PREVIOUSLY ON DOCTOR WHO: A strange man known as the Architect brought together the Doctor, Clara, a computer hacker named Psi, and a shape-shifting humanoid named Saibra so they could break into the most secure bank in the entire Universe, the Bank of Karabraxos. And now…
“THE CARETAKER”
Written By: Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat
Directed By: Paul Murphy
First and foremost, apologies for such a late entry. Life gets in the way, ya know. Anyhow, lets dive into this pretty interesting and eye-opening episode!
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We begin with a series of sequences in which Clara is attempting to balance both her life as a school teacher and girlfriend to Danny Pink, and her life traveling around space and time with the Doctor. Yup, right off the bat, we can tell this is going to be a Clara-centric episode. I guess I’m okay with that, even though she has received TONS of screen time this series so far. Finally, the Doctor tells her that he has a mission that he needs to do himself, and Clara should stay home this time, much to her displeasure. Of course, her world is thrown for a loop when she sees that the Doctor is masquerading around her school under the guise of the new caretaker with the name “John Smith”. Ah, its been awhile since we’ve heard the Doctor use that name. Actually, I’ve noticed quite a few callbacks to the David Tennant era, with the previous utilization of the orange space suit and now bringing back the “John Smith” name.
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We soon find out that the Doctor is trying to find a murderous robotic being known as the Skovox Blitzer, which is located near the school and apparently has enough firepower to destroy the entire planet! The Doctor has a plan for which involves trapping the robot in a time portal and shipping it 1 billion years into the future where no harm can be done. Otherwise, someone will find it, attack it, and BOOM goes the Earth. Sad thing is, the robot has already taken care of a police officer that found it earlier. He has also created a special invisibility watch so that the Blitzer can’t detect his presence. I love the episodes when the Doctor brings out all his wonderful toys! That’s one of the best alien aspects about his character, as his gadgets are always weird yet incredibly useful.
Thing is, to Clara, the bigger threat is if the Doctor not only meets Danny, but finds out that he was a soldier, as the Doctor has a great displeasure for soldiers. The Doctor, on the other hand, thinks he has already figured out who her “mysterious boyfriend” is. He believes that it is the teacher he sees her with that has a quite similar floppy hair and bowtie look. He does meet Danny, but learns that he is a soldier and immediately thinks he is a PE teacher, and couldn’t possibly teach Math. He goes about his business, though, placing small devices around the school that will help him trap the Blitzer. Danny finds some of these, and when the Blitzer DOES show itself, the plan backfires. Arguments ensue, the Doctor finds out the truth about Danny and Clara, Danny does the same with the Doctor, and Clara’s lives begin to merge.
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Clara gets the idea to give Danny the invisibility watch so that he can sneak onboard the Tardis and listen to her conversation with the Doctor, but the Time Lord can immediately sense Danny’s presence. Danny doesn’t like the way the Doctor treats Clara, and the Doctor doesn’t like soldiers. The one thing this argument accomplishes? Clara blurts out that she loves Danny. And here we are, in soap opera territory. Honestly, I understand some shows need things like this to happen, but I’m kinda tired of soap opera-style in Doctor Who. Mainly in NuWho. Rose loves the Doctor. Martha wants to be with the Doctor. Amy has a thing for him, until Rory proves himself to be the man she should be with. Gets annoying sometimes.
The Blitzer reappears during Parents Night at the school, and the Doctor and Clara set forth to try and capture it. Danny wants to help, but the Doctor brushes him off. Finally, when it looks like Clara is toast, Danny leaps in to save the day, allowing the Doctor to trap the Blitzer and send him on his way. Danny tells Clara that he admires the way the Doctor can push her to act, but if he at any time pushes to far, she must tell him. Elsewhere, we see the police officer from earlier, who thinks he’s still alive. But we soon find out that he is not only dead, but has been transported to the very place that we’ve seen others in past episodes go. To a place called the Promised Land, or the Nethersphear, which is run by the mysterious Missy!
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I have to say, although I’m not a huge fan of the soap opera side stories, they do serve a purpose. The interaction with Danny and the Doctor felt quite tumultuous, and the mutual disdain between the two was brought out brilliantly. I can’t wait to see the two face off again. I also loved the way they fully introduced the character of Courtney, a student at Coal Hill School. Adds a new dynamic that I think will work quite well on future trips. Actually, if you think about it, this series is starting to harken back to the days of old. The Doctor on the Tardis with a kid and two teachers from Coal Hill School. Always love the nostalgia factor! I hope to have the next edition online sooner next time, so stay tuned! Until next time…
