“The Caretaker” is presented as one of Doctor Who’s clearest portrayals of the Doctor at his worst, despite being less celebrated than episodes such as “The Waters of Mars”. Aired in 2014, it places Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor undercover at Clara Oswald’s school, where an alien robot investigation brings him into conflict with Clara’s boyfriend, Danny Pink.

The episode’s real focus is the collision between Clara’s ordinary life and her travels with the Doctor. The Doctor dismisses Danny as merely a soldier and “a PE teacher”, while initially preferring Adrian, who resembles his previous incarnation, suggesting that Clara’s relationships affect his ego and self-image. Danny becomes a dark reflection of the Doctor’s own hypocrisy: although he condemns violence, war and violence have fundamentally shaped his identity.