Pink will be entering the world of the Doctor. But how and why? Answers are coming later this year in Peter Capaldi’s first series of Doctor Who!"
How? and Why? Let's look at some possible options.
Danny Pink is a love interest for Clara
We know that Clara was starting to fancy Matt Smith's Doctor (because all companions must fancy the Doctor - except Donna, I miss Donna), but, with the greatest respect to Peter Capaldi, it's no stretch of the imagination to think that Clara's romantic feelings towards the Doctor may disappear with his new look. Danny Pink could be introduced into the show as Clara's new romantic interest, certainly the scenes we saw recorded last week implied that a date was happening.
Source: Auton710
In this scenario Danny Pink is Clara's loving boyfriend, he ends up joining them in the Tardis, either part time like Mickey Smith, or more permanent like Rory Williams. I think this is the angle they are trying to sell Danny Pink to us, which is why I think it will be the least likely. Whilst romance has been a very integral part of the show over the last 9 year, this would seem to be repeating much of the same. We've seen Amy and Rory's relationship grow whilst traveling with the Doctor, it is highly unlikely Moffat would repeat a similar storyline.
Danny Pink is Clara's BFF
In the video above, it clearly looks like a date is happening. We see both Clara and Danny separately entering the same restaurant. But who says she's meeting Danny for the date? Maybe Danny has set his work colleague and good friend Clara up with one of his pals and is just there for the introduction. Maybe Danny could be gay? I would not put it past Steven Moffat to introduce a gay character and give them the surname Pink. I mean Melody Pond? Come on! Gay or straight, it could be a purely plutonic relationship, it might even just be co-incidental that she sees Danny there and recognises him from work, then some terrible threat happens inside the restaurant and Danny ends up being saved by Clara as she drags him to safety inside the Tardis. Cue "It's bigger on the inside", and "Where would you like to go?". I think this is more likely than the simple romance idea, but for me it's still not quite right.
Danny Pink is the Master
Or maybe not the Master, but the Master is thought to return this year.
Master or not, I have a feeling that Danny Pink has nefarious intentions. I think he is using Clara to get to the Doctor. Either he is aware of the impossible girl and has tracked down one of her incarnations, then set about slowly infiltrating her life. Or he is aware of the significance of Coal Hill School and has been waiting for the Doctor's return, befriending Clara is all part of his plan. The last time we had a companion who was up to no good was when Turlough traveled with the Fifth Doctor, and I think this would be a very interesting concept to introduce again.
It also may be completely coincidental but Daniel Pink is an anagram for Pain Linked. That sounds like something Steven Moffat might have dreamed up.
I clearly could be completely wrong about Danny Pink, and that's fine because part of the fun of Doctor Who is speculating on what might happen in the coming series, well it's part of the fun for me anyway. Doctor Who offers us infinite possibilities and so I look forward to welcoming a new character with a new back story and new adventures ahead of him. What will happen as Danny Pink enters the world of the Doctor? As Steven Moffat said, answers are coming later this year in Peter Capaldi’s first series of Doctor Who!
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