So what would happen if you made an episode of Doctor Who without a villain? Where the only people for the Doctor to bounce off are his companion, a few minor characters they meet along the way and himself? The answer is Listen; an episode focused largely on looking into the mind of this new Doctor and on expanding Clara’s relationship with former soldier and fellow teacher Danny Pink.
The episode opens with The Doctor researching a theory he’s been developing that we all have creatures following us who are perfect at hiding. Ever felt a breath on the back of your neck? Ever heard a noise in the dark? Ever had a dream about the monster under the bed? The Doctor is determined to find out if these are caused by a creature, and he drags Clara, who is reeling from the aftermath of a disastrous date, along for the ride. They telepathically link Clara to the TARDIS to find when she dreamed about the monster under the bed, but a stray thought about Danny leads them elsewhere and the Doctor starts investigating.
This was a tremendous episode, Peter Capaldi rules the screen entirely. His Doctor’s insanity and obsession driving everything, the only real time they’re in danger is caused by him, needing to know if he’s right or not. This is also the best episode for evolving Clara’s character so far, her time spent on the date with Danny Pink shows a real human side to the character. Then her interaction with the scared children really shows her teacher side, which is very cool to see. She really feels like a character worthy of sharing the screen with the Doctor and it’s wonderful to see her evolving in these ways.
The episode opens with The Doctor researching a theory he’s been developing that we all have creatures following us who are perfect at hiding. Ever felt a breath on the back of your neck? Ever heard a noise in the dark? Ever had a dream about the monster under the bed? The Doctor is determined to find out if these are caused by a creature, and he drags Clara, who is reeling from the aftermath of a disastrous date, along for the ride. They telepathically link Clara to the TARDIS to find when she dreamed about the monster under the bed, but a stray thought about Danny leads them elsewhere and the Doctor starts investigating.
This was a tremendous episode, Peter Capaldi rules the screen entirely. His Doctor’s insanity and obsession driving everything, the only real time they’re in danger is caused by him, needing to know if he’s right or not. This is also the best episode for evolving Clara’s character so far, her time spent on the date with Danny Pink shows a real human side to the character. Then her interaction with the scared children really shows her teacher side, which is very cool to see. She really feels like a character worthy of sharing the screen with the Doctor and it’s wonderful to see her evolving in these ways.
The whole episode has a horror movie feel to it, there is a lot of mood lighting and creepy sets; the children’s home in the 90s and the barn towards the end standing out as brilliant examples of horror set design. Then there’s the scene at the end of the universe with the knocking on the door, the blue lights and Capaldi’s acting making a very uncomfortable experience.
I love when shows can change up the regular format and bring something new to the table and Doctor Who managed that here, doing away with the usual Doctor and Companion head to a place and stop a villain plot and instead having a story where they hop all over space and time to see if there are monsters and ultimately learn and grow as characters. This was a welcome gamble and it pays off in spades.
I love when shows can change up the regular format and bring something new to the table and Doctor Who managed that here, doing away with the usual Doctor and Companion head to a place and stop a villain plot and instead having a story where they hop all over space and time to see if there are monsters and ultimately learn and grow as characters. This was a welcome gamble and it pays off in spades.