'Hide' -- DW 7x10

Warning: Spoiler Alert

So far this is the only episode that I haven't wanted to throw against a wall from the second half of this series ... which isn't saying a whole hell of a lot considering the fact that it still wasn't as great as one would have hoped that it might have been.

I am still kind of bovvered with the fact that 11 asked what Clara is ... not who she might be that would facilitate her showing out throughout history, dying at different points, and reappearing later or earlier on, but what she is. The thing that bothers me about the use of terminology with this question is that there seems to be an underlying assumption that she isn't human ... or at least that she isn't a person, but that she is a "thing". But the fact that 11 keeps referring to her as a mystery that he needs to solve, instead of just an interesting person that he would like to have travel around with him goes along with this train of thought as well (though to a bit of a lesser degree). Yes, he would like to know why she seems to keep popping up all over the place, and he doesn't know why that happens (which creates a tickle in his brain), but that doesn't mean that she should be referred to as anything other than just a person, especially since we have not been given any kind of information that would make us think that there is anything other than human about her; and at this point, it seems better to err on the side of "don't be a dick" than to start referring her to anything other than a person.

Having 11 be afraid ... in a way that was kind of refreshing, especially after Time Lord Victorious, and having our dear boy always assume that he's the most clever person in the room, and make sure that everyone else knows it. Sure, he may be the most clever person most of the time, but that doesn't mean that other people aren't clever as well, and won't be able to figure things out that he wouldn't be able to figure out (since they may have some kind of specialized knowledge about what's going on around them that will put them on better footing than the doctor would have).

Also kind of fab to have the "monster" of the episode not actually be a monster, and just be someone who is desperate to be back with the one that he loves. I love it when things get turned on their heads, and we see that we shouldn't judge others by what they look like.