Doctor Who S8E6 - "The Caretaker" Recap

Clara is struggling to juggle both lives, as the Doctor's companion and as a school teacher dating Danny Pink. One day, the Doctor tells Clara that she cannot accompany him on his next trip, as he will be going deep undercover. When Clara heads to work, Danny asks if she is doing alright, as she always seems to be in a hurry when she sees him. The students also seem to be aware of her relationship with Danny. In the staff room of Coal Hill School, the headmaster announces that the caretaker is ill and that they will have a temporary replacement. He enters, and it's the Doctor, using the alias John Smith.

Clara confronts the Doctor, asking him what he is up to. The Doctor says that he has merely hypnotised the caretaker into thinking he's sick and will be back soon enough. Clara believes there are aliens in the school but the Doctor will not tell her, saying there is an alien, himself. She then asks if the kids are safe and the Doctor says they will be once he is done.

A cop follows an unidentified noise coming from an abandoned building, believing it to be a truant student or some other trouble-maker. He is then vaporised by the source of the noise, a Skovox Blitzer.

The Doctor meets Danny later while laying groundwork on the school, learning he was a soldier but finds himself unable to retain the information of Danny being a maths teacher, not a P.E. teacher. The Doctor also assumes that the teacher Clara is seeing is Adrian, who bears some resemblance to the 11th reincarnation of himself. The Doctor and his Tardis is discovered by one of the students who remains un-phased by his being seen.

The Doctor shows Clara his scanner, on which there is a Skovox Blitzer, a deadly killing machine. He says it is in hiding, and could destroy the whole planet, but he plans to displace it a billion years into the future, where it cannot do any harm. Clara offers to help but the Doctor insists he doesn't need her. He encourages her to go home and canoodle with her boyfriend, expressing his approval, but the conversation carries out without them realising they're referring to entirely different people.

Late that night, Danny is still working at the school. Clara comes to see the Doctor to offer some help again but cannot find him. Danny has discovered some of the Doctor's devices and changes some of the settings while messing with it. The Doctor has lured the Skovox Blitzer to the school and is wandering around invisible with the help of one of his devices. Danny comes to confront the Doctor about his suspicious behaviour and interrupts them. The Doctor's machine activates and now the Skovox Blitzer is transported.

Clara comes in and expresses concern for Danny's safety and asks the Doctor if his plan has worked and if the creature is gone. He tells her that the vortex will reopen in 74 hours and the Skovox Blitzer kill him on sight. Danny is shocked at Clara's conversation with the Doctor and assumes that she is a alien and the Doctor is her father. She tries to claim that they're simply rehearsing for a play but is forced to tell him the truth. The Doctor is annoyed that Danny is the one she is in a relationship with but Clara says that she loves Danny. They show Danny the Tardis and the Doctor berates Danny for suggesting they call the army, which would only make the Skovox Blitzer react with more deadly force. Clara helps Danny out and the Doctor tells her on the way out that she will have to explain Danny to him now that she has explained him to Danny. The Doctor has a disdain for soldiers so this won't be easy.

Danny asks Clara in private why she goes flying off in a box with the Doctor. She says it is because it's amazing and she is able to see wonders when doing so. Danny is hurt that she has kept secrets from him. Clara wants to know how to fix this but Danny wants to know who she is. Clara goes to make up with the Doctor but things become more tense when Danny comes in and argues with the Doctor. After Clara and Danny leave, the student the Doctor had previously argued with, Courtney Woods, talks with him. The Doctor shows her a glimpse of the Tardis inside, telling her exactly what it is. She asks if she can go up in space with him but he says not right now, but perhaps when there is a vacancy.

The vortex is opening early so Clara and Danny run out to ask the Doctor what they should do. He tasks them with assignments: Clara is a decoy and Danny needs to leave them alone. The Skovox is chasing Clara, who is running towards the Tardis. The Skovox is firing and the Doctor is able to communicate disguised as its supervisor, telling it to shut down. It works partially but the Doctor forgets the last piece of code. Danny arrives and distracts it, doing a brilliant acrobatic flip over its head, and the Doctor is able to give the last piece of code to prevent the Skovox from self-destructing.

Danny and the Doctor reach an understanding, as Danny tells Clara that the reason why the Doctor has been angry is that he isn't sure if Danny is good enough for Clara. They all agree that helping to save the world is a good start. The Doctor later takes Courtney Woods up into space, but she gets sick in the Tardis. He has also sent the Skovox into space, away form all lifeforms.

Danny tells Clara that he has met men like the Doctor, who push others to their limits so they can see what they're capable of. Now he has pushed Clara to act without fear. Danny tells Clara to tell him if the Doctor ever pushes her too far, because he wants to help her. If she doesn't, they'll be finished, because he needs to know that he can help her.

The police officer from earlier is shown to be waking up in the Promised Land. He is speaking with an interviewer and doesn't remember how he got there. He demands to to know where he is and is shocked upon looking outside. Missy walks by briefly but the interviewer tells the man that she is busy right now.

Doctor Who airs on Saturdays on BBC One.