Listen Spoiler-Free Review
Note: While this review refrains from mentioning plot specifics, read on at your discretion.
This is a particularly difficult review to write because there is a lot to talk about in this episode, so having a spoiler-free review when you can’t actually talk about anything specific is a tricky proposition! But really this is one you want to watch knowing as little as possible…
So what can be said? “Listen” feels a bit like a greatest hits collection of Steven Moffat’s bigger concepts and themes. Take those childhood fears he is so good at extrapolating, throw in a good old fashioned time travel twist or two, and add a dash of romance (ala Coupling). And that’s Listen in a nutshell.
This is also a very unusual episode. That sounds like an odd thing to say about a show like Doctor Who, but here the cast is reduced down to its core, there’s no obvious monster or villain and there’s very little plot or traditional structure. That’s not to say it’s bad because really this episode is more of a character study. It offers a fascinating peek into the Doctor’s psyche in a way the show hasn’t really dared. Crucially it asks, what is the Doctor afraid of?
To call it a horror episode in the vein of “Blink” would be misleading. The trailers play up to the scares, but it is not the entire focus. Make no mistake though this is at times a very creepy episode. One scene is sure to have children and adults alike rather worried about what’s under the bed. Or rather in it… There are also shades of Russell T Davies’ great 2008 episode “Midnight” with a monster that you never actually see. Here though, it’s perhaps more ambiguous as to whether the monster is really a monster at all, or simply a fabrication of the character’s fragile minds.
Capaldi is superb. After last week’s divergence into sillier territory, this feels more consistent with the edgier Time Lord we’d seen up to that point. There’s one scene where Capaldi explodes with such anger it really makes you long for when he uses it against an actual villain. However, we also get to see a slightly warmer side as he attempts to comfort a young child in the face of fear. There are also some big character moments for the Doctor in this episode – ones which will inevitably lead to much debate and can’t be discussed here.
It’s not all about the Doctor though, Listen gives plenty of room for Clara and Danny to shine. A fairly large chunk of the episode is concerned with the pair’s awkward first date. While this seems initially meandering, it eventually gains greater significance. Without going into details there are some very, very interesting later developments to Mr Pink and his history, or is it future? Anderson gets to show a lot more range than he did in his brief prior appearance and delivers particularly with the more dramatic material. Jenna Coleman continues to do great work with an expansive set of emotions to play.
Returning director Douglas Mackinnon (“The Sontaran Stratagem”/”The Poison Sky”, “The Power of Three”, “Cold War”), brings us an eye-catching episode from the word go with a stunning pre-title sequence that may be one of the best of New Who. The horror elements are also handled with suitable care, understanding it’s better to let the audience’s imagination run wild rather than showing something outright.
The episode is not perfect. With greatest hits collections inevitably comes a sense of familiarity, ideas we’ve seen Moffat use several times before. One scene may also prove controversial and bring into question just how much influence one person can have on someone’s life.
All in all though this is a brave and bold episode from Moffat. It won’t be for everyone, but for those looking for more of an insight into the complex mind of the Doctor you couldn’t really ask for much more.
Doctor Who TV Verdict: 9/10
