Doctor Who season 8 episode 10 featured a new spin on an earth-bound episode. It wasn’t so much an alien attack as it was a defense by creatures we didn’t know were there.

Coal Hill School follies

It seems that our favorite literature and physical education…er… maths teachers are in charge of the gifted and talented program at school. For this, they have the “honor” of supervising a school trip overnight sleepover at the London Natural History Museum. While they slept, a giant forest has grown over the entire planet. No worries though, our plucky and clairvoyant kid with problems, Maeve, managed to get out of the museum (she got past that door how exactly?), to find her way to Trafalgar Square, to warn the Doctor before Danny and Clara even knew she was gone.

On a side note, kudos to the writers for finally using different historic landmarks. We have the Natural History Museum, the lions at Trafalgar Square, and Nelson’s Column. The BBC finally destroyed a landmark other than Big Ben.

Danny Pink teacher of the year

One thing that can continue to be said of Danny, is that he always seems to have his priorities straight. As a teacher, his first thoughts for the entire episode are always centered around the well-being of his students. He may rescue Clara, the Doctor, and Maeve from a tiger with a flashlight, leaving us to wonder if he watched one too many MacGyver episodes, but there’s not a doubt that if that tiger had jumped at Maeve or Clara, Danny would have thrown himself in the animal’s path.

Liar, liar pants on fire

Clara’s deceptions catch up with her. Both the Doctor and Danny realize that Clara hasn’t been entirely truthful with either of them about the status of her relationship with either of them. Fortunately for her, both seem pretty forgiving. Danny reiterates that he doesn’t care what the truth is, but he needs her to come clean and tell it. It may not go well for Clara if she puts off that talk too long, or leaves anything out.

Fangorn forest awakens

The environmental meets dystopia theme of the episode felt almost like it was giving a nod to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Two Towers. Was anyone else waiting for Treebeard to swing by with Merry and Pippin in tow? Save the earth, kids! Be kind to the trees, they’ve been here longer than you.

The ultimate sacrifice

Although the Tardis could rescue the kids, Danny, and Clara from what appears to be certain doom, Clara elects for them to all stay on earth to die together rather than run an orphanage with Danny on an asteroid.

Seriously though, it was a brilliant moment when the Doctor uses Clara’s own words about walking their earth and breathing their air before he says goodbye. Her message obviously sunk in. Did anyone get misty on that speech?

The Doctor solves it all

The Doctor finally realizes that our friends, the trees, are really just creating the world’s biggest air bag, and all is well. The Doctor and Clara get a brilliant view of the floor show, Danny takes care of the kids and will catch up with Clara later, and Maeve and her mum reunite with the sister. All’s well that ends well…sort of.

Unanswered questions abound

Where the hell was Maeve’s sister, and is her name Arden or Annabelle? Missy was overlooking all of this. Did she set it in motion, know about it ahead of time, were her plans thwarted? Despite BBC assertion to the contrary, is the Doctor flirting with Clara and jealous of Danny?

Only two more episodes left this season. The finale seems to be a two-parter. It looks like they are going to revisit the events of last year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special and quite possibly the 50th anniversary special. Where is this all going to lead?