10 Reactions To Doctor Who: The Return Of Doctor Mysterio

6. It's Fun To Hang Out With The Doctor Again

Watching the Doctor leave a man to an inevitable and gruesome death wouldn’t have been quite so shocking had it been set during Capaldi’s first series, when in the process of questioning whether or not he was a good man, he was seemingly unconcerned with the death of various individuals. But in the context of this particular episode, where the Doctor is shown to be back on form, being the universe’s defender and saving worlds instead of himself, it is incredibly jarring.

The Doctor, like the episode, is the most upbeat he’s been in a while, and it brings a lightness of tone to proceedings reminiscent more of the earlier Matt Smith stories. This is no more evidenced than in the flashback scenes of the Doctor visiting Grant at various points in his past, and playing the role of the buddy with the wise advice. The Doctor’s charming ignorance about how far the Clarke Kent/Superman story is common knowledge, and the nature of Spiderman’s superpowers, is again something of a throwback to Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor.

The few scenes that we do have between the Doctor and Nardole are also refreshingly light, with the Doctor unconcerned about Nardole’s extended jaunt in the TARDIS. The relationships between the Doctor and his companions have become increasingly more intense since the series returned in 2005, leading some to speculate that with Bill in series ten, Moffat will be returning to a more old school approach. The Mr Huffle toy, who ends up in the TARDIS at the end, is something of a visual reminder of the less complex role the companion used to play.