Opinion was divided with this episode and I have to ask from the outset what all the fuss was about. It's not it's a new premise or storyline which hasn't been done before. The way was this episode was written as if it's gearing us up for Ashildr (Maisie Williams) who now calls herself "Me" was gearing up to be the Doctor's (Peter Capaldi) new companion. Hope not. She to me, just seemed like an inferior version of Clara (Jenna Coleman). In her mannerisms, her speech and what she says to him. Then with her references to Clara not always being around and she'll die on him, asking how many companions he's lost. Ashildr's like him, he's lived a very long time.
The Doctor meets her as a highwayman, known as "the Knightmare" and years of practice makes her speak like a man now, or rather project her voice like a man. He finds her robbing a coach and he's there cos he's in search of something with his new gadget in tow. He locates it in the chest but they drive off before he can retrieve it. She recalls him and takes him back to her big house. Recalling the stories of her life through the years in journals, cos she doesn't want to remember, but thye are a reminder, which he reads. She knows where the couple live and will take him there later so he can recover what he's looking for. Her journals tell of how she met someone, he grew old and died, had children lost three in the plague, doesn't want anymore. As if we were meant to shed tears for her. Me is closed off from the world and the pain of watching everyone die. Much like the Doctor. But she's not the Doctor. People here are like smoke" they blow away in the moment." How she also refers to Clara. Who doesn't appear in this episode until the end. Well that was a waste.
She takes him to the house before seeing her secret 'friend' in the bushes who she wants to help, a lion no less, another alien, The Doctor retrieves the eye of Hades jewel and she says she wants to come with him. Showing him the spare chip he gave her and how she hasn't used it yet as she hasn't found anyone. Well what about the old man, her lover, she used to visit as a ghost, at least he thought she was a ghost. Wasn't he worthy enough. On the way back she's met by Sam the Quick (Rufus Hound). Cue pointless fight scene as they try and outdo each other.
The lion is from another planet and needs the eye to open up a portal to return home. The Doctor wasn't told about this cos he knew they had some other dastardly plan. He warns her against working with him, she can't trust him, but he doesn't listen. They need someone to die in order for the portal to open and she thinks it will be Clayton (Struan Rodger) (He voiced the Face of Boe) her old, loyal butler. Tying the Doctor up she leaves for Tyburn after hearing Sam is going to be hanged. The Doctor manages to bribe the soldiers with her money and heads there too on a horse!
The Doctor saves Sam who tells numerous jokes to prolong his life and shows he has a pardon from Cromwell himself. Ashildr takes the eye and places it onto his heart opening the portal and allowing his ships through, as they attack everyone. She says she cares about the people and wants to stop it, bringing back Sam is the only way to do this, so she uses the chip and the portal closes. The Doctor talks to her of the mayflies, the companions, who know that life is fleeting. He needs Clara and the other companions remind him of why he's here. Though Sam is immortal now, how will he deal with it in the future. The Doctor also name drops Jack Harkness as being immortal as well and was that a reference for the future too, that she'll meet him soon enough.
Clara returns saying Audrey has sent him a selfie cos he helped her with a project and she got an A. She shows it to him and he immediately sees Ashildr in the crowd at the back. Which Clara didn't see but then he wasn't looking. Clara asks if he missed her and hugs him. "I've missed you Clara Oswald," he tells her. There's something ominous in his voice when he says that. Is something happening to her soon, it does appear he knows something we will have to wait for. Especially when she says, "I'm not going anywhere." DO we really need another companion dying? The Doctor was playing Chris Issak's Blue Hotel on the guitar this time. Very melancholic as far as Clara is concerned.
Leandro (Ariyon Bakare) was out of Beauty and The Beast it appeared but heartless. People have enjoyed this episode and raved about it, I just didn't see the appeal of Ashildr, I'm not sorry for saying that, it's my opinion, or the appeal of her as a future companion, if that's the case. I'm picky. Just cos she was in Game of Thrones, never watched it, never will, don't have to agree with everything everyone says about her. As The Woman Who Lived she just wasn't all that interesting to me.
1 comment:
We actually haven't had a companion death since River Song bit it in 2008, and before that you have to go all the way back to Adric in 1982. (No, Amy and Rory do not count and nor do one-offs like Astrid Peth and Adelaide Brooke). So actually we're well overdue for a companion to meet a truly tragic end. And the fickle finger of fate is pointing right at our favorite schoolteacher, I'm afraid.
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