Nineteen years ago, TV magic happened: Steven Moffat wrote his first Doctor Who story for showrunner Russell T Davies — a two-part episode called “The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.” The episode, a World War II adventure which saw the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) find themselves caught in the London Blitz while being pursued by a strange, scarred child, was met with immediate acclaim, kicking off a creative partnership that would span almost two decades. Moffat would continue to write more critically acclaimed episodes under Davies’ reign as showrunner, before taking on the stewardship of Doctor Who himself, starting with the Matt Smith-led Season 5.
After Moffat departed the show, it would seem like both of them had closed out that chapter in their careers. But, unexpectedly, Davies would return in 2023 to shepherd the 60th anniversary specials and several seasons beyond. So, naturally, he brought back Moffat for one last episode. Er, maybe one more episode.
