 This story is the 100th story since Doctor Who’s revival in 2005.
This story is co-written by Steven Moffat and Jamie Mathieson, who previously penned "Mummy on the Orient Express" and "Flatline".
This story and the following story "The Woman Who Lived", by Catherine Treganna, are interlinked but are separate adventures for The Doctor and Clara. Both stories are part of Block Three, directed by Edward Bazalgette.
This is Edward Bazalgette’s first full length Doctor Who story. His previous credits include episodes of Poldark (2015), DCI Banks (2014) and The Guilty (2013). Edward Bazalgette is also notable for having played lead guitar in the new wave pop group The Vapors, who had a one-hit wonder in 1980 with Turning Japanese!
Although this is the first full Doctor Who story directed by Edward Bazalgette he also helmed the short prequel, "The Doctor’s Meditation", released before the first episode of "The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar" but shot after this story and "The Woman Who Lived".
Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams guest stars. She is best known for her role as Arya Stark in the popular HBO fantasy series. She also starred in the one-off docu-drama Cyberbully and was cast as one of the leads of Carol Morley’s drama The Falling.
As production began on this story Maisie Williams commented ‘I'm so excited to be working on Doctor Who as it's such a big and important part of British culture. I can't wait to meet the cast and crew and start filming, especially as we'll be shooting not too far from my home town’.
On announcing Maisie Williams’ appearance on the show Executive Producer and lead writer Steven Moffat hinted that her role in this season was a particularly significant one: ‘We're thrilled to have Maisie Williams joining us on Doctor Who. It's not possible to say too much about who or what she's playing, but she is going to challenge The Doctor in very unexpected ways. This time he might just be out of his depth, and we know Maisie is going to give him exactly the right sort of hell’.
Playing the part of Odin is David Schofield, who is well known to Merlin fans for playing the part of King Alined in the BBC One fantasy series. He is due to star in the ITV series Safe House alongside actor Christopher Eccleston who played the part of the Ninth Doctor.
David Tennant and Catherine Tate appear in flashbacks, as the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble respectively, in scenes from "The Fires of Pompeii". During this scene The Doctor realises why he has his current face when he met Lobus Caecilius (played by Peter Capaldi long before he was cast as the Twelfth Doctor) and his family. At first disinclined to save them. Donna Noble persuaded him to rescue them from the effects of a volcanic eruption. We also see a few moments of "Deep Breath" in which the Twelfth Doctor first questioned why he had his new face.
This is not the first story where the actor playing The Doctor has played more than one role. William Hartnell (the First Doctor) was also the ill-fated Abbot of Amboise in the 1966 story "The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve" and he played a robot version of The Doctor in the 1965 story "The Chase". Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor) delivered an at times chilling performance as The Doctor’s doppelganger, Salamander, in the 1967/68 story "The Enemy of the World", and Tom Baker played a number of other roles including Meglos and an android. Peter Davison played both the Fifth Doctor and his enemy Omega in the 1983 story "Arc of Infinity" and that story also saw Colin Baker take the role of another Gallifreyan - Commander Maxil - little knowing he would soon be cast as the Sixth Doctor!
The read through for this story took place on the 18th March 2015 and recording began one week later on the 25th March 2015. Filming was completed on the 6th May 2015.
This story and the next story, "The Woman Who Lived", formed the third filming block, meaning the fifth and sixth episodes of this season were shot sequentially.
This story revisited the idea of something alien taking over a historic era by impersonating an important figure. This concept was last seen in "Robot of Sherwood".
The Doctor is seen leafing through a book entitled 2000 Year Diary - an upgrade on the 500 year diary we saw the Second Doctor use in "The Power of the Daleks" and the 900 year diary we glimpsed in the Seventh Doctor’s final story "Survival".
The Doctor's ability to ‘speak baby’ is demonstrated again in this story - a skill the Eleventh Doctor previously demonstrated in "A Good Man Goes to War" and "Closing Time".
After meeting the Vikings, The Doctor produces a yo-yo in an attempt to impress them with ‘magic’. Former companion, Leela, believed a yo-yo was magical when the Fourth Doctor provided her one to play with in "Robots of Death". The Fourth Doctor was skilled with the toy, even practicing his double loops, when he visited Karn in "The Brain of Morbius", and he used one simply to test the gravity in "The Ark in Space". As did the Twelfth Doctor in "Kill the Moon".
The Doctor has used a sword in battle on many occasions. He fenced with The Master in the 1972 story "The Sea Devils" and he was seen wielding heftier swords in "The Masque of Mandragora", "The Androids of Tara" and "The King’s Demons". But by the time he has reached his twelfth incarnation he has clearly moved on… In "Robot of Sherwood", when Robin Hood pulled a sword on him, The Doctor saw off the outlaw using only his spoon!
It is revealed that Clara has also apparently wielded a sword in battle. It is implied that The Doctor may be unaware of this given his surprised/impressed reaction to Clara raising her hand when The Doctor asks for a show of hands amongst the Vikings.
Prior to finding herself in space, Clara spent an unknown length of time in the ‘spider mines’. How she ended up in deep space, separated from The Doctor, is not revealed.
The Doctor is heard to say that Ashildr is now a ‘hybrid’, echoing a prophecy related by Davros in "The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar" that two great warrior races, the Time Lords and the Daleks, would merge to become a ‘hybrid’.
This is not the first time Vikings have been seen in Doctor Who. They were an important part of the 1965 First Doctor story "The Time Meddler" when the TARDIS landed in England in 1066.
Odin's face appearing in the sky to talk to his disciples directly references a scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail in which God does the same thing.
In Viking culture Odin was a god and in Old Norse texts he’s depicted as one-eyed, long-bearded and armed with a spear or a sword. In many myths he rules Valhalla (a kind of Viking afterlife) where he receives ‘chosen’ warriors who have died in battle.
Odin was originally to have been played by Brian Blessed, who had previously played King Yrcanos in the 1986 story "Mindwarp". Brian Blessed however, was forced to pull out, due to illness. He was replaced by David Schofield.
Clara suggests, and The Doctor agrees, that The Benny Hill Show's theme song be used as the soundtrack for the video of Odin and the other Mire retreating from the dragon puppet. She even plays a few seconds' clip with the tune's opening notes added.
The Mire feed on adrenaline and testosterone. Electric eels are used to defeat them.
The Doctor uses a Mire medical kit to ‘repair’ Ashildr.
As he is adapting a Mire helmet, The Doctor claims he is ‘reversing the polarity of the neutron flow’ a phrase said many times in various ways during the show beginning with the Third Doctor.
At the end of this story, The Doctor reflects on the potential consequences of his decision to save Ashildr, and possibly making her immortal, by saying ‘Time will tell. It always does’. These words were first spoken by the Seventh Doctor at the end of "Remembrance of the Daleks", referring to his decision to destroy Davros and Skaro, and whether it was a 'good' decision. That story also saw The Doctor in in a reflective mood as he mused ‘Every great decision creates ripples, like a huge boulder dropped in a lake. The ripples merge, rebound off the banks in unforeseeable ways. The heavier the decision, the larger the waves, the more uncertain the consequences...’ In this story and the previous story The Doctor makes similar remarks as he reflects on the nature of time travel.
The Doctor references Clarke's Law, which states that ‘any sufficiently advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic’.
A Viking is seen to snap The Doctor’s sonic sunglasses in half. They still seem to function at least to a degree.
Clara teaches one of the townspeople how to use her iPhone to record Odin whilst retreating from the image of a dragon. The Doctor threatens to upload Clara's video to the Galactic Hub.
The Doctor gives a bearded Viking the nickname of ZZ Top, another Noggin the Nog and he names a third after the children's book character Heidi.
This is the third episode in a row that we hear the Cloister Bell - the first time this has happened in the show.
The Radio Times programme listing was accompanied by a small colour head-and-shoulders shot of Ashildr dressed in armour during the Battle of Agincourt, as seen in a flashback during the next story, "The Woman Who Lived", with the accompanying caption Doctor Who / 8.20 p.m. / Viking girl Ashildr (Maisie Williams) becomes the focus of The Doctor's attention.
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The Firsts:
The first full length Doctor Who story to be directed by Ed Bazalgette.
Maisie Williams' first Doctor Who story as Ashildr.
The first appearance of the Vikings, in the revived television series, and for 50 years - since the 1965 First Doctor story "The Time Meddler".
The first time in the show that we hear the Cloister Bell 3 episodes in a row.
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(Position = 7 out of 9)
