Hide ( TV story ) Hide was the ninth episode of the seventh series of " Doctor Who " produced by BBC Wales . It saw the Doctor continue his investigation into Clara Oswald ' s true nature , and led her to directly communicate with the Doctor ' s TARDIS for the first time , leading into the subsequent episode . Synopsis . Clara and the Eleventh Doctor arrive at the haunted Caliburn House , set alone on a desolate moor . Within its walls , a ghost - hunting professor and a gifted empathic psychic are searching for the Witch of the Well . Her apparition appears throughout the history of the building , but is she really a ghost ? And what is chasing her ? Plot . " Caliburn House . Night four . November 25th , 1974 . 11 : 04 pm . " Professor Alec Palmer and his assistant Emma Grayling are attempting to contact an apparition haunting Caliburn House . Emma is a psychic , and uses her gifts to gain the attention of the " ghost " . They are interrupted by knocking at the front door , and open it to find the Eleventh Doctor and Clara . The Doctor tells Alec that he is looking for a ghost and Clara claims that they are " Ghostbusters " . The Doctor claims to be from " the Ministry " , and knows who Alec and Emma are . Photographs taken by the professor show the same figure in the same pose throughout the history of Caliburn House . The Doctor and Clara search the house , as a strange creature stalks them through it . Loud knocking is heard , which is said to be associated with the " Witch of the Well " . The Doctor returns with Clara to the TARDIS and takes a series of photographs of the " ghost " throughout Earth ' s timeline . Upset at seeing Earth become a lifeless rock , Clara believes that she is nothing more than a ghost to the Doctor , because as a time travel ler he has been to a time when she is long dead . He tells her that she is " the only mystery worth solving " . The Doctor uses his photographs to explain that the " ghost " is in fact a time traveller called Hila Tacorien , who is trapped in a pocket universe in the process of collapsing and being chased by an unknown creature . The Doctor uses a crystal from Metebelis III to enhance Emma ' s thoughts and use them to create a portal to the pocket universe , a reality " well " . He goes to rescue Hila , who escapes , but is trapped in the pocket universe with the monster after Emma collapses . As the professor encourages Emma to try again - finally admitting he loves her - Clara returns to the TARDIS , and after a brief argument with the voice interface ( which appears as herself , much to her annoyance ) , manages to break into the pocket universe and rescue the Doctor from the creature . The next morning in conversation with Emma , the Doctor reveals that he brought Clara to Caliburn House in order to see Emma , not the ghost . He asks what she senses about Clara , but Emma reports nothing unusual about her . As the Doctor and Clara are preparing to leave , the Doctor inadvertently reveals that Hila is Emma and Alec ' s future descendant . Alec and Emma are in love , and the Doctor advises them to " hold hands , and don ' t let go " . Then the Doctor realises that the creature in the pocket universe has been trying to return to another creature in the house . He then states that every lonely monster needs a companion , and explains to Clara that the two creatures have been separated through time and space and certain events , and are yearning to be with one another . He describes this as not a " ghost story " but a " love story " . He then returns to the pocket universe , where he reconciles with the monster to bring it back in the exact same manner as before . Story notes . Ratings . " Hide " was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 20 April 2013 . Overnight ratings showed that the episode was watched by 5 million viewers live . When time - shifted viewers were calculated , the figure rose to 6 . 61 million viewers , making it the sixth most - watched programme of the week on BBC One . In addition , " Hide " received 1 . 53 million requests on the online BBC iPlayer for April , placing sixth for the month on the service . It also received an Appreciation Index of 85 . Reception . The episode received generally positive feedback from fans and critics . Nerdist ' s Kyle Anderson stated it was ' easily my favourite of this half - series , ' as well as complimenting the ' terrific ' direction by newcomer Jamie Payne . Den of Geek liked the episode but criticised the twist ending , as to them it ' didn ' t feel like a comfortable fit , ' claiming it was ' a twist for the sake of a twist . ' The episode was claimed to be the superior of the two Neil Cross - penned scripts for Series 7 , as his previous script , The Rings of Akhaten , received mostly negative reactions from the fan base . Home video releases . DVD Releases . " Hide " was released as part of Doctor Who Series 7 Part 2 on May 22 , 2013 , and as part of The Complete Seventh Series on September 24 , 2013 . Blu Ray Releases . " to be added "