The Woman Who Lived (TV story)
The Woman Who Lived was the sixth episode of the ninth series of Doctor Who produced by BBC Wales. It featured the return of Ashildr, now going by the name "Me", after her introduction in the previous episode, The Girl Who Died. The episode explored the darker aspects of immortality -- the relativity of time and the short period of human lives being a focus. Despite being a continuation of the story started in The Girl Who Died, the stories were not a two-parter, having different writers, settings and tone.
Much like the Fourth Doctor adventure, The Deadly Assassin, the Twelfth Doctor is without a true companion for this story; however, unlike that story, the Doctor was simply on his own due to this companion being on a break from travelling, rather than being left behind in the preceding story.
This story, like The Unquiet Dead, had aliens with hostile intentions lie to the Doctor and his allies about seeking peaceful refuge.
This episode was also the first since The Poison Sky in 2008 to be written by a woman.
Synopsis
A deadly Highwayman called 'The Knightmare' roams in the dark streets in England, 1651.
He come face to face with the Doctor when he finds an unearthly element that the Time Lord wants too.
Who's the Knightmare's sidekick? And can the Doctor protect the Earth from an enemy that has secret intentions?
Plot
The Knightmare stopped a carriage, and held the owners at gunpoint, asking for an amulet. Soon after, The Doctor came, and his devices showed him the chest on the back of the carriage contained the amulet. However, the carriage quickly went in escape. The Doctor initially didn't recognise The Knightmare, but did so after she removed her mask and reverted to her original voice.
The two went back to her mansion, where Ashildr repeatedly asked to be The Doctor's companion, but he refused repeatedly. She also stated how her name was now 'Me', and that her humanity had been "run dry". They decided that they were looking for the same prize, and they stole it from Fanshawe house.
After his amulet had been retrieved from the Fanshawe house, Leandro revealed himself to the Doctor, who discovered that in order to reach another world through the doorway the amulet would conjure, a death was required.
At Tyburn, a man named Sam Swift was to be executed. Both Ashildr and Leandro were in attendance. The Doctor used his psychic Paper to pardon him, but Ashildr used Leandro's amulet to kill Sam Swift anyways and open a portal; this revealed an army of Leonians was alive and ready to invade Earth from Delta Leonis. His lie discovered, Leandro admitted that he had tricked Ashildr, but when she used a Mire medical kit she had in her possession to reverse the death of Sam Swift, the portal she had opened was closed. For failing in his mission to keep the portal open so his people could invade, Leandro was killed.
Cast
- The Doctor - Peter Capaldi
- Clara - Jenna Coleman
- Me - Maisie Williams
- Sam Swift - Rufus Hound
- Coachman - Gareth Berliner
- Lucie Fanshawe - Elisabeth Hopper
- Mr Fanshawe - John Voce
- Clayton - Struan Rodger
- Pikeman Lloyd Llewelyn - Gruffudd Glyn
- Pikeman William Stout - Reuben Johnson
- Leandro - Ariyon Bakare
- Crowd 1 - Daniel Fearn
- Crowd 2 - Karen Seacombe
- Hangman - John Hales
- Voice of the Knightmare - Will Brown
Crew
| Executive Producers Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin |
| General production staff Script department Camera and lighting department |
Art department Costume department |
Make-up and prosthetics
General post-production staff Special and visual effects Sound |
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| 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 phrase "Stand and Deliver" is used by the highwaymen.
- The Doctor compares the Knightmare to Zorro.
- The Doctor compares Leandro to "Lenny the Lion".
- The Doctor wonders if the Great Scotland Yard has been invented yet. It was formed in the year 1829.
- The Knightmare is known to be faster than Sam Swift the Quick and deadlier than Deadly Dupont.
- Ashildr states that life expectancy is 35 in the 1650s.
- Somewhere between the 9th century and the 17th century, Ashildr was founding a leper colony, which the Doctor oversaw from afar.
- The Doctor uses a Curioscanner.
- Ashildr mentions backgammon.
- Ashildr once cured an entire village of Scarlet Fever, however they drowned her for being a witch for her efforts.
- The Doctor mentions he forgot to warn Ashildr about the Black Death in 1348. Ashildr lost her children due to it.
- Ashildr drinks pomace wine when having time for herself.
- Mr. Fanshawe has a Blunderbuss.
- Ashildr mentions Christendom.
- The Doctor references Hades, King of the Underworld.
- Ashildr mentions Kent.
- Leandro is from Delta Leonis.
- Ashildr and the Doctor compare humans to mayflies.
- Sam Swift was to be hung in Tyburn.
- The Doctor tries to trick him out of trouble by claiming he has the Dunbar Victory medal. He was told to tell it to the Newgate Prison gaoler.
- A Tryal of Witches at the Assizes and Heaven's Speedie Hue and Cry posters are hanging on a wall at the Tyburn hanging.
- The Doctor pardons Sam Swift with a fake message from Oliver Cromwell.
- Ye Swan With Two Necks is visited.
- The Doctor mentions sherbet lemon and Ferraris.
Story notes
- This marks the first full length Twelfth Doctor story to feature Clara Oswald in a lesser role, only appearing at the end.
- According to an interview with writer Catherine Tregenna in DWM 492, the story is set in Hounslow.
Ratings
- BBC One: 4.34 million
Filming locations
to be added
Production errors
to be added
Continuity
- The Doctor mentions how the Terileptils started the Great Fire of London. (TV: The Visitation)
- The Doctor refers to Jack Harkness and his immortality. (TV: Everything Changes, et.al.)
- Clara wears her silver bird necklace. (TV: The Bells of Saint John)
- Clara is not with the Doctor because she is taking her Year Seven students to taekwondo. Clara previously told the Doctor she had been taking taekwondo lessons. (TV: Robot of Sherwood)
- The Doctor use the psychic paper. (TV: The End of the World et.al.)
- The Devil/Satan is mentioned by Fanshawe and the Knightmare. (TV: The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit et.al.)
- Ashildr/Me still have the second Mire medical kit, but use it to save Sam Swift. (TV: The Girl Who Died)
- The Doctor uses his sonic sunglasses. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar et.al.) They had previously been broken. (TV: The Girl Who Died)
- The Doctor mentions how much humans matter.[source needed]
- The Doctor, in an attempt to jog Ashildr's memory, mention Einarr, and how the Doctor called him "Chuckles", as well as the Viking village. Later he said he just tried to save a terrified young woman's life. (TV: The Girl Who Died)
- The Doctor helps Clara's students meet Winston Churchill. The Second Doctor, Sixth Doctor and Eleventh Doctor have previously met Churchill. (PROSE: World Game, Players, TV: Victory of the Daleks, The Wedding of River Song)
- The Doctor says he is against bantering. (TV: Robot of Sherwood)
- The Doctor plays his electric guitar. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice, Before the Flood)
- Me asks the Doctor how many companions he has lost. (TV: Earthshock, AUDIO: Absolution, To the Death, et al.)
- The Rift is opened. (TV: The Unquiet Dead, Everything Changes et.al.)
- Me mentions being present at the Battle of Agincourt. The Fourth Doctor previously mentioned to his companion Leela she would have loved Agincourt. (TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang)
- The Doctor demonstrates he is a skilled horse rider. (TV: The Masque of Mandragora et.al.)
- Clara hugs the Doctor but this time he embraces it. (Unlike TV: Deep Breath, et al)
- Clara mentions to the Doctor that she "isn't going anywhere". Previous companion Rose Tyler had also said this to the Doctor. (TV: Army of Ghosts).
Home video releases
DVD releases
to be added
Blu-ray releases
to be added
External links
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