Rate & Discuss: The Return of Doctor Mysterio

December 25th, 2016
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...

With brain-swapping aliens poised to attack, the Doctor and Nardole link up with an investigative reporter and a mysterious figure known only as The Ghost. Can the Doctor save Manhattan? And what will be revealed when we see behind the mask?

‘Tis the season to be jolly and, after his extended hiatus, the Twelfth Doctor returned to our screens tonight to add an extra dose of sparkle to our festivities. It was about time!

It’s hard to believe that it’s been one whole year since we last saw our beloved Time Lord, but thankfully he made up for his absence with an epic adventure which took him to New York City, where a deadly alien threat was lurking in the shadows.. So, what else is new?

Well, it’s not every day that the Doctor teams up with a superhero, and investigate reporter Lucy Fletcher was also on hand to help solve the mystery of the brain-swapping aliens who were poised to attack. It wasn’t just new faces in town, either, as Matt Lucas burst back on to our screens as Nardole and we got our first glimpse of Pearl Mackie in action as Bill Potts in Series 10… but more on that next year! Back to tonight’s episode, and was The Return of Doctor Mysterio an adventure worth waiting for? Rate and Discuss it in the comments!

Rate this episode
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(18 Votes, Average: 3.56/5)
13 comments on this article
  1. JC
    December 26th, 2016 at 10.54am | #1

    In all honesty, it was just ok. I’m not saying that I hated it or I was bored whilst watching, because I wasn’t, but it was the same old problem that’s been around for me since Series 8 (which improved slightly in Series 9) of waiting for something to happen in the story and then it just fizzling out to nothing.

    The first 45 minutes or so were relatively entertaining and interesting, but then I saw the clock and realised that the show had just 15 minutes for something big to happen and then for everything to wrap up. I didn’t think it could and it didn’t.

    To paraphrase Claude Littner in the most recent series of The Apprentice, “Come on Doctor Who, show some enthusiasm! Pack a punch! Do something big!” but the last 15 minutes could only muster a Courtney monotone pitch for me. It just felt like the episode wasn’t really going anywhere, the alien brains were an interesting concept but frustratingly still suffered from a Series 8 fault …… They just hung around for most of the episode, providing a tiny threat that was never resolved because they’re presumably being loose ended for Series 10. As I say, I didn’t hate this episode; it was just really frustrated by it.

    For me, The Return of Doctor Mysterio had good ideas, themes and characters with a story that started but ultimately got nowhere, which was a shame after a year off of our screens.

    That’s just my opinion though and if others were able to fully enjoy it, good.

  2. Alex Who?
    December 26th, 2016 at 12.55pm | #2

    I was ok but I liked last year’s special better. This one didn’t feel like a christmas episode either.
    But at least we got a look at the next season and Pearl Mackie as Bill. She has a lot of good vibes.

  3. Barbara
    December 26th, 2016 at 2.33pm | #3

    I loved it. It was fun, exciting. Peter Capaldi is excellent as the doctor. The best since Tom Baker.

  4. Michelle
    December 26th, 2016 at 3.05pm | #4

    To be honest, when I saw the clips of the Christmas episode I thought it looked a bit cringey and I wasn’t sure it was going to be my cup of tea. How wrong I was. I loved it and Capaldi was a real treat to watch. The hour went much too quickly which is always a good sign of the quality of a show. Roll on Spring!

  5. Freddie Jones
    December 26th, 2016 at 8.08pm | #5

    It was a fantastic sequel to Husbands of River Song.

  6. stella
    December 26th, 2016 at 10.17pm | #6

    I actually liked, even Capaldi was actually watchable, loved Justin Chatwin I think he made the show, but yes I think the best episode of the Capaldi era. Still waiting for a new Doctor.

  7. Steve
    December 28th, 2016 at 1.13pm | #7

    I wish I could say this was an improvement as we have waited so long but really it just shows Moffat is out of ideas! A rip of from Superman, there was nothing original about this. It was drab and dreary. It’s only saving grace was PC who shows that with good direction and story telling, he would have been one of the greats.

  8. Valcoor
    December 28th, 2016 at 11.17pm | #8

    @Steve
    I have to agree with you. Capaldi’s a great actor and Doctor, but there’s only so much you can do with a lousy script. Whether it’s a rip-off of Superman or Ultra man (remember him?) doesn’t matter. A rip off is still a rip off. I wonder if he’s going to be sued for copyright infringement?

  9. Pita
    December 30th, 2016 at 5.37am | #9

    I have to agree with you too @Valcoor , peter capaldi is got to be one of my favourite doctor who actor , but to be honest it wasn’t really that much excitement , but it was kind of better than a couple of the other specials

  10. Ethan
    December 30th, 2016 at 6.33pm | #10

    There is a big problem with all the latest Doctor Whos. Everything is too obvious. There is no Doctor Who flare anymore. For example the latest episode. There was so much poteintial for that to be emotionally intriguing and have a Doctor Who twist that made me personally a fan of the show. Like, prehaps, if the “aliens” were just another side effect of the gemstone giving the Ghost what he wants, a super villian to match him. The Doctor figures this out and goes to extract then gemstone. But the Ghost doesnt want to give it up and its revealed that the girl he loves is also a side effect of the stone. So the Doctor connects with him over his losing of River and we get a good twist and an interesting plot point rather then an unexplained alien invasion with a cliffhanger for and ending. Thoughts?

  11. JoshRrr
    December 31st, 2016 at 1.51pm | #11

    @Ethan
    That sounds 10 times better and more emotional than the actual episode! I was expecting a massive plot twist in the episode like the Superhero was created by the aliens to distract Earth or something but it didn’t happen. But yeah I wish your idea was reality!

  12. Steve
    January 1st, 2017 at 1.08pm | #12

    @Ethan
    Unfortunately that requires some originality and intelligence. I maintain that this episode shows that Moffat has not got those available to push through a decent plot. As for River, I am getting very bored now! It is called Doctor Who and not River and Doctor Who or Captain Jack and Doctor Who or any companion and Doctor Who!

  13. Mario
    January 2nd, 2017 at 5.59pm | #13

    @Ethan
    Ethan, your idea feels like a true Doctor Who!

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