Listen (Doctor Who)

245 – "Listen"
Doctor Who episode
Cast
Doctor Peter Capaldi (Twelfth Doctor)
Companion Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald)
Guest Samuel Anderson – Danny Pink/Orson Pink Remi Gooding – Rupert Pink Robert Goodman – Reg Kiran Shah – Figure
Production
Directed by	Douglas Mackinnon
Written by	Steven Moffat
Script editor	David P Davis
Produced by	Peter Bennett
Executive producer(s)	Steven Moffat Brian Minchin
Music by	Murray Gold
Series	Series 8
Running time	47 minutes
First broadcast	13 September 2014
Chronology
← Preceded by "Robot of Sherwood" Followed by → "Time Heist"

"Listen" is the fourth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat and directed by Douglas Mackinnon. The episode stars Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, with Samuel Anderson guest starring.

The BBC released a 10 second trailer for the episode on 8 September 2014, followed by a 25 second clip on 12 September 2014.

Plot

Clara Oswald meets with fellow Coal Hill teacher Danny Pink for their first date. However, things take a turn for the worst when the subject of his time serving in the army comes up, and they both unintentionally offend the other with their lack of understanding. On her return home, she discovers the Doctor waiting for her, needing her help. Entering the TARDIS, he questions whether every living being has a constant companion, using the example of the 'dream' all children have in which a hand grabs them from under the bed at night. Clara initially dismisses this, but agrees to return to her childhood so they can investigate. She uses the TARDIS' telepathic link to try and lock on to the event, but, when her mind strays to Danny, they end up in a children's home in Gloucester in the mid 1990s, where Clara is shocked to meet Rupert Pink; Danny, as a child, before he changed his name.

Clara tries to convince Rupert that there is nothing under his bed, as he sits away from it in fear. They crawl underneath, only for something to sit on the bed above them, despite Rupert claiming that no one else has entered the room while they have been talking. On emerging, they discover a figure underneath Rupert's blankets, and the Doctor, who suddenly appears, demands that they turn away from it and promise that they will not look at it. They do so, and it vanishes out of the door. Inspiring Rupert to be fearless using toy soldiers underneath his bed as 'protection', she unintentionally inspires his later name, Danny, and his career choice, when Rupert names the lead soldier Dan.

Feeling guilty about the way she left her date, Clara returns to the restaurant, moments after her former self left. She strikes up a bond with Danny, but when she accidentally calls him Rupert, he becomes suspicious, questioning how she knows his former name, and accuses her of deliberately mocking him. He storms out as a figure in a spacesuit draws Clara back into the TARDIS. Originally thinking the suited character to be the Doctor, Clara is rocked when he removes his helmet to reveal a man striking a strong resemblance to Danny, who the Doctor reveals to be 'Orson Pink', one of Earth's first time travellers, having originally come from 100 years in Clara's future. The Doctor has picked him up from the end of the universe, where he had become stranded during his travels. It is also suggested that Orson is descended from a time traveller, and possesses the soldier Clara gave a young Danny earlier in the episode; suggesting that Danny and Clara may be Orson's great grandparents.

The Doctor takes Clara and Orson back to Orson's ship, and shows her a view of the last planet in existence, where Orson had become stranded, and reveals that something the Doctor believes to be the entity, the fearsome constant companion the Doctor is investigating, is attempting to enter through a locked door on the spacecraft. The Doctor unlocks the door and forces Clara and Orson back into the TARDIS while he confronts the entity. The spacecraft's air bubble disperses just as the Doctor spies the creature, and he is rescued at the last moment by Orson. As he is out cold, Clara has to use the TARDIS' telepathic connection again to escape the end of the universe and the creatures trying to enter.

Exiting the TARDIS, which is in an unknown location, Clara finds herself in an old barn, where a child is in bed, crying under the covers. Clara approaches the child, but is forced to hide under the bed when two people enter and try and coax the child out of the room. Overhearing their conversation, she realises that the child is in fact the Doctor, and his guardians are trying to force him to be a soldier as they do not believe him to have the potential of a true Time Lord. When they leave, Clara accidentally grabs the Doctor's leg when he tries to get out of bed, and she realises she is the monster under the Doctor's bed. After convincing the young Doctor to return to sleep, she comforts him, and reveals that one day he will return to the barn (as seen in "The Day of the Doctor"). Clara then returns to the TARDIS and makes the Doctor promise never to return to this place, leaving him unaware of what she has done.

Returning Clara to Earth and Orson to his original time period, the Doctor decides there is no such creature under the bed, and Rupert Pink's 'monster' was in fact another child at the children's home scaring him. Clara, meanwhile, goes to Danny's home, where they apologise for the hurtful things they said and proceed to kiss.

Continuity

Samuel Anderson makes his second appearance as Danny Pink, a troubled war veteran turned maths teacher and Clara's love interest. He also portrays his descendant, Orson Pink, the first Earth time traveller. Danny's birth name is revealed to be Rupert, and his reasons for becoming a soldier are explored.

The reasons for the War Doctor choosing an abandoned barn for his activation of 'The Moment' in 2013's "The Day of the Doctor" are revealed as the barn is shown to be the Doctor's childhood home on Gallifrey. Archive footage of John Hurt from the fiftieth anniversary special shows the War Doctor approaching the barn.

The Twelfth Doctor, upon awaking in the TARDIS, mentions "Sontarans perverting the course of human history" to Orson Pink, repeating his first words as the Fourth Doctor. The line itself is a nod to the Third Doctor serial The Time Warrior.

Production

Steven Moffat discussed the episode in an interview, saying: "my impulse starting in that was just the idea, 'What does he do when he’s got nothing [to] do?' Because he’d throw himself off a building if he thought it’d be interesting on the way down ... he’s fascinated by anything. And here he’s with nothing to do, so he just goes out poking things with a stick until something bites it. And I think that’s quite interesting, isn't it? Sort of, there’s a thrill seeker aspect."

The read-through for the episode took place on 11 February 2014, with filming beginning on the 17th, and taking place at The Rest in Porthcawl. Filming continued at the Mimosa restaurant in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, on 24-25 February 2014. Filming also took place in Bute Park and Whitchurch, Cardiff.

Leak

As part of the series 8 leaks, "Listen" was one of five scripts to leak online from a BBC Worldwide server in Miami. This was followed on 23 August 2014 by the leak of the episode itself - missing ADR and visual effects. The leak followed similar leaks of the preceding episodes "Deep Breath", "Into the Dalek", and "Robot of Sherwood", and the following episode "Time Heist".

Broadcast and reception

Critical reception

"Listen" received critical acclaim from TV critics and audiences alike, with many praising Moffat's script, Mackinnon's direction, and the performances of Capaldi, Coleman and Anderson. Labelling the episodes as "Possibly Steven Moffat's most terrifying episode to date", The Independant also praised Coleman's performance, stating that "Clara was back on the top of her game". They closed their review by saying "'Listen’ is the most powerful episode of Doctor Who from Moffat to date. It was a moving piece of drama as well as a terrifying piece of Saturday night television". Digital Spy also heavily praised the episode, awarding it a perfect 5 out of 5 and summing it up as "smart, scary[and] superb". They also praised Moffat's script and the development of Clara's character, and closed their review by stating "Intelligent, romantic and just scary enough, 'Listen' is either a moody tale of the supernatural or it's a clever reflection on the mind's own ability to fool and govern itself, but either way it's brilliant". Radio Times labelled the episode as "the most conceptual episode in the entire history of Doctor Who" and further went on to state "You're blowing our minds, Moffat".

External links

• "Listen" at the BBC Doctor Who homepage
• "Listen" on Tardis Wiki, the Doctor Who Wiki
• Template:Brief
• "Listen" at IMDb