ANDREW'S
DOCTOR WHO REVIEWS 
This is the point in this season where things begin to kick
in and take shape. We meet Ashildr (a very endearing and enjoyable performance
from Maisie Williams) whose fate is bound up with the Doctor and Clara this
season. The story itself is not that taxing, fun and dramatic but simple, but
it sets things up for more complexity coming soon.
Arriving in the past the Doctor and Clara are captured by a
group of Vikings and taken to their village. A figure of Odin (David Schofield)
suddenly appears in the clouds and a group of armoured warriors arrive and
shoot a group of Viking warriors as well as Clara and Ashildr, a woman from the
village. All seem to be disintegrated.
Clara and Ashildr find themselves on a spaceship. The
Warriors are killed and drained of testosterone and adrenaline. The two women
meet with the Odin figure, actually the leader of aliens called the Mire who
pride themselves on being ruthless warriors. Ashildr, being a Viking,
immediately declares war on the Mire. Odin grants them a day to prepare and
returns Clara and Ashildr to the village.
Once he knows what is happening the Doctor works out a plan
to use Ashildr’s storytelling prowess to defeat the Mire. He firstly
electrocutes them to stun them, then he uses one of their helmets to put on
Ashildr and create a vision of a dragon-like creature to scare the Mire away.
Odin threatens to attack again, but the Doctor in turn threatens to send
footage of the defeat to the Universe to shame the Mire and destroy their
reputation. Reluctantly the Mire and Odin leave.
Ashildr, though, has died during the conflict. The Doctor
then decides to break the rules. He implants a chip from one of the fallen Mire
warriors into Ashildr which brings her back to life and makes her eternal. He
gives her a second chip which she can use when she finds someone she wants to
spend eternity alongside.
This is a really entertaining story, the plot itself is
simple enough, but it is done with such a joie de vivre that you’re swept up in
it. Odin is an over-the-top villain in the mould of someone like the Black
Guardian, all bluster and anger and larger than life, but it fits in well with
this story.
The Doctor’s trick of using Ashildr’s storytelling to fool
the Mire is a good one, and the idea that he embarrasses them into not return
is amusing and different. The setting of the Viking village is well realised
and the Mire soldiers are impressive enough.
It is, though, all about Ashildr and Maisie Williams is
impressive in the role – and will get more so as we travel through this season.
Her interaction with Clara is great and Jenna Coleman holds her own in their
scenes together; but it is the scenes with Peter Capaldi – particularly at the
end – where the character really works. You know at the end of this story you
haven’t seen the last of Ashildr, and you look forward to seeing more.
A really enjoyable story that promises better things to
come.
NEXT UP: THE WOMAN WHO LIVED
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