No wonder the girl seemed familiar to the Doctor, practically everybody has seen Game of Thrones. And I don't get what the other comments are about, I actually really liked this episode. The only thing that bothered me was that despite the fact that everyone who was left in the village wasn't really fighter material, the Doctor still decided to only train the men.
It hurts me to say it, but with the current cast and screenplays DW is just garbage. Not worth my time. Such a shame, as there were some brilliant episodes in the past.
Not one of the good episodes.
OMG I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL BUT THE FACE!
I have to say, the ending is just...unsatisfactory to me.
I really liked the implication that the 12th doctor chose this face as a reminder of what happened at Pompeii. S4E02 was a crucial, thought-changing passage for the doctor. Donna reminded 10th that he could "at least save someone" within the laws of time. That scene was so moving and relatable. It has showed us how a great companion makes the Doctor better, how they bring out the piece of humanity that this Time Lord sometimes forgets.
But now we see it being made an excuse for the Doctor to bend the laws of life and death, which was really unacceptable considering the significance and weight "Pompeii" carried. When 12th said "I can do anything", it became almost the worst of the Doctor: the Doctor who is overwhelmed by sorrow and guilt, taken over by his darkness, ego, and arrogance.
The Doctor, of all people, should understand the danger and cost of immortality more than anybody else. He himself fought with the dark sides of it almost every day. It was irrational, irresponsible and out of character for him to give immortality so easily and carelessly to a human girl who was not slightly prepared for it, even though he felt guilty and responsible for her death. Moreover, from a storytelling perspective, it made life feel cheap and unimportant, let alone the illogical side of this design (if a simple alien medical pack could make someone immortal, it's just way too unreasonable).
In conclusion, I felt this was a really really bad decision the Doctor, or the screenwriter, has made, as 12th confessed in the last scene.
I still don't like the theme. I still don't like the sonic glasses. Why didn't Clara unlock her chains with the glasses?
Why is this annoying girl Ashildr threatening war on people who just killed her viking friends easily, and she's not even a warrior herself, she's just a girl.
Why are these farmers wanting to fight those beings who took and killed their warriors in seconds, so they should know they have no chance against them?
Dumb writing cliche's of vikings.
Ugh.
Annoying baby language again.
Doctor training farmers from ancient times with a sword against one of the most powerful warrior races in the universe.
Ugh.
Why couldn't the guy say if the doctor uploaded it it could be a fake?
Terrible in-universe reasoning for the doctor choosing his face. Just terrible. Extremely forced.
Utterly boring and nonsensical episode. Hopefully the second part is better, as that's what happened with the previous two stories. The mistake they've done this season is that there isn't enough story for two parts, not enough good story. They've been spread too thin, and it's a big mistake.
This doctor is TOO compassionate, in trying to save Ashildr. Previous incarnations would not have done this.
With his "i can do anything" speech, it reminds me of the worst qualities of the doctor, his ego, his darkness, his potential for corruption.
In not carrying his darkness as much, it's manifested in a weird way in his compassion and weaknesses.
Ashildr was dead and now suddenly she's alive again. Guess it's not too bad since it's happened before, but it's still dumb and nonsensical.
The doctor just cursed Ashildr with immortality, and give her another device to curse another person with immortality. His compassion has just given people immense near infinite suffering. Hope they don't get captured and tortured for eons to find out how they're immortal.
Terrible, terrible, horrible.
One of the worst decisions the doctor and the show have ever made.
This doctor is so afraid, so guilty, so compassionate that he might be one of the worst incarnations there is. He even recognized the potential danger he's done.
She isn't invincible either. The medical repair kit may heal her quickly or almost instantly, but if for example a solar wave melted her then she'd be vaporized instantly.
At least 9 did dark things because he knew the potential of what his darkness and messing with time and death can do, and he would never go that far again.
At least 10 did dark things because most of the time he was heroic and good, and had very dark moments at times, but he always came back to his senses.
At least 11 did dark things because he knew his limits as he carried his darkness with him.
12 is unpredictable, and winging it, and doesn't exactly want to know his limits. He doesn't pay attention to the past actions and consequences of his incarnations. He's trying to be his own person, and his ego is starting to shine through more now. He holds so much compassion inside, so much that it's become egotistical for him now. And he thinks he's so great and powerful and important, because he also keeps on winning, and thinks he can defy time and even death if things get too painful, even though he hardly knew Ashildr and just met her.
I think what he's done this episode is horrible, and it's one of the most darkest moments in the show.
Very boring episode with a questionable ending. Hasn't the Doctor learned with Jack that creating immortals is not the best idea?
Maisie Williams as a guest star in this episode. Peter Capaldi still trying hard as the doctor.
Shout by FilVIP 8BlockedParentSpoilers2015-10-17T21:48:13Z
Up until the end it was a very bad episode, it improved just a little at the end. Barely watchable.