# Doctor Who Revival S8E4 -- Listen (boxed spoilers until it airs on the West Coast) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 13, 2014, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382 "2014-09-13T12:36:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/1 "2014-09-13T12:36:29Z")
Same rules as [before](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731834). Tonight on the Moffat Hates Children variety hour, a horror episode! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/2 "2014-09-13T15:17:15Z")
I have seen the episode twice and will not comment on any details. I am eager to hear everyone’s thoughts and suggest reflecting on it before making a positive or negative review. Looking forward to seeing it tonight again. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/3 "2014-09-13T19:22:34Z")
My reaction, pretty much as it happened though the episode: eh? hmmm. eh? wtf? _look at my watch_ eh? HOLY SHIT. Oh lordy That is my preliminary review. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/4 "2014-09-13T20:09:44Z")
“Fear makes companions of us all” ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/5 "2014-09-13T23:44:16Z")
A perfectly good monster of the week episode ruined by Moffat showing off how clever he thinks he is. And I’m not really buying the Clara/Soldier romance, it’s trying too hard to be cutesy. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/6 "2014-09-14T00:00:06Z")
It was weird. I’m not sure if I liked it. I’m not sure if I didn’t like it. I think it’s one that will be reassessed once the season is complete. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/7 "2014-09-14T00:17:36Z")
BTW, I don’t think you need to call these “Doctor Who _Revival_” at all. It’s now been back for ten years. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/8 "2014-09-14T00:31:26Z")
Goodness, Who has come a long way from despised/laughed at home grown sci-fi to the extent that the West coast of the US now has to be saved from spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/9 "2014-09-14T01:13:16Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > BTW, I don’t think you need to call these “Doctor Who _Revival_” at all. It’s now been back for ten years. The issue is the season numbering. Do I want to call this season 34 then? There’s the series/season distinction (people generally call classic who “Season X” while the revival has “Series X”), but I’m not spelling it out. I guess it’s true that any thread about an episode is **likely** referring to the revival, but I find it easier to just say so outright. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/10 "2014-09-14T01:23:21Z")
I think it was the best of the Capaldi episodes. Very nicely done time travel, and the twist was completely unexpected, logical, and refreshing to see. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/11 "2014-09-14T02:05:35Z")
Loved it. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/12 "2014-09-14T02:18:56Z")
I liked it quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/13 "2014-09-14T02:21:43Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] I think it was the best of the Capaldi episodes. Very nicely done time travel, and the twist was completely unexpected, logical, and refreshing to see. [/QUOTE] I agree that Capaldi was at his best (so far). Really feels like he’s finding his inner “Doctor” and showing that on screen. Unfortunately, to me, the twist was not unexpected. Not looking forward to next week’s episode as it appears to be yet another take on the stale “bank [caper](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheCaper)” trope. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/14 "2014-09-14T02:24:59Z")
> [@Toucanna](#): > > Not looking forward to next week’s episode as it appears to be yet another take on the stale “bank [caper](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheCaper)” trope. ☹ I think it is the best of the first 5 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/15 "2014-09-14T02:26:51Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] I think it is the best of the first 5 episodes. [/QUOTE] [River Song]Hush! Spoilers![/River Song] ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/16 "2014-09-14T02:31:40Z")
So, if nothing was really there then I guess it was another kid underneath the blanket, but at the end of the universe who or what knocked on the door and then opened it? Who or what wrote listen on the chalk board? ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/17 "2014-09-14T02:37:48Z")
[QUOTE=Nobody] {snip} at the end of the universe who or what knocked on the door and then opened it? {snip} [/QUOTE] Was it just me or did anyone else see some creatures that looked like the MoW from _Planet of the Dead_ flying in the background when Clara first looked out the window? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/18 "2014-09-14T03:38:11Z")
> [@Toucanna](#): > > Not looking forward to next week’s episode as it appears to be yet another take on the stale “bank [caper](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheCaper)” trope. ☹ You seem to have forgotten that [Tropes Are Not Bad](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TropesAreTools). Still, skip it if you must; more Doctor for me. Somehow. > [@Nobody](#): > > So, if nothing was really there then I guess it was another kid underneath the blanket, but at the end of the universe who or what knocked on the door and then opened it? Who or what wrote listen on the chalk board? These are the same questions I was left with. Other than this, I quite enjoyed this one, and I am LOVING Capaldi’s Doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/19 "2014-09-14T03:42:18Z")
Anybody spot any references to Missy/Heaven/Promised Land in this episode? If, so, where were they? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382/20 "2014-09-14T03:43:42Z")
I _loved_ this episode. It’s my favorite so far of the four Capaldi eps I’ve seen. Capaldi has already cemented his place as my second favorite Doctor (behind only Ten). I did _not_ see that ending coming, and my reaction to it was very similar to the “No sir…all THIRTEEN!” bit at the end of the 50th Anniversary special. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-revival-s8e4-listen-boxed-spoilers-until-it-airs-on-the-west-coast/698382.md?page=2)