"Listen"

One of the many things that I loved about Stephen Moffat’s contributions in the Russell T Davies era was that the plots always unfolded in a completely unpredictable way. As showrunner, Moffat has had to be more measured in his writing, but "Listen" proves, if nothing else, Moffat still has it in him. It seems at the start that we are in for another tale where Moffat exploits a very basic fear – that you are never alone, that there really was something hiding under your bed. The precedents for such a story were clear – Vasta Nerada, "Midnight", Moffat’s superlative Doctor Who short story "Corner of the Eye" and so on. Yet by the end, we are taken in directions that we were genuinely not expecting. The subplot of Clara’s date with Danny turns out not to be a subplot at all, but an integral part of the story. The terrifying presences that pop up during the story may not actually be monsters at all. The settings range from the exotic climes of 1990s Gloucestershire and further forward in time than even "Utopia". And, of course, in one sense, we are taken further back in time than we have ever been before...

Each strand of the plot is given as much attention as if it were a separate story. Danny and Clara’s date is funny, delightful, heartwarming and frustrating all at the same time. The scenes with young Danny (Rupert) and Orson Pink are brilliantly written little horror stories. Director Douglas Mackinnon is fantastic at making these scenes work in subtly different ways. The scenes in Rupert’s bedroom succeed as exploration of a child’s fear in ways that "Fear Her" and "Night Terrors" could only dream of. The Doctor waiting to see what knocks outside Orson’s capsule is reminiscent, yet very different from "Midnight", as Mackinnon has his own ways of mounting such a scene. Samuel Anderson continues to impress not only as Danny, but as his descendant as well, playing the toughness, tenderness and awkwardness to perfection – Danny banging his head on the table will take a long time to get old! as the younger Rupert, Remi Gooding makes a very impressive debut. Mackinnon has a very long history with the programme, but this is his best work, from the astounding opening shot and the following montage to the shot of the firmament reflected in the eye of someone who will know the name of each star…

However, it is the revelation about our lead that is the real heart of the story. In a truly jaw dropping scene, we are taken to a boy sobbing and then being grabbed from under his bed. But it is Clara under the bed and the boy will grow up to become a father and a grandfather, steal a TARDIS and start the greatest journey in the universe. The core of the story isn’t, therefore, the Doctor defeating the monster under the bed. It is how the fear of the monster drove the Doctor’s insatiable curiosity, how the man who is never cruel or cowardly uses his fear and the real difference between bravery and fearlessness. As Moffat says the Doctor would ‘throw himself off a building if he thought it’d be interesting on the way down’. Now we find out why, and why fear is so vital for all of us. Peter Capaldi, so early in his tenure, gives one of the best performances ever in the title role – his burning curiosity combining with his desire to keep his companion safe, his inconsistent comforting of children and his inability to take a hug.

There is a degree of timey-wiminess at work here. Orson is wearing a Sanctuary Base 6 space suit, which may be significant in the future. Then there is the endearing way in which Clara and Danny finally kiss thanks to serious bending of the laws of time. There is the fact that a plastic toy given to Rupert can make it to the end and the beginning of everything. The use of the line ‘Fear makes companions of us all’ from the very first story is not mere self-indulgence, it has truly been earned in a truly wonderful story that will go down as one of the true classics of Doctor Who.

NEXT: "Time Heist"