The Girl Who Died
The Doctor trains Vikings to fight the Mire.
The Girl Who Died is the fifth episode of the ninth series of Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 17 October 2015. Written by Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat and directed by Ed Bazalgette, it features the Twelfth Doctor and Clara training Viking villagers for war against the Mire. The episode was watched by 6.56 million viewers and received highly positive reviews.
Quick Facts
- Number
- 256
- Doctor
- Peter Capaldi – Twelfth Doctor
- Companion
- Jenna Coleman – Clara Oswald
- Director
- Ed Bazalgette
- Writer
- Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat
- Producer
- Derek Ritchie
- Executive producers
- Steven Moffat; Brian Minchin
- Composer
- Murray Gold
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The Doctor and Clara are brought to a Viking village, where he tries to pass himself off as Odin. The locals see right through this when a giant face claiming to be Odin appears in the sky, offering to take their warriors to Valhalla. Armoured soldiers then appear and fire weapons that seem to disintegrate the Vikings, also hitting Clara and a village woman named Ashildr. The soldiers vanish. Clara and Ashildr wake up on a spaceship with the other captured Vikings. The men are killed and have their adrenaline and testosterone extracted. The two women meet Odin, who is actually the leader of the Mire, a species that takes pride in ruthless conquest. Before Clara can stop her, Ashildr declares war on the Mire, and Odin gives them a day to get ready. Back on Earth, Clara fills the Doctor in. He sees the villagers are no match for the Mire and comes up with a plan that uses Ashildr’s talent for storytelling and a stash of electric eels. When the Mire show up, they find the villagers partying. Their confusion lets the Doctor stun them with electricity and yank a helmet off with an electromagnet. He modifies that helmet and has Ashildr put it on. It lets her imagine a puppet dragon, which gets broadcast to the other Mire and frightens them away. Odin threatens to return, but the Doctor says he’ll send video of the rout, recorded on Clara’s phone, across the universe unless they leave Earth alone. Odin and the Mire go peacefully. The village celebrates, but then they find Ashildr dead from using the helmet. The Doctor is upset until he recalls why he chose the face of Caecilius: to always save someone, no matter the cost. He breaks his own rules, takes two chips from the Mire helmets, and implants one in Ashildr, giving the other to her father for later. The chip rapidly heals Ashildr’s body, and she wakes up. As they leave, the Doctor tells Clara he worries he gave Ashildr something worse than death, because the chip will never fail, making her immortal and forever alone. He left the second chip hoping she would give it to someone she loves. After meeting the Vikings, the Doctor pulls out a yo-yo, trying to impress them with magic. A former companion named Leela once thought a yo-yo was magical when the Fourth Doctor gave her one.
Broadcast and reception
The episode "The Girl Who Died" pulled in 4.63 million overnight viewers, placing it second for the day and marking an improvement over the prior installment. Its consolidated audience reached 6.56 million, the highest of the series so far, with a 28.1% share and an Appreciation Index of 82. Critics were largely enthusiastic, highlighting the humor, the explanation behind the Doctor's current face, and the performances of Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, and Maisie Williams. On Rotten Tomatoes, 19 reviews gave it a 95% approval rating and an average score of 8.1 out of 10. The site’s summary noted that Williams delivers a standout guest turn, the episode raises the stakes effectively, and it keeps the playful energy expected from Capaldi's Doctor. Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times gave it a perfect five stars, praising writers Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat for taking a familiar structure and adding unpredictability and an immortal twist. He described the episode as tapping into classic Doctor Who while slyly moving beyond it, achieving genuine surprise, and noted that the comedy lands and the emotional beats hit, with direction that is flawless. Scott Collura of IGN awarded an 8.8 out of 10, calling it great. He singled out Capaldi’s performance as both large and heartfelt, welcomed the introduction of Williams’ character, and appreciated the episode’s broader themes. Collura acknowledged that longtime fans might find the reveal of who Williams’ character is a bit disappointing, but felt the episode itself and its thematic weight compensated. Catherine Gee of The Daily Telegraph found it fast-moving and said it laid the groundwork for a significant follow-up. She noted that the attack and battle sequences moved quickly, and while it felt slightly rushed, that hardly mattered because the focus was clearly on setting up a larger second half.
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