#mr huffle

[1saysomethingnice1]

This special was so much fun.

[queerestqueertoeverqueer]

if I was chris chibnall this is how The Beach™ would have gone:

"my Nani says, courage is knowing something will hurt, and doing it anyway. Mind you, she also says it's the definition of stupidity"

"... can we just live in th-"

SQUEEEEEEEE

"MR HUFFLE FEELS PAIN. (eeeeeeeeeeeeee) TELL ME WHAT YOU REALLY WANT, DOCTOR."

[huffle-dork]

SEAN??? WHY IS THIS THE ONE TWEET IVE MINE YOU LIKED?!??

[spockvarietyhour]

Mr. Huffle “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”

[6-and-7]

Doctor Whooves in The Pilot! Bonus, I’ve hidden one reference to every TV Twelfth Doctor story in this image – how many can you spot? (Answers below the cut)

Deep Breath - Shiny silver plate, behind chalkboard Into the Dalek - The pan of (don't be) lasagna, center of the desk Robot of Sherwood - Spoon, in front of the lasagna Listen - 'Listen' on chalkboard Time Heist - Memory worm, left side of the mantle The Caretaker - "Go Away Ponies" sign on righthand doorknob Kill the Moon - Moon on poster above righthand door Mummy on the Orient Express - Flag, upper left corner Flatline - 'Nervous system' landscape on poster, upper left corner In the Forest of the Night - Tree, lower right corner Dark Water / Death In Heaven - Modern Cyberman, upper right corner Last Christmas - Santa hat on hatstand, behind the Doctor's wings

The Magician's Apprentice / The Witch's Familiar - Hand (or rather, hoof) mine on mantle, next to the memory worm Under the Lake / Before the Flood - Beethoven bust on right side of mantle The Girl Who Died/The Woman Who Lived - Eyepatch and domino mask hanging on hatstand above Santa hat Sleep No More - Hourglass (sand) in lower left corner The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion - Red & blue boxes on mantle Face the Raven - Raven on desk, next to pyramid Heaven Sent - Portrait of Clara, upper left of center Hell Bent - Guitar between chalkboard and fireplace The Husbands of River Song - Portrait of River, upper left of center The Return of Doctor Mysterio - Mr. Huffle on desk, behind lasagna

The Pilot - The whole office, but also the picture of Susan on the desk Smile - Smiley face on chalkboard Thin Ice - Top hat on hatstand Knock Knock - Tuning fork in the sonic screwdriver mug on desk, behind Mr. Huffle Oxygen - Chalk skull on chalkboard Extremis - Veritas on right side of desk The Pyramid at the End of the World - Pyramid on left side of desk The Lie of the Land - Monk symbol on chalkboard, partly erased Empress of Mars - Mars on poster above righthand door The Eaters of Light - Roman helmet on hatstand World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls - Mondasian Cyberman, below Modern Cyberman Twice Upon a Time - Portrait of One, upper center

[dyslexic-mess]

Suits and Stars AU part 2

(Part one)

Suits where not really Dannys thing.

For one, the shoulder pads made him look much too square for his liking. The fitted waist was all to exposing and three layers? Absolutely not. As he approached the building, a shimmering skyscraper that practically screamed ‘you can’t afford to look at me’, Danny decided it wasn’t worth the hassle and took off his blazer. A vest and tie where enough, right? Besides, its not like he actually worked there. The dress code wasn’t really his problem beyond looking vaughly like he fitted in.

The stiff fabric hooked over one arm, he strutted into the building with all the zeel of a man who worked a wall street office job.

“Nicholas Halden” he said to the receptionist, putting his hands in his pockets as she clicked on her computer. “Your not on the system” she replied, eyeing him suspiciously. “First day.” he countered, easily. “Inturn?” damn, what was this girl, a cop? Danny brightened his smile a little more “new P.A, actually”

She gave him one last look over her glasses, scanning him. “I don’t have any ticks or fleas. Promise.” He crossed his heart with that, leaning into his smile so it became more of a smirk. The woman finally cracked a little, huffling through her nose with an up turned lip before flipping through a folder. She handed him a lanyard “make sure you keep it that way, Mr. Halden” Danny took it and began to walk backwards in one motion, towards the security gates. “Nick” he offered. She finally smiled at him. “Nick.” she corrected in a slightly warmer tone. “Get a proper security pass before next week”

“Will do!” He responded as he turned to walk properly, shooting a finger gun over his shoulder as he did.

Receptionists. They held the keys to the castle and they knew it. Thinking about it, Danny would rather get grilled by a cop. They where easier to charm.

The office itself managed to be both claustrophobic and far to big. Rammed with people in suits of varying quality, tapping on keyboards and scribbling on paper. They chattered to each other about one thing or another and it was absolute murder on Dannys over sensitive ears. He fought the urge to cover them as he made for the office at the top, of course, that was sectioned off by a glass wall and a door twice as big as it needed to be.

He recognized his employer inside, looking more commanding in his own set of shoulder pads and dress shoes. Danny would almost believe you if you told him this guy and the tussled looking dude from last night were different people. Almost.

They were still the same in some very key ways. The tightness in his movements, the way his eyes scanned his surroundings so he noticed Danny long before he approached and, of course, that scowly tilt to his brow that darkened his features and shadowed those mottled blue eyes.

It was a shame, really, and Danny found himself, briefly, wanting to make the man smile.

He did not smile when he clocked Danny. Infact, that serious scowl seemed to deepen slightly as he waved him in, dismissing the other men in equally stuffy suits he'd been talking to.

"You got past reception?" He questioned, seeming surprised. Danny shrugged "don't panic, most people wouldn't"

Tim just hummed, positioning his laptop so it faced away from his office facing window. He pulled up a very official looking document with 'Nicks' ID and employment files. "Nicholas Halden. That's a little on the nose" Danny crossed his arms. "Does that make you Burke?"

The other man snorted "yeah. It dose." He handed Danny another lanyard, this one looking more official than the 'guest' card he was wearing. "I'm not dumb enough to let a known criminal walk around without keeping tabs-"

"-I'm not known" Danny butt in, a little prideful. Tim waived a hand at him.

"I know. In any case, this'll track your movements."

"Your not a convicted fellon so you can leave it at the door at the end of the day but if your on the clock, your wareing this."

The way Tim was debriefing him made Danny wonder if the nervous, flighty looking man he'd met last night had been a mask. This guy was clearly no stranger to being in authority and had no problems dolling out orders. It was, in a way, reassuring. He just hoped Tim could back up his thunder.

He directed his attention back to the computer, where Tim pulled up work schedules, fake contact details and a bit of fabricated history for nick. Just in case.

"Nick is my new P.A, employed with good recommendation, on a probationary period. That gives you clearance to do most things on the grounds I asked for it. Just don't go abusing the privilege-"

Danny rolled his eyes, Tim didn't bother acknowledging it.

"You work the job. You find my rat. When we've tied the loose ends, Nick starts underperforming and we let him go."

It was Dannys turn to hum as he looked over the startlingly good fake documents. Damn, even tucker would struggle to produce something like this! Did it make him curious? Hell yea but for now he was gonna mind his business.

"Its a good plan" he commented, flicking through the tabs a few more times as he did. "Though I don't remember you mentioning I'd have to do actual work around here when we spoke last"

Tim glanced at him "What, think you can't handle it? Or do you just have an aversion to legit work?" Danny huffed and rolled his eyes again "whatever, sure. Book you a taxi and reserve you a restaurant between actually doing what you're paying me for. Piece 'a cake"

"Better be" Tim sighed, closing his computer. "This has a time limit. The-"

"Yeah, yeah, the longer they get away with it, the more confident they'll get in what they leak. I got it." Danny finished and Tim raised an eyebrow. "Don't do that infront of the other employees. You might not answer to me but Nick does." He dead panned.

Danny just gave another one of his easy smiles, picking up his new ID, which felt more like a tracking collar, and spinning it on one finger. "You got it, pretty boy"

Tim puffed out his cheeks in the biggest expression Danny had managed to get from him, pointing a finger in his direction as Danny went to leave. "And don't call me that either!" He called after him.

Oh yea. This was gonna be a fun couple of weeks.

(Part three)

[queenshelby]

Yes! Mr Murphy (Rewritten)

PART 14: A CALL FROM NINA

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader

Warning: Angst, Age Gap, Teacher x Student, Fluff

Note: This is just a cute little fluffy telephone call transcript between Cillian and his daughter Nina in this fic...

Cillian: "Hi Sweetheart, how are you?"

Nina: "Pretty good. I am actually just calling to let you know that Max and I will see you on Sunday evening for Grandma's birthday. Mum said we can come but you need to pick us up. We can stay with you until Tuesday mum said"

Cillian: "Really? That's awesome. I can't wait to see you"

Nina: "Me too. You know, we have this new dance teacher. Her name is Y/N. I am not sure if mum has told you or not"

Cillian: "No she hasn't, but do you like her?"

Nina: "Yes, she is super cool. She is really funny and she’s such a good dancer. She even has a couple of tattoos. I just don't think mum likes her"

Cillian: “Really? Why didn’t she like her?”

Nina: “I don’t know. Mum said that she is too young and doesn’t know what she is doing”

Cillian [chuckles]: “Right! You had fun though?”

Nina: "Yes, so much fun [pauses]...Did I tell you about her tattoos?”

Cillian: “You did”

Nina: “Can I get one?”

Cillian: “A tattoo?”

Nina: “Yes”

Cillian [sternly]: “No”

Nina [begging]: “How about a piercing?”

Cillian [sternly]: “No! I already got in trouble with your mother when I let you have your ears pierced”

Nina [firmly]: “I am almost 13 dad!”

Cillian [chuckles]: "I know but I won't let you have any tattoos or piercings until you are 18 and I am sure neither will your mother”

Nina: “You are so uncool”

Cillian [laughs]: "I know. Your brother reminds me of that all the time"

Nina: "I have to go now. Dinner is ready. Love you"

Cillian: "I love you too sweetheart"

To be continued…

Please comment and engage. I love getting comments and predictions pretty please!

Tag List

@fastfan

@elenavampire21

@dolllol2405

@allie131313

@cilliansangel

@coldbastille

@kpopgirlbtssvt

@cdej6

@kathrinemelissa

@landlockedmermaid77

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@tommyshelbypb

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@music-lover911

@desperate-and-broken

@mysticaldeanvoidhorse

@peaky-cillian

@lelestrangerandunusualdeetz

@december16-1991

@captivatedbycillianmurphy

@romanogersendgame

@randomfangirl2718

@missymurphy1985

@peakyscillian

@lilymurphy03

@deefigs

@theflamecrystal

@livinginfantaxy

@rosey1981

@hanster1998

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@datewithgianni

@momoneymolife

@mcntsee

@janelongxox

@basiclassy

@being-worthy

@chaotic-bean-of-smolness

@margoo0

@vhscillian

@crazymar15

@im-constantly-fangirling

@namelesslosers

@littlewhiterose

@ttzamara

@cilleveryone

@peaky-cillian

@severewobblerlightdragon

@dolllol2405

@pkab

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@littleweirdoalien

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@masteroperator

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@shabzy96

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@obsessedwithfandomsx

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@cristinagronk16

@stylesofloki

@faatxma

@slut-for-matt-murdock

@tpwkstiles

@myjumper

@cloudofdisney

@look-at-the-soul

@smellyzcat

@kittycatcait219

@theliterarybeldam

@being-worthy

@layazul

@lyn07

@kagilmore

@50svibes

@mainstreetlilly

@ourthatgirlabby

@bitchwhytho

@takethee

@registerednursejackie

@sofi128

@mrkdvidal1989

@minxsblog

@heidimoreton

@laylasbunbunny

@laylasbunbunny

@queenshelby

@camilleholland89

@forgottenpeakywriter

@vintagecherryt

@indierockgirrl

@mrkdvidal1989

@bluesongbird

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@gasolinesavages

@kissforvoid

@bluebird592

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@esposadomdp

@lulunalua23

@lovelace42

@bookklover23

@iwantmyredvelvetcupcake

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@esposadomd

@etherealkistar

@ur--mommy

@throughgoeshamilton

@celverzonkwombatsludge

@cyphah

@atomicsouldcollecto

[futuraa-free]

comfort movies + pinterest tag game

thank you for the tags lovelies @schnarfer and @burntheedges! 🤍

Go to pinterest and select the first character, real person, quote, and outfit to get your vibe. Then list 7 of your comfort films.

seven comfort films 🎥

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Spirited Away

Little Miss Sunshine

Juno

The Thing (1982)

Portrait of a Lady On Fire

Toy Story 3

I recently watched Perfect Days by Wim Wenders and I already know I'm gonna come back to it if I need a pick me up.

np tags 🤍: @jupiter-soups; @smok3r7; @huffle-punk; @beardedjoel; @wannab-urs; @perotovar; @sp00kymulderr; @freelancearsonist: @ghotifishreads; @chronically-ghosted

[littlemisspascal]

New Writers added to The Pedro Library 🐼

@odetodilfs @mypoisonedvine

New Works Added ✨

Many fics aren’t appearing in the tags when searching. If I miss yours, please let me know 💗 Or add me to your taglist cuz I love being tagged 😊

As always, if you would like me to remove your work from the rec list, please let me know and I’ll remove them asap 😊

@alwaysbethewest Javier  S.W.A.K

@haylzcyon​ Javier  Whatever You Need

@flightlessangelwings Javier  Kisses in Which, “I Can’t Believe This is Real, but I Love You So Much”

@whatsnewalycat Javier  Secret Admirer

@pedropascalsx Javier  The Beginning / Frankie  Sooner

@novemberrain-writes Javier  Sheltered

@albertasunrise​ Javier  Boss’ Desk / Joel  Look for the Light +  See You Again

@katareyoudrilling​ Joel  Construction Corner

@ilovemanypeople Joel  Losses and Companions

@jedifarmerr Joel  Pepper Sprout

@forever-rogue Joel  Hurt

@radiowallet Joel  West

@littlepadika Joel  He Gets You a Stuffie

@din-jarhead Joel  Luxury

@peterparkersnose Joel  Give In

@huffle-pissed Joel  How to Make a Latte

@heyhilana Joel  Days of Love

@misspearly1 Joel  Hush

@eupheme Joel  Take It Slow

@the-ginger-hedge-witch Joel  More

@lavendertales Joel  We Go Down Together

@rayslittlekitten Joel  Grumpy Old Man

@ozarkthedog Joel  Greedy Little Thing

@allfoolsinluv Joel  Crave

@toomanystoriessolittletime Joel  Healing / Javier  Apart

@icanbeyourjedi-writes​ Mr. Ben  Love, Wings and Football

@chaoticgeminate Mr. Ben  Rainy Days

@writer-darling Ezra  How Do You Feel About Me?

@kayleezra Ezra  Capitalist Holiday

@absurdthirst @storiesofthefandomlovers Pero  The Valentine’s Dom / Marcus P  A Valentine For One / Joel  The Last Valentine’s / Whiskey  First Comes Marriage / Joel + Dave  The Exchange

@psychedelic-ink Pero  Afterglow / Dieter  Hold Me, Love Me, Touch Me, Honey

@simpingcowboy​ Pero  Un Millón de Primaveras//A Million Springs

@dindjarindiaries Din  Scarlet Promise

@autumnleaves1991-blog Din  I Need a Mechanic

@dinsverdika Din  A Yellow Leaf & Glowing Flowers

@typingcorgi Marcus P  Paper Rings

@lowlights Dieter  February 15th

@pennyserenade Dieter  It’s Never Over

@theredwritingwitch Frankie  Home Cookin’

@nothoughtsjustmeds Frankie   Tame

@criticallyacclaimedstranger Frankie  Whatta Man / Joel  Surprise

@supernaturalgirl20 Oberyn  The Viper & The Lamb

@deadhumourist Oberyn  A Game of Realities

@agentwhiskeysdarlin Whiskey  Come Back to Me

@littlebirdsbookshelf Dave  A Valentine’s In Reverse

@prolix-yuy Dave  Taut / Dieter  Simulated

@whataperfectwasteoftime Dave  Ropes

[jupiter-soups]

✨ 9 people you'd like to get to know better ✨

thank you so much for the tag beloved <33 @javiscigarette

last song: mr brightside by the killers

favorite color: pink or purple

currently watching: minx season 2 with my lovelies @huffle-punk and @futuraa-free <3333

last movie: shiva baby

currently reading: i just bought earthlings by sayaka murata and i have read one page. so far so good!!

sweet/spicy/savory: sweet!!!

relationship status: single....🙄

current obsession: joel miller and his beautiful, beautiful face

last thing i googled: manuel ferrera and dani valentina....LMFAO I CAN EXPLAIN I SWEAR.....

currently working on: the final chapter of begging for you to take my hand!!!!

np tags <333: @tinycozycomfort @planet-marz1 @cool-iguana @lumoverheaven @chronic-ghost @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @venusianvalentine @worhols @gasolinerainbowpuddles

[flightred50]

this is officially a mr huffle appreciation account

[oonajaeadira]

For the Love Of Fic: February 20

Didn’t get a lot of time this week, but here’s a sampling of what I enjoyed!

🪐 = Year of Themed Creations work!

.

MARCUS PIKE

Tally Marks Part 1 and Part 2 by @huffle-pissed 🪐 Kay’s back at the soulmates (a trope I looooovvvvve) and this time it’s with Mr. Perfect Boyfriend. There are a lot of near misses here, and it takes a little while for them both to accept that it’s happening....but then they long for it and can’t seem to have it until.... It’s so sweet and fluffy y’all. 

.

DIN DJARIN

Competing For Christmas 7: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by @something-tofightfor  Christmas hasn’t hit the town of Mistletoe just yet, although some more Mandalorians have and the final hours for Din and reader are on. Ugh, it hurts my heart to see them count it down, force themselves to prepare for separation, even amidst the big celebrations. Aaaaand yet again Rachael has left us on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see how she wraps this one up....

Simple Gifts by @writeforfandoms If Din came wandering into my shop time and time again, I’m not sure I’d have the ability to hold myself back. But would I give him discounts and gifts? Hells yes. Would I be able to not hold the baby? Hells no. Would I beg him to take me away with him? Uh...sorry, I got carried away by this wonderful dream of a fic...

Not Going Anywhere by @haylzcyon  I do love a quiet and soft Din, one that won’t speak his feelings but you know he has big ones boiling just beneath the beskar. I wouldn’t give a womp rat’s ass if my bed was uncomfortable if I got to share a ship with him. And I certainly wouldn’t care if my bed was uncomfortable if I got to share the bed with him either....

Corner Booth by @magpie-to-the-morning  I love soft sex worker fics, the kind where the reader isn’t hardened, just charmed by the man they’re working on, someone sweet and respectful. And have I mentioned that I love a sweet, shy, respectful Din? That I yearn for him? This fic...it gives me all the yearns.

SPECIAL GUEST STAR FENNEC SHAND

From There to Here by @artemiseamoon 🪐 Arte’s gonna make my year whumptastic with her Year of Whump challenge. She’s starting off strong with Fennec needing medical care and being forced to take in the company of someone from her past...

.

[huffle-dork]

I think Sean is giving you permission to marry his magic son Huffle. Better be ready for the shovel talk!/j

Mr septiceye you better not be messing with me cuz I will do it!! HGHBN

[spockvarietyhour]

Doctor Who “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”

[shanie]

I actually thought that Moffat’s Xmas specials were better than the ones that came before them. I mean RTD really did like this idea of 10 having to stop an alien threat to London every single Xmas. And Moffat’s first special was wildly different from that formula with “A Christmas Carol” - though “The Doctor, Widow, and the Wardrobe” was a clunker, and “Time of the Doctor” should’ve been a 2 parter. But all of the 12th Doctor Xmas specials are my faves bc they’re so wildly different from each other - and one of them actually features Santa. And each of them are excellent

OK, so the thing of RTD's habit of Aliens invading London every Christmas... it was annoying but in a way I'll forgive it because it gave us an excuse to have Wilf, who then got written into the show full time. I will trade the goofiness of endless London invasions for the gem that was Wilf. He was worth it. But as for the episodes themselves, A Christmas Carol was a brilliant idea. Loved that. Everything about that episode was a breath of fresh air. Probably my all time favorite Christmas Special I've watched it so many times AND I made a music video about it. But the 12th doctor specials were some of my favorites. Doctor Mysterio wasn't the best episode overall but some of the elements were so friggin brilliant that I couldn't help but love it. The "Mr. Huffle Feels Pain" thing like, I don't know HOW that worked so well but I would have folded like tissue paper for Mr. Huffle too. And the idea that the whole plot is because the kid ate the stones, NO REALLY KID I FEEL THAT SO MUCH. Twice Upon a Time made me feel SO MUCH. I didn't realize how much I needed to see the 1st Doctor again until that episode and any excuse to put Mark Gatiss on my screen makes me happy. The Husbands of River Song? MY HEART. OMG I CRIED LIKE A CHILD WITH THE DOCTOR ON THAT ONE. Seriously, I thought knowing how River's story would end would soften the blow. NOOOOPE PAIN CITY. Just, epic. And so emotional. And Last Christmas? You'd never think that would have worked but it did and OMG I'M GLAD IT DID. Somehow fun as hell AND terrifying as hell, all at the same time, and the fact that it gave us just enough closure to Danny's storyline that we could move on? Perfect. Just PERFECT. Basically, I 100% agree with you. I personally think Moffat gets a bad wrap and people think of him as worse than he really was. Did he have some stinkers? SURE he did. But so did RTD. Fear Her and The Idiot's Lantern, anyone? Meanwhile, Moffat gave us all of Season five, the lifechanging 11th Doctor monologue from The Rings of Akhaten, plus he gave us probably the most poignant moment in all of Doctor Who history, the scene with Vincent in the museum. I don't think anything Doctor Who did before that has touched me as deeply as that (Being a person with severe mental illness) and I double anything will ever again.

[esonetwork]

Timestamp #272: The Return of Doctor Mysterio

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/timestamp-272-the-return-of-doctor-mysterio/

Timestamp #272: The Return of Doctor Mysterio

Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (1 episode, Christmas Special, 2016)

With great fandom comes great tributes to nostalgia.

It’s Christmas Eve in 1990. In New York City, a boy named Grant meets the Doctor in the middle of the night as the Time Lord dangles by his ankles in front of Grant’s window. The Doctor was testing a trap and inadvertently set it off. After some hijinks, the Doctor is finally let in because he is “expected.” Turns out that Grant and his mother believe that the Doctor is Santa Claus.

The Doctor flips through Grant’s Superman comic collection, discovering that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person. The Doctor also learns about Spider-Man before taking Grant to the roof to work on the Doctor’s trap. Grant names the Time Lord “Doctor Mysterio” as he works on the “time distortion equalizer thingy” that will take the edge off of his frequent incursions near the area. It will also help protect a glowing gemstone in the Doctor’s possession. The gemstone is one of four left in the universe and is known as the Hazandra. This “Ghost of Love and Wishes” uses power from a nearby star to make the wisher’s dreams come true.

Unfortunately, Grant swallowed the gemstone after mistaking it for medicine, and now has superpowers. Fast-forwarding to the future, a now-adult Grant works as a nanny. Elsewhere in the city, a man named Brock is hosting a press release at the Harmony Shoal building – which looks a lot like the Daily Planet – and fields questions from a reporter named Lucy Fletcher and Nardole.

Brock later meets with Dr. Sim at midnight, missing the fact that Lucy and Nardole have both independently sneaked back into the building. Sim and Brock enter a vault full of brains and Sim questions where some of the brains came from. Lucy overhears this and meets the Doctor as Brock discovers that Sim and the brains are aliens. The aliens swapped the brain of the real Dr. Sim with an invader, and a surgical team soon does the same to Mr. Brock.

Lucy and the Doctor retreat to the lobby where they meet with Nardole before being discovered by Sim. Sim threatens to kill the intruders but they are interrupted by a superhero knocking on the window of the 100th floor. This superhero is known as the Ghost and he saves the protagonists. The Doctor recognizes Grant as the Ghost before the superhero flies Lucy home.

On the day that Grant swallowed the gemstone, he promised not to use his powers as he waited for the stone to pass naturally. The Doctor tracks Grant back to the apartment where he works as a nanny to confront the hero with a Spider-Man catchphrase. It turns out that Grant is working for Lucy, and when she arrives home she is surprised to find the Doctor and Nardole in her dining room.

The Doctor checked in on Grant from time to time. One of those times was in high school when Grant knew Lucy and had x-ray vision. It was then that the Doctor knew that the stone had bonded with Grant’s DNA. In the modern day, the Doctor chats with Grant before sirens call the hero away and the Doctor meets with Lucy.

Lucy investigates the Doctor while using a Mr. Huffle toy – later sold as a Doctor Who-branded collectible! – to persuade him to tell the truth. The Doctor reveals everything about Harmony Shoal and the brain-swapping operation, and Lucy wants to know how the Ghost is related to the plot. She deduces that the Doctor knows the Ghost’s identity, but she’s oblivious to Grant’s secret. Grant overhears Lucy’s demands and calls her in his Ghost persona. Hilarity ensues as the Ghost agrees to have dinner with Lucy and Grant agrees to watch her daughter for the night.

As Sim and Brock hatch a plot to take over the Ghost’s body, the Doctor confronts them. He figures out the plan to assimilate the world’s leaders and warns the body-swappers as Nadole materializes the TARDIS around him. We learn that the Doctor extracted Nardole from Hydroflax because he was lonely. They travel to the Tokyo branch to search for clues while Grant and Lucy have their dinner on the roof of her apartment building. The Doctor and Nardole track a signal in orbit and find a spaceship.

Brock tracks the Ghost and leads a team to assimilate him while the Doctor and Nardole investigate the ship. The ship has been rewired into a floating bomb and has been targeted toward New York City to stage an attack and lure the world’s leaders. Luckily, Harmony Shoal has been designed as a bunker that can withstand the blast. The Doctor decides to crash the ship into the planet’s atmosphere.

Brock attempts to assimilate the Ghost, but Grant breaks free and returns in his civilian guise to confront the aliens. The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to communicate with Grant, asking the hero to use his powers and stop the ship from crashing. Of course, Grant is forced to reveal his true identity to Lucy, but the city is saved from nuclear disaster. The Doctor and Nardole arrive in the TARDIS and confront Brock. Grant and Lucy kiss and fly into the sky with the ship as UNIT arrives to close down Harmony Shoal.

Unfortunately, the brain-swappers escape (as the baddies in the comic pages usually do).

As the Doctor and Nardole say goodbye to Grant and Lucy, they discuss how things end and begin again, alluding to the Doctor’s final night with the woman he loved. Nardole explains as the Doctor returns to the TARDIS. Together they set course for adventures unknown.

In typical Christmas Special fashion, this was a light and fluffy piece with plenty of room for the actors to have fun. Steven Moffat’s love of the Superman comics is on full display, making up most of the homage here. Grant puts off definite Clark Kent and Peter Parker vibes as he dances between his personas, and he acts like Batman with a serious and gravelly voice while in the cape and mask. There are several other elements, particularly from the 1978 Superman film, including the rooftop interview and being contacted on a specific frequency that only their super ears can hear. The x-ray vision sequence in the high school reminded me of the Smallville episode “X-Ray” from 2001, though Clark Kent seemed to enjoy the power a bit more than Grant did.

The Superman comic that the Doctor reads is Superman Vol. 2 #19 from July 1988. In that issue, “The Power that Failed”, the villain Psi-Phon removes Superman’s powers one by one. It’s an ironic choice given how young Grant is shown as gaining his powers sequentially in this episode.

The superhero homage is embellished to the extreme in young Grant’s bedroom, complete with tributes to Superman, the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Silver Surfer, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Captain America, Iron Man, the Defenders, and more. All of them are apparently canon in the Doctor Who universe, and Batman was previously mentioned in Inferno, The Time Monster, Remembrance of the Daleks (where Ace’s earrings were outstanding!), Sky, and The Curse of Clyde Langer. It’s all capped by the nods to Miss Shuster and Miss Siegel, which pays tribute to Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, the parents of Superman’s legacy.

Brain swapping is a storytelling trope with a long history behind it. In fact, the first supervillain in a DC Comics story was the Ultra-Humanite, a mad scientist who tangled with Superman in Action Comics #13 (“Superman vs. the Cab Protective League”) in June 1939, and that ne’er-do-well transplanted his brain into an actress after supposedly dying in battle against the Man of Steel. He transplanted his brain multiple times over the years before settling on the body of an albino gorilla. Doctor Who fans will recognize the trope as part of the story The Brain of Morbius.

A fun bit of trivia that I didn’t know until I started diving into this story relates to the name Doctor Mysterio. When Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi were doing the Doctor Who World Tour, they fell in love with the show’s Mexican title Doctor Misterio. Peter Capaldi’s delivery of that name in this episode is an impersonation of the announcer’s voice on the overdubbed soundtrack.

Finally, I loved how the Doctor brought snacks to his investigation. I also loved the callback to The Green Death as Lucy disguises herself as a cleaner just like the Doctor did to infiltrate Global Chemicals.

Overall, this ends up as a wholesome fluff story and a lovely tribute to the superhero genre.

Rating: 4/5 – “Would you care for a jelly baby?”

UP NEXT – Doctor Who: The Pilot

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.