I'll start by pointing out that last week's offering I didn't give the brightest review of. My expectations for the Woman who lived weren't stratospheric. What a pleasant and unexpected surprise, played out largely as a two handed episode, Maisie Williams was exceptional, a far stronger, multi faceted, literally more grown up performance. It was perhaps Peter Capaldi's best performance of the series so far. The interplay between the two was exceptionally well done. People are criticizing the brief appearance of the Lion man, he wasn't the main purpose of the story. The core of The Woman who lived was the relationship between The Doctor and Ashildr, the impact he's had on her life. The small scene with Clara was cleverly done, you could see the mixed emotions the Doctor had seeing her, he knows the fate that awaits her.
22 Reviews
A original story that fits perfectly to the characters
Equalizer1624 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
When we first met the character Ashildr I didn't think she had much significance and depth in character, but this week she has lived into a brilliant 'hybrid'
This week sees the Doctor teaming with the immortal Viking to find an alien relic to prevent disastrous consequences. Although I think the episode is more of a reflection on what the Doctor did to Ashildr, and how the characters debate on life, and their similar personalities. I think this was a great and original Doctor Who story and not disappointing with still adventure and humour.
Maisie Williams returns with and much more deep, strong and impressive performance as her character has developed. We can clearly see that this character has been through much even though she hasn't aged. Unlike last week although the earth is still facing a threat we do not put it to the side and forget about it, but it remains an exciting and paramount part of the narrative. Filled again with an interesting deceptive monster that although does not look the scariest, definitely has a scary personality.
However, the episode starts and progresses really well, but it ends with an anti-climax as the main action of the episode ends very quickly with brief explanation. Also when the fire balls begin to attack the town, and Ashildr begins to show affection for the people, I find her compassion quite unbelievable we see the little girl in her, even though she has become a very cold hearted character, along with dialogue that does not dignify.
But this episode is still a new and impressive one and is definitely not a let-down. I give it an 8/10 but just about, so the episode very good, but with small weaknesses.
This week sees the Doctor teaming with the immortal Viking to find an alien relic to prevent disastrous consequences. Although I think the episode is more of a reflection on what the Doctor did to Ashildr, and how the characters debate on life, and their similar personalities. I think this was a great and original Doctor Who story and not disappointing with still adventure and humour.
Maisie Williams returns with and much more deep, strong and impressive performance as her character has developed. We can clearly see that this character has been through much even though she hasn't aged. Unlike last week although the earth is still facing a threat we do not put it to the side and forget about it, but it remains an exciting and paramount part of the narrative. Filled again with an interesting deceptive monster that although does not look the scariest, definitely has a scary personality.
However, the episode starts and progresses really well, but it ends with an anti-climax as the main action of the episode ends very quickly with brief explanation. Also when the fire balls begin to attack the town, and Ashildr begins to show affection for the people, I find her compassion quite unbelievable we see the little girl in her, even though she has become a very cold hearted character, along with dialogue that does not dignify.
But this episode is still a new and impressive one and is definitely not a let-down. I give it an 8/10 but just about, so the episode very good, but with small weaknesses.
Carry on Ashildr.....
Sleepin_Dragon24 October 2015
So the big question we were left with last week was 'would the Doctor regret making Ashildr immortal?'
The TARDIS lands in England 1651, many years after the Viking affair. A highwayman is terrorising the locals, Ashildr is calling herself the Nightmare, carrying out the holdups for fun. The Doctor explains he's there for her, he's tracking an Alien device, and amulet. Ashildr offers to help, but her motives are not well intentioned, she seeks the amulet for Leandro, an Alien trapped on Earth who needs it to open a port hole to return home.
The part when the Doctor discovers that she's lost her children was very sad, the dialogue between Maisie and Peter was perhaps the highlight of the episode.
I felt the episode was a little over ambitious, they tried to squeeze too much in. I think the aim was for the Doctor to see a mirror image of himself in Ashildr, living so long and haunted by loss. It attempted to be funny throughout, it almost made the serious scenes feel a little undervalued. The comedy overpowered the sadder side. The story itself was a little on the weak side.
Some nice costumes, some perhaps not so, her red 'Atari' logo dress didn't look that great.
Leandro was almost pointless, so underwritten, and in the end almost serving no purpose. Not exactly the best villain on Who.
Praise though for Rufus Hound, even though he only had a small amount of screen time I found him rather enjoyable. The part he was given he performed well. Tragic under use of the velvet voiced Struan Rodger.
So many dodgy jokes and puns, am I the only one who was expecting to see Kenneth Williams and Jack Douglas riding along in search of The Big Dick? You could quite plainly see Barbara Windsor was a woman, Ashildr was also lacking a little masculinity.
Maisie is a great young actress I felt she could have been slightly better served with this episode, Clara was effectively written out to make room for her, overall the character didn't have the impact we were teased with at the start of the series.
6/10
The TARDIS lands in England 1651, many years after the Viking affair. A highwayman is terrorising the locals, Ashildr is calling herself the Nightmare, carrying out the holdups for fun. The Doctor explains he's there for her, he's tracking an Alien device, and amulet. Ashildr offers to help, but her motives are not well intentioned, she seeks the amulet for Leandro, an Alien trapped on Earth who needs it to open a port hole to return home.
The part when the Doctor discovers that she's lost her children was very sad, the dialogue between Maisie and Peter was perhaps the highlight of the episode.
I felt the episode was a little over ambitious, they tried to squeeze too much in. I think the aim was for the Doctor to see a mirror image of himself in Ashildr, living so long and haunted by loss. It attempted to be funny throughout, it almost made the serious scenes feel a little undervalued. The comedy overpowered the sadder side. The story itself was a little on the weak side.
Some nice costumes, some perhaps not so, her red 'Atari' logo dress didn't look that great.
Leandro was almost pointless, so underwritten, and in the end almost serving no purpose. Not exactly the best villain on Who.
Praise though for Rufus Hound, even though he only had a small amount of screen time I found him rather enjoyable. The part he was given he performed well. Tragic under use of the velvet voiced Struan Rodger.
So many dodgy jokes and puns, am I the only one who was expecting to see Kenneth Williams and Jack Douglas riding along in search of The Big Dick? You could quite plainly see Barbara Windsor was a woman, Ashildr was also lacking a little masculinity.
Maisie is a great young actress I felt she could have been slightly better served with this episode, Clara was effectively written out to make room for her, overall the character didn't have the impact we were teased with at the start of the series.
6/10
Beautiful. One of Doctor Who's most thematically resonant stories.
ryanjmorris25 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Last week, with the stellar The Girl Who Died, the show offered us a giddy, fast paced, comedic romp in the Viking era that took a sharp left turn into some of the heaviest and most emotional sequences of the whole Moffat era for its final act. And now the show comes back seven days later and gives us this. The Woman Who Lived is a very different episode to the one that came before it, but it had to be. Set this time in 1651, the (sort of) concluding story was much darker, and much more focused on dialogue and thematic content than its predecessor. The Girl Who Died was solid but bog standard Doctor Who until its final act came along, this is something completely different entirely.
The Woman Who Lived opens with a highwayman known as The Knightmare robbing a family at gunpoint. Sooner rather than later the Doctor stumbles in, oblivious to the fact that he has interrupted a robbery, and it's revealed that the Knightmare is Ashildr. Except it also isn't. The Doctor and not-Ashildr return to her house, and the whole first half of the episode is essentially constant dialogue between the pair, as they discuss and argue over what he has done to her by granting her immortality. A millennium has passed since we last saw Ashildr, and she barely remembers the events of that fateful day in her little Viking village. When the Doctor refers to her as Ashildr, she doesn't even register it as a name she previously went by. There are probably a hundred different ways you could deal with that scenario, but the way Me (as she now calls herself) shrugs that comment off with "If you say so" is possibly the most heartbreaking. She's been alive for so long now that she doesn't even register an emotional connection to the life she lived before the Doctor revived her.
It's credit to Catherine Treganna's excellent script that none of the dialogue falls into the trap of overloading us with exposition. The purpose of these scenes aren't to fill in the gaps and catch us up on what Me has done since we last saw her as Ashildr, rather they act as a deep and thoughtful insight into her broken mindset and allow us to understand the emotional damage the Doctor has caused her. As Me rightfully points out, she is burdened with the curse of an eternal life coupled with the memory capacity of a regular human being. She cannot keep every memory she makes. As the Doctor flicks through one of Me's journals, he finds pages ripped out from when certain memories became too painful to bear, and stains from teardrops cover page after page after page. Perhaps this episode's most devastating moment comes when the Doctor realises that Me had three children, all of whom died while she never aged. She keeps this memory though, despite its unbearable pain, as a reminder to stop her from ever having children again and suffering this unimaginable fate a second time. The first half of this episode all takes place at night, with the darkened frame only illuminated by moonlight or a flickering candle. The dialogue is all beautifully effective - poetic, even, as Me tells the Doctor that "All these people, they're like smoke. They blow away in the wind." - but it becomes something truly special with the delicate visuals to match.
Peter Capaldi was breathtakingly good in this episode. He gave an excellent performance last week, too, with his comedic side flourishing and then his emotional availability resonating at the end, but we saw a whole new side to his Doctor tonight. This series keeps pushing and pulling at the Doctor's character but in all the right ways. Last season the superb Listen - one of my favourite Doctor Who stories of all time - gave us a beautiful insight into the Doctor, and this season is refusing to shake that off. I feel as if I know the twelfth Doctor more than I knew nine, or ten, or eleven. The writing this season has been so strong, and coupled with Capaldi's excellent acting ability it's difficult to come away without deep understanding of just who this Doctor is. Maisie Williams also excelled tonight, topping her performance last week with a much darker, more sophisticated turn. As Ashildr, Williams got to be fun and light-hearted, the sweet child in a grim environment. But Me lacks any of this, and Williams doesn't let any of her previous incarnation through. She is so good at separating Me from Ashildr that this could almost have been an entirely different actress.
Noticeably absent this week was Clara, who only really appeared in that brief TARDIS sequence at the episode's close. As much as I like Clara as a character, I'm quite pleased she was left out of this episode; there wasn't really anything for her to add. This episode was all about the Doctor and Me and how they both deal with the curse of a lifespan that long, and Clara would have just got in the way of how they talked to each other. It is interesting, though, that Me designated Clara as the Doctor's weakness. When you combine that with the Doctor's fearful, sorrowful gaze at Clara as she ends the episode with the line "I'm not going anywhere", the whole thing just becomes even more resonating. These two episodes have been more thematically powerful than anything this show has done in a very long time, in fact I might even say they're two of the strongest episodes Doctor Who has ever done when you look at their themes and ideas in isolation. They are both so emotionally powerful, but also so utterly human at the same time. Doctor Who flying through space can be a blast, but this show is at its best when it understands how human it really is.
The Woman Who Lived opens with a highwayman known as The Knightmare robbing a family at gunpoint. Sooner rather than later the Doctor stumbles in, oblivious to the fact that he has interrupted a robbery, and it's revealed that the Knightmare is Ashildr. Except it also isn't. The Doctor and not-Ashildr return to her house, and the whole first half of the episode is essentially constant dialogue between the pair, as they discuss and argue over what he has done to her by granting her immortality. A millennium has passed since we last saw Ashildr, and she barely remembers the events of that fateful day in her little Viking village. When the Doctor refers to her as Ashildr, she doesn't even register it as a name she previously went by. There are probably a hundred different ways you could deal with that scenario, but the way Me (as she now calls herself) shrugs that comment off with "If you say so" is possibly the most heartbreaking. She's been alive for so long now that she doesn't even register an emotional connection to the life she lived before the Doctor revived her.
It's credit to Catherine Treganna's excellent script that none of the dialogue falls into the trap of overloading us with exposition. The purpose of these scenes aren't to fill in the gaps and catch us up on what Me has done since we last saw her as Ashildr, rather they act as a deep and thoughtful insight into her broken mindset and allow us to understand the emotional damage the Doctor has caused her. As Me rightfully points out, she is burdened with the curse of an eternal life coupled with the memory capacity of a regular human being. She cannot keep every memory she makes. As the Doctor flicks through one of Me's journals, he finds pages ripped out from when certain memories became too painful to bear, and stains from teardrops cover page after page after page. Perhaps this episode's most devastating moment comes when the Doctor realises that Me had three children, all of whom died while she never aged. She keeps this memory though, despite its unbearable pain, as a reminder to stop her from ever having children again and suffering this unimaginable fate a second time. The first half of this episode all takes place at night, with the darkened frame only illuminated by moonlight or a flickering candle. The dialogue is all beautifully effective - poetic, even, as Me tells the Doctor that "All these people, they're like smoke. They blow away in the wind." - but it becomes something truly special with the delicate visuals to match.
Peter Capaldi was breathtakingly good in this episode. He gave an excellent performance last week, too, with his comedic side flourishing and then his emotional availability resonating at the end, but we saw a whole new side to his Doctor tonight. This series keeps pushing and pulling at the Doctor's character but in all the right ways. Last season the superb Listen - one of my favourite Doctor Who stories of all time - gave us a beautiful insight into the Doctor, and this season is refusing to shake that off. I feel as if I know the twelfth Doctor more than I knew nine, or ten, or eleven. The writing this season has been so strong, and coupled with Capaldi's excellent acting ability it's difficult to come away without deep understanding of just who this Doctor is. Maisie Williams also excelled tonight, topping her performance last week with a much darker, more sophisticated turn. As Ashildr, Williams got to be fun and light-hearted, the sweet child in a grim environment. But Me lacks any of this, and Williams doesn't let any of her previous incarnation through. She is so good at separating Me from Ashildr that this could almost have been an entirely different actress.
Noticeably absent this week was Clara, who only really appeared in that brief TARDIS sequence at the episode's close. As much as I like Clara as a character, I'm quite pleased she was left out of this episode; there wasn't really anything for her to add. This episode was all about the Doctor and Me and how they both deal with the curse of a lifespan that long, and Clara would have just got in the way of how they talked to each other. It is interesting, though, that Me designated Clara as the Doctor's weakness. When you combine that with the Doctor's fearful, sorrowful gaze at Clara as she ends the episode with the line "I'm not going anywhere", the whole thing just becomes even more resonating. These two episodes have been more thematically powerful than anything this show has done in a very long time, in fact I might even say they're two of the strongest episodes Doctor Who has ever done when you look at their themes and ideas in isolation. They are both so emotionally powerful, but also so utterly human at the same time. Doctor Who flying through space can be a blast, but this show is at its best when it understands how human it really is.
Ashildr is now a highwayman
Tweekums25 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
At first it appears that this episode has nothing to do with the previous instalment; it is 1651 and a highwayman going by the name of The Nightmare is terrorising travellers. As he attempts one such robbery The Doctor appears and while he bickers with The Nightmare the victims escape. It is then revealed that the highwayman is in fact a highwaywoman
Ashildr; the girl The Doctor made immortal a long, long time ago. She tells him she is no longer Ashildr; she has had many names since and has forgotten most of them; now she just calls herself 'Me'. She has lived centuries while those she loved died leaving her bitter and she blames The Doctor. She still hopes he can help her though by inviting her to travel with him. He refuses but does briefly become her sidekick as she attempts to steal a jewel of alien origin
he doesn't realise what she wants it for though; to use it to open a portal which will enable her and a lion-like alien, named Leandro, to travel the galaxy
with the catch that it takes one death to make it work.
This was a fine second part to Ashildr's story; it was interesting to see that the consequences of The Doctor's actions aren't always as positive as they first appear. The cheerful young girl has become bitter and as she has come to see just how short normal human lives are she has stopped seeing any value in them or at least that is what it appears. Once again Maisie Williams does a great job as Ashildr; for much of the episode she dominates the story as the Doctor effectively becomes her sidekick. While there are plenty of downbeat moments as we learn about what has happened to her since the last episode there is also some humour; including a condemned man who attempts to do a stand-up comedy routine as he waits to be hanged, in order to delay proceedings. This scene could have spoilt the show if it hadn't worked but thankfully most of the jokes were quite funny. If there was a slight disappointment it was when the portal eventually opened leading to an invasion that was quickly thwarted of course it could be argued that it was there so Ashildr could realise that she did care about people after all and for her to find a reason for her existence.
This was a fine second part to Ashildr's story; it was interesting to see that the consequences of The Doctor's actions aren't always as positive as they first appear. The cheerful young girl has become bitter and as she has come to see just how short normal human lives are she has stopped seeing any value in them or at least that is what it appears. Once again Maisie Williams does a great job as Ashildr; for much of the episode she dominates the story as the Doctor effectively becomes her sidekick. While there are plenty of downbeat moments as we learn about what has happened to her since the last episode there is also some humour; including a condemned man who attempts to do a stand-up comedy routine as he waits to be hanged, in order to delay proceedings. This scene could have spoilt the show if it hadn't worked but thankfully most of the jokes were quite funny. If there was a slight disappointment it was when the portal eventually opened leading to an invasion that was quickly thwarted of course it could be argued that it was there so Ashildr could realise that she did care about people after all and for her to find a reason for her existence.
Live and Dangerous
A_Kind_Of_CineMagic24 March 2019
This has totally different settings, villains, storylines and writers to the previous episode and is officially not a 2-part story but it again features Ashildr (Maisie Williams) from the previous episode, who now calls herself Me. That is the common theme, her relationship to the Doctor and her reaction to the way the Doctor saved her and made her 'immortal'.
Williams acts her part well and sells all the themes of bitterness and cynicism really successfully but I am not keen on the Moffatt obsession with hyping up a morally questionable dark side to the Doctor and it is boringly overused so I am not thrilled by it being used again.
There is humour and darkness, some fun ideas and some weak ideas, some annoying aspects and some good aspects.
The villain is weak in my opinion. I don't find him or the plot convincingly presented.
Ashildr/Me is a strong, interesting and compelling character thanks to Williams impressive performance but I don't really like the way her immortality is portrayed and her bitterness is quite challenging. Capaldi is fantastic as ever. Clara is barely in the episode which gives more time and focus for Ashildr/Me.
Interesting story but not entirely well executed. These 2 Ashildr episodes were not bad but were the first dip in quality in Series 9.
My Rating: 6.5/10.
Series 9 Episode Ranking: 11th out of 14.
Williams acts her part well and sells all the themes of bitterness and cynicism really successfully but I am not keen on the Moffatt obsession with hyping up a morally questionable dark side to the Doctor and it is boringly overused so I am not thrilled by it being used again.
There is humour and darkness, some fun ideas and some weak ideas, some annoying aspects and some good aspects.
The villain is weak in my opinion. I don't find him or the plot convincingly presented.
Ashildr/Me is a strong, interesting and compelling character thanks to Williams impressive performance but I don't really like the way her immortality is portrayed and her bitterness is quite challenging. Capaldi is fantastic as ever. Clara is barely in the episode which gives more time and focus for Ashildr/Me.
Interesting story but not entirely well executed. These 2 Ashildr episodes were not bad but were the first dip in quality in Series 9.
My Rating: 6.5/10.
Series 9 Episode Ranking: 11th out of 14.
A rare case of the 2nd part far surpassing the 1st
gridoon20247 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Usually in a "Doctor Who" two-parter the first episode is better than the second; for example, that was the case in both previous two-parters in this latest season! But here we have an exception to the rule: "The Woman Who Lived" is far superior to "The Girl Who Died". Although this is really only technically a "two-parter"; the two episodes tell two entirely different stories, centuries apart, and are connected only (but significantly) by the presence of Maisie Williams in both. She was OK in "Girl" but she is excellent in "Woman", and it looks like we haven't seen the last of her yet. Debuting "Doctor Who" writer Catherine Tregenna brings a fresh touch to the series; this is a more personal, more thoughtful episode than the norm, dealing seriously with one of the favorite topics of sci-fi writers (the tragic side of immortality), and I particularly liked her idea about a normal-sized memory having trouble recording an entire infinite life. Clara is absent, but she is not missed. When she does appear, in the last 2 minutes, there is a splendid little scene between her and the Doctor, which captures human life in a bottle. *** out of 4.
Lion-Oh Messy
Theo Robertson26 October 2015
Ah Adam and the Ants . And if you can't remember who they were ask your parents . Or your grandparents . Apparently someone liked the band so much someone in the DOCTOR WHO production team decided to do a homage to them . Either that or someone has just seen a certain episode of BLACKADDER THE THIRD . Not to be too negative the show has of course borrowed lots and lots of elements from popular culture . Any DOCTOR WHO story that is inspired by QUATERMASS comes close to instant classic status so a lack of originality to an individual story is rarely a problem . At its heart there's a good story to The Woman Who Lived but is never fully successful in its execution and wider aspects
One thing it might be congratulated on is the constant lack of self reference to other stories . It's a sequel of sorts to The Girl Who died or more accurately a continuation to that episode so strictly speaking it's not really a two part story so there's no reason for this episode to follow last weeks one . Why not broadcast it a couple of weeks down the line ? The story itself is a nice change from the fast paced noisy let's save the universe within 45 minutes bluster . Indeed the idea of living forever is a fate worse than death is an intelligent and compelling concept so what's wrong with the episode ?
Easily explained - the acting isn't strong enough to carry the story . If you've got an episode that's relatively threadbare and the characters and dialogue carry the story these aspects have to be perfect . Instead we have some of the most wooden acting the show has seen since it came back in 2005 . Maisie Williams seems well regarded by GAME OF THRONE fans but here she gives a very stilted wooden performance though it might actually be preferable to the one Michelle Gomez gave in the season opener but that's hardly great praise . Rufus Hound's character might have been vaguely interesting but the character is reduced to a stand up comedian making wise cracks and innuendo and we have a villain straight out of THE LION KING . Oh and no scene can last for longer than five seconds without intrusive mood music stealing a scene so we get another episode /story that doesn't really reach its full potential
One thing it might be congratulated on is the constant lack of self reference to other stories . It's a sequel of sorts to The Girl Who died or more accurately a continuation to that episode so strictly speaking it's not really a two part story so there's no reason for this episode to follow last weeks one . Why not broadcast it a couple of weeks down the line ? The story itself is a nice change from the fast paced noisy let's save the universe within 45 minutes bluster . Indeed the idea of living forever is a fate worse than death is an intelligent and compelling concept so what's wrong with the episode ?
Easily explained - the acting isn't strong enough to carry the story . If you've got an episode that's relatively threadbare and the characters and dialogue carry the story these aspects have to be perfect . Instead we have some of the most wooden acting the show has seen since it came back in 2005 . Maisie Williams seems well regarded by GAME OF THRONE fans but here she gives a very stilted wooden performance though it might actually be preferable to the one Michelle Gomez gave in the season opener but that's hardly great praise . Rufus Hound's character might have been vaguely interesting but the character is reduced to a stand up comedian making wise cracks and innuendo and we have a villain straight out of THE LION KING . Oh and no scene can last for longer than five seconds without intrusive mood music stealing a scene so we get another episode /story that doesn't really reach its full potential
One of Series 9's Best Thus Far!
NineTenElevenTwelve24 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
As is expected, Capaldi was great in this episode. He got a lot of moments to shine in this episode (both serious and comedic) and I absolutely adored his chemistry with Ashildr/"Me". It was interesting seeing Capaldi get an episode without Clara for the most part and see him play off just the guest cast. It was still nice to see Clara make an appearance at the end of the episode. Speaking of Clara, I must admit that this season is really pushing forward the idea of Clara leaving. They've addressed the idea so much throughout the season thus far that it's becoming a bit tiresome. Don't get me wrong, I love the dialog and the scenes in question but it just seems like they're shoving this in our face WAY too much. We know Clara's leaving. You don't have to keep reminding us about it through not-so-subtle foreshadowing.
Maisie Williams got to shine so much in this episode. While I liked her in the previous episode, she didn't really feel different from any other guest actor. Here, we got to see her play a pained, complex character who's lived for eight centuries and has grown desensitized by her immortality. Her anger and pain felt very real and Williams played the part with masterful skill. I really liked how this episode explored the idea of immortality and what it would truly be like for an average human to experience. A scene that really stood out to me was "Me" talking about why she forgets details about her life. An infinite life with a mortal memory. That...actually makes a lot of sense; and it only makes the concept of immortality all the more tragic. It's understandable why the Doctor can remember so much given that he's a Time Lord but the average human brain probably doesn't have the strength nor the ability to remember so much. It was nice to see "Me's" excitement for life revived by the end and I have a feeling that this won't be the last we see of her this season. Her ominously smiling at Clara in the background of Clara's selfie seems to be a huge bit of foreshadowing for the character's return at some point. Since this season's arc seems to be revolving around the hybrid Davros spoke of, it's becoming very obvious that "Me" is shaping up to being that hybrid. Will she be an enemy for the Doctor to face or will she become a new ally? We could have a new recurring character on our hands. If this means more of Maisie Williams and this character on the show then I'm all for it!
The only other guest characters who stood out were Sam Swift and Leandro. Sam was likable and I enjoyed his banter with "Me" and the Doctor. I also liked how the second Mire chip was used to save his life and stop the oncoming invasion. Sam's immortality was left open for debate given the situation he was in but I wouldn't mind seeing him again if he appears alongside "Me" in a future episode. Leandro had an interesting design and some vague, intriguing origins but that's about it. He pretty much had a similar plan to the Geth with opening a portal and allowing his kind to invade Earth. Oddly enough, both his invasion and the Geth's invasion involved death. Coincidence? Well, this season has been doing well at subtlety celebrating New Who's 10th anniversary so maybe this is more than just a coincidence.
Other quick things to note. It appears the sonic sunglasses are here to stay. Sorry to all you naysayers but I'm enjoying them so...tough. I also really liked the Doctor mentioning Jack Harkness to "Me". I wonder if this is a hint for a return. Please? Can we see more Jack? Well we're getting more River Song at Christmas so anything's possible, I suppose.
Overall, I loved The Woman Who Lived. It had great character moments, explored some interesting concepts, fully embraced its 17th century atmosphere, and gave some intriguing set-up for the future.
Maisie Williams got to shine so much in this episode. While I liked her in the previous episode, she didn't really feel different from any other guest actor. Here, we got to see her play a pained, complex character who's lived for eight centuries and has grown desensitized by her immortality. Her anger and pain felt very real and Williams played the part with masterful skill. I really liked how this episode explored the idea of immortality and what it would truly be like for an average human to experience. A scene that really stood out to me was "Me" talking about why she forgets details about her life. An infinite life with a mortal memory. That...actually makes a lot of sense; and it only makes the concept of immortality all the more tragic. It's understandable why the Doctor can remember so much given that he's a Time Lord but the average human brain probably doesn't have the strength nor the ability to remember so much. It was nice to see "Me's" excitement for life revived by the end and I have a feeling that this won't be the last we see of her this season. Her ominously smiling at Clara in the background of Clara's selfie seems to be a huge bit of foreshadowing for the character's return at some point. Since this season's arc seems to be revolving around the hybrid Davros spoke of, it's becoming very obvious that "Me" is shaping up to being that hybrid. Will she be an enemy for the Doctor to face or will she become a new ally? We could have a new recurring character on our hands. If this means more of Maisie Williams and this character on the show then I'm all for it!
The only other guest characters who stood out were Sam Swift and Leandro. Sam was likable and I enjoyed his banter with "Me" and the Doctor. I also liked how the second Mire chip was used to save his life and stop the oncoming invasion. Sam's immortality was left open for debate given the situation he was in but I wouldn't mind seeing him again if he appears alongside "Me" in a future episode. Leandro had an interesting design and some vague, intriguing origins but that's about it. He pretty much had a similar plan to the Geth with opening a portal and allowing his kind to invade Earth. Oddly enough, both his invasion and the Geth's invasion involved death. Coincidence? Well, this season has been doing well at subtlety celebrating New Who's 10th anniversary so maybe this is more than just a coincidence.
Other quick things to note. It appears the sonic sunglasses are here to stay. Sorry to all you naysayers but I'm enjoying them so...tough. I also really liked the Doctor mentioning Jack Harkness to "Me". I wonder if this is a hint for a return. Please? Can we see more Jack? Well we're getting more River Song at Christmas so anything's possible, I suppose.
Overall, I loved The Woman Who Lived. It had great character moments, explored some interesting concepts, fully embraced its 17th century atmosphere, and gave some intriguing set-up for the future.
good effort and about time
doorsscorpywag25 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The best of the series so far and it's worth noting that the episode was pretty much Claraless which tells you something about the last couple of series of this fine British institution.
Like the Van Gogh episode it had a really silly monster with a daft back-story whose only purpose was to allow the two main leads to examine the consequences of living forever.
And Maisie Williams as 'Me' and Peter Capaldi did a fine job of it.
It's a pity that we could not have seen more of Ashildr's story between the terrible last weeks episode and their re-union but time ironically is always short in Dr Who. What we saw was pretty compelling and sometimes sad TV and it was nice to be able to say something positive about the programme which has been pretty awful since RTD left the show.
Last weeks abysmal Viking episode showed how lazy Dr Who writers have become but yesterday's episode at least gave us a rare glimpse of what we used to take for granted. Even the silly stand up routine was done decently and Rufus Hound did a good job as Me's rival highwayman. Of course some of it was too silly but Dr Who has always had such moments and it's fine if done well.
One snippet of dialogue summed up the problem with Doctor Who at the moment.
The Doctor: You remember Clara, don't you? Ashildr: Of course. I take particular note of anyone's weaknesses.
The sooner Clara is gotten rid of the better and we get a companion who does not take over the show. Captain Jack got a mention so there may be hope of seeing him return and Ashildr is hanging around as we saw in the last scene so maybe she will return. River Song is another really interesting character who could play some part in future. All we need is to clean out the Tardis and for the writers to watch the old RTD era episodes and get a few ideas of what Dr Who does right and give Peter Capaldi a chance to act as in The Woman Who Lived episode.
OK it wasn't brilliant but it was a good episode and that in a series of utter dross so far is something hopeful for Dr Who and it's future.
Less (preferably NO!)Clara and more Doctor. A solid 7 from me!
Like the Van Gogh episode it had a really silly monster with a daft back-story whose only purpose was to allow the two main leads to examine the consequences of living forever.
And Maisie Williams as 'Me' and Peter Capaldi did a fine job of it.
It's a pity that we could not have seen more of Ashildr's story between the terrible last weeks episode and their re-union but time ironically is always short in Dr Who. What we saw was pretty compelling and sometimes sad TV and it was nice to be able to say something positive about the programme which has been pretty awful since RTD left the show.
Last weeks abysmal Viking episode showed how lazy Dr Who writers have become but yesterday's episode at least gave us a rare glimpse of what we used to take for granted. Even the silly stand up routine was done decently and Rufus Hound did a good job as Me's rival highwayman. Of course some of it was too silly but Dr Who has always had such moments and it's fine if done well.
One snippet of dialogue summed up the problem with Doctor Who at the moment.
The Doctor: You remember Clara, don't you? Ashildr: Of course. I take particular note of anyone's weaknesses.
The sooner Clara is gotten rid of the better and we get a companion who does not take over the show. Captain Jack got a mention so there may be hope of seeing him return and Ashildr is hanging around as we saw in the last scene so maybe she will return. River Song is another really interesting character who could play some part in future. All we need is to clean out the Tardis and for the writers to watch the old RTD era episodes and get a few ideas of what Dr Who does right and give Peter Capaldi a chance to act as in The Woman Who Lived episode.
OK it wasn't brilliant but it was a good episode and that in a series of utter dross so far is something hopeful for Dr Who and it's future.
Less (preferably NO!)Clara and more Doctor. A solid 7 from me!
Awesome character study
a-163711 April 2016
The Woman Who Lived was awesome.
Ashildr, or "Me" (as she now calls herself,) is an incredible character, and Maisie Williams is just flawless at portraying her. I loved the music and the ending, and how she is like a better Jack Harkness. The dialogue was emotional and great
Leandro looked really cool, and the episode was also funny- too silly at some parts though.
Overall, The Woman Who Lived is one of the best episodes of series 9. Up there with Heaven Sent, Face the Raven, The Witch's Familiar, and Under the Lake.
10/10
Ashildr, or "Me" (as she now calls herself,) is an incredible character, and Maisie Williams is just flawless at portraying her. I loved the music and the ending, and how she is like a better Jack Harkness. The dialogue was emotional and great
Leandro looked really cool, and the episode was also funny- too silly at some parts though.
Overall, The Woman Who Lived is one of the best episodes of series 9. Up there with Heaven Sent, Face the Raven, The Witch's Familiar, and Under the Lake.
10/10
Fun and Sweet
jenacavargas24 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Doctor Who is fun, it has always been fun (except the times it rips your heart out but those are the ups and downs we love about the show). I love the strong female characters on either side of good or bad. Goodness knows there are enough male ones but I imagine that's the root behind some of the poorer reviews here (some were not too subtle about their reason for their unfavorable rating). This is full of dilemma, morality, decisions, and ultimately trying to do the right thing - what the Doctor is all about.
Loved the journals, the girl trying to be strong but making mistakes, and watching her find her heart again. Wrenching and beautiful.
Love Peter Capaldi and Maisie Williams in these roles.
Loved the journals, the girl trying to be strong but making mistakes, and watching her find her heart again. Wrenching and beautiful.
Love Peter Capaldi and Maisie Williams in these roles.
The Child Who Defiled...
Xstal29 December 2021
Stand and don't deliver, this really makes me shiver, turning everything to pot, with a ridiculous storyline and plot. The girl who died should be denied, the way she acquired her infinitesimal lives, if extending life could be so easy, Jack wouldn't need the Bad Wolf prophecy. In fact everything that was ever bred, could stick a Mire chip on its forehead (if it had one), and be resurrected to live forever, the point of Time Lords completely severed.
Strengthening
thomassounness2 November 2015
The tawdry humour is the let down, as is the inclusion of the RayBans and the thrumming guitar - but this is the feature of all the doctors, their little characteristics that speak to a time and a place and a character type.
Other than this, the movements of the timelessness people, those that watch and those that walk through time one day at a time vs those that walk through time and space at the whim of the Tardis, that is the theme that is is being developed here. An arc has started, and it is one similar to that of Captain John Harkness (Face of Boe) and the Master ... all elements that show a view of the universe from those who travel through it with a nigh timeless manner.
The showing of a new tapestry, a new field of combat - that of the citizenry of the planet - now that is interesting ... I look forward to finding out how this is played out. Much speculation is in my mind and that I enjoy.
But fire breathing lordly lions ... for crazy sake, what a waste of a noble looking character on so brief a role.
Other than this, the movements of the timelessness people, those that watch and those that walk through time one day at a time vs those that walk through time and space at the whim of the Tardis, that is the theme that is is being developed here. An arc has started, and it is one similar to that of Captain John Harkness (Face of Boe) and the Master ... all elements that show a view of the universe from those who travel through it with a nigh timeless manner.
The showing of a new tapestry, a new field of combat - that of the citizenry of the planet - now that is interesting ... I look forward to finding out how this is played out. Much speculation is in my mind and that I enjoy.
But fire breathing lordly lions ... for crazy sake, what a waste of a noble looking character on so brief a role.
The Woman Who Lived
MrFilmAndTelevisionShow29 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is a good follow up to the previous one. I thought it was very interesting and while the opening of that spacey-timey-wimey portal thingy felt a bit like sci-fi being crammed into the show because it's Doctor Who rather than a good idea, it wasn't bad though, and Ashielda (or however that is spelt) finding a friend to live the rest of her very long life with was a wholesome end.
...to tell a mediocre tale full of stupidity
dkiliane24 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The shoehorned immortality aside (carried over from "The Girl Who Died"), there unfortunately is very little to this episode. To be fair, it's not horrible, but it's not really good either. The episode continually hammers home how much a burden immortality is to a normal human being, which does have some merit, and the flashbacks contain both good emotional resonance and even some humor. However, Ashildr, or "Me," as she now calls herself, is such a crybaby about it, we quickly lose the sympathy we are obviously intended to feel for her. In the previous episode she was a decent character, but in this episode she is irritating beyond pity, and selfish beyond belief, without compassion or remorse, which makes her redemption by the end of the episode feel all the more far fetched and undeserved. I also don't buy the "finite human memory" vs immortal lifespan aspect, which further irritated me.
Additionally, most of the humor, other than The Doctor's quippy one-liners, falls rather flat. Although the banter to buy time at Sam Swift's hanging is entertaining. The villain, Leonas or some other lion-esque ripoff, also falls completely flat, partly due to flat acting and partly due to grossly neglected character development. Which is unfortunate, as on paper he probably seemed really cool - a fire breathing humanoid lion alien - but the execution is rather lame and completely one-note. And the plot, revolving around the villain attempting to use an ancient alien artifact to open a dimensional portal (requiring a death, of course) is as underdeveloped and forgettable as the villain.
But as I said, it's not all bad. Sam Swift "the quick" is an entertaining and mostly sympathetic character, representing the human capacity to enjoy life and appreciate its short span, thus being the foil to Me, who has lost almost all interest in living life, though immortal. There is some interesting concepts behind the discussion on the ability to enjoy life being dependent on the shortness of the life span, but this too remains underdeveloped and not truly discussed in any significant way until after the climax of the episode, which is when the episode finally improves. Ashildr returns to the enjoyable character she was in the previous episode without any real explanation, but at least it provided a heartfelt scene with her and The Doctor. And Clara, who only has one scene with The Doctor (at the very end of the episode) has some genuinely refreshing repartee between the two. Say what you want about Clara, but if this episode taught me only one thing, it is that she is infinitely preferable as a companion to The Doctor than Ashildr. 7/10
Additionally, most of the humor, other than The Doctor's quippy one-liners, falls rather flat. Although the banter to buy time at Sam Swift's hanging is entertaining. The villain, Leonas or some other lion-esque ripoff, also falls completely flat, partly due to flat acting and partly due to grossly neglected character development. Which is unfortunate, as on paper he probably seemed really cool - a fire breathing humanoid lion alien - but the execution is rather lame and completely one-note. And the plot, revolving around the villain attempting to use an ancient alien artifact to open a dimensional portal (requiring a death, of course) is as underdeveloped and forgettable as the villain.
But as I said, it's not all bad. Sam Swift "the quick" is an entertaining and mostly sympathetic character, representing the human capacity to enjoy life and appreciate its short span, thus being the foil to Me, who has lost almost all interest in living life, though immortal. There is some interesting concepts behind the discussion on the ability to enjoy life being dependent on the shortness of the life span, but this too remains underdeveloped and not truly discussed in any significant way until after the climax of the episode, which is when the episode finally improves. Ashildr returns to the enjoyable character she was in the previous episode without any real explanation, but at least it provided a heartfelt scene with her and The Doctor. And Clara, who only has one scene with The Doctor (at the very end of the episode) has some genuinely refreshing repartee between the two. Say what you want about Clara, but if this episode taught me only one thing, it is that she is infinitely preferable as a companion to The Doctor than Ashildr. 7/10
The Rot is Sinking In
bml8425 October 2015
We seem to be back at what killed the original series- the need to make Dr Who as the lowest form of 'Light Entertainment'.
It's silly in all the wrong ways, has a pantomime feeling about it, and recently the 'historical' characters all act with a very 21stC manner, as if the creators are so desperate to be 'Hip' and 'PC' that any reference to the actual biases of the past not only have to be ignored but actively re-cast in a modern light.
The gallows scene was a classic example of this- feeling wrong in execution and delivery.
Sadly, I really thought Capaldi would give the show some Gravitas, in the manner of Pertwee.
He could joke and play around, but was never foolish and it was always clear he was the smartest man in the room.
Worrying trend all this season.
It's silly in all the wrong ways, has a pantomime feeling about it, and recently the 'historical' characters all act with a very 21stC manner, as if the creators are so desperate to be 'Hip' and 'PC' that any reference to the actual biases of the past not only have to be ignored but actively re-cast in a modern light.
The gallows scene was a classic example of this- feeling wrong in execution and delivery.
Sadly, I really thought Capaldi would give the show some Gravitas, in the manner of Pertwee.
He could joke and play around, but was never foolish and it was always clear he was the smartest man in the room.
Worrying trend all this season.
Possibly The Worse Drama Ever Ever Ever.
blastcookie24 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Ever.
Terrible in every way. And someone really should have kept Maisie Williams away from those flames, that degree of wooden acting is a health and safety nightmare.
Although Peter Capaldi stands out a bit better, it's obvious why; the guest stars are basically to acting what fish are to pole vaulting.
That Lion-man character was paper thin, it's like no one can write Dr Who scripts any more!
This show is doomed.
Someone take Moffat outside for a special boating lake experience purlease....
Terrible in every way. And someone really should have kept Maisie Williams away from those flames, that degree of wooden acting is a health and safety nightmare.
Although Peter Capaldi stands out a bit better, it's obvious why; the guest stars are basically to acting what fish are to pole vaulting.
That Lion-man character was paper thin, it's like no one can write Dr Who scripts any more!
This show is doomed.
Someone take Moffat outside for a special boating lake experience purlease....
Doctor Who doesn't understand anything.
pnotstar15 February 2018
According to Doctor Who a 5ft tall woman can draw back a 6ft tall English Longbow, a task which required a ridiculous amount of time to achieve, to the point where the arrow could penetrate steel plate armor, possible yes but very unlikely. Due to this Doctor Who has lost all my respect and I will no longer be viewing any episodes. Thank you for your time.
Who is it that keeps this show going?
dmarois-775-5993998 July 2018
She can't remember her name but she remembers the Doctor. And she ended the 100 years war. She's quite a creation isn't she? One of my sneezes could blow her over. I'd love to see what this show would be like if produced by not the BBC. Might be worse. Might be better. Might not be so ... feministic. Might be too ... testosteroonie. We will never know. The Doctor is supremely logical yet the women around him have made the show disappointingly illogical. I find that endlessly fascinating.
I preferred the lion story, that was the last of Classic Who
warlordartos24 April 2021
When I say prefer i mean immensely. That had a good story behind it. This on the other hand is just horrible. I actually forgot this episode existed and now I wished it stayed that way. Now I've seen it again and have this feeling it's going to stay in my memory forever.
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