Twelve's encounter with Clara Oswald's boyfriend, Danny Pink, in the 2014 episode "The Caretaker" starkly illustrated the Twelfth Doctor's less admirable traits, showcasing his capacity for jealousy, pettiness, and an unwillingness to confront his own darker impulses.
While other episodes have explored the Doctor's darker side, such as Eleven's actions in "A Good Man Goes to War" or Ten's temporal meddling in "The Waters of Mars," "The Caretaker" offers a more intimate look at the Twelfth Doctor's insecurities. In this installment, the Doctor goes undercover as a janitor at Clara's school, Coal Hill, to deal with a hostile alien robot. However, the episode's core lies in the character drama that unfolds when the Doctor meets Danny, a former soldier and Clara's boyfriend.
From his introduction, the Twelfth Doctor, portrayed by Peter Capaldi, was characterized by a blunt and critical demeanor, a departure from his more sentimental predecessors. This attitude surfaces when he meets Danny. The Doctor's initial assessment of Danny is dismissive, reducing him to merely a "PE teacher" and unable to see past his past as a soldier. This judgment intensifies when the Doctor realizes Danny is Clara's boyfriend. He had previously assumed Clara was dating Adrian, another teacher who bore a superficial resemblance to the Eleventh Doctor, aligning with his perception of a more suitable partner for Clara.
This misunderstanding, while played for comedic effect, provides insight into the Doctor's psyche and his view of Clara's affection. Earlier in the season, the Doctor accused Clara of not truly seeing him and of longing for his previous incarnation. Therefore, Clara's interest in someone resembling his past self served as an ego boost, seemingly confirming his suspicions. The revelation that Clara is actually with Danny unsettles this perception, as the Doctor views his companion's partners as a reflection of himself.
Danny becomes a dark mirror for the Doctor. Despite professing an abhorrence for violence, the Doctor's own existence has been profoundly shaped by it, as evidenced by the existence of the "War Doctor." Davros, the creator of the Daleks, once told the Doctor that he "take[s] ordinary people and fashion them into weapons." Clara's love for Danny, despite his past as a soldier, highlights the similarities between the two men, with Clara often caught between them. Her struggle to define her feelings for the Doctor – stating she loves him but "not in that way" – underscores the complex emotional landscape.
The Doctor's mistreatment of Danny is jarring, especially considering the Doctor's history of befriending soldiers and military personnel. "The Caretaker" serves as a poignant reminder that even with his noble deeds, the Doctor possesses a flawed, and at times, monstrous side. Although the Doctor and Danny do not fully reconcile their differences by the episode's end, they achieve a mutual understanding, united by their shared affection for Clara and their mutual regrets over past actions.
The episode, written by Gareth Roberts, effectively demonstrates that the Doctor, for all his accomplishments, can be susceptible to jealousy and arrogance, making him a compelling and relatable protagonist precisely because of these imperfections.
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