The Girl Who Died (TV story)

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The Girl Who Died was the fifth episode of the ninth series of Doctor Who produced by BBC Wales.

The story is notable because it reveals the reason as to why the Twelfth Doctor regenerated with the same appearance as Lobus Caecilius: to remind himself to, no matter how impossible it seemed, always save someone, as he had saved Caecilius in his tenth incarnation. This marks the first time in the narrative of Doctor Who that an explanation has been given for why the Doctor looked similar to an individual he had met before, as Colin Baker, who had played the Time Lord Maxil, would later play the sixth incarnation of the Doctor. But unlike the Twelfth Doctor it was never explained how or why the Sixth Doctor took on an appearance similar to Maxil's.

It also revisited the idea of something alien taking over a historic era by impersonating an important figure. The concept was last seen in Robot of Sherwood.

It further re-introduced the concept of immortality, which was last seen in Journey's End with Jack Harkness, a former companion to the Doctor.

Synopsis

The Doctor and Clara are forced to help protect a Viking village from the Mire, one of the deadliest warrior races in the galaxy. Are they fated to suffer death due to being outnumbered? So what is it about a simple Viking girl that interests the Time Lord?

Plot

Clara is floating in space, calling the TARDIS for a pickup. However, the Doctor is busy trying to resolve a conflict, and is having trouble locking on to her location. Clara then notices that something is in her spacesuit; the Doctor suggests its a brain-eating parasite with an odd name - Love Sprite. Within moments of it getting too close to Clara's head, the Doctor materializes the TARDIS around him and takes off her helmet. As Clara re-ajusts, the Doctor squashes the creature; he explains that he sent the hostiles far away from their battlefield.

The Doctor decides to land the TARDIS to check on any damage. However, the moment they land, they are surrounded by vikings. The Doctor pulls out his sonic sunglasses, gloating that he wears the highest technology that the primatives will ever see on his face. A viking takes the glasses and snaps them in two. Seeing that he should have had a backup plan, the Doctor flatly tells Clara that they're going with the vikings.

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Cast

Crew

General production staff

Script department

Camera and lighting department

Art department

Costume department

Make-up and prosthetics

Movement

Casting

General post-production staff

Special and visual effects

Sound



Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.


References

  • The Doctor asks Clara if she can see a nebula.
  • A Viking snaps the sonic sunglasses in half. However, they still seem to work.
  • The Vikings wish to die with honour.
  • When asked "what happened," the Doctor refers to the Big Bang, the dinosaurs and bipeds.
  • Clara uses her iPhone to record "Odin" whilst retreating from the image of a sea serpent.
  • The Doctor threatens to upload the video of "Odin" to the Galactic Hub.
  • The Doctor uses a Mire medical kit to "repair" Ashildr.
  • The Doctor references Clarke's Law, which states that "any sufficiently advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic."
  • The Doctor attempts at a Viking saying by saying "Fly like a bird, run like a nose...".
  • The Doctor refers to web-designers.

The Doctor

  • The Doctor owns a self-portrait by Dutch painter Rembrandt.
  • The Doctors reads his Two Thousand Year Diary to remind himself of the Mire.
  • The Doctor implies that he is immortal.

Individuals

  • Heidi has Haemophobia, which he later "upgrades" to a fear of even the mention of blood.

Species

Popular culture

  • The Doctor gives a bearded Viking the nickname of "ZZ Top", and another "Noggin the Nog".
  • Clara adds the song "Yakety Sax" (frequently used in The Benny Hill Show, where it is often misattributed as the show's theme) to the video of the Mire's defeat.

Story notes

  • This story features the use of footage from The Fires of Pompeii and Deep Breath when the Twelfth Doctor finally realizes where he got his face.
  • This is the 100th story of the BBC Wales era of Doctor Who.
  • This is the third episode in a row that we hear the Cloister Bell rings, the first time this has happened on the show.
  • The FX shot of Clara floating in space was seen in the "Next Time" trailer at the end of Before the Flood where it was shown in an incomplete state. The shot as seen in the episode itself is complete.

Ratings

Filming locations

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Production errors

Continuity

Home video releases

DVD releases

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Blu-ray releases

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External links

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