S08.E05: Time Heist

[Chip]

 

The Bank of Karabraxos is the deadliest bank in the cosmos - only a fool or genius would tempt to rob it. Fortunately, for The Doctor, he's both. But nothing even The Doctor has encountered can prepare them for the Teller: a creature of terrifying power that can detect guilt.

 

[Llywela]

Fun train!

 

Okay, Clara still rubs me the wrong way and there were nits I could pick if I wanted, but that was an episode I enjoyed without reservation. Nothing jarred me, nothing threw me out of the story, nothing infuriated me. It was just a rollicking good fun adventure-of-the-week, nothing extra shoehorned in, no clumsy attempt at Epic Significance. The Doctor was allowed to be the Doctor and I loved him, Clara was allowed to be the companion and didn't annoy me. Good stuff.

 

ETA: In other thoughts, I'm starting to get the sense that Clara's part-time gig is not proving satisfactory for either her or the Doctor, which is the kind of character story I've been wanting. She never seems particularly pleased to see him and he seems to be competing for her attention because she's his (current) friend and he wants to share his travels with her even though she's apparently always got something better to do. I've been frustrated by the part-time thing for a long time now, especially because it's never really been explored, but I started to get the sense that it is actually being dealt with a little now at long last - hope to see this developed further in weeks to come (hopefully culminating in Clara's departure?)

Edited September 20, 2014 by Llywela

[John Potts]

So Paycheck* meets Ocean's 11, though fun despite its lack of originality. Loved the "Cold Open" where the Doctor picks up the phone and we jump cut to our crack team at the bank. Of course, for an ultra secure bank you'd think there'd be a few more security cameras around (they even had a shapeshifter who could run around as somebody else - probably Keeley Hawes, which would work out better than they expected what with all her clones running around). And for a heist, it actually mostly made sense - the fact that the only one with no real reason for going along was Clara, but given the identity of the Architect, it kinda made sense. I was actually expecting the Architect to turn out to be the owner of the bank (for - reasons, probably a security test of some kind), so at least that was a surprise.

 

* Not that I've actually seen Paycheck (or read the PK Dick story it's based on) but I know the story

[Meredith Quill]

This episode felt more like a usual one off DW adventure which I enjoyed up until the, imo, anti-climatic resolution. I'm so bored with Clara having to be virtually frog marched into the Tardis each week, yawn. Also still waiting to find myself loving 12, but I won't give up and am hoping it will happen by the end of the season if not before!

[glitterpants]

The "computerized" voice of The Architect in that introductory video bit sounded like Capaldi so they kind of spoiled the twist with that (unless  the whole point was to be ahead of the characters and watch them put it together) but yeah, it was fun enough.

[tankgirl73]

The woman in the shop who gave Clara his number, and the fact that they still don't know who she is, was ever-so-nonchalantly tossed off in this episode again.  So clearly they are indeed going to be pursuing that arc this season.

 

So since their purpose was to rescue the teller's partner, and it was on the orders of the boss, why did they need to hide that fact from the teller?  The teller would have been happy to comply.  He was in a psychic link with the boss?  Was that HER making the link or HIM?  We have no reason to believe the boss lady was telepathic at all, so the link was created by the teller.  So, surely he could NOT send her that information if he thought it better to not draw her attention to the whole thing.  Or, he could simply get the telepathic memory from the doctor about the elder boss lady giving the instructions, and then send THAT to her.  Hard to argue with her own instructions to herself.  

 

Of course I can believe that she might have still resisted -- the whole 'can't trust someone with your face' thing (I wonder how identical twins would feel about this episode) or the possibility that the old lady might be a clone trying to scam her.  So, okay, fine, leave her out of it, but why hide from teller the fact that they're there to help the teller?

 

Why exactly did the two helper folks need that 'reward' at the end?  Bribery?  Blackmail?  They were willing volunteers at the beginning and the Doctor was the architect.  Why would they have to be bribed into participating?  Once their memories were wiped, they just needed their messages to themselves to say "go ahead, you have a good reason to be doing this."  If the Doctor promised to pay them for their services, why would it have to be these 'magic cures' and more importantly why would they have to actually be stashed in the bank in the first place?  Why not just have them in the Tardis for the 'afterparty'?  

 

Or were those things that belonged to other customers, that they somehow learned were being kept in the bank, and therefore they actually did steal those things?

 

How did the Doctor stash the 'gifts' from the architect in the back the first time around?  They kept asking why the architect needed *them* to break in to the bank when clearly he had already done it before.  How did the Doctor move around freely the first time, with his memory intact (so he'd know where to put things), without attracting any attention at all?

 

Why did that guy's head cave in?  They turned his brains into soup but his skull would still be intact.  I can believe him still being alive -- leave the brain stem intact, a living vegetable.  But why the skull?

 

The slow-mo Oceans Eleven stuff at the beginning was over the top and annoying.  

 

The design of the teller creature was pretty cool.

 

The background music seemed odd.  Kinda techno dance party stuff, like the Doctor had left the radio on, rather than really mood-setting.  And it was just kind of always on in the background, constant and unchanging, rather than punctuating scenes or dramatic moments.  I don't usually notice the music consciously (despite being a professional musician), I let it do its mood-setting job and don't really "listen" most of the time.  But I found it distracting this time, and not in a good way.

 

The mutant girl called the Doc a 'good man'.  Significant for sure.

 

Should have figured that the two helpers were not dead when they didn't immediately show up in the Promised Land.  

 

Clone was weird and creepy and just weird.  I was taken out of the moment by wondering how someone as clearly nutso as she was would ever get hired as head of security.  At least it did get explained how.

[bmoore4026]

I still don't much care for 12 but Capaldi's performance is great.  Keep Capaldi but give the Doctor a personality makeover.

 

Loved the Clone Lady.  Hope she comes back.

 

And I think I'm starting to see why people don't like Clara.  She can come off as a bit insufferable.  Also, I did not like her outfit this episode.

[Lantern7]

That was a fun romp . . . at least when all the pieces were fitted together. Basically, the Doctor guilt-trips a woman into reuniting two Tellers (for lack of a better term), and he lathers up in layers of ignorance to make it work. Once you see the end, the means are justified. By the way, is it obvious that I'm not into mysteries at all? And of course the Doctor would figure out he's the Architect, because the Architect is so irritating. The gong? Was the cherry on top. Better execution from Stephen Thompson this time, probably because Moffat was guiding him.

 

Next week looks to be fun as well, as Clara's part-time companioning takes a toll. Even the title -- "The Caretaker" -- with the Doctor slumming as help shows promise.

 

ETA: Soup-brains effect was too eerie. Ew ew ewwwwww.

[ketose]

I swear I thought she was Madam Kavarian in the promos.

 

How many times now has the Doctor implied or stated outright that he hates himself? I think he's the one who needs a psychiatrist.

 

This felt very much like a NuWho episode. Actually, it was a little like "The Beast Below" with the memory wipes and the enslaved creatures. That may be due in part to the fact that Clara was virtually worthless in the episode. In fact, she got the hacker guy "killed." Another trend that needs to stop is where Twelve keeps saying he can't help people who are going to die. That runs contrary to everything that makes him The Doctor.

 

"The Caretaker" is an interesting title for next week, given that Clara has been acting as Twelve's caretaker.

Edited September 21, 2014 by ketose

[Jenniferbug]

That was fun. Certainly not my favorite episode, but it was enjoyable.

Does anyone else feel like they're auditioning new companions to gauge fan reaction before/in case Clara leaves? First with Journey Blue, and now with Psi and Salbra (sp?). Moffatt or Moffatt Interns, if you read this- I vote for Psi and Salbra. They were likeable and had good companion chemistry with the Doctor.

[truther]

How did Madam Karabraxos meet the Doctor in the first place?  Yeah he was in her office and gave her his card, and told her to call him if she ever gets old and has any regrets, and she does so.  But how did this time-travel loop start?  How do you know to go back in time and tell someone to do something in the future that will then cause you to go back in time?  Isn't that a paradox or did I miss something?

[miles2go]

Caper story!  Always nice as a change of pace.

The good:  the Doctor is back in charge (hooray!), fun story, some interesting characters

The bad:  the old DW stand-by of "run around in corridors", and, as Tankgirl and Truther point out, some things don't make whole gobs of sense.

 

I'll give it a "thumbs up".  Not one to take too seriously, but lots of fun.

Edited September 21, 2014 by miles2go

[benteen]

Good episode, I enjoyed it.

 

-Though the Teller was a wonderful new alien.

 

-Very nice to see the 12th Doctor finally in the lead role.

 

-Enjoyed Psi and Salbra.  Interesting thought Jenniferbug had about them auditioning companions.  Even if that doesn't happen, I enjoy when the show builds up people who will be the Doctor's friends throughout said Doctor's run.

 

-I'm also wondering how Madam Karabraxos originally met the Doctor.  That doesn't add up.

[alias1]

That was fun. Certainly not my favorite episode, but it was enjoyable.

Does anyone else feel like they're auditioning new companions to gauge fan reaction before/in case Clara leaves? First with Journey Blue, and now with Psi and Salbra (sp?). Moffatt or Moffatt Interns, if you read this- I vote for Psi and Salbra. They were likeable and had good companion chemistry with the Doctor.

I agree.  I vote for Psi and Saibra!  Please not Journey Blue.

[ohjoy]

"Why are you in charge?" Because that's exactly what I've been asking for! Perfectly acceptable as a one off, I don't mind the holes I'll likely discover on rewatch, don't even mind the simplistic ending. I enjoyed this one all the way through. Yay!

[Eolivet]

Yeah, this was definitely my favorite episode this year. I think because Twelve is so serious, he almost needs less serious plots to balance him out (whereas Eleven thrived in serious plots because he was goofier). Too serious, and the show becomes almost unbearably gloomy for him, yet too campy -- like Robots of Sherwood -- strains his credibility with all the forced one-liners. This was an ideal mix of action, some humor, light drama and a clever ending. Clara didn't take over -- they worked as a team. I'd also like to see more of Psi and Saibra. They were way more appealing than Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax have been...ever.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Eolivet

[Maelstrom]

Finally, a good episode! Nothing outstanding, just a good old-fashioned adventure, but I enjoyed this one a lot - it's the first episode of the year that entertained me without aggravating me to no end.

 

The Doctor finally got to be the Doctor instead of Clara's crazy sidekick. And I really liked Sy and Sabra, and am glad they weren't killed off. Can they be the new Companions? Please? I'd be all for that. Clara's annoyingness was at a minimum, at least after the opening scene ("Sorry time-travelling alien, I can't go for a ride in your time machine right now because I'd rather go on another awkward date here on boring Earth with a human coworker. Smell ya later!") And the Doctor saved not only the Teller, but its entire race. Yay Doctor!

[benteen]

I didn't expect Danny to show up and I noticed he's listed as an "unlisted cameo."  I wonder if this scene was originally shot for next week's episode and just moved to this one.

[AudienceofOne]

Finally, a good episode! Nothing outstanding, just a good old-fashioned adventure, but I enjoyed this one a lot - it's the first episode of the year that entertained me without aggravating me to no end.

 

 

I enjoyed it. It didn't make any sense but then Moffatt's "ta da!" moments rarely do.

I liked the in-episode companions and I liked that no one died because of the Doctor'sI planning. Definitely the best episode of the season. But that's not hard.

[tv-talk]

Echo most of the above comments, really enjoyed this episode and I have to think Psi and Salbra wil be back- those two are perfect Companions. 

[Mr. Simpatico]

I agree.  I vote for Psi and Saibra!  Please not Journey Blue.

I was hoping they would stay on the Tardis while Clara left. They actually seemed to mesh well with Twelve (and its not like the Tardis hasn't been crowded before). I actually miss companions who live on the Tardis with the Doctor. Also both would be full-time companions from the"future" - something I don't thinkNuWho think has ever had (I don't know if Captain Jack counts since he came and went and came and went).

I do wonder why all Moffat NuWho female villains have the same look to them - Madam Kovarian, Missy, Karabraxos. Not exactly much difference and seems a waste of Keeley Hawes. 

 

I hope next week is the end of The Scintillating Adventures of Clara's Dating Life or is that going to be a thing all throughout season 8?

[Lyndy]

Enjoyed this one but I'm still waiting to be excited for the next episode. Watched this because I happened to be home but I'm not sure I would have bothered otherwise. I don't know why this season isn't hooking me.

[Maelstrom]

Definitely the best episode of the season. But that's not hard.

Agreed.

 

I was hoping they would stay on the Tardis while Clara left... I actually miss companions who live on the Tardis with the Doctor. Also both would be full-time companions from the"future"

Same here. I thought both characters had interesting backstories, and enjoyed their rapport with the Doctor. And agreed that we definitely need a full-time companion again. This part-time crap just doesn't cut it. And I'd love to see companions from a non-modern era.

 

I hope next week is the end of The Scintillating Adventures of Clara's Dating Life or is that going to be a thing all throughout season 8?

 

Please oh please oh please let it end!

[MarquisDeCarabas]

The Collasping Skull.  I wave it as whatever energy the Teller emits to liquefy the brain probably softens or damages the skull as well.  After all it's not like there's not precedence for such things warning graphic.

 

As for why they didn't want Karabraxos to know what they were up to, well I thought it was clear at this point in her life she didn't regret anything she did. So she wouldn't want the Doctor to succeed.  It's only at the end of her life would she want the Doctor to change things and also understanding why the Doctor was there.

 

 As for how it all started.  This is one of  Moffat's closed time loops.  It's the ending to Blink all over again.  Wibbly Wobbly timey wimey.  If Blink's resolution doesn't bother you this shouldn't either.

 

I do wish they had explained why Delphox didn't just feed the Doctor and Clara to the Teller, like just a line about after everything that's happened it needs to rest.

 

As for the Doctor hating himself. It's something that's cropped up in nuWho I used to chalk it up to the Time War.  But I wonder if Journey's End isn't part of it too.  When Davros points out to the Doctor exactly what he's done to the people he's touched and how they've become soldiers because he won't.

 

I think that 10's discovery of that sort of informed 11's take on himself and his insistence that he's not a good man, and driving himself to be the scariest thing in the Universe.  12 is falling back into the man behind the scenes and seems a little more comfortable with it.

 

He also is pushing people away because he's aware of what he does to people.  It's also probably why he's doing more of the part time companion.

[futurechemist]

I thought the episode was more fun than the last few weeks, at least until I thought about it in detail.

 

Why did the solar storms destroy the bank, and isn't that something the bank employees should have been aware of?  There wasn't any effort to evacuate all the valuables if the bank was about to be destroyed.  So it wasn't so much the gang robbing the bank as the gang stopping the Teller from going down with the ship?

 

The idea of the teller was cool, at least until I think about how it's applied.  If I felt guilty about not holding the door open when I walked into the bank, is the Teller going to pick up on that and kill me?

 

I'm assuming that the Doctor making the "call me" gesture to Psi means that he'll be back at some point.  We're due for a companion who's either not fully human or not from present-day Earth.  The last was Jack, and only 1 in 8 seasons on Who seems not enough.  And I think you have to go all the way back to 5 to find more non-modern human companions.

 

Still it was more fun which helped cover up the logical holes.  And the Doctor got to be more Doctor-y instead of a sidekick.  I think I might skip next week's episode. I don't think I could handle that much focus on Clara's love life.  Less focus on Clara's home life, more focus on her adventures with the Doctor.

 

Oh, and I liked the little reference to 4 and 11 (scarf and bow tie) when the Doctor was being scanned.

Edited September 21, 2014 by futurechemist

[LordBowen]

This is the episode (for me anyway) where the Doctor got his groove back. Didn't feel it at all in the first three episodes, then got a hint of it last week. This week it arrived in full and I finally feel like I'm watching Doctor Who again. Very happy.

Also would love to see the two accomplices become Companions, especially Psi.

[Llywela]

-Enjoyed Psi and Salbra.  Interesting thought Jenniferbug had about them auditioning companions.  Even if that doesn't happen, I enjoy when the show builds up people who will be the Doctor's friends throughout said Doctor's run.

Me too - if he's going to have recurring friends, I like to actually see their origin stories to know how he knows them and how their relationship came about (unlike, say, the Paternoster gang). Auditioning potential new companions on every adventure is normal practice for the Doctor. He's always made allies along the way.

 

 I actually miss companions who live on the Tardis with the Doctor. Also both would be full-time companions from the"future" - something I don't thinkNuWho think has ever had (I don't know if Captain Jack counts since he came and went and came and went).

Me too - Clara's weird part-time arrangement is part of the reason I've never been able to like her. She really needs to either give that up and go on an extended trip, or give up the Doctor and get on with her life without interruption.

 

Modern Who hasn't ever had proper full-time companions from the future, no, not long-term ones - Jack would count, but he came and went like a mayfly. Adam was technically from the future :D but no, he doesn't count either.

 

What I've always wanted to see in the new show is companions from different eras - maybe even from different planets. Let us see the Doctor meeting them and taking them with him, first one and then the other, and let their relationship grow over the course of a season, coming from different cultures, different ages. If there was going to be a romance, that'd be the opportunity right there, a story that could unfold naturally rather than being wedged in around the edges like Clara's thing with Danny, and there's be tension in that story because they'd always know that to be together long-term, they either have to stay with the Doctor forever or one of them has to give up their home, settle in another time (or on another world) permanently. But that would mean telling a character story, and Moffat doesn't like those.

 

As for the Doctor hating himself. It's something that's cropped up in nuWho I used to chalk it up to the Time War.  But I wonder if Journey's End isn't part of it too.  When Davros points out to the Doctor exactly what he's done to the people he's touched and how they've become soldiers because he won't.

 

I think that 10's discovery of that sort of informed 11's take on himself and his insistence that he's not a good man, and driving himself to be the scariest thing in the Universe.  12 is falling back into the man behind the scenes and seems a little more comfortable with it.

 

He also is pushing people away because he's aware of what he does to people.  It's also probably why he's doing more of the part time companion.

I think all that's true. It also all stems from the very modern idea that angsty tragic heroes are more interesting than well-balanced ones - this version of the Doctor is a very NuWho concept. The classic Doctors didn't worry about turning their companions into soldiers because that wasn't what happened to them. The manufactured angst is one of the things that's always grated me slightly with the reboot. But I'm really hoping that they might finally work through the concept with this new Doctor and let him come out the other end a more positive character again. I miss the optimism of the classic Doctors.

[wayne67]

I had several issues with this episode. 

 

1 Why didn't anyone throw the atomiser at the Teller ?

 

2 The Doctor was the obvious culprit when Time Travel was mentioned.

 

3 The Doctor apparently can't tell the difference between an atomiser and a teleporter?

 

4 They didn't even specify that the vault was holding stolen property like Farscape did with it's shadow vault plot so all those brain eaten people are locked in the vault along with all the customers that were visiting are incinerated. Nice work Doctor.

 

5 Where did the Doctor drop the Tellers off ? the end of the universe ?

 

6 The Tellers are now going to produce children who will be forced to have incest babies with each other to further propagate the species. 

 

7 The faith the Doctor had in the Architect seemed bizaarely out of character.

 

8 The final Teller interaction smacked of a bland repeat of the Rings of Azkhaten.

 

9 Everyone would make a more interesting companion than Part Time Clara. Bring on the cyborg man ... He was entertaining and useful. 

Edited September 21, 2014 by wayne67

[giovannif7]

I especially appreciated the inclusion of a picture of Torchwood character Captain John Hart (James Marsters) in Psi's gallery of thieves and villains. Nice to know that show connection isn't being completely ignored.

Edited September 21, 2014 by giovannif7

[HauntedBathroom]

I especially appreciated the inclusion of a picture of Torchwood character Captain John Hart (James Marsters) in Psi's gallery of thieves and villains. Nice to know that show connection isn't being completely ignored.

I was a lot more interested to see Absolom Daak appearing. That's a far more interesting connection to the shows past!

 

Pay attention, Robot of Sherwood - this is how you do a rompy romp.The whole thing was a blast from start to finish, although wasn't it lucky that Clara choose to wear a pseudo-business suit for her date, almost as though she knew she needed to pass as a customer in a swish bank? The other companions were interesting, and I did love the twist that the Doctor was behind the whole thing, although I guessed that when the Doctor started saying how much he hated the Architect.

 

It was a fun, silly ride, and I shall be watching it again tonight, I think it will definitely reward rewatching!

Edited September 21, 2014 by HauntedBathroom

[patchwork]

Add my vote for Psi and Salbra to be the next companions. The part-time thing never bothered me much until this week; the Doctor shouldn't be hanging around begging someone to go on an adventure with him. 

 

I think NuWho has kept to this era for companions because they believe viewers relate to them more easily and through the companion they relate to the Doctor/show but at the same time they're desperate to make the companion special. It's worse with Moffat because he treats them as special snowflakes first and foremost while Davies would have them stumble upon it usually during the season finale. 

 

Companions from the future can already have something that sets them apart from everyone else including past companions the trick is to also ground them as people.

 

Anyway OT I liked the episode but Clara could have been absent and it would have made no difference whatsoever. 

Edited September 21, 2014 by patchwork

[benteen]

 

Me too - if he's going to have recurring friends, I like to actually see their origin stories to know how he knows them and how their relationship came about (unlike, say, the Paternoster gang). Auditioning potential new companions on every adventure is normal practice for the Doctor. He's always made allies along the way.

 

Yeah, we never did get an origin for the Paternoster game.  Though apparently Strax came from a script that was never produced.

 

At least we got something from the new two friends. 

[truther]

I was getting a Capt. Jack Harkness vibe from Salbra and Psi.  I don't want them to be companions so much as recurring colorful characters who pop in from time to time to liven up the Doctor's universe. 

[Llywela]

I was getting a Capt. Jack Harkness vibe from Salbra and Psi.  I don't want them to be companions so much as recurring colorful characters who pop in from time to time to liven up the Doctor's universe. 

I could live with that. He could start to phase Clara out by having other people he pops in to whisk away for an adventure from time to time...and we'd be sat at home wondering which companion to expect this week...

[tarotx]

This episode was fun and interesting. 12 was cool. I love him.

 

Clara and 12 kind of have this Father Daughter relationship with her being reluctant to go on his missions and all her excuses. Though I guess maybe it's more like a mother daughter relationship since he keeps making her feel unsure of her looks and confidence.

 

They couldn't tell the Teller because he was mentally linked with Karabraxos who had no quilt at the time.The teller let himself be mentally linked with Karabraxos because of his fellow species. 

 

This Episode reminded me of the Beast Down below and for the Memory wipe and The God Complex for the Physic beast. Some other episodes as well like Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS and The Rings of Akhaten.

 

The Teller was housed in a container that reminded me of how the Aliens had to be in Torchwood: Children of the Earth. Not that they looked like them persay but those Alien sucked off Children so I could imagine that it was a Physic feeding. Innocent Children memories would be much better than Criminal ones and from those who lived a long life. Of course Peter Capaldi probably helped me think of COE.

 

The Doctor admitting hating himself was interesting. So was what he asked the teller to show him. We got the memory wiped memories back but the Doctor ask for much broader ones. 

 

And of course all the talk of not really the last of his kind reminded me of the Master/Missy rumor and of course of the ones involving Gallifrey as well.

[Snarkette]

 

Oh, and I liked the little reference to 4 and 11 (scarf and bow tie) when the Doctor was being scanned.

I thought it was 4 and 2

[shapeshifter]

...Why did that guy's head cave in?  They turned his brains into soup but his skull would still be intact.  I can believe him still being alive -- leave the brain stem intact, a living vegetable.  But why the skull?...

I guess the soupifying agent extended to the cranium (but not the jaw or skin) and then all was vacuumed up into the two-pronged Snuffleupagus, et voilà! Creepy and cool special effect. Definitely more terrifying than Ebola or anything actual terrorists currently have up their sleeves.

Alex from Ashes to Ashes looks better than ever!

Psi had all the charisma of a young John Barrowman. I don't care if he can't sing and dance, so long as he's either hetero or bi, would he please allow me to introduce him to my lovely youngest daughter who is currently single? Sadly, he really is too young to be my pretend boyfriend. At the very least, he and JB should play son and father somewhere sometime.

[benteen]

I was getting a Capt. Jack Harkness vibe from Salbra and Psi.  I don't want them to be companions so much as recurring colorful characters who pop in from time to time to liven up the Doctor's universe. 

 

Friends of the Doctor's, I agree.  The recurring characters they build around the Doctor are just as important.

[tankgirl73]

 

As for the Doctor hating himself. It's something that's cropped up in nuWho I used to chalk it up to the Time War.  

 

I'm not getting this 'Doctor hating himself' message from this episode.  The point was made several times that you don't trust your own eyes looking back at you -- that why the boss lady couldn't trust her clones, and the mutant human was always alone because if anybody wanted an intimate relationship with her, they'd touch her and she'd turn into their image and they wouldn't be able to trust her anymore.  

 

It's not about specifically not liking yourself -- it's more that having somebody looking like you is so unnerving that you just can't bring yourself to like or trust them.  

 

In the Doctor's case, he hated the Architect.  Not just had a mild resentment for him, but really hated him.  And the Doctor doesn't hate anyone, really, so it was remarkable how negatively he felt about him.  So that was his big clue that this person wasn't just anyone, but had the added effect of 'can't trust your own eyes looking back at you'.  Not because he hates himself.  

 

He's not too fond of himself much of the time, but that's different than actual hatred.

[tarotx]

The doctor doesn't really hate himself. He finds himself very cool. He doesn't trust himself. He doesn't trust that he's a good man. 

[Primetimer]

Stealing is nothing new for Doctor Who, which is lucky given this week's plot.

Read the story

[ketose]

I had several issues with this episode. 

 

1 Why didn't anyone throw the atomiser at the Teller ?

 

2 The Doctor was the obvious culprit when Time Travel was mentioned.

 

3 The Doctor apparently can't tell the difference between an atomiser and a teleporter?

 

4 They didn't even specify that the vault was holding stolen property like Farscape did with it's shadow vault plot so all those brain eaten people are locked in the vault along with all the customers that were visiting are incinerated. Nice work Doctor.

 

5 Where did the Doctor drop the Tellers off ? the end of the universe ?

 

6 The Tellers are now going to produce children who will be forced to have incest babies with each other to further propagate the species. 

 

7 The faith the Doctor had in the Architect seemed bizaarely out of character.

 

8 The final Teller interaction smacked of a bland repeat of the Rings of Azkhaten.

 

9 Everyone would make a more interesting companion than Part Time Clara. Bring on the cyborg man ... He was entertaining and useful. 

I think I have an answer for some of these.

1. The atomizers looked like they had to be self-administered. Throwing one wouldn't do anything.

3. I have to assume it was a teleporter disguised as an atomizer.

4. The weird part is that they said the customers left. I guess the reaction shot was of employees.

5. If I remember correctly, the Teller aliens were on an uninhabited planet, although the galaxy seems to be scares for habitable uninhabited planets.

6. Incest babies can still be genetically viable. If you go back through mitochondrial DNA, current humans only have a few dozen mothers going back a few thousand years.

7. The Doctor often goes along waiting to see what happens next because he believes he can think his way out of any situation.

[Mabinogia]

What I've always wanted to see in the new show is companions from different eras - maybe even from different planets.

 

 

When we first met Clara, the Victorian Clara, I was so excited to have a companion from another time. I thought that would be really interesting. Alas, it didn't play out that way. I doubt the show will ever go there with Moffat in charge since he thinks the companion is the main character and we are all children to simplistic to relate to an alien or someone old/old fashioned.

 

I would love Psi and/or Salbra as companions. It would be interesting to see the Doctor with a companion who actually has a super power (you know, other than being the most special perfect human girl in the whole wide universe). Imagine the fun he'd have with someone who could change their appearance to anyone they touch or someone who is basically a human computer. If not, I do want to see them again, especially Psi who seemed to get a bit more backstory, what with forgetting his friends and family, I'm kind of invested in knowing who they were and if he's back with them.

 

I really liked pretty much everything about this episode. It was about the Doctor being all Doctory rather than Clara being all special and all knowing. Capaldi was really working it as the Doctor. I loved his frantic ranting "don't speak" brainstorming at the end there. I liked the storyline. I like the idea that Karabraxos would regret wiping an entire race from existence and after all was said and done, that she would make that call to prevent it.

 

I am fascinated by time loops so this was a great ep for me. It's fun trying to wrap my linear little human brain around the idea that things don't happen in a straight line, that he always gave her his number because she always called him because he always gave her his number.

 

I would rather Karabraxos was recurring instead of Missy. IDK, I just don't like Missy and Kara intrigued me instantly. She reminds me of Rita Skeeter as portrayed by Miranda Richardon, like her dark haired sister. (though, her performance was the first time I could really see "children's show" in this show. She was very OTT (see again the Rita Skeeter comparison).

[Ceindreadh]

I admit that I was a little disappointed that Psi and Salbra survived.

Don't get me wrong, I did like them as characters and I'm glad they're not dead, but I wish they hadn't been effectively killed and ressurrected.

 

All through the ep, the jumps between the scenes had me feeling that this was some sort of dreamscape/virtual reality game and when Psi and Salbra showed up again, I was sure that that was going to be the 'answer', so I was almost a little dissappointed by the actual reveal. 

[romantic idiot]

I prefer Psi over Clara simply because he's yummier to me. And I don't know why Clara was wearing that on her date, is that date attire nowadays/

 

I thought the Architect was The Doctor in the beginning because he had the same accent, but then spent the rest of the episode thinking I was likely wrong, till the reveal at the end. 

[shapeshifter]

When we first met Clara, the Victorian Clara, I was so excited to have a companion from another time. I thought that would be really interesting. Alas, it didn't play out that way. I doubt the show will ever go there with Moffat in charge since he thinks the companion is the main character and we are all children to simplistic to relate to an alien or someone old/old fashioned.

...and/or the writing team isn't up to it in terms of historical period knowledge? Regardless, I agree. There would be lots of hilarity watching even just a pre-Internet person reacting to people staring at cell phones while walking on the sidewalk. Some years ago, my elderly neighbor, who is a licensed mental health therapist, thought I was having a schizo moment when I walked past her while talking to my daughter via a phone in my pocket with an earpiece in my ear.

It would be even better to have a pre-electricity companion like Clara could have been.

But it would complicate plots.

 

I would rather Karabraxos was recurring instead of Missy.

Me too, but maybe Karabraxos is too pretty for the story arc (whatever it is)?

[truther]

 

He could start to phase Clara out by having other people he pops in to whisk away for an adventure from time to time

Yep.  Borrowing from Swingers, here's how I'd like to see Psi and Salbra reappear:

 

Doctor (in the Tardis, talking to Clara on the phone):  "I want to show you a new galaxy being formed.  Come on, it'll be great!"

 

Clara (at home, getting dressed, whining):  "I don't know, I have a date tonight and I need to pick my shoes, do my hair . . . . I can go for a little bit, but you have to promise I'm home by seven."

 

(The Doctor's phone beeps.)

 

Doctor:  "Hang on, call waiting."  (Doctor clicks to the other line.)  "Hello?"

 

Psi (calling from a jailhouse payphone):  "Doctor, hi!  They gave me and Salbra one phone call.  Is it really wrong to steal nuclear launch codes from NORAD and put them in a children's book?"

 

Doctor:  "What?  Hang on a second."  (Clicks over the call waiting.)  "Clara?"

 

Clara:  "Doctor, pick me up in five minutes and we can --"

 

Doctor:  "--whatever.  Bye."  (Hangs up.)

 

Exeunt Clara. 

[BizBuzz]

Absolutely LOVED this episode.  I felt it rushed at the end, but my daughter turned to me and said, OMG Mom, how sweet is that?  And almost had tears in her eyes.  This coming from a girl that doesn't cry over much.

 

This was so much fun.  I want Psi and Salbra as permanent companions.  I got a definite Captain Jack vibe from Psi, which I loved.  I miss me some Captain Jack. 

 

This season has it all over last season ... I wont say it's the best NuWho yet, but it's getting there.  And 12 is coming dangerously close to being my favorite Doctor, over 9.  They might have to share space.

 

This is a must see SOON episode.  I know I missed far too much dialog.  I have been keeping up ok with PC's accent, but this one had me guessing a few times.

 

WOO HOO!  Bring on the next episode.

[supposebly]

Ok, I enjoyed that one. I have no idea what was going on but that didn't annoy me except when the computer enhanced guy decided to die for Clara. Even without significant memories, that seemed like a stretch.

 

It might just be me but I'm constantly seeing Eleven delivering the lines and they seem to fit him much better?

 

I never had that feeling with Nine and Ten, or with Ten and Eleven. I always missed the preceding Doctor, but I never had the feeling that the writing hadn't moved on while I'm trying really hard to move on.

[elle]

 First with Journey Blue, and now with Psi and Salbra (sp?). Moffatt or Moffatt Interns, if you read this- I vote for Psi and Salbra. They were likeable and had good companion chemistry with the Doctor.

A second vote (times X) for bringing back Psi and Saibra as companions.  I would like to s see Journey Blue get a second chance.  I thought the Doctor was especially cold to her.  Hated the "see the Doctor be mean/see Clara be kind to 'their' soldier".

 

Next week looks to be fun as well, as Clara's part-time companioning takes a toll. Even the title -- "The Caretaker" -- with the Doctor slumming as help shows promise.

 

ETA: Soup-brains effect was too eerie. Ew ew ewwwwww.

Yes, ew!

 

Wasn't there a time when the TARDIS was not so reliable as to returning to the same time and location as it left?  The Doctor's "7:12 on the dot" and the whole set up for next week makes me wonder who did what to fix the knackered navigation system?  It was still an issue in Eleven's time (5 minutes or 12 years?)