9.5. The Girl Who Died

Series 9 - 2015 - 2016

Writer: Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat
Produced by: Derek Ritchie
Director: Ed Bazalgette
Music: Murray Gold

So what are you? Farmers,  fishermen ... web designers? Maybe not that last one.

Synopsis

Clara is floating in space desperately calling for the Doctor to come and rescue her. There is something else in her space suit - probably a Love Sprite. Before Clara asphyxiates the Doctor materialises the TARDIS around her. After removing Clara's helmet the Love Sprite run across the floor and the Doctor steps on it.

Needing to clean his boot the TARDIS materialises on Earth where the Doctor wipes his boot on grass - and the Doctor and Clara are caught by Vikings. The Doctor tries to impress the Vikings with his sonic glasses - until one plucks them off his face and snaps them in half. The Doctor and Clara are taken back to the Viking's village. The villagers are happy to see their fighters return. Ashildr is especially happy. She had a dream in which they all died, and thought she had made that happen. When she and the Doctor first spot each other there is a feeling that each has met the other before.

In the village the Doctor tries to convince the villagers he is the God Odin, and uses a yo-yo as the Sign of Odin. The villagers are not convinced - especially when a projection appears in the sky claiming it is Odin. Moments later large armoured aliens appear. They scan the villagers for the strongest and fittest and teleport those people to their ship. Ashildr was given part of the Doctor's sonic glasses. Clara shows that to the aliens and, detecting the alien technology, the aliens transport her and Ashildr to the ship.

Inside the sip the Viking fighters, Clara and Ashildr are deposited inside a metal room. Nollarr manages to prise open a door, but is killed in the corridor outside. A wall starts to move, and push everyone towards the corridor. Whilst the Viking fighters are killed Clara and Ashildr are saved. The alien who claimed to be Odin was curious about the advanced technology in the part of the sonic glasses.

Ashildr is frightened, but Clara takes control. An alien hands Odin a vial of liquid which he drinks. He tells Clara that it is adrenaline and testosterone, extracted from the finest fighters. Clara almost convinces Odin that she has access to technology he might not be able to fight. Now that he has what he wants he should leave before he starts a war he might not be able to win. Ashildr is appalled at the thought of the Vikings being killed to make juice. Gaining confidence through Clara she tells Odin that he will pay for what he has done. When Ashildr tells Odin he will be crushed on the field of battle Odin accepts the challenge.

Clara and Ashildr are returned to the village, and Clara tells the Doctor that the village has declared war on the aliens - who the Doctor has found out are called the Mire. The Mire are one of the most deadly races in the galaxy, and they will return to the village on the next day. The Doctor tells the villagers the simple answer is to leave, and return in a week when the Mire will probably have left. Even though the remaining Vikings are just farmers and fishermen (not web designers) they refuse to leave.

The leader of the village (later nicknamed Chuckles) tells the Doctor they will die with honour. When the Doctor hears a baby crying he asks if babies die with honour? As the TARDIS (supposedly) translates baby the Doctor translates what the baby is saying, telling them the baby is afraid.

The Doctor is prepared to leave, but Clara talks to him. The Doctor tells Clara that if he does, somehow, manage to help the villagers defeat the Mire then Earth would become a target and the Mire would return in full force. Clara asks the Doctor to translate more of the baby's crying. The Doctor tells her that babies sense danger, and translates. When the baby stops crying Clara knows the Doctor has decided to stay.

The Doctor starts to train the Vikings to fight, but it not easy. For a start he has to make them use wooden swords until they can stop lopping bits off themselves. Also Heidi is scared of the sight of blood. So when he feints he knocked over a torch and sets the village on fire. Clara wants to know what the Doctor's plan is, and he tells her the only plan he has is to train the villagers to fight so they can die with honour.

The Doctor finds Ashildr in a tent fighting an figure of Odin she has made. She tells the Doctor that the villagers think she is strange for making up stories. When the Doctor sees Lofty taking his baby to the boathouse Ashildr tells him it only place the baby will settle properly. The Doctor then realises that the baby meant when it said "Fire in the water". It was talking about electric eels.

With the Doctor's help the villagers start to lay a trap in their village hall. When the Mire arrive they find the villagers, unarmed, having a party. None of the Mire notice Lofty throwing wire rings over antennae on their suits, until the Doctor shouts to Chuckles. When he hits an eel vat the eels start electrifying. With the power amplified by Clara's spacesuit the power goes through wires in the hall disorientating the Mire.

The villagers scatter. The power causes an anvil to be magnetised and two helmets are pulled off. The Doctor passes a helmet to Ashildr and tells her to think of a story. In their minds the Mire see a huge serpent that is immune to their fire. Odin is left behind when the Mire retreat. The Doctor reveals the serpent is really a fake created for training. On her phone Clara had recorded Odin and the Mire being scared of a wooden fake. The Doctor tells Odin to leave, otherwise the humiliating video would be released on galactic networks ruining the Mire's reputation forever.

After Odin and the Mire leave Chuckles goes to Ashildr, and finds her dead. The feedback had been too much. The Doctor is distraught at the loss of Ashildr's life. After talking to Clara he realises something. He had seen his face somewhere before. It was the face of Caecilius, a Roman that he save after Donna Noble begged him to. There are rules the Doctor is supposed to obey, but with no-one to stop him he is free to break them.

Inside each Mire helmet is a repair device. Programming them for human he uses one to bring Ashildr back to life, and leaves one for her to use on someone she can't break to lose. As they leave the Doctor tells Clara that Ashildr is now a form of hybrid, and that she may now lack the ability to die.

Regular Cast

  • Clara Oswald: Jenna Coleman

Guest Cast

  • Ashildr: Maisie Williams
  • Odin: David Schofield
  • Nollarr: Simon Lipkin
  • Chuckles: Ian Cunningham
  • Lofty: Tom Stourton
  • Limpy: Alistair Parker
  • Hasten: Murray McArthur
  • Heidi: Barnaby Kay

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 (HD) 5. The Girl Who Died Saturday, 17 October 2015 20:20 - 21:10 6.56M 82

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