Doctor Who: Let’s Rob a Bank

Last time on “Doctor Who”: The Doctor tries to figure out what lives under the bed. Clara and Danny have a disastrous first date. She then gets to meet young Danny as well as a descendant of his. As she tries to save the Doctor, Clara ends up in the Doctor’s past and meets him as a child. She realizes she’s the thing under the bed and assures the Doctor there is nothing for him to find. Clara then goes and makes amends with Danny, setting their growing relationship back on course.

Time Heist or “Bonnie and Clyde and Clyde and Bonnie”

The Doctor leads a ragtag band of bank robbers to steal something they can’t remember. Oops.


The Doctor hangs out in Clara’s apartment, trying to convince her to go anywhere with him—he even offers up Brighton. But Clara says she has plans—Danny’s asked her on a second date in a very Yoda-like way. She asks the Doctor what he thinks of her outfit but he’s oblivious. As Clara prepares to leave, the TARDIS phone rings. Only a few people have the number so they don’t know who is calling the Doctor. He picks up the phone, despite Clara’s misgivings. As he figures, what harm can a phone call do?

(Clara looks pretty cute)

Until he and Clara are in a room holding worms with two other people, unable to remember how they got there.

(It's adorable! I want one!)

Credits! I forgot about the clock and gear theme for this season. Moffat really got into steampunk, didn’t he?

The Doctor reveals that the worms are able to wipe people’s minds so everyone lets go. Recordings play, revealing the four—the Doctor, Clara, Psi and Saibra—agreed to have their minds wiped. Another voice comes over and calls himself the Architect. He explains he is sending them to the most secure bank in the world, the Bank of Karabraxos. It has never been breached and anyone who attempts to do so is incinerated. Their mission is to break in and steal something. Good luck.

(Here are our other two robbers)

(You have expect the tape to say it’s going to self-destruct in five seconds).

(That's a really nice bank)

They learn they are already in the bank and security is aware of them. They need to get out of the room and evade the guards. Once they do that, the guards report to Ms. Delphox, the head of security. She goes on high alert and reveals a terrible creature she uses to keep the bank safe.

(Ms. Delphox)

After evading the guards, our band of bank robbers has to figure out the next move. The Doctor realizes Saibra is able to transform into any living creature she touches. They have DNA of a bank customer and Saibra becomes him as they enter the bank.

(The disguise!)

Ms. Delphox comes down with security and her monster, the Teller. She says criminal intent has been detected and they need to find the person. She approaches a man in a business suit and says the Teller detects the guilty thoughts coming from him. The Teller does a scan and the Doctor realizes that must’ve been why they had their memories wiped—they can’t have guilty thoughts if they don’t know what they’re doing.

(Ack!)

The Teller finishes its scan and detects criminal intent. Ms. Delphox tells it that it’s supper time. As it sends sonars at the man, guards hold him down. Ms. Delphox says his account has been closed and his next of kin notified. The man starts screaming in pain and Clara asks what’s going on. The Doctor explains that the man’s brain is being wiped and turned into soup. She asks if they can help him but the Doctor says he’s too late—the man isn’t crying. His brain is leaking out. When the Teller is done, he has a caved in head and he is hauled off somewhere to be an example.

Everything grows more tense for the group but they make it into the vault owned by the man Saibra is mimicking. Inside the vault is a briefcase with a bomb inside. After ruling out blowing up the bank, they realize they need to blow through the floor to get into the inner workings of the bank. Everyone braces for the explosion…which never comes. It’s just a device that rearranges the particles in the floor. They drop down and put the floor back as security blasts in.

(It's a hole in the floor)

Safe for now, Psi starts to bug out. His batteries are draining and he needs a recharge. The Doctor reveals he can wipe his own memories manually so Psi can avoid detection when needed. As the Doctor and Saibra go off to scout, Clara and Psi have a sit so Psi can charge himself. He explains that he wiped his family and friends when he was arrested for hacking so that they would be safe. Clara is saddened to hear this.

(Talking about recharging)

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Saibra have a bonding moment of their own. Pretty much, Saibra doesn’t want to be a mutant anymore. She wants to be able to touch someone without becoming that person. The Doctor and she discover another case, this one containing small cylindrical containers. No one knows what they are.

Security starts to pick up their trail and they have to go running again. Because, you know, Doctor Who episode. There’s always running. It’s a given. Anyway, they end up in the habitat that houses the Teller and have to avoid it detecting their thoughts. Psi can wipe his while Clara and the Doctor work to clear their minds. Unfortunately, it locks onto Saibra and it’s too late to help her. Except they figure out the containers are exit strategies—a painless death. Saibra takes it.

(Goodbye, Saibra)

There isn’t much time to mourn her, though. They have to keep going and outsmarting security. Especially as Ms. Delphox is starting to get desperate. She’s afraid of her employer—Karabraxos. So they need to find our band of bank robbers. Now.

Our merry band of bank robbers end up in front of a giant vault. The Doctor realizes that the Architect wants them to get whatever is on the other side of the door. He wonders what the rewards they were promised were—because that has to be what made them agree to this. The only way they can know is to break in. Psi hooks himself up and starts to work at unlocking the doors.

But the sirens go off and they realize the Teller is heading for them. Even though Psi can wipe his memories manually, he’s still in danger from the Teller. So the Doctor and Clara split up, hoping to confuse it with their different thought trials. Both still do their best to keep their minds blank and one has to think of Clara in Deep Breath, where she did her best not to breathe to fool the Clockwork People.

(Seriously evaluating her choices)

The Teller closes in though and Psi sacrifices himself to save her and the Doctor, figuring they have the best chances to get inside the vault. He uses the Exit Strategy and kills himself. Clara and the Doctor are safe. But they have no way of getting into the vault—Psi never undid the final lock.

A solar storm begins to rage overhead. Ms. Delphox is concerned as it will leave the bank vulnerable as the storm will reek havoc on their security systems. Down by the vault, the Doctor realizes that the architect knew about the solar storm…because he was in the future! They were sent back in time to that moment because the vault door would open due to the solar storm.

(Talk about a sun shower) 

The door does open and the Doctor discovers the rewards meant for Psi and Saibra. Psi wanted to retrieve the memories he had erased and the vault contains a device that will help with that. Saibra meanwhile wanted to be normal and there is a gene suppressant in the vault. The Doctor takes them before he and Clara continue on their way to another door in the vault.

(Everyone has safety deposit boxes)

They get caught and brought to Ms. Delphox. She orders the guards to escort them to the cells. But instead, two guards take out the others before revealing who they are--Psi and Saibra. They didn’t die after all—the Exit Strategy was really a teleporter that took them to a ship in orbit over the planet. The TARDIS is onboard, according to Psi. So now, the Doctor just has to figure out who owns the bank and why Ms. Delphox is so afraid of the person. 

(Surprise!)

Turns out, Karabraxos is a woman and Delphox is her clone. She’s affronted that the robbers have penetrated her office. And she’s more focused on getting out before the solar storm destroys the bank. The Doctor lets her have it but she’s not hearing it. The only thing left to do is try and figure out why they’re there.

So the Doctor lets the Teller at his brain, hoping to unlock the memories. He recalls his long multicolored scarf (Hello, Four) and his bowtie (Two? Eleven?). And it works, though we don’t know how much of his memory is restored. Does he finally remember his entire stint as David Tennant? That Clara is the Impossible Girl?

('Oh God, Love and Monsters. I could've done without that memory.') 

The Doctor does recall why they are there. As Karabaxos flees the bank, he gives her his number. He’s insistent that she call him one day…maybe when she’s old and has regrets. Karabraxos is certain that day will never come and then she’s gone.

(This is what flouncing looks like)

But Karabraxos will call because the Doctor is the Architect. He manufactured everything after getting the call from her on her deathbed. They aren’t there to save the bank or items in it. She wants him to rescue the Teller, the creature she’s kept locked up in the bank. They also rescue his mate, who has been locked in a closet for who knows how long.

The Doctor returns the Teller and his mate to a planet where they can repopulate. Psi and Saibra take their rewards and go back to their lives. And the Doctor and Clara go back to theirs, Clara hopefully making her date with Danny.

(Aww)

*Emerges from behind the couch*

One of these seasons, I’ll actually finish Doctor Who live. And it won’t be months between my recaps.
I’m curious about how many more memories were restored by the Teller. Hmm…

Next time: The Doctor goes to school. Clara’s not happy and Danny learns a whole lot about his girlfriend.

Screen caps from here.