Warning: This article contains spoilers forDoctor Whoseason 9.
Beggars really shouldnt be choosers.
Maisie Williams was a big part of that…
The many reasons why Williams deserved it.
Shes such a gifted actress.
And the reason why Im saying that with awe is because shes so young.
She turned 18 when she was working with us.
And she came in, and she did a performance that I thought was so mature.
I was really, really impressed by it.
Over the course of the characters four-episode arc, this changes… somewhat.
Ashildr is forced to live a life of immortality in which she must watch everyone she loves die.
She hates the Doctor for abandoning her and she hates herself a little bit, too.
Ultimately, she is double-crossed, almost letting the alien and his kin attack the Earth.
Lady Me is appalled at what she has done.
She asks the Doctor for help.
Again, Me is an enigmatic character, portrayed with heartbreaking, mature depth by Williams.
That doesnt mean she doesnt care.
When Clara must die in the effort, Me seems genuinely sorry.
She also seems world-weary or should we say time-weary?
She is no stranger to death.
In fact, she has made a pact with it.
We next come upon Me at the end of the universe in Hell Bent.
She is waiting for the Doctor there, arguably no longer his equal so much as his superior.
There is literally no one else like Me in the universe at this point in her evolution.
She is young and she is impossibly old.
She is bitter, yet she still finds humor in the universe.
She is kind and she is unforgettably dangerous.
She has far too much power in the narrative for that.
And, sure, some of it is down to phenomenal writing and direction.
But a lot of it is down to Williams.
Later in the episode, we see Clara and Me careen off into the universe together on a TARDIS.
But the latter reaction is easy enough to ignore.
After all, Me isnt the one getting left behind this time.
The many reasons why it didnt happen.
The show has far too much history as campy science fiction for that.
Im not here to hate on the Emmys.
It serves a purpose.
There are other award ceremonies out there that better align with my interests and values.
The final two in particular are two of the best episodes in the history of NuWho.
Come for the Maisie Williams, stay for the all of it.
