WARNING SPOILERS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: Hear that exceptionally loud noise? Peek out of the corner of your eye and youll spot spoilers and speculation concerning Doctor Who Series 7a and 7b, especially episode 10: Hide. Once youve seen the story, climb back out from behind the sofa and join us here for some out of this world theorizing. Hide is Neil Cross second story for the Doctor Who universe though the first one he actually wrote. It takes place on November 25, 1974, in Caliburn house owned by Professor Alec Palmer. Palmer and his assistant, psychic empath Emma Grayling, are seeking to record evidence of objective (as opposed to physical or mental) phenomena. Basically theyre looking for ghosts, or rather a specific ghost in particular. The good professor is a war veteran seeking to allay his own troubled spirit while Emma is a sensitive who cant resist the call of the wounded. To Neil Cross credit, this is a much tighter script than his previous effort. The haunted house setting is well realized and the first half of the episode is deliciously spooky. Like Rings of Akhaten, however, there is a secondary tacked on ending that detracts, though only in a minor way, from the rest of the story. This post is going to be a little different. Im asking you to go on an intriguing journey with me. Its filled with conjecture and undoubtedly outright absurdity but whats the fun in rehashing each episode like every other reviewer? Remember, it doesnt matter whether were on the right path. Only that were open to exploring possibilities. Shortly before watching this episode I stumbled upon Nick Drake, an English singer-songwriter who died, interestingly enough, on November 25, 1974. I was struck by the parallels between this episode, and indeed this entire series, and the haunting melodies and lyrics of Drakes first album Five Leaves Left. Drakes compositions are spare and haunting. His first album can be viewed as a kind of epic journey of the tragic hero through time and space. Drake himself is a mysterious figure, a talented and intelligent individual who many call a genius; he withdrew from life and ultimately succumbed to an overdose. He only released three albums and yet his influence is widely felt among the musical artists who came after him. Could there be a connection to this episode or even all of series 7b? If not, maybe there should be. Lets shift sideways into something completely different. Here is Hide, explored through the filter of Nick Drakes Five Leaves Left.