Listen
- Episode aired Sep 13, 2014
- TV-PG
- 47m
When ghosts of past and future crowd into their lives, The Doctor and Clara are thrown into an adventure that takes them to the very end of the universe.When ghosts of past and future crowd into their lives, The Doctor and Clara are thrown into an adventure that takes them to the very end of the universe.When ghosts of past and future crowd into their lives, The Doctor and Clara are thrown into an adventure that takes them to the very end of the universe.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSteven Moffat revealed that the episode originated with the decision, "I'm going to do a chamber piece, with no money, in the middle [of the eighth series], because I haven't done one in ages and I'd like to prove that I can actually write."
- GoofsThe Doctor should remember that Clara, as the "Impossible Girl," was present in every moment of the Doctor's life to save him, and not allow the TARDIS extrapolate her time line when it includes all of his as well. But this Doctor has demonstrated other memory loss in series 8, possibly because he is the first regeneration in a new set (of 12) and the consequences of that are not fully known.
- Quotes
Clara Oswald: So listen. If you listen to nothing else, listen to this. You're always gonna be afraid even if you learn to hide it. Fear is like a companion. A constant companion, always there. But that's ok. Because fear can bring us together. Fear can bring you home. I'm gonna leave you something, just so you'll always remember. Fear makes companions of us all.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Doctor Who Extra: Listen (2014)
But let's focus on the good stuff: Listen has some really top-notch direction which is atmospheric and spooky at the same time, the scenes in the children's home are really nicely done, such as the scene with Clara under the bed, and the Doctor taking and caretaker's coffee.
Moffat's writing is truly brilliant, there are some lines that really pop and this writing works so well with the 12th Doctor. Peter Capaldi does a brilliant job with this script, bringing emotion and a great sense of energy to the role. Jenna Coleman does a great job too, with that wonderful sense of emotion in her eyes that she delivers in every scene. Samuel Anderson is great too, showing the sense of humour, wonder, and worry brilliantly throughout his performance.
I also love the premise that Steven Moffat develops throughout this story. The Doctor's on the hunt for a creature that is impossible to detect, and believes that the only possible way it can be sensed, is in those few moments when we talk to ourselves. I love this. This is a clever idea which is really well realised, and it makes for some very clever moments. The resolution is real nice too: there was never anything there, the Doctor was just afraid of the dark! This however leads me to some problems I have with this episode...
While Listen is very clever, it's also completely unoriginal. There is nothing in this episode that hasn't already been done several times in the revived series of the show. The Doctor and Clara head to the end of the universe, just like in Utopia, the creature under the bed, just like in The Girl in the Fireplace, what about the "Don't Look Round" line from The Impossible Planet, and the Doctor influencing someone's childhood just like Amy and indeed, Clara.
Also, the Doctor going back to influence Danny's timeline makes him feel less interesting than he could've been had he just been a soldier with an bad past. The fact that he's been reduced to the same level as so many other companions from the past, removes the chances of proper character development later on.
Steven Moffat has tried this story-telling technique several times in the past, and while it does usually work, and it makes for some nice moments here, I can't help but feel that it's getting old now. Moffat used to be really good at giving us a story full of interesting deep characters plenty of emotional weight that helps us connect to them. Now though, they seem to be instruments specifically designed to make an otherwise simple narrative artificially complex and awkward to follow.
Also, the revelation that the creature was completely in the Doctor's head is a good idea, and had it not been for the children's home scene, it would've worked, but the scene in the children's home with something sitting on Danny's bed shows us something completely non-human. Look at this creature under the blanket, it is not human, listen to the sounds it's making, the movements it's making, it is not human, and when it takes the blanket off even from the blurred image, you can tell it is not human.
As I say, I like Listen, but it has problems. Despite a lack of originality and the artificially complex narrative, Listen is visually entertaining and very well written. This is one of the most intelligent episodes of the series, with a few story problems sadly dragging it down.
Listen is good, but it could've been better.
- Robinson2511
- May 14, 2016
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Filming locations
- Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales, UK(Clara and Danny's date - at Mimosa restaurant)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime47 minutes
- Color