Doctor Who: Time Heist

Guys, I REALLY liked this episode! Like, I REALLY, REALLY liked it! It was fun, and fast-paced, and I loved the characters, and the plot, and the whole story! What a fun, brilliant episode! It feels like this season has taken a complete 180 degree turn and I love it!

Now, even the best, most amazing episodes of Doctor Who are tough to recap. I worry about leaving important things out, and they often get so long that people are too intimidated to read it….kinda like last week’s!

This week, I find myself in a similar situation, but not because it’s a top ten type of episode—although it is so, so good! This episode was just really, really dense. There was so much going on, and I’m afraid I’m going to leave something out!

This definitely isn’t one for the kiddies, guys, and in a way, I found it much more dark and disturbing than Listen was. The Teller is a terrifying creature!

Here we go!

The Doctor wants to spend time with Clara, but she has another date with Danny. I love her outfit, by the way. Sorry, had to mention it. It’s cute. ;)

Unfortunately—or fortunately?—the TARDIS phone starts to ring. Only a few people in the universe have that number, including some woman in a shop. Again, a mention about that woman! Interesting…

The Doctor answers the phone, and, POOF!, he and Clara are suddenly sitting at a table holding memory worms! You guys remember memory worms, right? They eat memories, and now the Doctor, Clara, and the two strangers at the table have no idea where they are, or why they’re there.

A recording tells them that they’ve all agreed to the memory wipe, and it gives a little bit of info about the strangers. Psi is an augmented human, and Saibra, as we find out a bit later, is a shape-shifter.

That was a GREAT cold opening!

The recording also tells them that they’re there to rob the most secure bank in the galaxy, that bank security is after them, and that everything they need to know is in a case in front of them.

In another part of the bank, Miss. Delphox gets a call from the bank security, who have apparently touched the memory worms…

Miss. Delphox calls for ‘the Teller’. Oooh, what’s that precious? What’s The Teller?

The Doctor finds out more about his new friends—Psi is a former bank robber, and Saibra can change form into anyone she touches. Well that’s handy, innit?!

Saibra shifts into a bank customer, and the heist begins! In the bank, they come across Miss Delphox and The Teller. He’s frickin’ terrifying, but that’s some damn good CGI/make-up effects! So The Teller can scan people’s thoughts for lies and guilt, and then he wipes their memories, leaving their skull disgustingly concave. It’s freakin’ gross!

The Doctor and Friends enter another part of the bank, and Psi pulls up a bank schematic. The Doctor finds a bomb in another case, and blows up the floor; although it doesn’t exactly blow up. The bomb is a dimensional shift bomb, and it just displaces the, er…matter, I guess? The Doctor easily puts the floor back the way it was after they’ve all climbed through, and security has no idea where they’ve gone.

Oh, and yeah, security is still after them because Miss Delphox has realized that the dude the Teller erased wasn’t actually the right target. MAN THAT’S GOTTA SUCK! Now he’s got a dented head and no memory, all because of a mistake!

Team Not-Dead finds another case left by the architect, and the Doctor explains that the reason their memories had to be wiped is because, well, the more they know, the more guilt they’ll feel. The more guilt they feel, the louder they project that guilt, which means the Teller can hear them, and find them. SO that’s a neat explanation!

They open the case and find…something. An alarm goes off, and Clara stays with Psi as the Doctor and Saibra go to investigate. Psi tells Clara that he wiped his own memory to prevent anyone finding out about his friends and family during an interrogation. Well that’s sad. Now the guy has no idea who his family is!

The Doctor tells Saibra that the things that were in the case were an “exit strategy”. Saibra tells the Doctor that no one can touch her. If they do, she’ll transform, and no one wants to see their own eyes looking back at them.

Team Not-Dead meet back up and they find memory wiped people in a cell. So, ew.

Another alarm goes off, and Team Not-Dead run into another area. They find themselves in the room where the Teller’s, um…cell? Box? Prison…is located. The Teller is in forced hibernation, but then it locks on to Clara’s mind. She needs to keep her mind blank, but it wakes up anyway. The team runs, but the Teller then locks on to Saibra. The Doctor knows she’s doomed, and so he gives her one of the ‘exit strategy’ things. Basically, it’s painless, instant death. Saibra takes it, but firsts he calls the Doctor a ‘good man’. Isn’t that a theme this season? Hmm.

The rest of Team Not-Dead escapes, and they find another case.

Meanwhile, Miss Delphox releases the Teller into the tunnels to find Team Not-Dead.

In the case, Clara finds a card and stashes it in a pocket.  The team hears the Teller coming, and the Doctor tells them they need to split up. Before they do, he gives Psi an ‘exit strategy’. Here’s another big hint that the Twelfth Doctor is so not the Eleventh. Eleven would never split up from Clara, right? Of course right.

Psi hooks himself up to the bank computer, and begins to unlock the vault.

Clara runs, but the Teller finds her.

Psi saves her life by downloading dozens of thieves and villains into himself. Didja catch a glimpse of those faces? See any familiar? HOW ABOUT CAPTAIN JOHN FRICKIN’ HART FROM TORCHWOOD! I also saw a weevil, a Slitheen, an Ice Warrior, the Trickster, a Sensorite, the Sheriff from A Town Called Mercy…that was a ton of great nods to previous episodes!

The Teller goes after Psi, who uses the exit strategy. RIP, Psi. I really liked you!

The bank vault fails to open, and then a solar storm happens. This makes the Doctor realize that this isn’t just a bank heist; it’s a time travel heist.

The vault unlocks, and Clara and the Doctor use the card that was in the last case to find the boxes they need.

In one box, for Psi, was a circuit that would give him his memories back. In the second box, a gene suppressant for Saibra, that would make her normal. For Clara and the Doctor? Well, their item is in the personal vault. Unfortunately, the Teller finds them before they can get to it.

It takes them to Miss Delphox, who orders them killed, and then takes the Teller back to its prison.

BUT GUYS, PSI AND SAIBRA AREN’T EVEN DEAD OH MY GODDDDD I’M SO HAPPY! Saibra has changed her face, and Psi takes off his helmet! They were the guards all along, hooray! Apparently the ‘exit strategy’ takes them to a ship in orbit?! WHAT?!

The Doctor gives Psi and Saibra their rewards from the vault, and Team Not-Dead makes their way to the private vault.

Here they meet the bank owner herself, Director Karabraxos. And she looks exactly like Miss Delphox. Apparently she clones herself to ensure she gets the best security. Whoa, weird.

 The Director is going to kill her clone, and this causes the Doctor to have one of his epiphanies—I do love those—He realizes that HE IS THE ARCHITECT!

He gives the Director his TELEPHONE NUMBER, YOU GUYS. She takes off with a bunch of her treasures.

The Doctor realizes that there were 6 exit strategies, and he knows he’s on the verge of understanding what’s going on. The Teller arrives, and the Doctor allows it to go through his memories.

The Doctor remembers everything. The Director, now old and with many regrets, was the one that called him and asked him to rob the bank. He remembers picking up Psi and Saibra, placing the cases, being the architect. THIS IS BRILLIANT, YOU GUYS.

The Doctor realizes tells the Teller that he’s free to do what he wants to do…and the Teller opens the private vault. Inside is another Teller. A mate, chained to the wall, and now free.

With six exit strategies, the Doctor realizes that this was always a rescue mission, not a bank heist. BEST EVER, RIGHT?!

He takes the Tellers to a quiet planet where they can be alone forever.

On the TARDIS, Team Not-Dead bonds over Chinese, and then they say goodbye. I really, really hope we see them again.

And then he drops Clara off for her date with Danny.

Such a great episode, right?! I just really liked it. I didn’t have to think too much, and it was just fun!

Thoughts and theories:

-Again no mention of the big season plot. Aside from the woman in the shop line.
-Will we see Psi and Saibra again?

Best Lines:

“Why’s your face all coloured in?”

“Still don’t understand why you’re in charge.”
“Basically it’s the eyebrows.”

“Shut up. Everybody, just, just shut up. Shut up, just shut up, shut up, shut up shutity shut up up up.”

“De-shut up!”

“Big scarf. Bow tie. Bit embarrassing. What do you think of the new look? I was going for minimalism, but I think I came out with magician.”

“Of course I’m kidding. It’s a time machine, not a miracle worker.”

Okay, watch the trailer for The Caretaker now, guys! JOHN FRICKIN’ SMITH!

See you next week!