The Doctor Who Episode That Redeemed Moffat

[@HarboWholmes]

Better camera quality next week! Oh and support me on Patreon! www.patreon.com/harbowholmes

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

The fridge horror that seized me at the end of Series 9, when I realized that had Clara and Danny d*ying, thereof implies that any and all of their descendants will vanishes into existence...

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

@16:58 to@17:03 I loooove when people subtly keep roasting Chris Chibnall. 😏

[@kanashimi4356]

An idea that came to me while watching this is that, in a way, the Audience is the monster of this episode. A Constantly watching fixture undetectable to everyone around them.

[@througtonsheirs_doctorwhol5914]

i'm at mid point... do you ever mention Orson Pink ends up not existing in Clara's timeline since Danny pink dies?

[@DanTheMan2150AD]

The complete absence of information we have about the monster from Listen is so fundamentally terrifying I never want it to be explored again. Letting your own imagination fill in the gaps is always going to be way scarier and I’m glad Moffat understood this.

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

Indeed.

[@larsg.2492]

I suspect that they do not pay to much attention to some of the dressing of those bottle episodes. But yes, I am absolutely with you, the less we know, the better. Otherwise we get the overmilked Angels, or Daleks and Cybermen in every series.

[@Che1Angelius]

@@larsg.2492 I hate that the weeping angels suffer. Daleks and Cyberdudes (weird) are overexposed

[@jbrossa6945]

I feel exactly the same about Midnight.

[@owenshebbeare2999]

It is written so well that the impact isn't lessened too.

[@lucypreece7581]

I just feel any episode where you just let Capaldi like off his leash and just let him do his thing acting wise and he shines and just pulls focus and does what he does best are always amazing. Capaldi needs episodes and scripts like these where he can fully flex his acting chops.

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

Of course.

[@agm5424]

Heaven Sent is a testament to this fact.

[@intothemagic]

@@agm5424 and Mummy on the Orient Express, my personal favorite episode of series 8.

[@carolinemcgovern4488]

The same applies to Jenna Coleman I think. Any episode where she is allowed to act her ass off is appreciated by me.

[@tescobesco]

I personally wish the mainstream public would have not suddenly dipped after smith. Capaldi is so underrated by the general public, that episodes like this, Flatline and so many more get under appreciated and Capaldi and company deserve way better

[@Uhohlisa]

I hated Smith. Ten for life

[@DubiousFIN]

​@@Uhohlisa9

[@TheFord1612]

Love Capaldi!

[@EnbyOccultist]

@@UhohlisaAs an empath I sense you dislike Matt Smith

[@Jsiehdud]

​@@EnbyOccultist nice scout loadout

[@aeloswindrunner]

Credit where credit is due, Moffat does a good job of exploiting simpler primal things to make incredibly effective fear, the lost child in the doctor dances, the dark in the library, blinking in blink. Say what you will about him as a showrunner, but he can do some remarkable things with simple concepts

[@maouliamediaofficial]

You mean the empty child and the doctor dances?

[@aeloswindrunner]

@@maouliamediaofficial "the lost child" was me referring to the child itself not the episode title, but I can see the confusion. Indeed, that's the monster across both those episodes

[@simianurchin7630]

The where’s Waldo joke is actually great because how he jokes about looking for him even though you’ll never find it because it was never there is LITERALLY what’s he’s doing this whole episode with the “creatures”

[@Lia-uf1ir]

Another recurring theme in this episode is Clara being very good with children harkening back to her nanny days. She's essentially being a nanny to Danny and the Doctor for a short time.

[@ashleytaylor7621]

She's also a teacher...... The fuck are you on about?

[@jonathankozenko]

I loved this one too, because I love when something horrifying remains unknown -- What the heroes were up against, what it is capable of, and how to counter it, are just as unknown by the end as they were at the beginning. It's sorta like if you only took the first half of Predator and then had the survivors escape without the climactic showdown.

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

Indeed.

[@neilmundy417]

I think Moffatt was a great episode writer and a decent show runner. Episodes like this and Heaven Sent stand out. The thing with him was, he was always ambitious. Some stuff he tried just didn’t come off, but he was always trying whether you liked it or not. It never felt phoned in.

[@mrevilducky]

He did write Blink after all

[@fletcherhamilton3177]

In retrospect the idea or concept of an episode that focused on the Doctor’s imagination run wild in lieu of any actual threat was really memorable.

[@Samviking01]

I'm having a real tough time in life at the moment and the Series 8 reviews are great and really giving me something to look forward to each week. Thank you Harbo

[@beeeeeesbury]

Same here, hope things get better for you soon mate

[@nicfisher8266]

Hope both of you are doing well, if you ever want to chat. Reach out

[@danielwilliamson6180]

Listen is one of my favourites. I think it's one of Steven Moffat's best work on Doctor Who. The ending which Clara talks to The Doctor as a child whilst he is sleeping and tells him that fear is a superpower really won me over.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

Feels good watching this after I picked up the complete 9th-12th Doctors DVD set at Wal-Mart last weekend, and I can finally go back and re-visit these episodes as you're actually reviewing them. 😊

[@texasguy-]

HBO Max

[@josephrhodes3236]

Personally, I think this is the second best Capaldi episode. Heaven Sent just beats it.

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

Heaven Sent is imbeatable.

[@jumbojaba1235]

World enough and time, flatline, oxygen, under the lake/ before the flood and face the raven I do rank above this, but I love this episode aswell

[@CashelOConnolly]

@@jumbojaba1235 no! Heaven Sent is sublime 🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

[@jumbojaba1235]

@@CashelOConnolly oh no I agree definitely I meant that all the episodes i listed I regard better than listen in my opinion

[@purplehat2989]

100% agreed. Listen was my absolute favourite until Moffat outdid himself a year later with Heaven Sent. Hell Bent became my third favourite.

[@supamat4]

I always thought the crying young doctor in the cabin was the doctor after he looked into the time vortex and choose to run

[@137shadowX]

seriously surprised that you didn't mention that the "fear makes companions of us all" speech clara gives is almost the same as the one the first doctor gives to barbara, down to that exact quote.

[@Blackpearlmatt]

I think my favourite part of this episode is the use of Hartnell’s quote “fear makes companions of us all”

[@jerryhorn4697]

"Listen" is a spectacular piece of psychological drama and one of my favorite Twelfth Doctor episodes! This episode really highlights the acting abilities of both Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman. The beautiful and gentle musical score by Murray Gold during Clara's speech at the finale always makes me teary-eyed. 😢

[@hernerwerzog9700]

Such a powerful performance from Capaldi imo. And I really loved the whole concept if this episode and the way we never truely get an answer. Great episode!

[@Tamisday]

This was the first episode of the Moffat era where I really connected to the Doctor and the companion on more than a superficial level. Everything else up to this point felt bombastic to me. I really enjoyed the pulled back, subtler storytelling that happened from this point on. I would like to see more Moffat projects operating on this level, as I often feel his characterizations and themes get overwhelmed by AND THEN THE BIG SPACE LIZARD KNOCKED DOWN THE CITY WITH HIS LASER TEETH. It feels like he doesn’t trust how good he is to let his work breathe and have moments of silence. Appropriate, then, that my two favorite episodes of his era are this one and Heaven Sent.

[@fastertrackcreative]

The audio and photography in this episode is a masterpiece! Best with headphones to hear all the quiet creepy sounds.

[@moonkeele]

8:48 When I first watched Listen I was pretty sure the creature under the blanket was a Sontaran because of the irony of the Doctor mentioning Sontarans just before and then it turns out to be true. I'm nit so sure now but it's still possible

[@beesbrownies]

I love all the moments with 12 and clara that show just how deep their trust is. One of them could tell the other to jump and they'd say how high.

[@MugenCannon97]

"This is a universal human experience" People who sleep in traditional Japanese housing, whose beds have no underneath to hide: "Lol, lmao, even."

[@badbeardbill9956]

There’s plenty of Japanese folklore about other elements in their culture that are analogous

[@Xahnel]

The creatures in japan come from the roofs and the paper doors, instead.

[@Squicx]

Moffat is the god of Horror when it comes to Doctor Who. That's where I think Moffat should return to. Guest writing it's highlights

[@dougsfilmtv9810]

I actually found this story interesting but scary. I do like the Awkard date with Clara and Danny, and it was funny and the monster we would never know what it was which makes it more mysterious. I do like Clara meeting The Doctor as a child and that was a touching moment.

[@doog462]

I didn’t really notice how scary this episode what on first watching, after this review i kept imagining this episode and it’s really unsettling. This episode also made me remember what i love about dr who, making the creatures unsettling, no cheap jump scares and making the monster look “cool” dr who has inspiration from the writers to make horror, while still keeping it a family show Beautiful

[@Zuhri69]

One thing that I feel is great about the Clara and the barn scene is you know that in the end of the day, if many of the companions ended up in her shoes, they would’ve probably done the same thing cos they know, that is who the Doctor is.

[@mrdoctorgilmore]

I absolutely slept on this story when it first came out and it's only upon rewatch a few weeks ago did I finally give it another chance and it completely won me over.

[@AndorRadnai]

I don’t think I could do anything even remotely resembling sleep after this episode…

[@neilcoatham]

Even the clockwork droid was hidden under Reinette's bed

[@prongs0611]

I'm glad this episode is seeing the recognition it deserves. What a banger! Great analysis as usual too.

[@ch_marks]

Undeniably one (if not THE one) of my favorite episodes in the show's history. I come back to it whenever I wanna remember just how special Capaldi's Doctor was. Well, this and Heaven Sent. I will never get over the 12th. Capaldi will always be a legend.

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

The fridge horror that seized me at the end of Series 9, when I realized that had Clara and Danny d*ying, thereof implies that any and all of their descendants will vanishes into existence...

[@steve8510]

MOFFAT NEVER NEEDED REDEEMING, HE OVERSAW PURE MAGIC

[@Julios_47]

I just really glad that Chinibal didn't bring The Listen creature back to "clarification" about what it is.. like that shitshow that he did with the Doctor past 🤡. Like the creature of this episode, sometimes not knowing what it is, or the past is so much better. The mystery is the soul of the deal.

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

We really need to cleanse and exorcize the Chinballania off of Doctor Who. Getting people to learn that the Timeless Child was an infant member of the Great Vampire race, that Techla and Rassilon used the extradimensional alien in order to improve the Shobogans's lingering immortality potential in order to engineer the regneration cycle as we know, but that somehow its memory gets embedded into the Loom alongside the Other's DNA, hence why both the Doctor (the Other's presumed reincarnation) and the Fugitive Doctor had memories of the Djinn during her many lifetimes, memories that get only triggered when the Doctor regenerated into his first female incarnation and could only access half-subconsciously to some degree of the Timeless Child's genetic memory when holding morbid thoughts or segs-shifting (as it is canonically known, pre-series 10, that Time Lords only regenerates into the opposite segs but when tbey experienced intense su*cidal thoughts or attempted self-deletion onto themselves, as it already happened with an incarnation of one of the many Unbound Doctors in Big Finish plays) . Whom to the Fugitive Doctor, she can be retconned as a future incarnation of Donna Noble, who regenerated into a middle aged black woman, mayhaps because of her obvious preferences toward black men, but somewhere along the way has forgotten she was a Metacrisis Human-Time Lady hybrid as the regeneration/s further warped her still-Human mind into misbelieving she was an early incarnation of the Doctor. This might gives more credence to the speculation about which the Time Lady who helped the Doctor save the Universe against Rassilon in the special Christmas episodes might be none only a future incarnation of Donna, but the _Doctor's mother_ herself- which may explains why some novels and stories hints about the Doctor's father or older brother or cousin (or was he both??) spousing a Human female, when it is clearly specified that the Doctor's mother was Gallifreyan. However, it was also speculated that the Doctor was half-Human from his mother's side...

[@idle_speculation]

@@ptolemeeselenion1542or maybe we could just ignore it and let it fade into history like the “half-human” thing from the tv movie. Also, it’s not like Lungbarrow was much better.

[@Xahnel]

Alright, so I know lots of people like to think there was no creature, but the empirical evidence is rather undeniable. First off, the list. There is no clear timeline for how long there was between writing hunting, defense, and hiding. But there is clarity for after hiding. He writes the word, and immediately goes into his rant, setting down the chalk and shouting into the Tardis. He turns back to pick up the chalk, and it's gone. It rolls at his foot. This presents the first three impossibilities. One: the chalk did not fall on the floor. Chalk is fragile. It has to be, to be used in the manner it is. A full, fresh chalkstick is a very fragile thing indeed, and for it to fall onto the floor and not shatter in the slightest is near impossible. Two: it rolled towards him. There is no reason for it to roll in any particular direction on a flat surface. Gravity is set to down with no variance at a consistent level, the floor is perfectly flat. It would not have rolled on its own, there was no force or object acting to overcome inertia, thus the chalk was rolled to him. Thirdly, and most importantly: how did the chalk get out of the book? He set it down, turned away, shouted into the Tardis, turned back, immediately reached for the chalk, and it was gone. So clearly, it was only seconds between setting it down and reaching for it. The book was flat. The chalk was in the middle. The camera zoomed in to confirm this was true. And then it just wasn't there, but the Doctor expected it to be there. I have thus conclusively proven there was indeed _something_ lurking in the Tardis with the Doctor. And it was mocking him, erasing his chalkboard, writing to him, rolling the chalk at him on the floor instead of just putting it back in the book. And the time machine at the end of time. Yes, an audio bits and bobs thing revealed that on the last night in the time machine, it was actually just a joke being played on a lost time traveler by Harkness, but what about the previous six months? Does Harkness really strike anyone as the sort of man to spend six months tormenting someone? Because he doesn't strike me as the type. So I'm going to discard that as the crack gag writing it's clearly intended to be. So at the end of it all on a dead planet at night _only,_ something, or perhaps many somethings, come skittering and slithering and wriggling at the structure, making a racket, wanting to get in, tormenting the last intelligent life. Perhaps trying to get the last meal. Finally, the bedroom scene. You can literallt see the creature. It's blurred, but you can pick out two important details showing it's not a child. One, it's bald, and two, it has deep set and heavily shadowed eye sockets. The only kids who look like that are cancer patients. No, it's a creature. A nasty little tormenting monster that might someday try to eat you.

[@BillyBobJoe14]

Thanks for terrifying me 😐

[@Shuffles_Art]

Just goes to show that Moffat shines in his more one-time special episodes rather than the overarching series wide stories. He can take something so simple and mundane and bring out the worst fears within them: blinking, the dark, your own imagination. I kind of think that Moffat maybe should’ve stayed writing in the occasional episode rather than taking over as showrunner, it was kind of a huge task to take over after Russel T. Davies’ masterpiece of a reboot series and Moffat just couldn’t really hit the mark. But it’s episodes like these that really really shine in Moffat’s era.

[@frankmacaw6717]

I have been waiting for you to make this video for about a year, thank you so much

[@carcharo7]

I watched S1-6 when I was a child and have regularly gone back over S1-4 as they’ve always been just so special to me. And in light of Ten and Donna coming back I thought I’d watch the whole lot beginning to end. And let’s just say I did not expect to get scared by another episode. This story took me completely by surprise! (not to mention I was alone at night when I watched it). Loved it. S8 has been good so far!

[@NVAntipuna]

I love how you explain iy. I loved this episode a lot. I loved the 12th. He's my favorite bc of the way he thinks and approaches things. How he questions everything in a nice clear way

[@dylanburton4955]

If Moffat comes back to write some stuff in the new era I wouldn’t mind that, while I do enjoy his era as showrunner, he is at his best when he’s writing standalone episodes

[@jackdog06]

Thank goodness this monster never attacked the ninth doctor, those ears would have heard everything instantly.

[@robertcooper4th259]

What if the creature is whatever the camera man is in the universe, a creature that’s invincible, can’t be interacted with

[@marxistlynchist]

series 8 reappraisal is my lifeblood. it is not my favourite season of Who, but it absolutely is the most interesting to discuss.

[@jamielavender236]

I absolutely love this analysis, I already lived this episode but it's pointed out the fact all of it might be in the doctors head and it has really elevated it

[@ramen-numerals]

i’ve always seen the episode as there was no secret creature. The only reason the doctor is afraid (and thus us) is because of Clara instilled that fear into the doctor as a child and possibly creating a paradox.

[@charlesweber5052]

I heard someone say ‘what’s that in the mirror in the corner of your eye.’ ‘It’s the little girl you put in there.’

[@Ryukuro]

Could be some resurgent guilt.

[@Doctor4101]

Listen had me hooked from the opening speech.

[@AdamJasper18]

Watched this episode the other day and loved it. I initially didn't like seeing the Doctor as a child as I prefer Galifrey and the Doctor's childhood to be shrouded in mystery and only spoken about like in the RTD era. I feel the image of Galifrey painted in your head as the Tenths Doctor describes it to Martha is far more powerful than anything that can be put to screen. Although when I realised it was the barn from the Day of the Doctor I didn't mind it as I feel the 50th anniversary did a fantastic job of including Galifrey without spoiling the mystery of it with all scenes at night with the city mostly destroyed

[@VuddyProductions]

Maybe the real monsters are the friends we made along the way. Also, children of earth

[@jayanderson9375]

😂😂

[@Redboots]

tbh, I both like that the episode shows that even the doctor is afraid of something through the barn scene, and that clara does it, but not together if that makes sense? because clara does get overimportant in the doctor's life through being the reason he saves gallifrey instead of destroying it, the whole impossible girl story arc, and this, none of which are necessarily bad in themselves it's just the combination that irks me

[@Jedi_Spartan]

Stubagful's reaction to this episode: "It's like Moffat's brain is so big that it fits in this canyon. Then it will evolve upwards like a Pokemon until it's the size of the moon."

[@lukepritchard582]

Have been watching Harbo for about a year and just realised I hadn't subscribed! Just a reminder for other people to check!

[@darkshotmk3]

The creature knocking. A creature that survives the end of the universe. Kinda sounds like the thing that mimicked everyone on the 10ths Holiday

[@braxtonwalden8365]

Should be stated that, the end of time scene reminds me of the shortest horror story ever told: “The last man on earth hears a knock at the door.”

[@scarletbard6511]

I can't wait for you to cover The Girl Who Died. I've managed to find this channel just as you were covering my favorite doctor, and that one's my favorite of his.

[@adammyers7383]

Moffat has a lot of issues, but when he’s on, he’s REALLY on

[@mayotango1317]

I think Moffat was ahead of his time. The Loki series proves it.

[@CashelOConnolly]

NOTHING WILL BEAT HEAVEN SENT 🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

[@lazulenoc6863]

I'm here earlier than normal. About 2 - 3 minutes of the public release.

[@andreaeray]

Octopuses have perfect camouflage.

[@chrisshorten4406]

Looking at the creatures blurred out face, it kind of looks human, but the eyes are shadowed over. Creepy.

[@catfeldman3614]

i was jumping a meter away from my bed for a solid month after this episode. no dangling feet absolutely not

[@pwaaoolhtims4344]

You should read the book, "Choose the Future: Terror Moon," by Trevor Baxebdale. Its a choose your own adventure Doctor Who book with Silence of the Library and Listen vibes

[@No_auto_toon]

The opening to Listen really shows the madman in a box

[@TheNinthGeneration1]

I know the creature not having a name makes it more terrifying, but I like to call it Nothing. No one truly knows what Nothing is, it could be the lack of all things, or it could be something unimaginable

[@bonweech3346]

I choose to believe there is an entity and the Doctor was right in some regard and it was the same or similar entity as Midnight’s.

[@livingglowstick1337]

We know there is from the intro the chalk was moved rolled across the floor and listen was written on the board a direct answer to his question

[@gamingwhilebroken2355]

@@livingglowstick1337 The blanket monster too. Children don’t act like. That’s either a monster or a small adult.

[@qvcybe]

also i like how accurate the doctor got at landing the tardis in small spaces XD (or on people XD)

[@AiRsTrIkExXzZ]

My head canon for why the 11th and 12th doctors are a bit idiotic. Examples are when 11 is naked infront of Clara’s family and when 12 said “where’s Wally?” And how those are years he’ll never get back is either him just screwing about because he’s basically half way through his life so it’s his mid life crisis or he’s doing it to lighten the mood

[@mayotango1317]

To be honest, every Doctor has their moments of being oblivious and clueless. Remember the Eye of the Millennium Wheel scene in Rose?

[@wizardstumpt4467]

Yes but because the show needs to lighten the mood

[@OsofoGriot]

Yeah I rewatched this the other night and it is still batshit terrifying

[@gamingkill3r604]

This episode was great in exploring the concept of creatures being our constant companion throughout our lives that we don’t know about. And these monsters being responsible for that feeling we get when we feel we’re not alone. That’s terrifying. This is also one of those episodes where if you truly see Peter Capaldi shine as the doctor, when you let capaldi have the room, he can truly elevate a script However what let’s this episode down is Danny pinks descendent. If Danny dies how does can his descendent exist? And of course in typical Moffat fashion he decides overpower Clara even more by having her interact with the doctors past, specifically him as a child and influencing his ideas of hiding monster because “look how great Clara is!”🙄 🤦‍♀️. As if stamping her all over the doctors timeline in The Name of the Doctor wasn’t enough l.

[@melchoryanez6469]

listen and kill the moon are amazing episodes, i can't hate on the capaldi era not one single ep, my fav doctor.

[@azapro911]

The episode does an amazing job of being nerve wracking without anything sinister actually going on.

[@oxcare5]

While I'm only in episode 9 of my series 8 watch, so far, series 8 has been one of my favourites, possibly even reaching top 3 series of mine. (Those being series 3, 1 and 4 in that order from number 3 to number 1)

[@finnmcmahon9904]

You might just have sold me on this story. I've long seen the praise for it, but never quite understood the praise when the mystery to me seemed a hollow one in service of (admittedly good) monologuing. But reframing it as from the perspective of the Doctor's conspiratorial mind running away and the empathy exposed during is a really good treatment of the narrative.

[@TheWiggyStardust]

Plot Twist: it was Sutehk all along

[@Comicbroe405]

Lmaoo

[@GMSquared]

There is also the subtextual lesson to actually "Listen" to other people and give an actual attempt to understand where they are coming from.

[@SSJPENGUIN]

Lots of episodes grow on me but I have always loved this episode

[@carolinemcgovern4488]

I've always said Moffat should have gone into horror- and this episode proves my point. It's such an amazing story and one I can't help but revisit.

[@TheNinthGeneration1]

Fun fact, anytime you feel like you’re being watched, it’s because your eyes saw something but your brain didn’t register it fully. So take comfort in the fact that anytime you feel like you’re being watched, it’s very likely to be true.

[@supersecret4390]

Personally I don't like this episode that much. Because we know so little about the monsters we never see them do anything harmful so they don't feel like a threat, and the Doctor and Clara spend the whole episode going to places to investigate them, so if any danger was present they could just leave. It doesn't feel like anything is at stake in this episode. The character study parts of the episode are good but I feel it all would have been served better if the Doctor and Clara were forced to deal with the monsters rather than actively looking for them. Because as the way it is if the doctor has to go to great lengths to even find a suggestion of the monsters I find it difficult to feel threatened or scared by them.

[@mayotango1317]

This episode was not to scare you, it was to learn about the unknown.

[@jakequaza3567]

Why does there have to be stakes? I like the idea that there isn’t actually a monster, or that the monster is the doctor’s fear its self

[@supersecret4390]

@@jakequaza3567 Stakes keeps the episode feeling tense and make it easier to stay invested. The episode can still have stakes whilst having the monster revealed to be fake/just the doctor's fear. Stakes that are later revealed to be false are still stakes for the purposes of pacing

[@Xahnel]

I can give you some reasonable deductions, if you like. First off, it was so imperceptible that the tiny hint we got of it was blurred even through the fourth wall. It's got deep set eyesockets and appears bald. So, not a child playing a joke, unless it's a super sonic cancer patient. The children's rhyme associated with the creature implies it is indeed very deadly, and each one picks out a human to follow. In the episode, the most harm they do is mischief, but the rhyme implies this is just how they occupy their time waiting to kill you, by tormenting. The creature was utterly unwilling to move off while being watched, only standing taller in an attempt to loom and frighten. So clearly not only can it not be seen, it deeply does not want to be seen. The reason the Doctor has everyone turn around is that he recognizes it is getting agitated and realizes that it wants to run, but is physically incapable of exposing itself by shucking the blanket while being watched. So, to forestall the creature losing its temper and actually attacking, with whatever evolution gifted it to match its stealth and speed, he has everyone look away until it flees. So, while we cannot color in the picture, so to speak, we can get a good outline. The Creature that goes Bump in the Night is child sized, bald, with deep inset eyesocket. It is not immediately threatening, but it is likely a predator that predates on intelligent life. It occupies its time teasing and tormenting you while you are alone, or near enough alone, by rattling pipes, creaking wood, knocking on the door, whispering with the sound of the wind. There is a children's rhyme that warns of it, specifically warning that it is hungry and plans to eat you. Finally, it refuses to reveal itself under many sets of watchful eyes. It is very much like a mean combination of the Silence and the Angels, and given how fast it is, and how it observes, and how it obscures itself, it might very well be hiding from _them._ Angels have existed from the dawn of reality, after all. And the Silence are astoundingly threatening predators.

[@jd_music23]

Aw. I think I definitely under appreciated a lot of the last couple of seasons of Moffat's run. Capaldi was an outstanding actor as was Coleman and there were some great scripts. I think I'd just grown tired of all the poor "i'm just doing this because I can and don't need it to make sense or earn it" things that Moffat did by that point that even when it happened at a micro level it just took me out of the story completely. I think i would really like to revisit some of these episodes now eithout the baggage of his entire run as I think I'd enjoy them a lot more now.

[@ericreese7792]

In regard to "only the 12th Doctor could do this story", I could imagine this episode as a Sixth Doctor & Peri story.

[@kingmasterlord]

what if the listener isnt a threat and nothing to be afraid of?

[@adventurekitty101]

It’s been a while since I’ve watched this episode. I don’t scare easily when it comes to scary, lives and tv shows, but this episode terrified me, so I don’t watch it. Even though I am an adult, I’m still afraid of the dark, and it’s never helped with my active imagination. So naturally I’ve always had this fear of something under the bed, which is enhanced in pure quietness. I hate being in a quite room, I just get so uncomfortable. I need to have white noise or music, just some kind of sound playing that isn’t just the ticking of a clock. My mum finds that part of me a bit weird, since I always have my headphones in with something playing if I’m not having a conversation with someone. So when I’m in my dark bedroom, and it’s silent, no whirring of my fans or anything, I can’t even get out of bed to go pee. Because something has to be under my bed. My bed is creaking even though I have not moved, it’s there. Something fell off my shelf, it’s wondering around. I do think me drawing what I see in the shadows of my room, does help, if I’m unable to have anything to listen to whilst I fall asleep.

[@JustaBritishPerson32]

It was a horrible idea to watch this just before going to sleep wasn't it?

[@stephjovi]

I love the Sidestory. Clara trying to have a normal life but still have adventures in the TARDIS. Its my favorite Era. When she comes back wet and there`s no rain :) . just fun.

[@redfieldblair]

*reedemed* Moffat? After the amazing series 5 - after that 50th (which we can now compare to the pain of the 60th)

[@GuiltlessGear]

16:59 gee i wonder what he could be talking about here

[@scotthadden9816]

I'm gonna be honest... this episode didn't scare me, I was never afraid of monsters in the wardrobe or under the bed. It was certainly interesting, and memorable, but scary... not really.

[@charliesnerdychannel3665]

thank fuck i have draws under my bed

[@jbfangirl]

Listen is one of my favorite episodes. I love the whole concept of the "villain" being fear itself. I agree that I can't imagine another Doctor but Capaldi do this episode. I also agree that the trust 12 shows Clara by leaving without checking is such a good character moment. This whole episode has great character moments.

[@elberno4243]

This episode should be called "Forget The Silents" Also, it fails to be a "what if?", as the viewers see it's hand, and then the creature under a blanket.

[@TheNinthGeneration1]

It’s entirely possible that we created them on our own, just through evolutionary logic. It is always safer to assume that there is something in the tall grass, especially when it’s moving. Sure, it could be the wind blowing the grass, but what if it’s a lion? If you run away scared every time you see the grass move, you only need to be right once to validate it. Similarly to the creatures, we invent the ghost hiding in the dark to scare ourselves, because if something is there we have saved ourselves. If we only got scared because it turned out we were wrong, we now have a fun story to tell and embellish.

[@lacarlos4631]

just wondering, has dr who made an uncanny valley episode before?

[@halfacyc8187]

I was working in the library at night (woooo 24/7 library) and wanted to wander around. My brain spoke to me: yo what if there's a monster you can't see in the shadows? I've never left a place faster.

[@The_RedJoker]

There's a SCP that's literally that concept in the game

[@parrotreble8355]

I actually didn’t really like this episode when I watched this. But this video has broadened my mind a little and pointed out some things I had forgotten about it that I actually like. The main reason I struggle with season 8 (and this episode) is because of 12’s apparent callousness and lack of empathy that makes it a little painful to watch. But you can’t have character development without a place to grow from so I should really appreciate this season more in future rewatches. :)

[@stephjovi]

I didn`t mind seeing the Doctors childhood. I just wondered why it looks like he grew up in the wild west. Didn´t look like Gallifrey.

[@PsyrenXY]

My big problem with Series 8 and 9 is that that's when the BBC started making it really annoying to watch Doctor Who in the USA so I fell out of the show. Now that they're all on HBO Max and coming to Disney+ I'm able to appreciate this era for the masterpiece that it is

[@henryboy3656]

Listen is my all time favorite episode, it's the best 12 episode hands down, and Moffat's best Who episode