Tread Perilously is a podcast in which hosts Erik Amaya and author Justin Robinson watch the “worst” episodes of popular TV shows, attempting to determine if they would continue to watch the series based on the most off-key moments.

This Week: Doctor Who‘s “Listen”

Tread Perilously concludes its month of celebrating the new series Doctor Who with “Listen.”

As Clara goes on a somewhat uncomfortable date, The Doctor realizes he is talking to himself and supposes there might be a more sinister reason for it. Soon, he picks up Clara for a trip to the past, the future, and an impossible era to learn the truth behind the perfect hider and the monster under your bed. All the while, Clara’s date, Danny Pink, seems to be at the center of the investigation. But is that to do with Clara? And who is the boy Clara finds in a barn somewhere far from England?

Justin and Erik discuss Steven Moffat as a writer and his seeming resistance to platonic friendships. Actor Samuel Anderson gets praise for his performance in this episode … but not as Danny Pink. “Listen” is unavoidably compared to “Blink,” which leads to some surprising analysis of both. Does modern Doctor Who work best when Moffat and Russell T. Davies are involved at the same time? Erik once again suggests Matt Smith left earlier than originally planned. Justin praises a key sequence in the episode. Peter Capaldi’s performance as The Doctor is reviewed anew, and Justin identifies the only true romantic Doctor/companion pairing of the Classic series.

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