Doctor Who series 8 - The Caretaker (episode 6) [TV Review]

Again, these awesome images are from the Radio Times.

 Ok, so the update is very late. I've had a busy weekend and finally have some time to write this. Thank goodness for Tivo, I can watch the episode over and over... and fast forward past commercials.

We're certainly spending a lot of time hanging around the
very place Doctor Who began.

This is a pretty interesting episode that is one again somewhat spoiled by a semi-ridiculous alien antagonist.

4 out of 5 stars

I really wish I was kidding but I'm not.

All of the episode, from the Doctor's Vanity to his refusal to accept that Mr. Pink is a maths teacher, are excellent. There is a grand smorgasbord of humor and snappy lines, drama and even some melodrama. All of this is tarnished by the alien. Not too badly, but enough.

I see a resemblance, and I'm not happy about it.

The alien seems kinda cheap, suffers from storm-trooper syndrome (can't hit anyone of plot importance), and is easily fooled. I dunno, this alien just seemed like a whole bag of the worst alien robot tropes jammed into one package.

The rest was fun. The antagonism between the Doctor and Pink was excellent. Clara being stuck in an awful situation, panicking, and often choosing the wrong option was also understandable. The characters are given extra measures of humanity, yes, often the worst bits. The panicky, scared, emotionally fragile aspects of humanity. All of this I liked. I like how they are expanding Clara's character. I'm somewhat indifferent to Mr. Pink, but this episode made him better. I could identify with him. Capaldi is really coming into his own doctor and what that means. I'm really digging all of that.

But the alien, really, did we really need this alien? I'm sorry, I just could not get completely past how unimpressive it was.

I love this sign.

Previous reviews:
Previous Doctor Who Series 8 reviews:
- Episodes 1 & 2: Deep Breath & Into The Dalek.
- Episode 3: The Robots of Sherwood.
- Episode 4: Listen.
- Episode 5: Time Heist.