Stephen Fry Has An Impossible Problem In First Doctor Who Season 12 Clip

Jodie Whittaker’s Time Lord is once more “dealing with the impossible” in a new clip from the upcoming twelfth season of Doctor Who.

In an excerpt from “Spyfall,” the Bond-themed two-parter that’s set to air at the beginning of next year, Stephen Fry seemingly plays a member of the British Secret Service, who briefs the Doctor and her associates on a mysterious new problem.

It appears that one of Fry’s spies was found unconscious in the washroom of an airplane headed to Tokyo, where she was expected to make contact with an informant. And while it may look like the woman is in a coma, her condition turns out to be “a little more horrific than that.”

In the Doctor’s own words, the spy’s DNA has been “rewritten” to the point where she’s “no longer human,” but rather “a shell with a human appearance.” The clip ends with Fry’s character reminding our heroine that the security of the entire planet is at stake, before asking, “Can we rely upon you?” And seeing how this storyline is supposed to fill up two episodes, we can probably guess what her answer will be.

Alongside Fry, “Spyfall” will feature a guest appearance from British actor and comedian Lenny Henry. The twelfth season will also see the return of various series regulars, including Bradley Walsh as Graham, Tosin Cole as Ryan, and Mandip Gill as Yasmin.

In a recent interview with Radio Times, Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall promised an “action-packed” set of episodes that will probably be “a step up from last year,” though you can judge for yourself if the new season lives up to the hype when the first episode airs on New Year’s Day.