SPOILERS FROM THE START!
The third two parter of this series started and ended with a bang. From a Viking village to Regency England, The Doctor encounters a young girl who “looks familiar” who dies, is resurrected and then leaps some 900 years into the future.
There was a lot of anticipation about this story because it featured Maisie Williams and because of the tantalising clip in the trailer where The Doctor looked at her shocked and said “You?!” and she replied “Miss me old man?” The Doctor gave her immortality and at the end of the episode we saw her face go from happiness to sadness to malevolence.
Today’s open question is:
The theme of this season appears to be “death”. In the first story, Davros was on the brink of dying. In the second story, it was ghosts. In this story, The Doctor gave a girl immortality. In the next story, Osgood apparently comes back from the dead. (Credit to my girlfriend for noticing this theme)
Or anything else you want to talk about, anything you might think was important but people may not have picked up on regarding the character of Ashildr. We will obviously see her again, will she be an enemy, a friend or a frenemy?
Ahhh, I can’t watch the series yet. Must put disclaimers at the top. (Scrubbing brain now so I don’t know one blessed thing about the season in progress. Waiting desperately for Amazon prime to offer them.)
haha, sorry. Well for future reference, my open thread discussions are definitely for those who have seen the stories because I present talking points from the story.
THis season has been great so far!
Arghhhhhhhh. Curse basic cable.
Also, I am based in the UK where we naturally see it first. I usually post within ten minutes of the episode finishing 🙂 I will in future make sure I add disclaimers
…cries sadly into weak, American tea.
The stories this season do seem to be hinting that Clara will die… Not just in the themes, but the asides and dialogue are also pointing that way. Although, that may just be a narrative feint. The last time there was this much foreshadowing we lost Rory and Amy to Weeping Angels and before that Donna (and the whole River Song story too), so it might be nice to have a companion leave rather than die/get mind wiped again.
Not sure that Osgood is returning from the dead, we might be out of sequence (it is a time travel show after all), and the whole Zygon issue complicates things further.
But it does look like Ashildr/Lady Me is being set up as the “Big Bad”, and why not, an immortal former friend with a half-remembered grudge and a plan, is a whole lot scarier than most of the Doctor’s foes (It’s why the Master/Missy works after all, “it’s our version of texting…”, etc.). I fully expect we’ll see another glimpse of her in the background of the next story somewhere, possibly arm in arm with a Zygon, telling them how much she misses their Skarasen…
Personally I’m loving this season, the connected stories and two-parters feel more like the old series, and I’m really enjoying Peter Capaldi’s Doctor, especially the subtle notes of previous Doctors from time to time. Even the guitar playing (which a few people have complained to me isn’t very Doctor Who) reminds me of Pat Troughton and the whistle/recorder he would play.
I agree. I was saying to my girlfriend tonight that the two parters allow for more scope and I genuinely think we’ve seen the end of the single episodes for the time being. TV in general is moving away from story of the week, or they are being wound into a greater, broader narrative: Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Under the Dome, The Returned, Hannibal, Bates Motel… it goes on.
I think Moffat is having real fun referring back to the older Doctors and it seems to add a lot more to the Capaldi’s character.
I almost expected Ashildr to be a foe from the distant past too because of all the hints and nods to the past you mentioned – plus the fact that he recognised her. After playing around with anagrams of the name Ashildr, I soon gave up on that notion.
She will definitely be back this season, it was confirmed tonight: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-10-24/maisie-williams-will-return-to-doctor-who
So more of her story is yet to be revealed.
Oh I don’t think we need to anagram Ashildr, the name means God-Battle, and she already did that… I did read a funny fan theory that Ashildr may go on to be the Doctor’s Mother, but I don’t think that’s where the story is headed personally. Not sure where it is headed, but it looks like its going to be quite a fun ride. (C:
Hmm, I want some of whatever they have been smoking. His mother?! Can’t see it.
It is a fun ride after some very weak stories last season.
Agreed. They’re still hung up on the half-human line… I presume. The stories this season more than make up for last season I’d say.