Doctor Who 8.04: Listen
Steven Moffat
Douglas Mackinnon
Without a doubt, this is the strongest
episode of Series 8 and the Capaldi run.
It had everything that makes a stand-alone effort from Moffat work so
well: lots of time travel insanity, a solid central hook, a healthy helping of
the creepy, and a story with personal meaning for The Doctor and his
companion. It’s only when one looks
beyond the boundaries of the episode to the larger context of The Doctor and
Clara’s history that the seams begin to show.
Going over the details of cause and effect
are quite beyond the point of the story.
Even by the end, there is mystery: while The Doctor’s current obsession
with the notion that there really is something under the bed is revealed to
have a rather circular causation, the presence of something under that blanket
suggests the answer isn’t so simple. It’s
like any apparent solution to unexplained phenomena: just because one instance
is easily explained doesn’t necessarily mean that all instances are.
The episode continues to underscore one of
the central tenets of the series and the characterization of The Doctor,
especially during the Moffat Era: when The Doctor is left to his own devices,
without someone to keep him on an even keel, his own inner demons start to get
the better of him. The Doctor’s recent
regeneration woes also leave him more vulnerable than ever, as his perceptions
are questionable. At least the
unnecessary silliness is gone; The Doctor’s odder moments strike less as
petulant than the reactions of someone trying to control anxiety.
Recalling that barn from “The Day of the
Doctor” was a nice touch, but involving Clara in such a formative moment of The
Doctor’s childhood felt excessive. To
say that it adds complications to the whole “Impossible Girl” element doesn’t
begin to cover it, because it’s still not clear how that was supposed to work,
anyway. And would Clara have been this
confused about time travel and such after what she’s been through? I tend to doubt it.
Clara also becomes entangled with Danny Pink’s
childhood development, and that’s just plain weird. Especially since she also discovered that she’s
destined to start a whole family line with Danny. How exactly is Clara supposed to handle that
knowledge? “Oh, not only did I help
define your entire life as a young boy, but we’re gonna hitch and have kids.” I suppose the inevitability of Danny joining
the adventure is a foregone conclusion, but was this level of complication
necessary to involve him? Moffat seems
to forget that the companions don’t have to always have some grand destiny!
For all that, Clara’s characterization (while
overly “meaningful”) is growing in very nice ways. Her role as a teacher calls back to Barbara,
and as a teacher, her ability to relate to children is a key element of the episode. Her awkwardness with Danny was precious. Jenna Coleman looked incredible on that date,
but she brought that all-important “adorkable” quality to Clara that adds
tremendously to her appeal. Maintaining
the course of fleshing out Clara in ways that Moffat never quite managed with
Amy would do wonders for the balance of the series. The fact that The Doctor is definitely in
more of a mentor/father-figure role is icing on the cake.
- Another great episode for Clara
- Classic standalone Moffat
- The tendency to overdo the time travel connections remains