In this episode, the Doctor basically interrupts Clara's date with fellow school teacher Danny Pink to take her on a journey (supposedly through her own timeline) on a whim to test his theory of finding a creature perfectly adapted to hiding. It really amounts to a wild goose chase but one so enthralling we really don't mind.
Of course, it seems something may have gone wrong cause they never seem to wind up in Clara's actual timeline, although we are never told definitely one way or the other. And that sums up everything in the episode really. We are never really told who the monster is under the bed, or who is outside Orson's ship, or is there a connection between Clara and Orson Pink, or even possibly a connection between the Doctor and Orson (remember the toy, Orson's family heirloom from a time traveler - - Clara gives it to the Doctor as a boy at the end). Lest not forget tho, that Clara ingrained herself into the Doctor's timeline itself so anything is possible.
So yeah it may seem to be rather convoluted but the point is not in finding the answers, the point is that sometimes there may not BE an answer. Maybe there was a creature under the covers, maybe it was a fellow child at Rupert's orphanage. Maybe there were ghosts outside Orson's ship at the end of the universe, or maybe it was just a faulty airlock and pipe pressure from cooling the ship. Maybe there is a connection with Clara. Maybe there is a connection with the Doctor. Or maybe not. Quite frankly it doesn't matter.
What does matter is that this episode is deftly written and directed, taking us on a darkly atmospheric journey into the psychology of fear, which is beautifully interplayed with the down to earth struggles of Clara's first date with Danny (another kind of fear lol). Both feel real and offer nice foils to each other with the date giving the episode much needed levity between the darker scenes, which might be the absolute creepiest in all of Doctor Who. Even so the episode has an uplifting message by the end regarding fear and it's value, with a nice reference to the War Doctor to boot. In terms of writing, acting, and directing, this is sheer Doctor Who perfection. 10/10
Of course, it seems something may have gone wrong cause they never seem to wind up in Clara's actual timeline, although we are never told definitely one way or the other. And that sums up everything in the episode really. We are never really told who the monster is under the bed, or who is outside Orson's ship, or is there a connection between Clara and Orson Pink, or even possibly a connection between the Doctor and Orson (remember the toy, Orson's family heirloom from a time traveler - - Clara gives it to the Doctor as a boy at the end). Lest not forget tho, that Clara ingrained herself into the Doctor's timeline itself so anything is possible.
So yeah it may seem to be rather convoluted but the point is not in finding the answers, the point is that sometimes there may not BE an answer. Maybe there was a creature under the covers, maybe it was a fellow child at Rupert's orphanage. Maybe there were ghosts outside Orson's ship at the end of the universe, or maybe it was just a faulty airlock and pipe pressure from cooling the ship. Maybe there is a connection with Clara. Maybe there is a connection with the Doctor. Or maybe not. Quite frankly it doesn't matter.
What does matter is that this episode is deftly written and directed, taking us on a darkly atmospheric journey into the psychology of fear, which is beautifully interplayed with the down to earth struggles of Clara's first date with Danny (another kind of fear lol). Both feel real and offer nice foils to each other with the date giving the episode much needed levity between the darker scenes, which might be the absolute creepiest in all of Doctor Who. Even so the episode has an uplifting message by the end regarding fear and it's value, with a nice reference to the War Doctor to boot. In terms of writing, acting, and directing, this is sheer Doctor Who perfection. 10/10