Doctor Who is the series that keeps on giving, even amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Millions are stuck at home during this time, but current and former showrunners and cast members from getting involved with the fans and lifting everyone’s spirits.
The live-watches of old episodes on Twitter, for example, have been a blast. And now, Whovians are treated once again to a new short story about the Doctor written by none other than Steven Moffat, the showrunner during the time of the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors (played by Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi respectively). Just the other day, Moffat made us tear up with a story about Amy Pond, the companion for the Eleventh Doctor. This time, he’s taken on the character’s most recent incarnation, played by Jodie Whittaker, in “The Terror Of The Umpty Ums,” which you can read in full here.
“The Terror Of The Umpty Ums” A brand new Doctor Who short story by @StevenWMoffat . Now on the website. #DoctorWho https://t.co/UgZQQM0vGZ pic.twitter.com/0w048GmMHh
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) April 7, 2020
I won’t give away the entire story here, but it involves a strange young boy named David who meets our Thirteenth Doctor. What’s strange about David? Well, he’s actually a “DeathBorg 400” called Karpagnon, and he’s here on a mission to take down the human race. But the Doctor always has a way of turning things around when the world needs it.
I think what really tugged my heartstrings with this short story is that it was Moffat’s first time writing about the Thirteenth Doctor. He left the series before Whittaker took over the role, so he never had the opportunity to write about this new regeneration…until now. We’re getting the best of both worlds here.
Here’s my favorite excerpt from this short story, which is something I think a lot of people could stand to hear right now, with things so grim in so many parts of the world:
"We’re all stories in the end. But do you know what a story is, David? It’s an idea. And do you know what an idea is? It’s a thought so big and so clever it can outlive you. It can fly out of your head, and into other people’s. Like I’m in your head, right now. Keeping you right. Never cruel, never cowardly. Always the Doctor.David sighed. He was starting to feel the cold again. He looked back at the house, which suddenly looked so warm.It won’t be easy, said the Doctor. None of it will be easy, ever. But I’ll always be there."
Dark as things can get, we should always act on our best instincts and do right. How beautiful is that?
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