Doctor Who Preview/Synopsis: ‘The Girl Who Died’

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It’s the age of the Vikings this week on Doctor Who, as the Doctor and Clara team up with Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams and square off against Odin and a robotic army.

Possibly the most anticipated story in all of Series 9, there has been rampant speculation for months now over who Maisie Williams was playing. This week’s episode and the one that follows don’t constitute a traditional two-part story; instead, they’re two stories set in different time periods that both feature Maisie’s character. Given that she doesn’t seem to age or possibly possesses the ability to travel through time, many fans were hopeful that she would turn out to be the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan, a regenerated River Song, or even the Doctor’s cloned daughter, Jenny.

Steven Moffat eventually poured water on all of those theories, revealing that Maisie is, in fact, playing a brand-new character, conceived by producer Brian Minchin. Her name is Ashildr, and in ‘The Girl Who Died’ she is apparently just a normal Viking girl. By episode’s end, though, we can expect something to happen which will allow her to still be alive when the Doctor discovers her in 17th century England in next week’s ‘The Woman Who Lived.’

Here’s the official synopsis for ‘The Girl Who Died’:

"Captured by Vikings, the Doctor and Clara must help protect their village from Space Warriors from the future: the Mire. Outnumbered and outgunned, their fate seems inevitable. So why is the Doctor preoccupied with a single Viking girl?"

Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman give a special introduction to this week’s episode:

Here’s the official trailer:

And finally, here are two clips from ‘The Girl Who Died’:

So put on your Viking helmet and enjoy ‘The Girl Who Died,’ and watch for our full episode recap tomorrow evening. Our weekly round table review will be up on Monday morning.

Doctor Who airs on BBC One (UK), BBC America (US), and Space (Canada) this Saturday, October 17, 2015. For more information on all of the upcoming episodes, check out our frequently updated guide: Doctor Who Series 9: Everything There is to Know So Far.

Talk to us! Are you looking forward to ‘The Girl Who Died’? Any theories about Maisie’s character or what will happen to her? Tell us about in the comments below!

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