Doctor Who: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

Hide or "Paging Mystery, Inc!"

Clara has an existential crisis while investigating a ghost that isn't a ghost. And I hit my head when I realized the Professor was played by the same guy who played the prince in "Ever After."

We open in a dark and creepy mansion. Because it’s a Doctor Who episode! Inside the dark and creep mansion is apparently a sting operation, judging by all the equipment inside. A man pops up wearing thick glasses and clothes which scream “COLLEGE PROFESSOR!” Or “UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR!” if you are so inclined. He is talking to a young woman dressed in retro, 70’s clothing. This isn’t a sting operation but a paranormal investigation. The young woman is a medium and the house is haunted by a screaming woman. So the two are studying the ghost.

The woman starts calling for the ghost to speak to her. As she does, the equipment starts to collect readings. Our professor friend reads his machines as the medium looks ready to run in the opposite direction. But she stands her ground as the camera zooms closer to her. Lights flicker, the machines go nuts…and then the doorbell rings. Guess who’s at the door? If you guessed Scooby and the Gang, you’re wrong! This is a Doctor Who recap! So it’s the Doctor and Clara!

Cue the credits!


How did I not notice Matt Smith’s head there earlier? Nice nod to the past!

The Doctor tells the professor—Alec Palmer—that he’s from some ministry and the guy believes him. Turns out Alec was a big deal during the war. Developed several strategies used against the enemies. Alec, though, would rather not think about that. He introduces Emma Grayling, our medium. They are investigating the phenomenon of the Witch in the Well. Though there isn’t a well on property—Alec’s checked. Talk about your misnomers! Emma and Alec tell the two about the ghost. She’s been there as long as the house as been there—the stories go back that far. And they focus on the screaming. Every account notes the unearthly screaming emitted from the Witch in the Well.

So The Doctor and Clara do some exploring, after the Doctor coaxes Clara into it. She’s not so keen to go after a ghost. But they go through the house. At one point, he draws a circle with chalk. I thought maybe this is where the well was. Spoiler alert: There is no well. But there is something definitely in the house. And it likes to hold hands. Which the Doctor learns when Clara confirms she is not holding his hand. They run like Shaggy and Scooby after encountering a ghost all the way back to where Alec and Emma are waiting. Emma senses the ghost and says she is coming. Alec’s equipment goes nuts. Emma is scared of the ghost and her power. One of his discs, which looks like a TV dish, rises in the air and starts to spin uncontrollably. The Doctor grabs Alec’s camera and takes pictures of the darkness. With the dish crashing to the floor, everything ends.

The Doctor develops the photographs and shows them off. Clara notices that the ghost appears in the same pose each time she is photographed. The Doctor believes she is onto something and they head out to the TARDIS. Before they leave, Emma warns Clara about the Doctor. She says he has a sliver of ice in his heart. Which heart? Anyway, Clara joins him in the TARDIS. They travel through time, with the Doctor taking pictures each time. Clara sees the earth’s entire life cycle. It fills her with awe yet scares her at the same time. She is also scared by the Doctor’s nonchalance by watching the death of the earth. But the Doctor assures her it affects him, just differently.

They return to the 1970s and Alec and Emma so the Doctor can develop his latest pictures. Once again, the ghost is always there. The Doctor believes she isn’t a ghost at all, though. Rather, she is a traveler from the future who is stuck in a time pocket. It’s a place where time moves slower. So many years to them is but a second to her. However there is bad news: The pictures also contain a monster that seems to be chasing the time traveler. But the good news is that the Doctor knows how to rescue her! After retrieving a blue crystal, he creates a device to amplify Emma’s psychic abilities to create a portal into that pocket of time.

While they are alone, Alec pleads with Emma to reconsider. He says she doesn’t have to risk herself for some person they don’t know. That he can’t lose her. All together now: Aww. But Emma says she will do it. Even if the device looks like some sort of torture machine. Which it does end up being to Emma.

But the Doctor gets into the pocket of time. He finds the lost traveler and the monster. The two run from the monster, trying to get back to the place where they can return to the proper time stream. Emma keeps the portal open, though it is physically hurting her. Alec is concerned for her but they push through to get everyone back. But it proves too much and only the time traveler is able to return. Emma is too weak to bring the Doctor through and it looks like he’s trapped.

Clara goes to the TARDIS, trying to get in. But it is locked. The TARDIS’ voice interface program kicks in, creating a hologram of Clara because it was the image most appealing to her. Pretty much, the TARDIS just called Clara vain. Clara insults the TARDIS back. If Clara seems a bit different, the writer of the episode said he wrote it before Clara was introduced. So he had to go back and make her less “bitchy.” I’m not sure why he made her “bitchy” in the first place but…okay. Clara argues with herself before getting into the TARDIS.

The TARDIS goes into flight, fighting its way into the pocket dimension. Just in time, too. The Doctor is still running from that crab creature. And he’s glad to see his TARDIS. He jumps in and, with Emma’s help, they return home. Happy ending all around!

The Doctor and Clara get ready to take the time traveler home and the Doctor reveals something: the time traveler is a descendent of Emma and Alec’s. Aww, those two crazy kids get together! Yay! It also explains why Emma was able to really connect with the “ghost.” The Doctor tells Alec and Emma to hold onto each other’s hands because…He trails off as he realizes something. The crab monster isn’t trying to kill people trapped in the time pocket. It is trapped in the time pocket. And its mate is what is really haunting the house. The crab monsters just want to be reunited.

So the Doctor goes back to the pocket universe while Clara crashes through in the TARDIS as the episode ends.

I know I have quite a few recaps to catch up on. But I’m working on them. I won’t set a timeline. There’s no guarantee when I’ll be able to work on them. So just bear with me.