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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Doctor Who: Listen Review

"Listen," a brilliantly creepy and surprisingly meaning throwback to some of Moffat's more horror inspired solo outings.
After last week's fun cheesefest, "Listen" throws us into the darkness corners of our worst nightmares. What is that sound of footsteps following closely behind? Why do we talk to an empty room? What causes the hair on the back of your neck to stand up when you know there is nothing behind you? That is exactly what the Doctor is trying to deduce. 
 
 
Peter Capaldi has firmly established his version of the Doctor after running the gamut from a Dalek episode, to a fun and wacky adventure, and now to a creepy journey into our darkest fears. "Listen" features the perfect amount of bickering and grumpiness from the Doctor, while still giving him a curious side. Clara's character is further humanized with some very sweet and meaningful scenes in the episode; she really is perfect for Capaldi's Doctor. Danny Pink continues to be a surprisingly relatable and fun character, who is incredibly inept at holding a conversation. As always, the humor is spot on to balance out the darker, ominous tone. 

Now, time for spoilers! *Warning Spoilers Ahead* 
 
 
 
When Clara interacts with the TARDIS' telepathic interface to find her young self when she had the dream of someone grabbing her ankle, she is then distracted by a call from Danny Pink, and thus she is sent to the night that Pink, formerly named Rupert, encountered the mysterious creature. The entire scene with Clara and Pink under the bed when something sits on it is incredibly creepy and suspenseful. The following scenes with the trio trying not to look at it are very reminiscent of "Blink," in the best way possible. After the encounter, Clara's talk with young Pink is a nice and very well done exchange between the two. Clara is an almost motherly figure throughout the episode as she gives comforting advice, which is boostered by Jenna Coleman's brilliant performance.
Later, Clara is taken back to her date with Pink to try and fix things, yet she lets it slip that she knows Pink's original name, which causes more conflict and awkwardness between the two. 

Surprisingly, the Doctor finds another person important to Clara's timeline, Orson Pink, who is a time traveler from earth 100 years in the future, and of course, Orson looks almost exactly like Danny (what’s up with the fro?). So, it would seem that Clara and Danny are destined to be together because Orson is presumably their great-great-great-grandchild. Also, was I the only one reminded of the Vastra Nerada when Orson in his spacesuit thing walked into the restaurant?
 
 Somehow, the Doctor ends up at the end of time of itself on the last planet remaining. With only one man left alive in the universe, what is banging on the door? Is it the pressure of the atmosphere or it is something far more sinister? That is exactly what the Doctor is trying to figure out.

The last, albeit most controversial, part of the episode is when Clara encounters the Doctor as a child, who we originally believe to be Danny, and when it is revealed that the child is the Doctor, I am sure that I was not the only one with chills going down their spine. When Clara reaches out and grabs the Doctor's ankle, everything begins to make sense. Unfortunately, there will be a slew of angry old school Who fans that will be whining about Clara meeting the Doctor's younger self and giving him words of encouragement, which then flashes back to Hurt's War Doctor. However, the scene ultimately humanizes the Doctor by making him a scared child just like everyone else at one point in their childhoods, and no matter how much they want to complain, that was a powerful scene. 
One aspect that "Listen" captures perfectly is the universal feeling that someone is always watching. It is a fundamental feeling I am sure everyone, myself included, has felt at one point or another, and it is how the episode taps into our fears that makes the threat all the more profound. Moffat knows how to make the worst fears come to life in the simplest of ways, like the monster under the bedsheet. A certain portion of the credit goes to Douglas Mackinnon's direction of the episode, which is simply wonderful with a dark and eerie atmosphere. Another aspect that I have to give props to is the fact that Missy and the "Promised Land" are not even mentioned throughout the episode!

Also, as a whole, the episode with filled with far too many meaningful metaphors and parallels between the Doctor and the brave soldier Dan to even discuss in one review.

My only minor qualm with the episode is the lack of explanation. If the Doctor's search for the ultimate "hider" comes from an encounter with Clara, what wrote the word "Listen" on the chalkboard? What was the under the bedsheet? And what was that white, blurry figure under the bedsheet? While part of me thinks that an explanation to at least the chalkboard would be nice, not knowing is almost scarier...  

Overall: 9.6/10- "Listen" is a beautifully poignant and delightfully atmospheric masterstroke that brings out the best of Moffat's writing skill, and it is exactly what I have been asking for.

As before, if you have reviewed the episode, please let me know and I will add it to the list of links.
 
Gotta love the "No Hugging" rule.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

18 comments:

  1. YES YES YES. After we finished watching this one, my mom turned to me and said, "Now *that* was a good one." Moffat is just so much better at writing creepy one-shot episodes than overseeing full seasons, in my opinion. Though I still am wondering about the creature under the bed and the "listen" on the chalkboard (perhaps that might tie in to a later episode?) overall I thought this one was really good. I'm not sure which had me gasping louder- the bit where we found out the kid crying was the Doctor, or when Clara grabbed his leg and everything came together at once! :D Though I fully admit Clara has already been one of my favorite companions, I really liked how motherly she was in this episode; that's not a trait a whole lot of the companions have, so I think it makes her different.

    Oh, and I've noticed that every single episode this season has reminded me of an older episode- Deep Breath/The Girl in the Fireplace (which I know was intended) but also Robot of Sherwood/Fires of Pompeii, and now Listen reminds me of Blink- I'm not sure if they're meaningfully drawing parallels or if it's just an inevitable coincidence. Into the Dalek also reminds me of another episode, I just can't think which one.

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    1. Glad you and your family enjoyed it as much as mine! And I agree, Moffat is great at the creepy episodes. Maybe it will be explained, or we may never know. Both made me gasp! :D Clara has been one of my favorites too. She does not seem to have a lot of fans though. :/

      Excellent comparisons! It is funny though that none of them, except maybe Sherwood, was better than than the original one. It probably is part inevitable coincidence for a few, while Deep Breath did have a direct reference to The Girl in the Fireplace.

      -James

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  2. Great review! :D I agree, I really loved this episode!! :D Season 8 is shaping up to be really good! :) The last two episodes have been riveting for me and I hope the season continues in this vein. I agree, Clara and Twelve are a great team and Clara is the perfect companion for Capaldi's Doctor. Really, really enjoy their interactions! :) I also liked the creepy factor- I was watching the episode alone in my dorm room and since my desk is next to my bed and my feet were on the ground, I kept feeling a bit weird- I liked that good writing in the episode. I agree, everyone has felt that 'someone is watching me thing'- I know I have, especially if I'm walking somewhere alone at night. I'd also like to know what was under the sheet/what wrote on the chalkboard. And yes, Danny Pink is hilarious! XD I love his headesking.
    I also loved the scene at the end with Clara and the young Doctor and her talk to him- it could have been bad, but it turned out fantastic! I LOVED it! I really want to see another scene like this again. The scene really gave us a good picture of the Doctor- as a child and as an adult- and seeing Clara talking to him and being kind and soothing him was also really poignant.
    And yes, love the 'no hugging' rule XD I don't like hugging much either, so I can relate to 12 here XD.

    @Hayden - the episode "Into the Dalek" was similar to was season 1's "Dalek"(with the Ninth Doctor and Rose).

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    1. YES YOU ARE RIGHT THAT IS IT EXACTLY. Thanks :D

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    2. You're welcome! :D Glad to help :)

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    3. @Shena: Thanks! :D Agreed, hopefully we can continue to have even better episodes as the season continues! Haha, perfect setting to make the episode even creepier. :) And headesking For the Win! LOL
      The Clara and young Doctor's conversation was one of my favorite parts too.

      -James

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  3. Great review!! This one is certainly my favorite of the season so far. *Spoilers!* At the point where the spacemen takes off his helmet and he looks like Danny, I starting thinking it was gonna be the best episode ever. (Not really, but you know.) It wasn't though -- even though I thought the twist and the young Doctor was neat and unexpected, (and creepy and sweet at the same time) I really wanted there to be a monster for some reason. It was just so freaky to start, and then wound up being all logical in conclusion. Except not really, because of the plot holes that I'm hoping will be explained later. If the Doctor is afraid of something being under his bed only because of Clara, then why is everyone else? And like you said, who wrote "listen" on the chalkboard? (It's possible the Doctor did it and forgot since Clara said it looked like his handwriting.) But most importantly, WHO (or what) was under that blanket??? I must know this. It's too big a hole for them to leave unanswered. I hope.

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    1. Thank you Sarah! It is mine too! I am also conflicted about whether or not I wanted there to be a real monster. Maybe the fact that there is no monster makes it different than the usual episode. The plot holes about the chalkboard still confuse me too.

      -James

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  4. It was vital that we didn't know. The episode was about childhood fears and the fact that even the Doctor had them. It may have angered some but I loved the fact that the Doctor was turned into the very kids who love him and who hide behind the sofa. Great episode - Moff's best since The Eleventh Hour.

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    1. You certainly have a point, and I inclined to agree with you. I am on the fence about knowing, but ultimately it does not detract from the fact that this was an excellent episode.

      -James

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  5. AS someone who is "an old school Who fan" (my cred is unimpeachable, though I'm hardly 'angry'), I didn't hate Listen. However, I have a few things to say about it.

    It was not a bad episode, but not a great one either. Canon exists for a reason: to keep continuity. I'm not furious at the idea of Clara basically being the Doctor's nanny, just highly disappointed that we can't get away from the Companion being the center of the show (last time I checked, it's still called 'Doctor Who', not 'Clara', not 'Pink', not 'Rose', not 'The Ponds', not 'The Lizard and Her Lover', and certainly not 'River Song & Company').

    What is the point of having Clara serve as the inspiration for the Doctor to be who he turned out to be? There's no need for it. The biggest issue is Clara leaving 'Dan the Soldier Man' w/the Doctor. Orson describes it as a 'family heirloom'. Unless the Doctor carried 'Dan' throughout all his incarnations (which makes one wonder how he came to it) and ergo, Orson (and by extension Clara) is a relative, we have a set of questions we may not like the answers too.

    Ultimately, I found it atmospheric but hollow.

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    1. Just like comic book that have been around since the 60s, sometimes there will be continuity errors. Otherwise, the writers would be stuck in a box smaller than a real police box. I personally have no problem with developing the companions. They are the audience's connection to the real world.

      As for "Dan the Soldier Man," it is fairly clear that Dan had the toy since he was a child and passed it down through the family for 100 years until Orson's timeline when Orson meets the Doctor. At that point, Orson gave it to Clara and then the Doctor.

      -James

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  6. This was a fantastic episode, measured especially by the fact that it left me very disturbed--it was worse to me then all the horror movies I've attempted to watch and worse than the weeping angels, which never scared me past a suspense level. The amount of intense emotion in the horror area was fantastic! Clara was also at her best in this episode so far in this episode! 12's personality is a refreshing change and he's intenseness balanced with wit was also fantastic! I love all the gifs you found, they capture some of the best lines! While I wish some of the plot holes had been wrapped or explained, I'm hoping that happens later on in the series.

    Overall, this was a great episode! Good review!

    ~Jamie

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    1. Agreed, it is definitely more suspenseful and fear inducing than most horror movies. Glad you liked the gifs!

      -James

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  7. (Sorry it took so long to comment, had a busy day yesterday) this episode had it all: funny moments, creepy moments, gasp-worthy moments, and everything else. *Spoilers for the Episode* I knew about the scene on Gallifrey-sadly, I came across spoilers-but I think I still went 'WHAT?!' when they mentioned the words 'he'll never be a time lord'.
    I'm curious to see how Clara and Danny's relationship will continue, given their rocky start during their first date. Clara had a lot of nice moments during the episode, and I loved the scenes between her and Rupert when he was a kid, they were really sweet. The episode had a lot of beautifully shot scenes, when you first see the thing on the bed for instance, as well as the scene when Clara is giving the speech to the Doctor, which was another wonderfully shot scene.
    The episode was wonderful, and enjoyable and creepy as well. I don't think there's been one episode this season so far that I haven't liked, which is pretty spectacular in my opinion.
    Great review, James! Thanks for the link to my review!
    -Tegan

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    1. No problem. I'm glad that you did comment!
      Ah, I fortunately avoided the spoiler, so I had no idea about the Gallifrey visit.
      I am interested to see how their relationship pans out as well. They seem to have great chemistry. And I agree about the how great the scenes look.
      Thanks! And glad to do it!

      -James

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  8. Sorry everyone for the late replies!

    -James

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  9. It was really confusing and left me with a lot of questions at the end that were not answered.

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One rule: No strong profanity. If you want to link to one of your posts, please do; I am always interested in other reviews and such.

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