What an improvement from last week! No matter what show we're talking about, I have always loved the episodes that are more minimalistic, quiet and explorative. From Doctor Who my favourite examples would be 'Boom Town' (I love the conversation in the restaurant and the focus on the nature of the Doctor) and then 'Midnight', from which this episode gets some inspiration. This is definitely Moffat's best episode since 'Eleventh Hour'. Like I said few weeks ago, I have a lot of problems with Moffat's writing and I firmly believe his best episodes are written when someone "checks" his writing. In DW his best were when Russell T. Davies was showrunner, and thus approved every script. I mean 'Blink' and 'The Empty Child'/'The Doctor Dances' are really good and scare the crap out of me.
Now this episode is all about fear. Going into the episode I was expecting another instance of childhood fears coming true, something Moffat does a lot, some creepy scenes that might freak me out and then I'd rant about horror because I don't do horror. But instead I'm going to talk about fear.
It's not really a secret that I get scared very easily. I don't mind the blood and the gore, but the more quiet, psychological threats scare the crap out of me. I'm a bit paranoid, so the unknown, the idea that there's something behind me, someone watching me without me knowing it, all that stuff, are my biggest fears. So this episode is perfect for discussing that. And that sequence in young Danny's (Rupert's) room... So creepy. I could not understand how they could ignore the thing while the Doctor was talking about fear being a superpower. And then they turn their backs... Now that was scary. I saw the episode yesterday and I'll admit that I had some trouble sleeping last night. And that is a testament to how much the episode creeped me out. I could not get the image of something covered in a red bedspread and standing quietly in my doorway out of my head. And that has not happened with Doctor Who since 'Blink'. However, I'm left wondering, since there never was any creature, was that thing then just another kid trying to scare others?
The idea that the Doctor is scared is interesting. I have always viewed the Doctor as someone who is never scared, who is so brave, someone you could always turn to when you're afraid and find courage. But to see that he is just like the rest of us, just better at hiding it, is interesting. It's like learning that your parents are just people and don't have all the answers to life. And through the exploration of who the Doctor is and Clara's speech to the young Gallifreyan boy crying in the bed, who would one day find his courage, we get the lesson that fear is not bad. It is okay to be scared because it is normal. In the end, there is nothing under the bed, nothing in the shadows when we are alone, just your own fear. And it is okay. Even the Doctor is afraid, he just knows how to hide it really well.
I'll admit, on the first viewing this episode confused me. Like I said, I was expecting the usual monster-of-the-week episode so I figured we'd spend the whole time at the children's home hunting this monster, whatever it was. So yeah, it confused me when suddenly the episode went back to Danny and Clara's date and then there was Orson, a man from the future and a relation of Danny's (and possibly Clara's), and we jumped to the end of the universe. 'Listen' makes more sense on the second viewing, in my opinion. It examines fear through glimpses of different people's timelines and the times they were scared. In the end, it all comes down to that one moment when Clara inadvertantly planted the idea in Doctor's mind that there is something under the bed, just waiting.
For some reason it took me a while to understand why is the Doctor so insistent that there has to be something out there. He just can't come to terms with the idea that there is no reason to be scared. Because we always need a reason for everything. And he's the Doctor, the man that has saved countless of people and planets, if he's scared, there has to be something to be scared of. And I like that Clara asks him how long he's been travelling alone. It has never been 100% healthy for the Doctor to be alone (especially for Ten) and the time alone has given him time to think and make up theories. Had Clara been there the whole time, I doubt that the situation would have escalated the way it did.
I love Clara. The way she yells at the Doctor, keeps him in check, takes control of the situation and is afraid but won't let that fear stop her. I'm going to miss her a lot more than I missed Amy. I still miss Rory though.
The date. Oh my god. It's so normal and awkward. I'm not used to seeing something that normal and real in Doctor Who. Yes, the companions have been very grounded in the new Who and have families and lives back at Earth but usually that life gets interupted by the Doctor and we don't see a lot of domestic scenes. It was very refreshing and that's the reason I like the fact that Clara does not travel fulltime with the Doctor.
One complaint though. I wish the Doctor would stop criticising Clara's appearance. Why is it necessary for him to comment on her eyes and face and clothes and make-up?? It's played for jokes, but it's not funny, so can you please stop it?
Sorry, two compaints. I still don't like the new credits. Yes, it's cool that it's very time-related, but I preffered the time-vortex ones.
Next week, a bank robbery apparently. We'll see how that goes.
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