The Shoal of the Winter Harmony are multi-nucleate organisms, functioning as an infinitely adaptable, independently functioning, peripatetic central nervous system. The Shoal take over the bodies of humanoids by removing the brains and taking up residence, with only a faint diagonal slash across the host’s face as a tell-tale sign. The Twelfth Doctor first encountered the Harmony Shoal in the 2010s when he foiled their plan to invade Earth by crashing a spaceship into New York (The Return of Doctor Mysterio). At some point in their history, the Shoal of Winter Harmony were conquered by King Hydroflax. Their reverence for the King lead them to the year 5343 where they tried to buy the Halassi Androvar, the most valuable diamond in the universe, from River Song (The Husbands of River Song). Little did they know, the precious stone was embedded in Hydroflax’s now-decapitated head, which River had hidden in a duffel bag!

The Husbands of River Song

★★★★☆

TX: 25/12/2015

Written by Steven Moffat      Directed by Douglas Mackinnon

The Twelfth Doctor lands on the planet Mendorax Dellora at Christmas 5343. The Doctor is mistaken by a servant, Nardole, for a surgeon hired by River Song to attend to her dying husband, King Hydroflax, a cyborg. Hydroflax has a detachable head and inside his head is a diamond that River Song is after. The Doctor is instructed by River Song to remove the head and retrieve the diamond called the Halassi Androvar. But Hydroflax discovers River Song’s plot and tries to kill the Doctor and River Song. River Song and the Doctor teleport to safety with Hydroflax’s head in a bag, but Nardole isn’t so fortunate. Nardole’s head is uploaded to Hydroflax’s body. Ramone, one of River Song’s previous husbands, makes contact with the Doctor and River Song. River Song still doesn’t recognise the Twelfth Doctor, because she believes that the Doctor still has a regeneration limit. Ramone is captured by the Nardole-headed Hydroflax and he is decapitated too. Ramone-Hydroflax enters the TARDIS and pursues the Doctor and River Song to a restaurant on a spaceship. At first the pair think they are safe, but all of the guests are in fact the Shoal of the Winter Harmony, who have been searching for the diamond. But they also worship King Hydroflax. The Maitr’d presents the Diary of River Song to the body of Hydroflax saying that the Doctor’s head could be his finest yet! However, Hydroflax’s body destroys Hydroflax’s head, retrieving the diamond. River Song finally realises who the Doctor is, moments before a meteor strike damages the ship. The Doctor and River Song fend off Hydroflax’s body and pilot the ship to Darillium. The Doctor and River Song are knocked unconscious inside the TARDIS. The Doctor emerges on Darillium and tells a construction worker to build a restaurant right where they are standing with the diamond from Hydroflax. The Doctor pilots the TARDIS into the future once the restaurant has been built. River Song dresses up and enters the restaurant, where the Doctor gives her the sonic screwdriver that she has in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. The Doctor and River Song listen to the singing towers of Darillium. The Doctor reveals that a “night” on Darillium is 24 years, making this the perfect final night together for him and River Song. I thoroughly enjoyed this comic Christmas caper when I first saw it. Although I was initially apprehensive about the return of River Song, she was mostly served well in this adventure. Matt Lucas and Greg Davies also helped to provide extra laughs along the way in an intergalactic special involving beheading, ancient diamonds and head-opening villains. The Husbands of River Song fits neatly in-between The Angels Take Manhattan and Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, at the end of River Song’s timeline. It was heart-warming but also sad to witness the final linkup to River’s first and also final appearance. The Doctor gifts his sonic screwdriver to River as a Christmas present before spending 24 years with her on Darillium, the ‘night’ before her fateful trip to the Library.

The Return of Doctor Mysterio

★★☆☆☆

TX: 25/12/2016

Written by Steven Moffat      Directed by Ed Bazalgette

In New York City on Christmas Eve 1992, an 8-year-old boy named Grant wakes to find the Twelfth Doctor dangling outside the window of his family’s apartment and helps him inside. The Doctor takes Grant to the rooftop and reveals he accidentally set off a device he was building; he enlists Grant to help complete it. However, Grant mistakenly swallows a wish-granting gemstone needed for the device, believing it to be medicine for a cold he has. He is granted his wish to be a superhero. The Doctor fixes the device and makes Grant promise to not use his new superpowers before he leaves. The Doctor returns to New York in 2016, with Nardole, to investigate Harmony Shoal, a multinational research company. They encounter a news reporter, Lucy Fletcher, who is conducting a similar investigation. The group discovers that it is being secretly run by a group of living alien brains that transplant themselves into any living creature they need for their plans. Dr. Sim, an employee the brains already took over, attempts to kill the group when they are suddenly rescued by a masked superhero named the Ghost. Some elements of this story are borrowed from The Keys of Marinus, i.e. the brains in the jars. Returning to her apartment before her he changes back into Grant, who works for Lucy as a nanny. Lucy returns and interrogates the Doctor, forcing him to reveal that the alien brains colonise planets by taking control of their prominent leaders, with Earth being their next target. The world’s politicians will have their brains replaced by Harmony Shoal, leaving them with a zip in their heads (Aliens of London/World War Three). Leaving Lucy to prepare for an interview with Grant’s alter ego, the Doctor and Nardole track down the alien’s ship in a low orbit and board it via the TARDIS. There, they discover that the ship’s reactor is in a critical state and it will fall on New York. The Doctor realises the city would be vaporised except for the Harmony Shoal building. World leaders would then take shelter in the company’s other buildings within each capital city, believing Earth was under attack, allowing the brains to take them over. After Dr Sim lets slip the ship is to be dropped at a designated time, the Doctor forces its descent ahead of schedule. Ghost and Lucy are captured by the brains during the interview. Ghost flies away, but returns as Grant to protect Lucy. Unable to change the ship’s course during its descent, the Doctor sends Grant a message requesting his help. Grant manages to stop the alien’s ship from crashing into the city, but reveals himself as the Ghost to Lucy in the process. Lucy is won over and Grant takes her in tow as he disposes of the ship. The Doctor alerts UNIT and they shut down Harmony Shoal. One of the U.N.I.T officers decides to contact Osgood, but he fails to notice that one member of Harmony Shoal is still alive…