Story: The Caretaker
Written By: Gareth Roberts & Steven Moffat
Length: 45 Minutes
Year: 2014
Clara is struggling to juggle her life in the TARDIS and her home life of working and dating Danny Pink. Finally the Doctor has a secret plan in which he wants Clara to stay home for a little while...unfortunately his secret plan includes him taking a job as the caretaker of her school...and it intrudes on her life with Danny in a big way.
The episode is decent bit of comedy for the first half (much like Gareth Robert's Smith-era entries "The Lodger" and "Closing Time"), which rather seamlessly transitions into a bit of light drama. The space robot villain plot is pretty much fluff and an excuse for the story that surrounds it. The robot looked cool though, so that is a plus.
The drama that is at the core of the story, particularly the second half, is the relationship between Clara and Danny and how it affects the Doctor. The Doctor is initially pleased about Clara's boyfriend, believing that is a bow-tie wearing/floppy haired teacher (similar to his previous incarnation), but is quite frustrated when it turns out to be the former soldier Danny. The Twelfth Doctor has serious issues with soldiers, and can't even fathom that Danny is a math teacher...as he must be a PE teacher if he was a soldier. This of course all leads to Danny learning of Clara's lies and other life, helping save the day, and then discussing her other life with her...and how he feels about it.
I liked that neither the Doctor nor Danny forced an ultimatum on Clara...and that it set it up for more development. Also welcome was a return glimpse at the Nethersphere, which is this year's less intrusive arc thread. I enjoyed the Moffat plot-heavy arc heavy Series 6, but it must be said that I find this more episodic-friendly arc to be more in tune with the series style on the whole.
This was a fine episode that continued to add more character development than plot development, which is very welcome after 3 years of plot heavy Moffat story lines.
NEXT TIME: Crashing the Lunar Surface
Written By: Gareth Roberts & Steven Moffat
Length: 45 Minutes
Year: 2014
Clara is struggling to juggle her life in the TARDIS and her home life of working and dating Danny Pink. Finally the Doctor has a secret plan in which he wants Clara to stay home for a little while...unfortunately his secret plan includes him taking a job as the caretaker of her school...and it intrudes on her life with Danny in a big way.
The drama that is at the core of the story, particularly the second half, is the relationship between Clara and Danny and how it affects the Doctor. The Doctor is initially pleased about Clara's boyfriend, believing that is a bow-tie wearing/floppy haired teacher (similar to his previous incarnation), but is quite frustrated when it turns out to be the former soldier Danny. The Twelfth Doctor has serious issues with soldiers, and can't even fathom that Danny is a math teacher...as he must be a PE teacher if he was a soldier. This of course all leads to Danny learning of Clara's lies and other life, helping save the day, and then discussing her other life with her...and how he feels about it.
I liked that neither the Doctor nor Danny forced an ultimatum on Clara...and that it set it up for more development. Also welcome was a return glimpse at the Nethersphere, which is this year's less intrusive arc thread. I enjoyed the Moffat plot-heavy arc heavy Series 6, but it must be said that I find this more episodic-friendly arc to be more in tune with the series style on the whole.
This was a fine episode that continued to add more character development than plot development, which is very welcome after 3 years of plot heavy Moffat story lines.
NEXT TIME: Crashing the Lunar Surface
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