The pacing of the story is excellent. The drawn-out, thoughtful and introspective moments suit Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaldi’s performances perfectly. The seriousness with which Ashilder’s death and eventual revival are treated adds real emotional depth to the storytelling.

Much of the comedy works well too. Odin magically appearing in the sky at the beginning of the episode is a truly surprising moment. It’s refreshing to see horned Vikings embraced over historically accurate ones – these are the Vikings that should exist in the world of Doctor Who. The Doctor giving villagers humorous nicknames and teaching them to fight delivers broad, effective humour.

Where the comedy falters is in the characterisation of the fake Odin and his sentry bots. Their tone feels mismatched – potentially too camp to sit comfortably alongside the rest of the story. Unlike Peter Capaldi’s well-timed comedy, these elements feel a little thin. It’s as if you’ve gotten the Max from Voyage of the Damned and put him in The Well - it just doesn’t work.

The weakest aspect though is the electric eels resolution, which feels underdeveloped and lacks sufficient foreshadowing. Although I do like “Odin” being tricked and scared by the wooden horse.

While not as strong as Jamie Matheson’s earlier scripts, the story remains compelling, buoyed by its warmth and heart.