Dr Who: An Englishman in LA

Our man in Los Angeles, ROBERT CAVE, takes a look at the fifth episode of the new series of Doctor Who in a weekly review column

Doctor Who Series 9/ Season 35 episode five

Hello everyone, spoilers abound here for the fifth episode of series nine of Doctor Who.

So, when he regenerates, the Doctor can take inspiration for his new face from those he’s met before. This time he thinks he chose his current face to remind him to save people regardless of the risks to time itself. I can’t help but remember how he tried to save Adelaide Brooke in defiance of the laws (or perhaps are they more sort of guidelines?) of time back in The Waters of Mars. That didn’t turn out so well. And why did he choose the face of a Gallifreyan guard who once shot him for his sixth incarnation? Maybe it was as a warning not to trust his fellow Time Lords, who did, let us remember, put that incarnation on trial.

Well, I’m certainly enjoying the all two-parters format of this season. There really is nothing like a good cliffhanger to make you wish it was next week already. I’m also enjoying the way the writers are playing with that format of the two-parters, underlining the fact that this is a show that is all about action in time and space by cheerfully ignoring the dramatic unities of action, time and place.

The fight between the less-fierce Vikings and the Mire was fun. And remember, Doctor Who is as much about fun and silliness as it is about drama, monsters and life or death. But, unlike some of the more fun-focused episodes of recent years, The Girl Who Died balanced the levity with some more ominous overtones. Life and death in all their gravity are very much present throughout.

The Doctor managed to do what the more squeamish fans of Arya Stark in Game of Thrones wish they could manage themselves: he made Masie Williams’ character immortal. There are some hints that Ashildr’s immortality isn’t going to be a good thing, but Rose did make Captain Jack immortal a decade back, and the universe hasn’t collapsed yet because of it.

Also the doctor makes a point of Ashildr being a hybrid, echoing the Dalek/Timelord hybrids seen earlier this series. Will this become of greater significance or turn out to be a red herring? Not sure yet. Whichever the case, we do know that Ashildr will at least be back next week. I’d like to see her stay longer. Could she be the next companion? Could she fit regular work on Doctor Who into her Game of Thrones schedule? It seems staggeringly unlikely, but I still want to see it.

But back to the ominous foreshadowing. Life, death, hybrids, grave mistakes and the nature of immortality. We now know for certain that Clara is leaving Doctor Who this year. Is she going to die? Or be removed for time completely? In his thoughts on this episode, my old mate Rich Johnston pointed out something I missed in last week’s episode: the ex-UNIT woman knew about Rose, Martha and Amy, but not Donna or Clara Bleeding Cool on Dr Who.

Now show runner Steven Moffat has saved Clara from apparent doom almost as many times as he’s killed her off, and he likes to tease the fans, to throw them off the scent. In last season’s Listen he hinted and implied, but never explicitly stated, that the Orson Pink in that story was the descendant of Clara and Danny Pink. Then he killed Danny off before they could have any descendants. Is that ever going to get resolved on screen?

We know Moffat likes to have his cake and eat it too. He created the sonic shades so hated by some fans and destroyed them this week as if it was his plan all along.

Will Ashildr become the Doctor’s new companion or some new greatest enemy, a human hybrid with cause to hate the Timelord that made her immortal? I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m looking forward to finding out. See you next week.

Doctor Who – The Complete Series 8 [DVD] [2014]