Clara (Jenna Coleman) floats in space as the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) struggles to deal with the TARDIS and locate her. As we hear the cloister bell again. That's been heard quite a few times this series. She's got a spider in her spacesuit and he asks her if she can see a green nebula before fixing on her and trampling the spider in her helmet after he gets her inside. He goes outside to clean his shoes and says he's not really the police, the sign just says that. They're met by Vikings, as the Doctor remarks 'anyone but vikings'. He puts on his shades saying they've not confronted superior technology before. One of them pulls off his shades and breaks them in half. They head to their village, two day ride on their longships and are greeted by the people. The same viking wears his shades and gives it to a girl. As the Doctor sees the girl, Ashildr (Maisie Williams) he thinks he's seen her before, at least Clara thinks he has. He takes about premonition and how it can mean more than a feeling of the past or present.
This time the Doctor doesn't have a plan yet, there's not much he can do without his TARDIS and no sonic; but he has a yoyo and he uses it to declare himself Odin. They laugh as a face appears in the sky, claiming to be Odin (David Schofield) albeit a fake one. Who appears to run a scan and take the most strongest of the vikings away. Clara sees Ashildr and tells her to put the broken shades on, well half of his shades. The Doctor calls to Clara but she gets scanned and taken too. Ending up on what looks like a ship. One of the vikings walks the corridor and is killed, leaving behind only his helmet and weapon. Then the wall begins to move in, forcing them closer towards the corridor. Clara tells them to try and pry their weapons into it to stop it and she walks Ashildr to the other side, attempting to open the other door. The vikings are killed and she and Ashildir see their weapons and helmets. Running into Odin, who really isn't Odin as we worked out. As the Doctor asks, "what's the one thing gods never do. Gods never actually show up."
Clara talks Odin out of killing them and leaving here with his ship as he takes his nectar, the testosterone and adrenalin of the vikings which keeps him strong. She almost had him leaving, but Ashildr opens her mouth (can I say big gob) and tells him the village challenges him to battle. The Doctor says he's lost someone he cares about and Chuckles (Ian Conningham) says he has too, Ashildr's his daughter. Just then they are returned and the Doctor holds his thumb up to Clara, "I'm not a hugger" but hugs her anyway. Ashildr tells them fo the battle tomorrow. None of them ca fight, they're all farmers and fishermen, so they haven't got much of a chance. The Doctor asks how many of them have ever wielded a sword and only he and Clara put up their hands.
He tells her Clara should get a hobby and she replies she has one, the Doctor, he tells her to get a new one. He has no other choice but to train them, as he listens to the baby cry and translates what she's saying. About needing her beautiful mother. Clara saying he can "speak baby." Clara knows he's changed his mind as he hears the baby again, talking of the thunder and being sad, the fire and water. He teaches them how to use a sword, but he gives them all his own names first cos he's got too much going on to remember theirs, like Lofty (Tom Stourton) Heidi (Barnaby Kay) ZZ Top.
He worries about what to do and talks with Ashildr who's a story teller and makes large viking puppets when the men are away, then finally he recalls the baby's words as he hears her cry again and Lofty taking her fishing to comfort her when she gets restless. He has a plan, brainwave, idea and rushes to the barn. Fire and water, fire in the water. He says he needs a blacksmith, who is Lofty and he says they're eels, electric eels. They can use their power. They'll need to take one of the helmets of the Mire as he's explained to Clara, they are a war mongering breed who are feared the universe over. Even if they defeat them now, they'll be back to earth again. It's just a ripple in a tidal wave.
They will use one of Ashildr's creations. The Mire arrives and finds they're all having a party and the Doctor tells them they don't want to fight and aren't even armed, as his soldiers scan for weapons. Okay did anyone think early Cybermen when they saw those tin soldiers? You know all about that ripple in a tidal wave and how they've evolved into what they are now. No?? Okay maybe just me then! Ha.
As the Doctor distracts him with his talking, Lofty throws metal rings around their helmets until he misses one and the soldier looks at it. The eels are used and their helmets are removed. Ashildr places one on her head and then she conjures a great beast like a dragon, as it gets closer the soldiers shout "retreat" and head back to the ship. The Doctor says they can play the recording of his humiliation all over the galactic web, if he doesn't leave. Which Clara had Chuckles record on her phone. He leaves, but adds it's not over.
Ashildr is dead and the Doctor overestimated the use of the helmet, it caused her heart to fail as she put it on. He then talks about being able to do something and the ripple in a tidal wave. It's more than that. Then mentions his face and why he took this face. He took it for a reason. His face is a "reminder." So that he could save people. As we have a flashback to Donna Noble and Doctor Ten from The Fires of Pompeii episode, where Doctor Ten beckons Caecilius towards the TARDIS. One reason why the Doctor took that face. He then takes a chip from the helmet and modifies it to get Ashildr back and it is absorbed into her forehead. She'll be conscious in a few days and will be okay. She wakes up to thank him. As Clara says it will repair her from within. He gives Chuckles another chip.
He tells Clara she's immortal now. Immortality isn't about living forever. One day she might meet someone she can't live without. That look on Clara's face, was she thinking about Danny, or do we suppose that was a reference to her and whatever might happen to her before she leaves. Ashildr is now a hybrid. As we see her standing still as time presumably passes around her. As for this hybrid comment, seems that Davros started it all off by mentioning it in the early episode, The Witch's Familiar and now the Doctor mentions it himself. Davros mentioning a Gallifreyan prophecy about races coming together to make one great warrior. Also the Doctor tells Clara that "she'll see me often enough, once she understands." Understands her immortality and who she is, but more so isn't it the case he will make her see him during his time travels.
Doctor Who always comes up with such titles, like The Impossible Girl, The Girl In the Fireplace, next week's ep is The Woman Who Lived. When the Doctor tells Ashildr about making puppets and people often do that, thought of Amy Pond and her Doctor Eleven doll, for some reason. Though having thought that, we did get a flashback to Doctor Ten.
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