Steven Moffats Listen is the most claustrophobic of episodes while simultaneously the most revealing. He treats the Doctor like a puzzle box that can never be solved as each manipulation of a piece leads to a compartment with a hidden mechanism that leads to another compartment. While the plot spirals inward, closing in on the source of the dream, another layer of the Doctors psyche is illuminated. It is tempting to portray the Doctor as a creature that burst into being fully formed but that does a disservice to the story. One of the reasons Doctor Who has survived as long as it has is the lead characters complexity. Real people cannot be known. We are familiar with the faces our loved ones present to the world but they hold entire universes inside of them that we will never touch. This is a good thing because it means there is always something new to explore. Listen is an episode that bears repeat viewing. The music or lack thereof, is especially effective. Murray Gold was spare in his arrangements and the mood is quite haunting. There are moments with no background noise at all which lend a particular eerie nuance to the proceedings. Listen is reminiscent of the Russell T. Davies penned Midnight, another story without a visible villain. If you havent seen it I highly recommend you seek it out. The Doctor is often fueled by bluster and dramatics but it is his quiet moments that are most revealing.
Mary Ogle is the author and illustrator of “Orangeroof Zoo” a whimsical tale of magical realism told through the pages of a coloring book for adults. Working as a professional artist in the digital medium, Mary’s commissions have included everything from fine art to fan art, book cover design, illustration and book layout. Find more of Mary’s work at www.maryogle.com. Mary currently finds inspiration in the Ojai Valley, residing in a snug little cottage with a recalcitrant cat.
