It’s nice to see some immediate continuity taking place between this episode and “The Caretaker”, as the paradigm established in that previous installment is necessary to the character dynamic in this one.  Considering that Series 8 began with Clara wondering who The Doctor had become, and whether or not she could come to trust this incarnation, it’s about time that came to a head.

 

The Doctor has been willing to hold back critical information from his companions in the past, sometimes with a level of smug superiority that leaves one wondering if he respects his companions at all.  The Seventh Doctor comes to mind, as one example.  But The Doctor has hit a new level of attitude this go-round, and his approach is so confrontational and dismissive that whether he knew it would work out or not is beside the point.

 

In essence, from Clara’s perspective, The Doctor chooses not to be the caretaker of Earth that he was willing to be in the previous episode (and so many other examples in her memory).  If he’s unaware of the outcome, as he claims, then he’s picking a rather inconvenient time to let humans attend to their own affairs.  If he’s aware of the outcome, then it’s all about his attitude.  Either way you go, it makes perfect sense for Clara to lose her patience, once and for all.

 

Some consider Clara’s anger and tirade to be over the top and petulant, but that is somewhat myopic.  Clara has been holding back for a long time now, and at least part of what we are seeing in this episode is a release of pressure.  I don’t think she’s overstating her case at all, especially considering that The Doctor seems utterly unable to respond.  It’s not like he’s calmly addressing her fears; he’s practically confirming them.

 

Essentially, once The Doctor fails to be the caretaker of Earth, the whole system unravels.  Clara’s decision to be The Doctor’s caretaker takes a major hit, and Danny’s role as Clara’s caretaker takes on greater prominence.  The system is out of equilibrium, and it is entirely up to The Doctor to make it right.  To do that, he needs to take on the big question he’s been partially avoiding: just who is he now?

 

This is all set against what is one of the more fanciful adventures, a situation involving the lives of humanity against the life of the creature that has been gestating within the Moon for millennia.  Trying to make perfect sense of the situation is a non-starter (Single-cell spider-ish bacteria?  A space dragon laying an egg bigger than it itself is?).  It’s more a matter of accepting the absurdity of the crisis and honing in on the character interplay.