The Doctor Who episodes that feature the Doctor living outside of his comfort zone and that force him to function within the confines of every day human existence (think Season 5's "The Lodger") are some of my favorite episodes, because for all the time he spends alongside humans, and for all his efforts to save them, the Doctor still doesn't necessarily understand them all that well. His feelings regarding his companions are usually pretty clear, but there are many things about humans that the Doctor doesn't and possibly won't ever understand, which is part of the reason why he's so attached to them. He finds our race fascinating, and it's what keeps him coming back, time and time again, to save Earth and its people from alien forces. But it also makes for some pretty eye-opening, hilarious adventures. So while last week's standalone episode "Time Heist" fell flat for me, "The Caretaker" worked wonders.
Not only did this hour continue to develop Clara as a character while expanding her world beyond the walls of the TARDIS, it also further developed her relationship with both the Doctor and with Danny. The opening montage, which saw Clara rushing from one adventure with the Doctor to another type of adventure with Danny and back out again, was the basis for the episode. Clara's been running herself ragged trying to be two very different people, and if I have one issue with "The Caretaker," it's that Clara had what the rest of us wish we had: access to a time machine. If she had the Doctor drop her off a little earlier than a few hours before her dates with Danny—or, heaven forbid, made an effort to spread them out a bit—she wouldn't always be rushing from one place to another. But since the duality of Clara's life was the foundation of the episode, and because it led to some great character moments from our three heroes, I'll let that tidbit slide and let this be the end of it.
Two weeks ago, I praised "Listen" for its complex narrative, which made great use of time travel in the way it showcased how various events led to others via non-linear storytelling. But Doctor Who can also be incredibly successful when it stays put in one place on Earth, and "The Caretaker" made that quite clear this week. By focusing on character-driven stories while also saving the world, the series moves beyond battling baddies-of-the-week or facing down wibbly-wobbly structures. The Skovox Blitzer, which wanted to destroy all of humanity, might've been what originally brought the Doctor face-to-face with Clara's dual life, but its storyline eventually took a backseat to the episode's emotional components, and I feel like I now understand Clara, the Doctor, and especially Danny Pink better than I did before "The Caretaker" began.
The Doctor went "deep" undercover as the caretaker of Clara's school to eliminate an alien threat, and because he's the Doctor, his idea of deep undercover was to change his coat and use the name of his alter ego John Smith, while still insisting that everyone call him the Doctor. If you're still doubting Peter Capaldi at this juncture in the season, it's likely that you might never come around to his particular brand of Doctor-ing, because "The Caretaker" was one of his finest outings yet, highlighting everything he brings to the role. He plays the Doctor as a curmudgeon, which I love, but I also fully accept that it isn't for everyone, just as his dry sense of humor isn't for everyone. However, I think it's exactly what Doctor Who needs after the silly, boyish charm of Matt Smith, and it was on fine display here, from the scene in which he revealed himself to Clara to the one in which he asked Clara why he kept her around when she couldn't even recognize a scanner. And Clara, for her part, was equally on fire, responding that the alternative would be for the Doctor to develop a conscience of his own. I'd ask the Doctor if he wanted some ice for that burn, but he's probably already moved on to the next thing, so there's probably no point. Also, I'm not sure he'd understand such a question.
As the Doctor went about setting up a trap for the Skovox Blitzer, Clara continued to scramble between her two lives (take notes Debra Messing!). One minute she was distractedly teaching a class, the next she was following the Doctor around, attempting to figure out what he was up to. And to be fair, from the moment the Doctor arrived at Coal Hill, Clara's objective was to make sure the students were safe, not necessarily to battle aliens intent on destruction. As Clara later told Danny, the reason she travels with the Doctor is because "it's amazing" and she "sees wonders," but she also takes her role as, well, a caretaker of children (and the very often child-like Doctor) very seriously. She's protective by nature, which is why she was able to do all those things as the Impossible Girl, but I also think it's more than that.
All companions are different, but in order to do what they do on a regular basis, they have to also share a few basic personality components, like courage. They also have to be slightly insane to do what they do week-in and week-out. No well-adjusted human being would run away with the Doctor for a second time after seeing the things he sees on a regular basis, so after awhile his companions must also get off on the adrenaline rush that accompanies facing down and defeating death. That's why they drop what they're doing at a moment's notice when the Doctor shows up with the promise of another trip in the TARDIS, or why they chase him down after a period of time on Earth. But it's not enough for his companions, either, which is why they always, at some point, leave him.
Clara clearly loves the Doctor—and he her—but it's not a father/daughter bond the two share despite the (now obvious) age difference between the two. Clara, in particular, has seen every one of the Doctor's faces, and even if she used to flirt with the young-looking Eleven, her relationship to the Doctor in his current state is actually more of deep understanding of who he is and who she is in his life. But the Doctor doesn't share that same understanding, which again probably stems from the fact he doesn't fully understand humans. "You've explained me to him," he told Clara, "but you have haven't explained him to me."
The Doctor knew that Clara had a boyfriend, and he wrongfully assumed it was another teacher, one with The Hair and The Bowtie—in essence, one who resembled the Doctor when he was Eleven—but it was actually Danny, and the Doctor couldn't fathom why Clara, his companion, his conscience, and his protector, would love a soldier. To be honest, I'm not sure I understand this incarnation's sudden dislike and distrust for soldiers. The show still hasn't given us any reason for him to be acting this way, but it's been a recurring theme. First he denied Journey Blue's request to travel with him in the TARDIS on the basis that she was a soldier, and now the Doctor refuses to believe not only that Danny is capable of being anything but a P.E. teacher, but that Clara would date someone who was previously a soldier. Danny, for his part, understood the Doctor's reaction quite well, and treated him as the superior [jerk, sphincter] he was being. And yet, that didn't stop him from rushing after Clara, who rushed after the Doctor, to save the day when the Skovox Blitzer returned in the middle of parent/teacher conferences at the school. Danny shares similar qualities with all the Doctor's companions, but especially the part that requires him to call the Doctor out on his [nonsense]. And that's great.
Some might misconstrue the Doctor's dislike of Danny as jealousy, but that isn't really it. The Doctor didn't mind Clara having a boyfriend when he thought it was someone that looked like one of his former faces, because that would mean that he was still the most important man in her life. But now he's met Danny and Clara says she loves him, which means the Doctor might soon be facing down the possibility of having to find a new companion who will go with him to see fish people. He pretended not to notice that Danny looked exactly like the time-traveling Orson Pink from "Listen" but the Doctor isn't obtuse. He knows perfectly well that Clara has found a boyfriend she cares deeply about, and that her leaving him is a real possibility. I don't think he necessarily understand's Clara's human emotions, but he understands that the days of him popping in and dragging her off on another adventure might be getting fewer and far between. That being said, I really enjoy the dynamic of their trio and I hope we get to explore it again soon.
NOTES
– We visited the Promised Land again this week, but this time it was with the police man who died at the metal hands of the Skovox Blitzer (a robot!), so if you have any guesses as to how and why people are being transported there, please unleash them in the comments. Because he didn't die in the name of the Doctor, or by his hand. However, I like that we got a different look at it this week (and that all-white room reminded me of Teen Wolf, to be honest) but it's getting a little bit more intriguing now.
– Another episode, another crack about Capaldi's eyebrows!
– "No. I'm sorry, I can't retain that. It's just not going in."
– I don't think anyone needs to worry about Courtney Woods traveling with the Doctor in the TARDIS after she puked when he took her to space. Plus, she's still in school—and not, like, medical school, as was the case with Martha, but actual school. The Doctor isn't a creep!
