The Caretaker
- Episode aired Sep 27, 2014
- TV-PG
- 45m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
The terrifying Skovox Blitzer is ready to destroy all humanity - but worse, and any second now, Danny Pink and the Doctor are going to meet.The terrifying Skovox Blitzer is ready to destroy all humanity - but worse, and any second now, Danny Pink and the Doctor are going to meet.The terrifying Skovox Blitzer is ready to destroy all humanity - but worse, and any second now, Danny Pink and the Doctor are going to meet.
Matthew Cox
- Skovox Blitzer
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Michelle Gomez
- Missy
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe Doctor whistles the first few bars of the Pink Floyd song "Another Brick In The Wall" when he sees Clara scolding the students for playing football near the large chess board.
- GoofsWhen The Doctor is working in the TARDIS, there's a table full of things. After The Doctor, Clara, and Danny leave, Courtney looks in and the table is gone.
- Quotes
Clara Oswald: You can't do this. You cannot pass yourself off as a real person among actual people!
The Doctor: I lived among otters once, for a month... well I sulked. River and I, we had this big fight...
Clara Oswald: Human beings are not otters!
The Doctor: Exactly. It'll be even easier.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Doctor Who Extra: The Caretaker (2014)
Featured review
Funny Caretaker, Annoying Soldier
This episode reminds me a little of the 10th Doctor story Partners in Crime because as a comedic episode it works well but the dramatic aspects and overall story are weaker. However, with Partners in Crime the humour was even funnier and the dramatic parts were not as weak as in this story with the wonderful Sarah Lancasire adding some class.
The idea here is that the Doctor goes undercover as a Caretaker at Coal Hill School - known to classic Who fans as the school featured in the very first Doctor Who episode in 1963 - in order that he can deal with an alien threat in the area which he reveals is a deadly robot called the Skovox Blitzer. That name given to the robot is pretty rubbish and the robot itself is not great either. It is not that convincing as the level of threat it is meant to be. The plot, both regarding the threat and the soap opera type relationship dramas of Clara and Danny are not very compelling, especially as Danny is such an obnoxious, holier than thou, passive aggressive bloke with a chip on his shoulder. (As a PTSD sufferer myself I don't find him a helpful representation of PTSD either). What is meant to so attract Clara is beyond me. Luckily Peter Capaldi is so wonderful that he somewhat overshadows the weaknesses of the baddie and of Danny.
The performance of Capaldi in every episode to this point had been wonderful and in this he carries the episode single handed, milking every drop of humour and quality possible from the funny script. Despite the story's filler nature, the comedic dialogue is excellent and Capaldi is just hilarious. All the banter with Clara about Danny being a P. E. teacher, about the other teacher looking like the 11th Doctor and his amusing encounters with a stroppy schoolgirl all would make this a great, fun episode if it were not for the weaker dramatic aspects. As it is, the humour is what keeps this from falling to a low level overall for me.
As well as Danny's unappealing nature, Moffatt's insistence on overplaying the Doctor's mistrust and dislike of soldiers this series is at its worst here. Why would the Doctor suddenly be so judgemental when he formerly was great friends with the Brigadier and UNIT? Yes, soldiering is not his way and he will clash with even the Brigadier on occasion over a military approach to problems but it is overstated here. The aggressive exchanges towards the end between Danny and 12 are very annoying. Danny's acrobatics are a bit over the top too.
My opinion is that this could have been a really poor episode if it were not for the witty aspects and Capaldi's brilliance but with a stronger baddie and without Danny Pink this could have been a really strong, fun story. It ends up somewhere in between, not reaching the level of enjoyment it could have at all but kept above a poor level purely by Capaldi and the humour.
It is nice to see Coal Hill School but I wish Chairman of Governors and 1st Doctor companion Ian Chesterton had been in this. Imagine this episode with Ian helping instead of Danny hindering, it could have been a classic like School Reunion.
My Rating: 6/10.
My Series 8 Episode Ranking: 9th out of 12.
The idea here is that the Doctor goes undercover as a Caretaker at Coal Hill School - known to classic Who fans as the school featured in the very first Doctor Who episode in 1963 - in order that he can deal with an alien threat in the area which he reveals is a deadly robot called the Skovox Blitzer. That name given to the robot is pretty rubbish and the robot itself is not great either. It is not that convincing as the level of threat it is meant to be. The plot, both regarding the threat and the soap opera type relationship dramas of Clara and Danny are not very compelling, especially as Danny is such an obnoxious, holier than thou, passive aggressive bloke with a chip on his shoulder. (As a PTSD sufferer myself I don't find him a helpful representation of PTSD either). What is meant to so attract Clara is beyond me. Luckily Peter Capaldi is so wonderful that he somewhat overshadows the weaknesses of the baddie and of Danny.
The performance of Capaldi in every episode to this point had been wonderful and in this he carries the episode single handed, milking every drop of humour and quality possible from the funny script. Despite the story's filler nature, the comedic dialogue is excellent and Capaldi is just hilarious. All the banter with Clara about Danny being a P. E. teacher, about the other teacher looking like the 11th Doctor and his amusing encounters with a stroppy schoolgirl all would make this a great, fun episode if it were not for the weaker dramatic aspects. As it is, the humour is what keeps this from falling to a low level overall for me.
As well as Danny's unappealing nature, Moffatt's insistence on overplaying the Doctor's mistrust and dislike of soldiers this series is at its worst here. Why would the Doctor suddenly be so judgemental when he formerly was great friends with the Brigadier and UNIT? Yes, soldiering is not his way and he will clash with even the Brigadier on occasion over a military approach to problems but it is overstated here. The aggressive exchanges towards the end between Danny and 12 are very annoying. Danny's acrobatics are a bit over the top too.
My opinion is that this could have been a really poor episode if it were not for the witty aspects and Capaldi's brilliance but with a stronger baddie and without Danny Pink this could have been a really strong, fun story. It ends up somewhere in between, not reaching the level of enjoyment it could have at all but kept above a poor level purely by Capaldi and the humour.
It is nice to see Coal Hill School but I wish Chairman of Governors and 1st Doctor companion Ian Chesterton had been in this. Imagine this episode with Ian helping instead of Danny hindering, it could have been a classic like School Reunion.
My Rating: 6/10.
My Series 8 Episode Ranking: 9th out of 12.
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- A_Kind_Of_CineMagic
- Mar 15, 2019
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