Doctor Who (TV Series) The Return of Doctor Mysterio (2016) User Reviews

Super-duper

[Lejink · 8/10 · 8 February 2017]

Well, I'm a big comic book fan myself, so this 2016 Doctor Who Christmas Special was right down my street. No doubt it was show-runner Stephen Moffat's response to the Doc's army of super-heroic rivals on TV from Marvel & DC but either way, it was a win-win for me.

The only real concession to the season itself was the Doctor's initial Christmas Eve meeting with young Grant, effectively the latter's origin story for his super-powered adult alter-ego The Ghost, the comedic nature of which immediately tells you this isn't going to be one of the Doc's more serious adventures.

Fast forward to the future as the Doctor and now fully-grown Grant are pitched against an alien race out to replace all the world leader's brains with their own. Given recent events across the water, one has to wonder if they succeeded in their aim at least in America. There's an engaging sub-plot with the jaw-jutting super-hero moonlighting as the meek-mannered nanny of his schoolboy-crush-now-grown-up crime reporter Lucy with the three of them coming together to save the world leaving the youngsters to fall in love, naturally at the very end (well Superman married Lois in the end, didn't he?).

Along the way, for comic-fans there was a nod to Superman's creators Siegel and Shuster, elsewhere there were lots of humour, nice New York motifs and better-than-expected special effects. I'm not keen on Matt Lucas so his dimwitted character grated on me somewhat but Capaldi is on good form, plus I liked the actors who played the young couple in best Superman and Lois style.

A really fun, light-hearted one-off episode, with nary a Christmas tree in sight.

Doctor Who is back

[pjgs200 · 7/10 · 25 December 2016]

I thought the Return of Doctor Mysterio was a nice, well rounded episode. I still like the Husbands of River Song much more, but these two specials are completely different episodes with different objectives. They're both light-hearted for the most part, but Husbands focuses more on the Doctor and River's story while the Return of Doctor Mysterio just wants to be an entertaining hour of television that continues Doctor Who's tradition of having a Christmas special. What I really liked about this episode though was that it wasn't afraid to be fun. Capaldi and Nardole made a great team, and their words to Lucy and Grant at the end of the episode were probably the highlights of the episode. I do think that the best parts of this episode stemmed from the references to the Doctor and River Song's relationship and her death at the Library though. Those small, yet deeper moments really made this episode for me, and it's nice to see Capaldi's Doctor develop a bit more and show that he really is attached to those who travel with him and to see that Nardole has different sides to his character.

While I wasn't a huge fan of director Ed Bazalgette's episodes in series 9, I liked how he made this episode feel like a comic book and how there was such a long pre-credits sequence. I think he did a great job directing this episode. The writing seemed a bit weaker in this episode than usual: the Doctor's "Plan B" seemed rushed and was a bit hard to follow in the moment, and there were a few lines here and there that felt unnecessary. Aside from that, Grant and Lucy were good characters and it would be cool for them to come back in the future of the show. The actors who portrayed them were good and the Doctor has obviously impacted their lives in a big way. The villains weren't really threatening though and to be honest I'm not that excited to hear that Osgood might be coming back. I hope that the cliffhanger with the brain aliens is developed a bit more next series though.

Overall, I think that the Return of Doctor Mysterio was a nice episode. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was funny, adventurous, well acted and directed, Matt Lucas and Peter Capaldi were great, and it had a pretty nice ending as well.

Cerebrumly Unoriginal...

[Xstal · 6/10 · 3 January 2022]

It's all a bit of fun, mocking, lampooning what's already been done; by Marvel and DC, not to be taken too seriously. Although it's been quite a large ravine, since this Time Lord was last seen, so really did expect much more, than a cape crusader chore. Called the Ghost he has dilemmas, just like all the other fellas, who have covered up in spandex, adding mask or dropping eye specs. But it's Christmas so we'll go, with the yuletide festive flow, hope snow doesn't turn to rain, as your head gets a new brain.

Superman-Inspired Origins Doctor Who

[DCSassyQueen · 9/10 · 28 June 2017]

8.5

I am a sucker for superhero-inspired TV shows and I loved this. Grant was basically Superman with a Batman costume. It was such a fun time & it really made me see how much Clara was weighing the Doctor down. Nardole is so funny & I hope he remains a companion for a while because he makes the 12 Doctor better.

Ready for Season 10 !!!!

The best Christmas special of the Moffat era

[abedein7 · 8/10 · 25 December 2016]

So, it's been a year since The Husbands of River Song, with only the spin-off, Class, to enjoy in a year of mad politics and no Doctor Who. But this Christmas blockbuster felt fresh from the Christmas specials of the recent past where the characters were the sole focus rather than stories with Christmas as the backbone and the focal point.

Here, Moffat created a story, ironically ripping-off a DC Superman movie and putting it in a Doctor Who episode. Hilarious comparisons include Lois Lane becoming Lucy nee Lombard Fletcher and that scene with the telephone conversation and the screen splits paralleling the comics.

The prolonged pre-title sequence was very cute but worked tremendously. The pacing of the episode worked well with decent directing by Ed Bazalgette (The Girl Who Died / The Woman Who Lived).

Peter Capaldi, once again displayed his wonderful acting skills with his wit, his ignorance of popular culture and pure Doctor-ness. For me, Capaldi is becoming very close to knocking a certain David Tennant off the top of my favourite Doctor rank.

Overall, this pretty 'un-christmassy' Christmas special proved how far Doctor Who can go in its wide range of styles and genres making this episode, in my opinion, Moffat's best ever Christmas Special after 2014's 'Last Christmas'

Comic Relief

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 7/10 · 20 June 2019]

Doctor Who is a family show and ever since it began there have been stories which are fanciful and less serious than others. That type of episode can be good but tend to not be my favourite type of episode. I prefer deeper thinking, more serious, more powerful stories with elements of hard sci-fi or horror. This is one of those episodes designed to amuse and entertain a family audience and it certainly does that. However, it would have to be executed with superb finesse in order to get a really high rating from me. It isn't done badly but isn't done really brilliantly either in my opinion.

Bizarrely this is comic strip style superhero material. Visually this is interesting and the plot just about manages to work to a degree but it still feels rather like a parody episode. Much of the humour works well though and Capaldi shines as always. He is top class in his performance and the writing is funny and enjoyable but it does not have the cleverness or excellence of writing to lift it above the level of a solid 'filler' episode. It is, though, a reasonable quality romp.

Matt Lucas is an amusing comedy addition as Nardole and the guest cast are fine too. There are some nice thoughtful aspects but it does not all work as well as a lot of the better stories in the show's rich history.

The disappointing thing is that this was the only episode we got in the whole year so to do such a throw away 'bit of fluff' seems a waste really. Waiting so long between episodes you would think you might get something a bit more special and impressive to reward our patience. But to be fair it is good fun, amusing and entertaining without major issues.

My Rating: 7/10.

Series 10 Episode Ranking: 11th out of 14.

The Doctor accidentally creates a superhero

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 26 December 2016]

This Christmas special opens in New York City with the Doctor hanging outside the window of young Grant Gordon; once inside he gives Grant a small crystal which he mistakes for medicine and swallows… it is no ordinary crystal; it has the power to make the users dreams come true and this young boy dreams of having similar powers to Superman! Twenty four years later the Doctor is back in New York investigating the sinister Harmony Shoals Corporation; also there is reporter Lucy Fletcher and Nardole, who has become The Doctor's latest companion. The find a room full of brains in jars; brains that want human hosts as part of an alien invasion plot! They are captured but then they are rescued by a flying superhero known as The Ghost. We soon learn that he is Grant Gordon and when he isn't The Ghost he is working as Lucy's nanny. It turns out he has known her since they were children but she has no idea that he has superpowers. Lucy is determined to find out more about The Ghost but he tries to keep his identity secret. While this is going on The Doctor tries to find the details of Harmony Shoals' plans and with the help of The Ghost thwart them.

When I saw trailers for this special I wasn't too optimistic; it looked like an attempt to cash in on the popularity of superhero lately and the New York setting made me think the creators were just trying to attract more US viewers. It is possible that this was true but ultimately it didn't matter as the story was rather good. I liked the alien invaders; they were suitably unpleasant and were just about as scary as one could hope for in a show aimed at a family audience; the way their heads opened was delightfully disturbing. The story played with the conventions of the superhero genre in an enjoyable way; never taking itself too seriously but equally not being deliberately silly. The cast did a fine job; Peter Capaldi continues to impress as The Doctor and Matt Lucas made a surprisingly good companion in the role of Nardole… I know there will be a new female companion next year but he showed that a male companion can work. Justin Chatwin did a solid job as Grant/The Ghost and Charity Wakefield was pretty good as his love interest Lucy. Tomiwa Edun and Aleksandar Jovanovic also impress as the story's villains. Overall this was a really solid episode which thankfully didn't overdo the fact that it is a Christmas special.

Christmas special 2016: A victory of lowered expectations

[bob the moo · 26 December 2016]

There was really nothing that excited me about the return of Doctor Who for the Christmas special; generally they are only so-so episodes, and too often they overplay the seasonal aspect and throw lots of glitter-like aspects into the mix (by which I mean stuff that looks nice from a distance but is a mess and an annoyance when you get to it – source, I have a small daughter and lots of things with glitter stuck to them, and over everything else). On top of that the promotional poster looked cheap and silly – much like the superhero costume itself; and the title (The Return of Doctor Mysterio) screamed of cheese. So, like Doctor Who generally, I almost come at it now with a much lower bar for what will work for me – ie if it is not awful, then it must be one of the good episodes.

And by that yardstick, this Christmas special was quite enjoyable. It featured a topical (if overdone) genre of superheroes, had some sinister creature elements, showed restraint in a lot of areas, and generally was interesting in what it did with the characters. Generally it was greeted by those around me in the same way – satisfied indifference, which I do think is sometimes what this show is happy with – particularly in these big seasonal event shows. However this is not to say that the special is a good watch, because it isn't, and there is a lot to be irritated by. It wastes the aliens – it has some sinister images and ideas but doesn't follow them up, and the invasion plot really has limited menace. It does have a nice romantic plot but it doesn't do it that well, it is very much BBC sitcom level (and that is not a good thing). I liked the restraint it showed regarding the seasonal stuff, and that Matt Lucas was not a big part of it and was really limited in his impact (enough to be a good addition, not enough to be too annoying).

In the end it is an okay Christmas special but suffers from the same issue that much of Doctor Who – it really doesn't know what it wants to do, and feels produced by committee. The mix of content doesn't always work, and as usual we end with the Doctor being all dark and alone – something Capaldi can work with, but is never really fleshed out as it should be. In the context of Christmas Day though, it did work well enough to pass muster thanks to the state of the audience, and the low expectations/requirements the vast majority will have brought with them.

Enjoyable And Forgettable

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 25 December 2016]

Okay it's Christmas time so let's tick off the checklist

Nice Xmas card from Bob The Moo ? Check

Ton of food from a kitchen I work in ? Much better than the food at the care home last year . Check

DOCTOR WHO Christmas special ? Check

Don't get your hopes built up about it ? Check

My enthusiasm if not my addiction to the show has become increasingly diluted over the years . This is entirely down to the direction of the show under Moffat and catching a couple of trailers late in the day I noticed thus year's special revolves around superhero mode . Well let's be honest and like them or not Super-heroes are very popular in popular culture but does DOCTOR WHO have to follow trends ? Especially since it has been rewriting icons from the show such as The Master played by John Simm all the way back to the RTD era as literal comic strip characters

That said this special remains rather low key compared to many of the other specials and overblown season finales . It's basically a run around type of adventure involving an alien invasion where the aliens have all ready landed and it's up to the Doctor and a masked hero to save the day . There's not much you haven't seen here before but one noticeable thing is that the villain isn't a White Anglo Saxon Protestant type . Foreign type dude wants to destroy New York in a big explosion . Don't worry about any controversy because it's a family show so that makes it all right

In all a relatively enjoyable though forgettable special . Of course it always helps that you're not expecting too much of a feast

Doctor Who goes superhero

[dkiliane · 8/10 · 10 December 2019]

Take a cheesy superhero flic and add The Doctor and brain swapping aliens, and you basically have this special in a nutshell. While it arguably is quite campy at times, it fits the light-hearted tone of the episode and is done in a rather charming way. The characterization is the heart of the episode and while the villains are definitely cardboard cutouts, it does an excellent job with all the protagonists. Of course The Doctor is well done but even the superhero "The Ghost" is a well fleshed out and played surprisingly well by Justin Chatwin (yeah, the kid that ruined any chance of getting a decent live action Dragonball movie) and the love interest reporter (basically a blonde ripoff of Lois Lane) was actually one of the more interesting characters. While obviously satirically based off generic superhero genre archetypes, the actors play their characters with enough charm, humor and nuance that they feel like real people, despite some camp in the story.

And Nardole is back! - and this time he likewise is a much more fleshed out and likable character than he was in the previous special. His interactions with The Doctor are funny yet sincere and surprisingly insightful. The Doctor himself has somewhat of a lighter presence than usual in this special, but it works in this case as the focus is on the other characters. The villains aren't anything special but are sufficiently creepy and provide The Doctor with a fun obstacle to overcome in an interesting and exciting (and explosive) way. Even if you're not a superhero fan, this Spanish is still a fun and entertaining ride. 8.5/10

Doctor Who meets Marvel and the result is mediocre

[Gelaos · 6/10 · 2 March 2019]

Weaker than previous specials. It's OK enough as a DW rip-off of Marvel movies but that's all. Not bad, not great. I wouldn't like to see another similar "americanization" of DW, though.

Lighthearted and funny

[jsbailey-88074 · 9/10 · 26 December 2016]

I eagerly awaited the first new episode of Doctor Who in a year, and it did not disappoint! While I've never been a particularly huge fan of the superhero genre, I did like the nods to Superman, which I watched from time to time as a child. I never thought that having X-ray vision could be so troublesome! ;)

I enjoyed the lighthearted moments in The Return of Doctor Mysterio much as I did while watching The Husbands of River Song last year. It's refreshing to see some humorous episodes after the conclusion of the dark but gripping Series 9. Peter Capaldi is brilliant at comedy--I was laughing out loud at several points in the story. Here's to hoping he stays at least four seasons. Three is simply not enough for one Doctor!

Good episode but still a rip off

[MetsDvls · 7/10 · 20 March 2022]

This was a good episode. It was light hearted and fun, but it was a rip off of an episode of Highway to Heaven entitled Amazing Man. The premise of a boy visited at night by what he thinks is a super hero? Seems a little to close to me.

Style over substance. Alarm bells ringing.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 4/10 · 26 December 2016]

After such an absence of the show I looked forward to this very much, despite being underwhelmed by the trailers.

A show we all love which has a distinctly British feel to it, I did not like the American setting, in my humble opinion it felt like it was trying to be something it's not. That uncomfortable feel was further pushed by the Superhero, something we've not encountered on the show before, it just felt like they were trying to force the show into a direction it's not meant to be in.

I can't criticise the acting, I love Capaldi in the role, if the powers that be aren't careful, he will unfortunately be remembered in the same way that Sylvester McCoy was, the actor that saw the cancellation of the show.

A very stylish episode with some snazzy special effects, but sadly a woeful script, an uninteresting adversary, it's no surprise to me that audiences are turning off.

Mr Moffat you have given us some treats in your time, but please don't utterly destroy the show before you leave. This episode has genuinely left me fearful for the future of Doctor Who.

Rubbish. 4/10

Channelling Michael J. Fox

[bmcraec · 8/10 · 5 May 2021]

Justin Chapman, native of Nanaimo, British Columbia, does an amazing job playing Grant and his super-powered alter-ego, The Ghost, with touch of Peter Parker if he had been a nanny instead of a freelance photographer.

I may have missed some explanation on how and why Nardole is now the Doctor's companion. Did I miss something at the end of The Husbands of River Song?

A real oddity

[jagaroth · 8/10 · 4 January 2021]

There is almost nothing Christmassy about this Special, and it makes a refreshing change. In fact, it really doesn't feel like Doctor Who. Until Peter Capaldi steps into the room and does that smile of his; then you know, this is Doctor Who. It's also absolutely hilarious. And Steven Moffatt even realises how good a writer he is by having The Doctor tell the villains that 'it's a good plan'. It truly is strange, and I think if they ever tried something like this again, it would fail.

The Return of Doctor Mysterio

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 6 September 2021]

A thought this was a really good Christmas Special, naturally in line with so many Christmas specials of this series it had nothing to do with Christmas, in fact did they even mentioned Christmas once? I think not. However this was a really amazing Batman/Superman parody, it was really enjoyable funny and had a solid and gripping plot, not much to say besides that.

A disappointing trend

[donaghms · 4/10 · 30 December 2016]

I've been a Whovian for the better part of half a century. I go back to Patrick Troughton.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this rebooted Doctor Who since Ecclestone. I think that Tennant and Smith were fantastic. Their companions have been superb also.

I have tried to enjoy Capaldi's tetchy incarnation but its been a challenge. That challenge has been getting bigger since Clara left us. I do hope the coming season breathes new life into the franchise.

But if this 'special' is anything to go by, my hopes are dwindling. First the premise. Aliens invading the Earth.... Oh wait. That wasn't the premise this time. Just a byline. Almost a distraction from the actual premise which was just a weak rip off of Lois and Clark.

I waited a few days before writing this review because I wanted to see it a second time... It didn't help.

Since Clara left us its been downhill.

And can somebody tell me what Matt Lucas' irritating character adds to the program?

Superman returns... unfortunately

[samsjackson · 5/10 · 25 December 2016]

Its Christmas time again, thus we are treated to our first Doctor who episode in an entire year and... well... the word dull comes to mind. First things first this was supposed to be a Christmas story, think back to the 'Christmas invasion' where the Earth was saved by a satsuma and ended with a charming scene of the Doctor opening presents and pulling crackers or a Moffat era story like 'The snowmen' maybe not the most Christmassy episode ever but it was set at Christmas time with a Christmas themed villain, now look at this years special, which bar an opening scene had little to nothing to do with the actual holiday. The theme was "super heroes" the genre I'm sure we all associate with the winter season and not, you know, like the summer when all the major superhero movies come out. That's not exactly a bad thing and I wouldn't hold this against the show if the story was good but I'm a huge superhero fan and I've read, watched and played stories so much better than this. The show felt like a golden age comic come to life with all the nonsense plot points, technobabble and leaps in logic that were products of a shoe string budget and a system were the art was drawn before the story was written. Doctor who does not have these excuses yet still comes off like babies first Superman story. The Doctor takes a back seat in his own special only appearing to act like the whimsical madman with no room for character development, this is, I'm afraid the legacy the Moffat will leave for his era of Doctor who, the earl of Deus ex machina who only exists as a plot device to move the plot forward, never breaking for character development. This episode spends far too much time with characters who are really bland, the point of Clark Kent is that he's dull and mild mannered to contrast with the Superman persona yet so why does the show stick us with the Ghost, a character whose boring and underdeveloped with powers never defined so I never get the sense anyone is in danger because much like Sup's in the 90's Ghost could just pull out a new power from anywhere and snap his fingers till the bad guys poof away. The episode climaxes with the Ghost catching a falling space ship but we're never shown the limits of his strength so the character never seems like he's in any danger. Sadly the show takes one to many directions from the 90's when it comes to the art style, it loses the vibrant colours that were a staple of the type of stories the episode references and tries to emulate. The episode has a gray filter hanging over it and if it wasn't for the accents the show could have taken place on a mild June night in Manchester. The bad guys are all right one part face hugger, one part Krang from TMNT with the kind of plan you'd expect from a race that can build faster than light spaceships but not exist outside of jars without help. Nardol, the character that people expected to be the downfall of this episode added a sweet bit of comic relief and made the show that little bit more bearable with some genuinely funny lines and this episode gave us the first look at the new season so watch it if you've got the time but it might be worth downing an energy drink cause the dull tone and grey filter might just send you off to sleep.

Christmas Ruined

[MaxHuskins · 1/10 · 26 December 2016]

I wish there was a 0/10 rating on IMDb because I would use it for this. I've always been a huge Doctor Who lover, but this is the absolute epitome of Moffat-Era Doctor Who being ruined. Everything about this episode is god awful. It's written like a 12 year old's fan-fiction, the costume design is cringy at best, the effects are worse than ever. I could not keep a straight face during watching this, laughing at it and just wanting to fall through the earth. It's quite unfortunate, Peter Capaldi is a brilliant Doctor but he got the worst team making the show behind him. Predictable, boring, rehashed. Every single Hollywood trope was used to the point of annoyance. Not at all clever. Not at all magical. Not at all Doctor Who. Season 9 was bad I thought, because they passed brilliant opportunities and made them boring somehow but here they took a whole new level. I personally can't wait until Season 11, because both Moffat and Capaldi are to retire from the show after Season 10. I also don't understand how they could've taken a whole year off to come up with this... Also why would BBC spend a bunch of money developing another garbage spin-off show, when they could've just put more money into actual Doctor Who to make it good and re-kindle the audience. Doctor Who is one of the few shows that can make me feel that child-like wonder again, did not happen to me this time around. I'm sorry but this is a Zero out of Ten for me. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone, let's hope Season 10 is good...

Not one of the best Doctor Who Xmas Specials Ever Made

[dan-willi84 · 3/10 · 28 December 2016]

The 2016 Xmas Special of Doctor Who was disappointing. After waiting a whole year for Doctor Who to return to our screens in 2016. Doctor Who doesn't return with a bang. The Xmas special was not great, it was average. It wasn't as good as the previous Christmas Specials Last Christmas and The Husbands of River Song. It is a bit slow in places. But I found it predictable and it was obvious what was going to happen. It was obvious the boy Grant grows to become The Ghost and that the ruby he swallows gives him his powers. I thought The Ghost was a obvious nod to another comic book strip character The Phantom. In the comic strips, The Phantom is called "The Ghosts Who Walks". It had some goods, but despite the pacing, Peter Capaldi, Matt Lucas and Justin Chatwin's performances which were good, it just wasn't enough. Steven Moffat is a great writer and I don't think The Return of Dr. Mysterio was one of his best work on Doctor Who. Apart from the Xmas special, I shall look forward to Series 10 and I hope it's going to be amazing.

Probably great for kids?

[meadowbyrd · 3/10 · 4 November 2023]

I love Dr. Who and I know the holiday specials are usually a bit different, but this was actually slightly painful to watch. It was cheesy, forced, and seemed like a different show entirely. The characters weren't compelling and the doctor, himself, seemed flat and out of character. Capaldi is a fantastic actor so it makes me question the writing. This episode shouldn't deter anyone from watching the show, but definitely don't recommend it as a starting point. I can imagine it was a fun episode for younger fans or anyone looking for something that doesn't take itself seriously, but that wasn't the vibe I've come to expect.

We waited a year for this

[mjplysaght · 1/10 · 21 February 2017]

So because of the absence of Doctor Who episodes for the entirety of 2016, this is the first episode aired since the last Christmas special. I kinda knew just by looking by the advertising that I wasn't going to enjoy it, because the inclusion of superhero elements looked incredibly cheesy.

This is meant to be a science fiction show. The laziest bit of writing I have ever seen is when the Doctor accidentally gives the little boy in the beginning a "wish granting crystal" which gives him his superpowers. If you're writing a science fiction show, at least have some fictitious science-y justification as opposed to full blown fantasy.

Also, this episode is a straight up Superman ripoff, down to the hero wearing spectacles as his secret identity. All the tired clichés are still here, Capaldi is once again being let down by weak writing, and I just lost hope for the show at that point.

Completely forgettable plot, Matt Lucas is brought back for no reason, and Justin Chatwin is playing the hero? Really? The guy who portrayed Goku in that abomination of a live-action Dragonball Z film? Sigh.

Needless to say, I wasted an hour of my life.

Doctor Who/Marvel movie?

[warlordartos · 4/10 · 28 April 2021]

Defiantly pushing Doctor Who in a direction that it should not be going in. The corniness of the super hero saving the girl was done well for what it was. Still better than all post 2014 marvel movies.

Consistency

[fcabanski · 4/10 · 1 January 2017]

One plus for the Doctor Who creative team is they're consistent. 2015's Christmas Special was blah. 2016's Christmas Special was blah.

I think I have this thing figured out. Cable TV stations run Christmas specials through November and December. The majority of these are what I call cut rate Christmas specials. They're romantic comedies that are set at Christmas time. Other than the time - there are a few Christmas decorations, some snow, maybe a Christmas dinner - the specials have nothing to do with Christmas. They're mostly about some girl and guy getting together.

This episode is a cut rate Doctor Who episode. It takes place in a Doctor Who setting, but it's mainly about a girl and guy getting together. It's secondarily about the Doctor's grief at losing one of the many loves of his life.

This one uses the now becoming generic Doctor meets someone when they're a child, and then Doctor checks in throughout their life.

It also has the Doctor create one of his wonder machines. This is a machine that's so complicated the Doctor can't even begin to describe what it does or why he built it. He blathers some ridiculous explanation, then he immediately admits that explanation is baloney.

The end of the episode is a coming attractions for Series 10 of "Doctor Whaaaa". There's a new cockney companion basically saying "Doctor Who is gonna be so COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"