This time round the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is once again at Clara's (Jenna Coleman) as she once again prepares for a date, wait, deja vu. She's even got heels and again the Doctor remarks about her make-up, this time round with all that colour she's got on her face. She's even wearing heels, so he has a dig at her height as she looks taller. As the TARDIS phone rings, but Clara's got the number so who else could have it. Though he manages to get the mysterious woman in the shop remark in too at this point.
Before I go any further, have to say this ep was predictable, already figured out who the Architect could be, cos, really, there's only one person who it could be. As he answers the phone, what could possibly go wrong in answering a phone. They end up around a table and surrounded by memory worms and two others. One is a half computer/half person, Psi (Johnathan Bailey). Another is a woman, Saibra (Pippa Bennett-Warner). Their agreement is played back to them, all of them agreeing to having their memories wiped. With the Doctor even telling Clara to change her shoes, just incase anyone wondered what happened to her heels. Which obviously explains he knew where they'd be going, cos last ep she kept her heels on. A message comes through the case, telling them what they must do, i.e rob the impregnable Bank of Karabraxos. Of course it won't last that long with the Doctor on board.
The vault is breached and their presence is known to Miss Delphox (Keeley Hawes) and security threatens them with incineration when they are caught. Escaping, they end up outside since Saibra can clone people, that's what she does and is here for this reason, as she shows Clara by cloning her. Outside, Delphox approaches with the Teller who can read minds and peoples' guilt. As he hones in on a man and removes his memories after reading his guilt and part of his brain. The Doctor can't help, as he tells Clara, he's already soup. The Teller being a creature of course and is chained up, so there's a story initself, why is the Teller who helps her out in a straight jacket type contraption and not able to walk free. Always remember foreshadowing.
Gaining entry into the vault by use of Saibra's cloning, she's able to clone herself into a customer. They find a bomb inside the vault but still have no clue what the Architect's design is (OK another bad joke). Until the Doctor places it on the floor of the vault and manages to blow a hole in the floor, it's some sort of a dimensional bomb where the particles disperse into space. Thus they climb down before security finds them there.
Saibra tells the Doctor that he wouldn't want to be cloned by her, 'looking into your own eyes and wondering who you can trust.' Big clue that line for later. (Funny way of writing that line, never mind, you know what I mean.) They find another briefcase containing some vial type thingys (yes I'm quoting the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) when in doubt for correct form of words.) Clara also removes a piece of paper from the case. Once gain being detected, they run into a vent, boy for a bank, that intruder alert detection system is pretty slow! Here we find the Teller once again, in statis, but is awakened and locks onto Clara's memories. She can't manage to control them and think of nothing, but you have to ask whether when we're shown her face if that's memory of hers she is really trying very hard to suppress, relevant to her past and what we have yet to learn about her.
It doesn't work and managing to get out, Saibra is left behind, knowing she can't survive and will be 'soup', the Doctor throws her one of those thingys they found in the briefcase. She'll always be lonely since she cant touch anyone but this way she won't have to suffer and she vanishes, well evaporates, kind of. Finding the vault, Psi has to crack the combination, whilst Teller is on the rampage, so the Doctor suggests they split up. As Teller once again hones in on Clara, again why her and not the Doctor. Psi tries to save her, which he manages to do by telling it to come after him instead since he's got all the memories of all the bank robbers ever going. So once again he also takes one of the thingys and disappears.
Leaving the Doctor to find the vault isn't opened cos there's one more lock. As a warning of a solar flare comes through and the bank's system's go off line. The ample opportunity for a heist, thus it clicks to the Doctor why the TARDIS isn't here, it wouldn't have been able to land and also that the Architect would have to have been someone from the future who predicted this moment. (No surprises for guessing right about now who that Architect would have to be, Time Traveller: Doctor) The vault opens and inside Clara manages to find the various boxes corresponding to what the other robbers wanted. Saibra wanted genetic supression so she can no longer clone people by touching them. Psi wanted his memories back but what the Doctor wants is in the private vault. What did Clara want? Besides her date with Danny.
However before they can get there, they are arrested and brought towards Delphox, who really hates working for her boss but can't be fired or she'll be fired, literally, in the incinerator. So as she takes the Teller back, the guards are left to deal with Clara and the Doctor, cue the two guards turning out to be Psi and Saibra. The thingys were just transporters and took them back to their ship. Psi telling the Doctor there's also a blue box out there. Reaching the private vault which is occupied by Karabraxus, and Delphox was her clone of course. See that cloning line from Saibra came in handy here too, about who would who trust if you looked into their eyes.
Suddenly the Doctor's memory isn't coming back but he's beginning to realize what's happening, as he writes her a note saying to telephone him as he's a Time Traveller. Also that he knows he hates the Architect and that is him of course. Karabraxus called him to ask for his help now that she's old and wants his help. The Teller is unleashed again but the Doctor tells him, "there are so many memories in here, feast on them, tuck in. Big scarf, bow tie, bit embarrassing. What do you think of the new look? Was hoping for minimalism but I came out with magician." There's something that the Teller wants and it's locked behind closed doors. Opened to reveal its mate, another one of its species, explaining why the Teller was in chains, and why he was made to do what he did, turning everyone into soup.
Thus Karabraxus has a chance to do the right thing when older and get the Doctor to rescue a species this time, instead of saving a race of people. Getting Clara back in time for her date. Whilst having the chance to share a Chinese meal beforehand and even getting to joke about the TARDIS wiping out any calories. As if it could. Leaving the Doctor alone again. Seems the Doctor appears to be spending an awful lot of time in Clara's house and wanting her to go places with him, when clearly she's got Danny one her mind. Especially since there were times in other episodes when she wanted to do just that but wouldn't see him for days (just like Amy.)
Lots of references from Psi about Clara spending too much time with the Doctor since she keeps making excuses for him and how he is professionally detached, "that's why you call yourself the Doctor." The Doctor making several references to hating the Architect, emulating low self esteem of himself on his part. Had to get the references in there to the scarf once more like the first ep, but the bow ties as being embarrassing was a bit below the er, neck!
Clara taking a back seat this ep as this one clearly was orchestrated by the Doctor and features the Doctor aplenty, for perhaps the first time since he took over the mantle of Doctor Twelve. That everything was his plan doesn't really come as such a big shock or surprise and so having their memories wiped contributed to the Doctor finding out was the mastermind behind the Time Heist along the way, was a clever plot point, unless like me you figured that out already.
Oh and couldn't help but think of Deal or no Deal, what with the Banker and the TARDIS phone ringing! Okay maybe it was just me!
Of course unless you had your memories wiped too, you will note that the memory worms were first seen in the 2012 Christmas Special The Snowmen.
No comments:
Post a Comment