The Thirteenth Doctor isn’t on our TV screens right now but there’s always something happening in her world. Former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat is back to penning time and space adventures with “The Terror of The Umpty Ums,” a Thirteenth Doctor short story currently available on the BBC’s website. This is Moffat’s first time returning to Doctor Who since the 2017 Christmas special “Twice Upon A Time,” which bid farewell to the Twelfth Doctor. No one could anticipate a Thirteen story by Moffat, but it’s here and it is certainly worth a read.
“The Terror of The Umpty Ums” is the latest installment of short stories penned by Doctor Who writers and producers to keep fans uplifted during a difficult time. Moffat does a brilliant job with this lovely, heartfelt story filled with engaging dialogue and Thirteen’s signature energy and spirit. The TV show hasn’t given her a full adventure sans companions yet so it is interesting to see what this Doctor is like on her own.
“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
The Doctor is there to, once again, save the day as she has a conversation with David, a boy who is, unsurprisingly, not a boy at all. He’s ready to destroy the human race and The Doctor is there to do what she does best—talk him out of it. As expected, there are a lot of quote-worthy lines and fun Moffat callbacks for fans to highlight. And there’s a really great twist at the end that will give readers a ton of delight.
The Steven Moffat short story is a nice way to fill the gap until Thirteen’s return sometime this holiday season for a special. There’s nothing more comforting than diving into the Doctor Who world, even if its only for a brief story meant to tug at your heartstrings in the best way.
Header Image: James Pardon/BBC Studios/BBC America