Doctor Who made a thrilling comeback on BBC One, with Ncuti Gatwa donning the mantle of the iconic Time Lord once again. In this latest adventure, he encountered Joy (portrayed by Nichola Coughlan), a single woman who stumbled upon a hidden passageway to the enigmatic Time Hotel.

As a sinister plot began to unravel across the globe, perfectly timed for the festive season, fans were left in shock as a beloved character met an early demise within the episode’s first half.

The unexpected death of Joel Fry’s character, Trev Simpkins, a Time Hotel employee who assisted the Doctor, sparked an outpouring of grief from viewers. @philipmoore_ expressed their dismay on Twitter: “Killing Trev… when we just met him? ! Justice for Trev. #DoctorWho”.

@Migeman lamented: “Aww s***, not Trev, he was a good lad. #DoctorWho” while @Spaceyeurotrash tweeted: “Feel like s*** just want Trev back as a treat #DoctorWho”.

@grace_is_sugoi hoped against hope: “Can they just let Trev survive as a treat #DoctorWho” and @Hyukasbabe regretted getting emotionally invested: “It was my fault for getting attached to Trev #DoctorWho”.

@Spaceyeurotrash humorously summed up: “Rip Trev it was nice knowing you (for like 5 seconds) lol.”

Towards the end of the episode, Trev made an unexpected comeback to briefly help the Doctor from beyond the grave.

In addition to mourning Trev, fans also felt the absence of Ruby Sunday (played by Millie Gibson), who departed from the show in the two-part finale ‘Empire of Death’.

@stitched_moons shared their feelings: “Missing ruby Sunday like a mf #doctorwho”.

And @THHEBLACKDOG picked up on a poignant moment from the Doctor, commenting: “Not him making Ruby a coffee #DoctorWho” accompanied by a crying emoji.

Ruby’s absence was felt in the episode when a receptionist queried the Doctor, “Who are you not phoning?”.

“Ruby Sunday,” he confessed. The receptionist probed about the issue with Ruby.

“No problem, just gotta let people get on with their lives,” he responded, a touch of melancholy in his voice.

Right at the end of the episode, Ruby made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance when she made a phonecall to her mother.

Twitter user @virtualdemigod expressed their delight at seeing Derry Girls’ Nicola Coughlan appear on the show, despite feeling disappointed about Ruby’s exit.

Their tweet read: “I assume we’re all upset at no more Ruby Sunday (?) but honestly I’m too busy going crazy over Nicola Coughlan as a #doctorwho companion.”

Meanwhile, @rhyssuxx tweeted their approval of the casting choice: “Whoever decided to cast Nicola Coughlan in an episode of #DoctorWho deserves a knighthood.”