Series 9 Speculation: The Living and the Dead
Guest contributor Sam White speculates on The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived.
So far Series 9 seems to be all about breaking paradigms and embracing the change. The most radical change that has been incorporated by the Great Moff is the abundance of two-parters. What’s even more interesting is the fact that Moffat & Co. aren’t selling these as conventional two-parters but rather as two different stories connected by a common thread. This absolutely new take on storytelling opens up a lot of new opportunities for the writers and adds a whole dollop of complexity to the existing storytelling dynamic.
The line-up starts with the perplexing yet fascinating The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar two-parter from Steven Moffat himself, followed by the currently untitled Toby Whithouse two-parter. Then we have episode 5 & 6 titled The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived by Jamie Mathieson and Catherine Tregenna, respectively. This is the first loosely connected two-parter of the Series. In this article I will present some speculative (focus on the word ‘speculative’) theories on why these two episodes may turn out to be a game-changer that no one was expecting.
One Story – Two Writers
Before moving onto the big stuff I would like to casually point out just how excited I am to see this duo helming these episodes. Catherine Tregenna has already proved her mettle through Torchwood episodes like Out of Time & Adam and Jamie Mathieson has wooed a large chunk of the Doctor Who fandom through his Series 8 episodes: Mummy on the Orient Express and Flatline. Of course my confidence in the pair may seem premature and unfounded to some fans because Series 9 would be Catherine Tregenna’s debut Series as a Doctor Who writer and the fact that Jamie Mathieson is the new kid on the block certainly doesn’t help. However I think it must be noted that these two writers have penned brilliant stories that can be safely labeled as classics unlike certain other veteran writers who have yet to impress. For me a good example of this would be Mark Gatiss whose contribution to the show has been a mixed bag on the whole. All in all I hope this duo delivers.
By this point I’m sure a lot of you are scratching your head trying to figure out why I am making such a big deal out of these two seemingly ordinary episodes. Well to begin, the first thing that catches one’s attention is the title. The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived seem all too conspicuous to be considered as a red herring however it must be said that Moffat & Co. does have a penchant for proving us wrong. For the sake of my theory however, I will consider these two titles to represent two different sides of the same coin (more on this later).
It is evident from the filming pics that these two stories are set in different times, one in the Viking age and the other in the 17th Century. Plus both these episodes feature the talented and beloved Maisie Williams. Another big reveal for these two episodes were the yet unnamed monsters that will appear in these episodes. These pieces of information tie up together to suggest that not only are the two episodes heavily connected but also that the connection would be across eras, combining the whole journey to form one grand story.
Have you seen this face before?
A big question that has puzzled many fans since the Twelfth Doctor’s arrival is his face. The same face has appeared twice before in the Doctor Who universe. Firstly as Caecilius in The Fires of Pompeii and secondly in Torchwood: Children of Earth as John Frobisher. In Deep Breath the Doctor himself seems to be puzzled by his face and points out that maybe he is trying to tell himself something subconsciously. This was part of the grand scheme that Mr. Moffat has concocted which will ultimately result in the resolution of this same-face conundrum. But when will this resolution happen? Sadly I don’t know that but if it’s any consolation, Moffat has himself said that the similar faces will be addressed in Series 9.
What better way to address the issue than by recreating the whole issue once again but just for another person. Yes the person I am referring to here is the character played by Maisie Williams. The fact that the two stories occur in different time periods along with the fact that Maisie appears in both of them point to only two possibilities. Either there is time travel involved and both the episodes will feature the same character played by Maisie or that Maisie will play two different characters in two different times mirroring the same-face situation of Caecilius and John Frobisher. Now for a show that is dependent on time travel the first possibility seems too straightforward. I am putting my bet on the second one. What about you?
The Theory: The Girl and the Woman
The titles have generated a large amount of speculation from the fans as to what they might mean and who are “The Girl” and “The Woman” in the titles and the indication of one to have died and the other to have lived hints towards the possibility of them being an outcome of the same event. Interestingly, many fans might remember that Series 8 heavily foreshadowed Clara’s departure from the show and many fans anticipated her demise in Death in Heaven however at the end of the day Clara lived and the woman whom the Doctor once considered his best friend died (apparently). Yes you guessed that right. I am talking about Missy.
Now before I move on I would like you to see these pictures of Jenna Coleman on set while filming for Series 9. The photos are from the filming of block 4 episodes (7/8). If you noticed what I noticed then you might have an indication of what this is leading up to. The above pics clearly show Jenna in a very Missy-like avatar. Also the substantial lack of Jenna in the filming pics for The Woman Who Lived suggests the possibility of Clara being separated from the Doctor and possibly in danger. Now time to put everything together.
Note: The theory below is currently pure speculation based on certain facts and can be spoilery.
I think to evade death Missy used Clara as a host in Death in Heaven. I am not sure about the specifics of how this takes place but this would allow Missy to have some sort of a mental control over Clara. Now in the opening two-parter we will probably see Clara struggling with Missy to take back control over her mind and the scenes of Clara with Missy from the filming pics may represent an imaginative setting that takes place inside Clara’s mind. Eventually Missy takes over and Clara transitions from the Magician’s Apprentice to the Witch’s Familiar. According to this theory I believe throughout Series 9 we will see Missy as portrayed by Jenna Coleman causing havoc and the Doctor trying to find her and help Clara regain control of her mind.
The Girl Who Died might possibly refer to Clara as her subconscious fades away as consequence of permanently losing control over her mind and The Woman Who Lived might refer to Missy who would continue on living in Clara’s body. If this were to be the case then this would make The Girl Who Died/The Woman Who Lived one of the saddest companion departure episodes of Doctor Who. This might also explain Jenna’s Missy like avatar and lack of filming pics with Peter Capaldi.
Finally I would like to say that my theory (if it turns out to be true) coupled with the new monsters, Maisie Williams and the addressing of the Doctor’s face will surely make The Girl Who Died/The Woman Who Lived an epic two-parter which will change the course of the series by serving as Clara’s swansong while letting Jenna remain on the show and pave way for an even more epic showdown between Missy and the Doctor in the Series finale. Thank you for reading.
