Listen

"All the clocks have stopped. This is the silence at the end of time."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 13th September 2014

Series: 8.04

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

What will the Doctor find at the end of the universe? What scares the Doctor? Ghosts of the past and future. Listen!

Verdict 

Listen was a dark, mysterious and enigmatic episode that was mostly brilliant. I loved the immediate irony of the pre-titles scene with the Doctor alone in the TARDIS wondering why people talk out loud when they're on their own. Yet, all the time, he was alone in the TARDIS talking to himself, and he was enjoying his own company I think which I loved. I love the continued use of the TARDIS chalkboard with the Twelfth Doctor, it's such a simple yet effective tool. The Doctor's curiosity in this episode was just wonderful! Once he'd set his mind on wondering why people talk to themselves, considering whether there are creatures perfectly evolved to hiding, he had to find out. The scene where 'Listen' was written on the chalkboard by someone other than the Doctor, when he was alone, just confirmed his mission. He was going to do everything to find out and discover if his theories were correct. I'm not sure he'd have minded if they were wrong, it's just as long as he knew. The Doctor's picking up of Clara was quite humorous as he parked the TARDIS in her bedroom on a night he knew she was on a date. Just what would have been the reaction if the date was very successful and they took things back to her place? Typical Doctor. His lack of understanding towards Clara after a terrible date was magnificent. The date scenes were a bit longer than they needed to be I thought but Danny's awful nervousness made it quite funny. But in my opinion, if you're on a date with someone as beautiful as Clara you make the most of it! She looked absolutely stunning yet again. As always. The use of the TARDIS telepathic circuits to take it to the place where Clara had the nightmare of waking up and someone grabbing your ankle from under the bed was good. But of course, fresh from a date, she was distracted and accidentally guided the TARDIS to Gloucester at the time when Danny, or as we found, Rupert, as he was formally known, was a child. Clara's consoling in the young boy was lovely to see. He was scared of what he thought was under the bed but Clara showed him there was nothing to be afraid of as she dived underneath and encouraged Rupert to join her. And as he did, something sat on the bed. Something unseen, unnatural as we know. The Doctor's arrival to the building and then the bedroom at the scene of the hiding creature was fantastic. The respect the Doctor had for the being (or entity) was superb and I liked how he made Clara and Rupert show it the same respect. It was a creature dawned to hiding and it was seen. The ultimate betrayal but it was allowed to leave in peace. The Doctor's curiosity must now have been at an absolute peak. So what does he do? Just takes Clara to the end of the universe on the very last planet. Now, despite this episode being mostly brilliant as I've mentioned, I loved the idea of the Doctor and Clara going right to the end of time. A place the TARDIS shouldn't even go (with the safeguards turned on of course, but guess who turned them off...). I did have a problem that the last surviving being was a human, and even more so a descendant of Danny Pink. Orson Pink. I couldn't buy into that but because of the rest of the brilliance on show and another stellar performance from Peter Capaldi, I could let it slide and just have the idea prevail. Orson carrying the 'Dan the man' toy soldier that Clara had earlier christened was a lovely touch. The Doctor noticing the door being locked in the spaceship was marvellous and it raised the subtle question - if there's nothing left and nobody out there, then why's it locked? Those creatures the Doctor was so curious about were out there. He was convinced. And he needed to see them. His angered authority towards Clara when she disagreed with him staying to look was surprising. He demanded her to go in the TARDIS or she wouldn't travel with him again. Quite a "deal"! Although some might consider it annoying, I think it's right that we didn't really see the lurking, hiding creatures. The effect the opening doors had on the Doctor was frightening and his curiosity almost killed him yet again. But Orson saved him a terrific moment. Scared of what was possibly coming into the TARDIS, Clara took the lead and inserted herself back into the TARDIS telepathic circuits to materialise the time machine away from danger. And the destination was overwhelmingly incredible. Steven Moffat pulled off an absolute gem of a scene! It was an all time favourite of mine and my jaw literally was dropped from the words "Time Lord" to a while after the end credits. Clara had heard a young boy crying, someone who wanted anything but to become a soldier. At first we assumed it was Danny but instead we got something unbelievably incredible. It was the Doctor! The Doctor as a child appeared. It was such an amazing scene. Clara hid under the bed of the Doctor as two Time Lords came in trying to comfort the crying child Doctor. I was in disbelief at this moment. And then Clara reveals all that this wasn't just any ordinary barn. It would be one the Doctor would return to a long way in his future. This was the barn in which the Doctor contemplated ending the Time War with the Moment. The flashback to The Day of the Doctor with the War Doctor was staggering. I was just in love with the scene! The TARDIS was on Gallifrey long, long ago in the Doctor's past. And then the basis of the story came full circle beautifully as Clara grabbed the ankle of the Doctor and tried to convince him it was a dream. She told him his oath of being the Doctor which was lovely and then she returned to the TARDIS and demanded the Doctor asked no questions of where they were and just left. And after persuasion he obliged. But the moment had occurred which I loved. The TARDIS had been back to Gallifrey and I think it's a hint of what's to come and what was said in the anniversary year. Gallifrey has to be returned to soon. It's inevitable. But overall, a superb episode! Full of intrigue and an enigmatic atmosphere, with an outstanding scene on Gallifrey, just the fact that Orson was a descended relative of Danny wasn't believable. And I don't like that Clara's pretty much in a relationship now! Keep companions away from all that nonsense! However, a marvellous episode. 

Rating: 9/10