Benito Mussolini Mussolini was rescued from captivity in the Gran Sasso raid by German paratroopers and "Waffen-SS" commandos led by Major Otto-Harald Mors. Adolf Hitler, after meeting with the rescued former dictator, then put Mussolini in charge of a puppet regime in northern Italy, the Italian Social Republic (, RSI), informally known as the "Salò Republic". In late April 1945, in the wake of near total defeat, Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci attempted to flee to Switzerland, but both were captured by Italian communist partisans and summarily executed by firing squad on 28 April 1945 near Lake Como. His body was
The Woman Who Lived already expressed his dislike and avoidance of immortals in a conversation with Jack in Series 3's episode "Utopia". The Doctor calls Me 'Zorro' after the masked outlaw created by Johnston McCulley, first appearing in 1919. Struan Rodger previously provided the voice of the Face of Boe in three episodes between Series 2 and Series 3. The episode was watched by 4.39 million viewers overnight in the UK. It received a 20.0% audience share. Consolidated ratings show 6.11 million watched this episode on time shift. It received an Appreciation Index score of 81. "The Woman Who Lived" received universal critical acclaim,