Who View (2) : S8 E5 - Time Heist

Title: Time Heist
Written by: Stephen Thompson and Steven Moffat
Directed by: Douglas Mackinnon
Air Date (UK): 09/19/14



The Doctor turns bank robber when he is given a task he cannot refuse – to steal from the most dangerous bank in the cosmos.

With the help of a beautiful shape-shifter and cyber-augmented gamer, the Doctor and Clara must fight their way past deadly security and come face to face with the fearsome Teller: a creature of terrifying power that can detect guilt…

BEWARE! THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS AS TO TIME HEIST (S8 E5). DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO SEE THE EPISODE!

Let's Rob a Bank!

The concept of Time Heist was never seen before in the history of Doctor Who. The Doctor robbed a bank! Along with Clara. They heisted the safest bank of the universe and not for the reason you'd think.

First off, I loved how the episode lead us on until the very end. Due to them not remembering how they got their or for what purpose, we had to sit and wait until they figured it out for themselves and us. Initially, I thought they had some reason to indeed rob the bank even if it was a despicable thing to do. Then the Doctor told them to imagine what they wanted most in the universe and how badly they wanted it so I went on to think they needed whatever they wanted for some mission. I had a ton of other theories and speculations throughout the episode, the only thing I hadn't expected was what was behind the robbery for real. And boy did I adore it. I would have liked it if the Doctor did something so humanly morally wrong for once, but that it turned out to be the straight opposite that I found truly entertaining.

Mirrors and Reflections

Besides the Doctor and Clara, this week we got Psi, a hacker and bank robber, half robot, and Saibra, a woman who dons your appearance if she touches you. She clicked with the Doctor well right away and that's because she was somewhat like him; the only one like her/him in the universe. There's nobody else like Saibra, nobody who could change into someone else like this, just as there's no more Time Lords left. Well, it's not really accurate since the Day of the Doctor, but I believe it was repeated so many times for a long while that it stuck in people's heads and in a way, he's still a loner. After all, nobody know where the other Time Lords are right now. It went so far, she told him he was a good man. It's a big question of season 8, whether the Doctor's a good man, he even asked Clara about it in Into the Dalek and she said she didn't know. Since then, he's found himself up to a degree and became a person who cares, even if only under a thick mask of expressionlessness. And now, Saibra told him he was.

Psi was a little Clara's other half. Or at least somebody who she could learn a lesson from. He erased all his memories about his loved ones for safety reasons. While Clara has so many people around her who love her. When Psi tells her about his state, she answers that she's got a few memories she could lose. Later, when he helps Clara out in a nasty predicament caused by the Teller, he says people see their family and friends when they die, but he sees no one. Basically, he implies he's more than willing to sacrifice himself, without relations he's life worth less than hers. And I think that makes Clara value her family and friends more.

As you might have noticed, in season 8 the Doctor's character plays an important role. His morals and where he stands on the scale of good and bad is featured in every episode in one way or another. My guess is that Capaldi's Doctor is so complex and different, Moffat wants us to get to know him as much as he does.

Love of the Monsters

In Time Heist, we got a new villain; the Teller. I found it very intriguing from its appearance to its abilities, it was all very original and fascinating. It being able to detect your guilt and turn your brain into soup was hilarious and intimidating at the same time. The best combination.

The Teller was also the last one of its people, or at least we believed so until the end, and I wonder if it is a coincidence or more. Perhaps I simply think too much into it, but it could be an innuendo that the Doctor would find his, too.

Also, the memory worm was back! Awesome recurrence!

Where are you? Huh?

While the ship under the bank was a fair enough solution, when they stepped on board for the second time I was a little confused. And in general about that time. They were shifting places and times and I needed some time to figure out what was going on. I never experienced that in Doctor Who before, and I hope never to again. I can be really gruff about it. It's one of my pet peeves you could say...

Overall

Though it was less action-packed and it didn't send me high-rocketing into fan-girl mode, I did enjoy Time Heist. Also, I believe it's a relevant episode in the aspect of character development as well as the arc of the season.



How did you enjoy Time Heist? Do you think the Teller will be a recurring monster? Would you want to see Psi and Saibra back in the Christmas Special (or any other episodes)? 



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