Doctor Who Recap: Time Heist

With the fifth episode of season eight, “Time Heist,” we are watching the Time Lord version of “Ocean’s Eleven.” Not that that’s a bad thing—but it may definitely have you wondering why the Doctor is trying to get his George Clooney on—although c’mon, who can replicate that style? Clooney admiration aside, this episode was pretty straightforward: the Doctor, Clara and two misfit strangers must rob a bank. But not just any bank—the most secure bank in the universe. And they must do it under the direction of a mysterious “Architect” whose identity is unknown. At the start of the episode, Clara is getting dressed up for her date with Danny. The Doctor shows up, aiming to whisk her away on their next adventure, but is confused by the prospect of her having a social life—a recurring theme this season. Also, for an alien who has been hanging around with humans and taking trips through time and space for thousands of years, he’s surprisingly clueless about makeup, heels and the concept of dating in general. I mean, did he forget that he’s had numerous female companions in the past? Either way, it did make for some funny bits of dialogue: “Why’s your face all colored in?” “Are you taller? Do you need to reach a high shelf or something?” Just as Clara’s about to head out, the Tardis phone rings—but this time it isn’t a confused Clara on the line (by the way, did we ever figure out who the mysterious shop woman was who gave Clara the Tardis’ number? What happened to that whole mystery?…