‘Doctor Who’ season 8, episode 4 preview: Is anyone ever really alone?

Tomorrow night, “Doctor Who” returns with “Listen,” which based on early buzz may be the strongest episode of the entire season so far. It’s an episode that introduces stillness, fear, and questions about loneliness.

Is anyone ever truly alone? Twelve ponders the question in a discussion with Clara, as he considers that spirits of everyone previously fallen or in other universes may be constantly around. There is a ghostly quality to his though process, but also a rather fascinating one. He carries with him an interesting perspective, and that is something many others have asked over the years.

The irony in The Doctor asking this question, though, should not be forgotten. This is a man who is never really alone in any sense of the word. He has a companion in Clara who travels with him just about everywhere, and he also has to go along with that the Tardis is basically a living thing in his own right. Then, the spirits of every Doctor who was here before him are all within his soul. He is many men across more timelines than we can ever hope to count.

So clearly, Peter Capaldi’s character is not alone, and for the time being, neither is Clara. Her story is the more interesting to watch from this vantage point, since Companions are not tethered to the same fate as Doctors are on this series. They can go on and live normal lives, have some shred of privacy if they choose, or even end up alone. We don’t see that in Clara’s future, but it is worth thinking about.

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Photo: BBC