Yep, Susan and the Doctor meeting is an  example of how to do emotional character stuff with he Doctor right, though I don't know if it would have as much impact if you didn't know as much about who Susan is.

I haven't seen that many original first doctor stories, but I've read some of the audio books (including Dalek invasion of earth where Susan leaves the Doctor), and I've also heard a lot of Big finish's companion chronicles some of which feature Susan, indeed the fish creature from quinis is actually a call back to one of the companion stories.

Another rather amusing and interesting fact is that Alex is played by Paul Mcgan's son, who I believe is also called Alex, then Doctor who has always had some whacky casting and at least Bf admited that one was rather deliberate, where as the Bbc trying to maintain that the Doctor's Daughter from the episode of the same name being played by the Daughter of Peter Davison was a coincidence!

What I also find entertaining is she's now marriedto David tenant, so you had a situation where the genetic clone of the tenth doctor was married to the tenth Doctor while being walked down the isle by the fifth doctor!

Wow, Freud would've had a field day with that one .

I actually found Relative time quite appropriate when I heard it sinse I was listening to all the 8th doctor adventures over Christmas of 2012, so that was a nice bit of timing and far more fun than the Christmas special on tv.

Well other than Susan (and now Alex), and the genetic clone of his daughter, the doctor doesn't technically have any family, though there was the moff craziness of him being married to river song some how sorting out the thing where she was going to kill him but he was a robot clone, but of course wwe want to forget Riversong actually happened so yeah .

We don't know who Susan's parents were or even who the Doctor's first wife on Galifrey was, although one explanation I saw stated that Time Lords didn't actually reproduce in the normal way but had a genetic loom that created new time lords out of previous genetic material, and that Susan was a call back to past galifreyan aristocracy going back to Rassilon, though that was all part of the Cartmal master plan as it's called, ie the stuff that was planned for Silvester Mccoy and didn't happene because the series got canceled, and only turns up in some of the later novels which all got a bit weerd and crazy.

Actually I prefer the audios to what I know of the novels because the audios don't generally go off the rails or try to reinvent the wheel in a big loud fanficky type of way, I suspect because like a tv series the audios have an over all editer so are controled somewhat.

So, officially we don't know that much of who susan is other than that she's the Doctor's grand daughter, indeed even in the audio "the Beginning" we just see The Doctor and Susan stealing an old type 40 tardis and leaving galifrey while being chased by guards and we're not told why, though really I much prefer keeping the stuff about the Doctor's life mysterious, one reason I'm sort of dreading what Moffat is going to do given we've actually seen the Doctor as a child and all that rubbish about the army, and the less said about Clara supposedly directing the First Doctor to his tardis the better (needless to say, even though the companion story The Beginning was bought out after name of the Doctor there was no suggestion of Clara at all, thank god!).

The Doctor's companions however are much more interesting in terms of background and there have been some very nice stories that followed what they did later, especially Sarah jane, from the Sarah jane audios (though the ending to those issomewhat inconclusive and nicely enigmatic), to the Sarah jane Tv adventures when she was obviously a lot older, wich though they're supposed to be a kids series I really did enjoy, although I have only seen season 1 thus far.

Autistic doctor? A very interesting idea, however not exactly one which sits with the other timelords we've seen thus far, sinse while they're a very stratified and formal society with bizantine politics, at the same time there are timelords who act differently or come to change over time, from The MAster and The Rani, to the Doctor's own companion Romana, not to mention Kyempo his teacher.

I'm currently listening to the 8th Doctor audio NEverland (which is awsome!), and actually suggests a nice motivation for the timelords, that Rassilon actually used the eye of harmony to stabalize the comtinuity of universal history into one pattern where The Timelords themselves had mastery over time travel, which likely implies why their society developed as it did, and how the Dalek war might have started. As an interesting aside, the same audio shows a possible future where the Timelords have lost all control of continuity and just act out of domination and remove the Daleks from existance, which is quite an interesting tie in even though that story was written in 2003 before new who started.

I have seen speculations that say Susan actually isn't pure galifreyan but half. This would actually fit with a lot of what we've seen Susan doing. Apparently she originally was the Doctor's grand daughter because the Bbc didn't want anyone to draw dodgy conclusions of an old man traveling around with a young teenaged girl, and apparently her original conception was to be as strange in her own way as The Doctor, indeed the first ever story "an unearthly child" was supposed to be Susan showing unusual abilities at school that prompted her teachers to take an interest in her.

Unfortunately, a lot of writers in the first Doctor era seemed to sort of forget about this and Susan turned into something of a damsel in destress, constantly screaming, going on about dresses and twisting her ancle while running away from monsters, the only time she did anything particularly timelord was when you saw that she knew enough about the Tardis to effect repares or had unusual telepathic abilities. , Indeed I have heard it said that the Second Doctor's companion Zoe, a 23rd century Child prodigy mathematician with an enthusiasm for adventure and an encyclopedic knolidge of technology was rather how Susan was supposed to have turned out but in the end didn't.

So, the idea of Susan as possibly not being pure Galifreyan is quite logical, though again being such a major part of the Doctor's past it's one which probably needs to remain unexplained for mystery's sake.

As to Clara, well even if the reason is to maintain license with new Who I'm glad that she didn't appear in the bf story. I've seen some reviewers who have stated that Moffat is trying to rewrite the Doctor's history so that his own characters and stamp will be all over it making it impossible to discuss the series, even classic events without referencing him. Really the man's ego knows no bounds. So, as far as I'm concerned no clara is a good thing.

Speaking of Clara I've just watched Mummy on the Orient express, and I'll start discussing it now, ----- read no more if you don't want the episode spoiled by the spoilers of spoiling!

I think it is actually my favorite episode this season. actual death was good, though I agree with you about more casualties particularly sinse only two of the four people to die had names, as was having a nice, normal monster that just turns up and kills in an interesting, if rather gutless and none violent way. I liked the orient express in space although I was a bit disappointed when they had to change the setting into yet aother spaceship, indeed if I hadn't known the story was set in space I might have liked a historical for a change.

Then again, at least this one had some tention and guest characters who I actually remember!

I think the thing I most liked about the story was that the Doctor actually felt like the Doctor! not just some commical old man constantly having to be put right by Clara. he had some reasonable ideas, investigated a problem and solved it, actually with the same solution I thought should've happened in the last episode.

I also liked the way he was characterized here. The Doctor at times is! an arrogant, insufferable, manipulative, bastard, however he also happens to be an arrogant, insufferable, manipulative bastard who is most often right! This felt like giving the Doctor his respect back.

I sort of dispared at the scene where Clara was locked in the cariage suffering man flue with other random girl character, sinse for gods sake! why the hell is Clara winjing so much when I've never actually seen her like! the doctor at all. I also am not keen on Danny Pink just hovering in the background supposedly disapproving of Clara rattling around with the Doctor (what is it about new who and just having people of the oposite gender be friends!), and heck, if my! girlfriend was off traveling time and space with an alien, my first question would be "So when do I get a go?" not sitting at home worrying if she's safe or if she's two timing me with a two thousand year old alien!

Still, a really distinct improvement, and I hope the Clara bitching is gone for now and we can get to some propper stories.

As regards your comments about who was behind it, I suspect we'll find out later. I've heard a rumour that this season's bad guy is supposed to be The Master and that sort of setup is just the sort of thing he'd use. If indeed this was (like the Long game in the first series), an indicator of the main series plot, then I will give a lot of credit sinse this! is how to create actually interesting ongoing stories. not by having someone say some random words about "And bad things will happen!" and then hoping to tie things up later but utterly failing to live up to the prediction, but to actually create real questions like "who was behind that"

Now I actually think about it there has been all that random stuff about the afterlife (which I only just now remembered thinking about the series), but that doesn't actually interest me half as much as the idea of who was behind trying to capture alien technology.

My expectations aren't high, but we'll see and at least this one proves Doctor who can still have a Doctor I respect and actually interest me in a good old monster plot, even if one who's background was a trifle thin, and who's big ending was very  obviously cut down.

@Cx2, to be honest I disagree with your idea of the doctor's mental state being different from the other time lords so fundamentally it is akin to autism because as I said there are enough examples of other time lords who go off and do there own thing. It's unusual certainly, but not particularly wrong, and I also don't like the idea that The Doctor was basically just biologically determined or flawed on a basic level, I prefer the idea that he chose his own life which was very much the way the first doctor was, a man who'd chosen to go on the run, indeed one interesting thing about the First Doctor is he was initially not a particularly noble or heroic character and was quite dark and alien, and only became the more heroic figure we know through the influence of his granddaughter and companions.

Beware! Orient express spoilage below!

I agree the orient express turning into a spaceship was sort of par for the course with new who, and Clara is definitely fickle, then again that's a standard Moffat character trait that female characters are emotionally allowed to be as manipulative and self serving as they want because they're women, (look at River and Amy). I was however relieved at Clara's change of heart sinse hopefully this stops all the bitching and complaining and putting down the Doctor she's been doing. Funnily enough in the last few episodes I've almost been missing the really thin card board clara we had pre season 8, sinse hay she might have had all the personality and character of a block of concrete, but at least she wasn't the over baring teacher from hell who had to be right all the time or throw a complete strop.

Hopefully we can now just get on with some interesting aliens and stories!

On the Doctor solving the mystery too quickly, I can see where your coming from with that though i personally didn't mind as much there, mostly because at least the monster actually killed! someone rather than (as has previously happened with the eleventh doctor), the doctor just seeing the monster then realing off a "oh it is a zumzobogo from the planet plot convenience that does this and this, so everyone just look tense for a while" which we've been having to expect.

It was nice to see the Doctor actually work something out and reminded me of one of my favourite ecleston moments, when the Slithene has trapped JAcky Tyler and he's having Rose and harriette jones throw out physical details as he slowly narrows down which planet the life form comes from and how to fight them.

Sorry,but in the context of this topic i just couldn't resist leaving this particular spambot (though I have removed the dodgy link), sinse it is just so insane!

"Oh Doctor what can I do, I need one of my teeth replaced?"

Oh never mind, I'll use this one I got from the Yetti, which I'll insert with my sonic tooth driller. Or maybe The Doctor could employ Dalek assistance "your tooth decay has been exterminated!"

Or maybe the Doctor has problems when he encounters a patient who's mouth is bigger on the inside than the outside, ---- tthough thinking about that he's encountered plenty of those already, Tegan, jacky Tyler, the winjing Adrek etc, .
Yeah, that! should be the next series, "doctor tooth" The mysterious timelord who will sort out everybody's dental problems in his tardis, tooth and root dental integrity surgery! and it'd still probably be better than what Moffat's doing .

Well Stewart has now had a go at Mummy on the orient express and you can Find it here

Like me, he agrees it's been the best twelth doctor story thus far,  and I agree with him on  tention and the doctor doing something to solve a real mystery.

I disagree on Clara, sinse the problem with the dynamic of Clara cryticising the Doctor has been that it seems the Doctor is always! wrong. For me this episode worked not because Clara went through some sort of character arc, but because finally the Doctor actually was right for a change and clara didn't bitch at him, and if the same writer is writing todays episode (which I'll probably watch next week), then we can hope the clara bitching will be down to a minimum and that the Doctor will actually be doing something useful about the plot. I also disagree with Stewart about the Guss arc, sinse I am fairly certain that is going to be a plot hook, and hope it is, though if I am wrong and it just gets dropped (as a lot of Moffat plot has been dropped), then fare enough.

I found his comparisons to Voyage of the  damned interesting, though I enjoyed voyage of the damned myself and regard it as probably the best of the Christmas specials. Likewise, I found Stewart's comments about the score interesting sinse I did think the music was rather over blown but it  didn't quite ruin things for me as badly as it seemed to for him, it struck me more as "hammer house of horror" which fit quite well with the 1920's orient express atmosphere than overblown Harry potter. Also as I said above, I personally didn't like the "oooh look it's not the orient express in space it's just another spaceship" aspect, sinse it seemed to just go from a potentially interesting setting to a rather dull one we've seen before.

Then again, this is why I like the podcast, not because I agree with everything, but because I find Stewart's observations on things interesting, and often quite funny.

Lol, quite possibly, (beware spoilage below for orient express),

though at least when the Doctor phoned clara and said "well I'm going to be a complete bastard because I need to watch this monster kill someone to work out how to dispose of it and your going to help me!"  Clara didn't have a huge winjing session as I expected, and when they got back together the Doctor was able to show that he really was bothered about saving people and was just doing the best he could at the time and Clara actually believed him rather than throwing another hissy fit.

Honestly, I'd rather have dull Clara than bitchy Clara sinse at least with flat dull Clara the doctor wasn't made out to be stupid, really orient express is the only episode this series where it actually seems The Doctor has a brain and isn't just being utterly irrational or being told off by Clara like a naughty school boy.

I also disagree with stewart on "What is the roll of the doctor in Clara's life" being a particularly interesting question, ---- ever heard of friends? you know, when people are mmmm, friendly towards each other and aren't flirting or bitching and just get on together and have fun, you know like Donna and the Doctor, Rose and the tenth Doctor (at least for the first half of season 2 before it was clear there was more on Rose' end), Rose and the 9th Doctor and mmmm, just about every other companion ever! other than the latter part of Charley Pollard's run with the 8th Doctor, and the early part of Lucy Miller's, sinse she was foisted on him by the time lords.

I suppose you could count Romana sinse she was also foisted on the doctor by the time lords, but they did fundamentally get on so that probably doesn't count. Oh, and maybe Tegan sinse she wasn't exactly friendly,  and could give clara a run for her money in the bitching game, (though surprisingly less so in the audios).
It's not even that I don't like companions disagreeing with The Doctor, heck Turlough was out to kill the 5th doctor for several stories, Thomas brooster in the audios literally hijacked the Doctor's tardis, and I love some of the stuff with Charley and the 8th Doctor or Evelyn and the sixth. it just seems whenever Clara winjes at the Doctor it's always made out to be the Doctor who is in the wrong, and Clara who is in the right, and things aren't resolved, the Doctor just gets a stern talking to by Miss oswald "now Doctor, your in detention so take me home to my boyfriend and no more adventures for you today! give me th that sonic screw driver? you can have it back at the end of episode tomorrow and i hope this teaches you to be a more responsable Timelord because I'm very disappointed in you!"

Conflicts are only interesting if both parties have a point, and most of clara's issues with the doctor seem pretty one sided, making things almost abusive, or at least emotionally manipulative. Indeed, it's interesting that orient express is perhaps on the of the occasions when a legitimate arguement would've worked, because the doctor did have a point about saving people and gathering data, and Clara did have a point about using people, however it was far better for the character and for not continuing the theme of Clara bitchiness that clara saw the light on that one.

Hopefully James Matheson (or whatever the guy's name is), will continue having the Doctor be properly compitant next time.

Beware orient express spoilers!

That is true, however there is also something fundamentally wrong about using people as a means and lying to them in order to do that. This is a very Doctorish thing to do, and something that the 7th doctor in particular was famous for, (indeed his last two big finish stories have both featured something of this), however it's still not particularly a good moral way to behave, especially the lying sinse had Mazy died,she'd have died believing the Doctor was about to save her.

As I saidthough, i'm quite pleased for character progression that Clara didn't get on her high horse about this one even though this is about the only time in the series when she might have been justified in doing so rather than telling the Doctor off for not liking handsome robin hood, or how bad a person he is for disliking the most evil distructive race in the galaxy, or still worse, telling him what a silly billy he is for being afraid of the dark.

Hopefully Clara's bitching will be reduced next episode at least even though I've got a nasty suspicion it'll be back as soon as the Moff or one of his standard writers gets back in the chair.

Hi,
Here's my verdict on this week's episode, Flatline.
It had quite a lot of action, in terms of the pacing, but not like Matt Smith's Eara. It was sort of slow too, I don't really know how to describe it though. I don't really know why, but points of this had similar tone to Papa Sangre's second outing, in terms of, at least in my opinion, it was dark enough, but not particularly scary. It was quite a nice change.
At points, clara can be quite funny in this episode. It's also got a slightly different dynamic too, in terms of The Doctor. Needless to say I found it rather interesting. Danny makes a couple of appearances too, he sort of fits but at the same time, I'm not too sure what to think.
The monsters had some quite good sound design, and perhaps that's where I kept thinking about Papa Sangre II, but you'll just have to wait and see why. You might not get the connection in which case I will try to explain.
The music fit the episode quite well too.
All in all, I'd say it's a nice outing for The Doctor and Co.

Well I've watched flatline now so here is my verdict. needless to say spoilers spoilers spoilers!

I Can see what you mean Cx2 about Flatline being the Clara show, however funnily enough i didn't feel this as much, sinse while the Doctor was in a position of less prominance he was not made to look stupid and ineffective. Actually this reminded me in some ways of Torchwood, where you'd have Jack Gwen and co out in the field and either ianto or Toshico back at the Hub providing information and tech support but also definitely part of the action. the dynamic here for the Doctor and Clara actually seemed right sinse though Clara was moderately abrupt, at least she didn't make the Doctor out to be a complete idiot, though I didn't like the fact we were once again back to invincible, never frightened, imposibly smug and self satisfied girl, it took quite a bit of tention out of the episode and made the hole "clara plays the doctor" thing feel pretty, ---- well flat, sinse you knew she was going to succeed, it was a million miles from say the point in The Christmas invasion when Rose stands up to the Sickorax and tries to persuade them to leave but is also planely terrified.

I did however really like the fact that this time we actually had time spent on the tention, and while I did wish we got some better secondary characters the monsters were certainly some of the most unique concepts I've seen in the series for a while, and they were adequately explained and demonstrated in one episode, (in some ways a better realized monster than the Mummy last week). I'll give Matheson credit for actually conceiving an interesting monster, delivering enough information in one episode and actually having the monster kill people. Right from the first scene of the monster vanishing it's victim, I was waiting for the "and look we can get people back with my ultimate gismo and once again everybody lives" That is certainly what the Moff or his usual crew would've done, and credit to Jamie Matheson for not taking the easy way out and actually having death, even if rather sanitized death.

I'll also admit the resolution was good. Right from the first appearence of the graffiti, I knew that Rigsy would wind up defeating the monsters by painting, but  the solution of the painting of the false door was genuinely clever. That being said, I don't like the idea that the Doctor is just the guy who appears and vanquishes the monsters with techno babble. Really this is something the new series gets wrong. The doctor is a being from an advanced civilization and has a vast technical knolidge, however sufficiently advanced technology is not a substitute for magic, and if we cannot understand at least the basics of what the Doctor is doing it just looks like he points his finger/sonic screw driver and says "Demon begone!" The idea that this is what the Doctor is which this episode went into isn't a nice one, ----  a far cry from the First Doctor working out that the Daleks use static electricity for power and defeating one of them by insulating it with a rubber rain coat.

of course Classic who had it's techno solutions as well, and not all were successful, but new who seems to do it every day. I'd have been far happier if the Doctor for example used a holographic projector to produce a 3D image of a landscape around the creatures, then had Rigsy paint the 3D image into 2D thus converting the creatures back into two dimentions. We don't have to know exactly how! it works, but the solution has to be logical enough for us to accept why it works, otherwise it just feels like a cheap deus ex.

All that being said, this was one of the few occasions when one of the new series "I am the doctor and I am awsome" speaches from Capaldi works! sinse hay, just saying "I am the doctor and I am the one who defeats the monsters" is a lot more effective than Moffat's usual "the doctor is the storm and the lightning and the begining and the end and the lord of all bad poetic metaphores" that we have been subjected to faaaaaaaar! too often, (quite frequently in place of a propper plot solution).

As to Danny Pink, well this stuff with Clara lying just seems confusing! If Danny doesn't know she's travelling in the Tardis, then he really is a pudding brain of the first order, though I actually would like to see Clara get shafted just once sinse I'm getting a little sick of this "clara can do no wrong" attitude.

I also didn't really get the "clara is the Doctor" thing either, sinse all she seemed to do was take charge of a group, and then come up with a genuinely clever solution to bring back the real doctor who defeated the monsters with usual techno babble ease, given what she did it sort of didn't make sense, neither did the "the doctor is dark!" Actually i do wish there was an episode which showed the Doctor doing something really nasty, or at least something which there would be a legitimate reason to object to or an alternative view just to justify all this "look how dark the doctor is" though in fairness to Capaldi his personality fits the dark motif much better than Mat smith's (such as it was), did, even if the darkest thing he's actually done was force Clara to make a decision for herself and then had her bitch at him about it.

I actually did enjoy flatline, the plot was generally tight, the monsters were interesting and the Doctor wasn't made out to be an idiot. The secondary characters didn't have much by way of plot, though at least it was a serious bit of story telling, heck I even saw some hints at some reeal social commentary "Psychic paper doesn't work on people with no imagination?" yes!

I think Flatline would've worked better as an experiment and as a pro assistant episode if it followed a longer run of episodes like Orient express where the Doctor did! work out the situation and save the day rather than just turning up, being grumpy and getting told off by the oh so perfect Miss Oswald, then having things end with a deus ex as usual, (and usually a desus prompted by Clara), but it's not fare to blaime MAtheson for the short comings of Moffat and the other writers, indeed had Matheson been behind more episodes than he was I don't think Flatline would've been an issue or out of place.

Now, anyone want to start up a Matheson for next show runner campaigne? .

Possible orient express spoilage ahoy!

Well I personally never had much against Pe or maths teachers, with Danny though I really don't get this not being in the Tardis thing, and this business of Clara supposedly lying to him about it. With Micky Smith in the first series with the 9th doctor it was pretty obvious why he wasn't travelling with the Doctor and that he didn't particularly want to either, indeed it took Sarah Jane turning up and improving him as a character to change this. With Danny though, apart from the fact he never seems to deserve the way Clara treats him, and that they have about as much mutual respect as two pub brawlers, it just feels like there is no reason he isn't travelling in the tardis, indeed if I were Clara my first suggestion would be that he did! travel with the Doctor to try and sort out his problem with whatever he supposedly did in the army, and don't tell me it's all because the Doctor doesn't like soldiers sinse Clara planely thinks the doctor is an idiot most of the time and wouldn't mind overruling him, (and the Doctor Doesn't like soldiers thing is so stupid anywaway).

I disagree that the orient express change to flatline was a quality shift, it was more a matter of focus. I have seen episodes without the Doctor before and they usually work. Turn left, which had no doctor, Blink, which didn't even have the assistant, Love and monsters which most who fans hate but I thought had some nice points which didn't have either the doctor or the assistant.
Heck, there is an audio called "Death in the famly" in which the doctor literally dies and the episode follows Hex and Ace sorting things out and eventually getting the Doctor back, which doesn't feature him at all.

The problem with flatline is that that sort of episode only works as a break when we're used to the Doctor turning up and saving the day and are wondering about how the assistant will do it. The problem is pre orient express the Doctor was made out to be so inneffective, and Clara so awsome Flatline just didn't have the impact it should've done, sinse how is Clara saving the day in the doctor's absense so different from Clara saving the day in the face of the Doctor's idiocy?

I also think the "clara being the Doctor" and doing the sort of things the doctor usually does would have worked, well if the Doctor had actually done any of that this season. For example the bit where the doctor was telling Clara to lead the grou besieged by the monstersp, I actually actually think of an occasion this season where the Doctor has done that without little miss perfect over ruling him and showing herself to be far better at everything look at into the Dalek where it's made out the doctor can't deal with real humans at all because of this irrational hatred he has with creatures that have caused countrless massacres and attrocities, killed the Doctor's own people (among many other races), want to wipe out all other life beside themselves (yeah Clara, The Doctor is a bad, bad man for hating those and clearly not able to lead the military expedition).

As I said,  with any other pre eleventh doctor and assistant it probably would've worked,  heck it might have even worked with the dispicable Amy pond, (she might have been a s/xually over  active cow, but at least she acknolidged the Doctor was actually compitant), but with Clara, well how is her being effective any different from  how she usually is?

I don't think Matheson is doing anything else this season, which is a shame sinse both of his episodes were the best of the  twealth doctor thus far, heck if  most of the series were the quality of orient express I might even believe the twelth doctor exists in the canon .

So we'll see what next week brings, though the trailers showing the kiddy team in the woods weren't incouraging, (especially given that now the Doctor is apparently terrible with children without the impossibly smug girl ), and I'm sure stewart will have some fun comments about Clara's performance on Saturday.

I never noticed the phone thing, but you are right on that one. Then again what do you expect for a companion who so much loves travelling in time and space that she demands the doctor take her home every day so she can go and do her job as a teacher and go on dates with Danny Pink who she, ---- mmmm, loves or something, just possibly not enough to give him the chance to explore time and space.

It's odd, in the Russel era I sometimes felt he over did the "look how wonderful! it is traveling with the Doctor" complete with longs speaches about how fantastic everything was and then interspersing them with the over all crumminess of live on earth, ---- he really only got the balance right later on. However with Moffat it almost feels the opposite way around, like travelling time and space isn't as important as your day job or supposedly being in a relationship which of course can't possibly happen off earth, indeed for all his timie wimieness, I actually can't think of an occasion Moffat has had an assistant go through something major off earth that has changed their character or had an impact on their attitude to the world at large, it seems that they're the same person stepping into the tardis as steps out and all the important development stuff goes on either off screen on earth in some domestic setting, ---- Rory and Amy's devorce and then make up for example, or still worse, just involves the character yelling at the doctor and then storming off, ie, clara!

Indeed, it sort of worries me with the way Moffat just has the doctor suddenly arrive with random people who may or may not count as assistants like the egyptian queen and game hunter guy in asylum of the Daleks or the random kids in Nightmare in Silver. It's as though how he meets them and how traveling with the Doctor affected them doesn't matter, they're just part of the silly adventures in time, as if their real lives and development stand still while they're off with the Doctor and what happens with the doctor is just a dream that doesn't really matter much.

The Clara lies thing is very annoying, and extremely confusing sinse your right, Clara is a terrible liar, though then again Moffat does seem to think the Doctor is stupid beside Clara. I also don't really see the point of the hole thing, sinse why the hell would clara lie to danny about travelling with the Doctor when he seems to blatantly know she does, and why the hell would she lie to the doctor that Danny didn't want her to travel with him, when she pretty much told the Doctor what a git he was and it was obvious she! didn't want to travel with him, ---- at least not until after orient express. this feels so much like the boromir double agent flashback in two towers, where someone on the management staff (possibly moffat), says "we need some emotional tention! I know have this happen, sinse lies are awsome!" without actually thinking why characters would be lying in this situation or if it made sense for them to do so.

If you want to see some plots about lies to do with working with aliens done properly, check out Torchwood, particularly sinse generally all the lying pretty much just digs people into deeper holes and you get to see the walls just comee tumbling down in quite entertaning ways that leave things in a different state afterwards, (especially with Gwen, her husband reese, and jack).