When I sat down to watch The Caretaker, I didn’t really know what to expect. I wasn’t banking on the Skovox Blitzer to be anything but a side part, as the main story essentially was The Doctor and Danny Pink finally meeting. I was right.
The episode was quite light hearted with some slightly touching moments in between. Set in Coal Hill, it shows Clara’s hectic and complicated life, balancing both Danny and the Doctor. It did remind me of a mixture of the Power of Three from Series 7.1 and The Lodger from Series 5 where The Doctor, becomes a part of the companion’s life and attempting to blend in but spectacularly badly. It means that it is up to the Doctor to go undercover in the school as the new caretaker and try not to get into trouble.
The pre-title scenes I swear are getting longer and longer, this one lasted a big old 5 minutes. It was GREAT, but could’ve been cut a tad shorter.
So, the military killing machine, the Skovox Blitzer, is hiding in the dark near Coal Hill, and it’s up to the Doctor and Clara to stop it from mass murdering millions and before the army find it. It’s a very big and clunky monster I think. I loved it’s machine gun style lasers that killed the poor policeman and it’s speech, “Problem. Solution. Destroy.” Which did sound a bit Dalek if you ask me. Apart from that in all honesty I wasn’t really that bothered about it. It didn’t do anything for me and it seemed to go as quick as it arrived. It did provide us with some FABULOUS shots though, when Danny comes to the rescue and in proper Matrix fashion, does a flip over the Skovox Blitzer as it’s shooting at him being one.
The main story of the episode, as mentioned earlier, was the long winded meeting of Danny and The Doctor. I like how different Danny and Clara are to Amy and Rory. To have another couple as companions in the TARDIS so close after the Ponds is risky, however I think that they are just about getting away with it. I do love the fact that Danny and the Doctor do not get on (for now, that’s bound to change).
There were also a few throwbacks to the Eleventh Doctor too with Adrian, a fellow teacher sporting a familiar bowtie with a healthy chin and floppy hair to match. Way to tug on my delicate heart strings Gareth and Moff. The Doctor’s reaction when he thinks that Adrian is Clara’s boyfriend is brilliant and very very cute. Is that the first time we have seen him actually smile this series?
There were also a couple of references to River in this episode too. River hasn’t been mentioned at all since Time of the Doctor so it was nice for her to be finally acknowledged by 12. I want to know what they argued about to make the Doctor sulk and live with otters for a month. There was also the reference to the great Frost Fairs on the Thames, where 11 took River on her birthday back in A Good Man Goes To War. I wasn’t entirely happy with the fact that 12 offered to take Clara there, maybe it’s because I’m still raw from the 11 and River arc being over.
When Danny and the Doctor finally meet properly, after the Skovox Blitzer has been put in a time bubble or something I don’t really care too much for, it’s a very interesting scene and one that was played out really well by Peter, Jenna and Sam. As Clara desperately tries to make Danny believe what he just witnessed was for a summer play, he gets the explanation from her about who the Doctor really is and what she means to the Doctor. When The Doctor says he will hypnotise Danny, Clara blurts out she loves him. Really? Already? They’ve been going out a few months and only really dating at this stage, and she loves him? I didn’t buy that. What did make me properly chuckle was when the Doctor explains how he thought Adrian was her boyfriend, and she goes “He’s not my type.” 12’s face is absolutely priceless, probably one of my favourite little moments from the episode.
I don’t understand the Doctor’s current beef with soldiers and the military at the moment. Throughout the series it has seemed to me this has been an underlying theme. Part of me thinks this is all building up and is connected to the finale, but I don’t understand why he has a sudden hatred for them considering in recent years, Martha turned into a soldier, Captain Jack was a soldier, he worked for UNIT for years, the Brigadier was a soldier etc. I think it’s meant to be symbolic, and playing on the Doctor’s biggest contradiction that he himself is a leader, an authoritative figure and has to take charge and give orders, very much like a General.
Back to the story though.
I kind of knew back in Deep Breath that the kid seen in Clara’s flashback was going to come back. Courtney, the ‘disruptive influence’ took more of a bigger role in this episode. The gobby teenager even got to go in the TARDIS and see space, albeit she did throw up. I don’t know if I like her or not. She is DEFINITELY an improvement on Angie, who if you know me, know how much I hate that character. I hope Courtney doesn’t make more regular appearances, I think she is a character I can tolerate in small doses.
The Skovox Blitzer was defeated in the end by a quick thinking Danny, and the Doctor with a voice changing intercom device which made the Skovox think the Doctor was it’s Superior. For a monster that is meant to be one of the worlds’ most deadliest killing machines, for it to be defeated by just that, did make me question if it’s description was entirely accurate.
After saving the world, Clara and Danny are back to being a solid couple, with Danny giving her an ultimatum that if the Doctor gets too much for her and she doesn’t tell him, it’s over. I have a hunch that this could be her way out. I have a feeling that the Doctor WILL become too much for her, NOT tell him and stuff happens making her leave. Rumours have been flying about since before Deep Breath that Jenna is leaving at some point in the not too distant future. If they are true then they are certainly adding fuel to the flame by putting in comments like that.
The end however, made it for me. We see the poor Policeman from the beginning of the episode, at a desk with man who I’m not sure is sinister or not (HELLO CHRIS ADDISON) being broken the news that he is in fact dead and now a part of the Nethersphere/Afterlife/The Promised Land/Heaven. I LOVE the build up to the finale this series. With a fleeting appearance by Missy, the excitement for the finale is getting bigger and bigger. I have so many ideas but I doubt any of them will be right, and I am still curious as to how the Cybermen are linked to all this, or are they? All I know is Chris Addison and Peter Capaldi are going to be reunited and I am beside myself I really am. It’s going to be hard to not see them as their Thick of It characters.
On the whole The Caretaker was a good old adventure, it had some laughs, it had some touching moments and a bit of action. It isn’t my favourite episode and I doubt it will be one I will be watching over and over again, however it was a great 45 minutes. The Lodger was much better Gareth.
Next week, Kill the Moon, looks ruddy amazing though. I have been gunning for another spider like creature to appear and I got my wish. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK CHUMS.
Timeline
