As a longtime fan of Doctor Who, I must say that this latest episode has truly captured the spirit of Christmas and the essence of the show itself. The way the story unfolds, with its twists and turns, kept me on the edge of my seat, much like the Doctor himself when he’s faced with a cosmic conundrum.
It seems as though the plot of this episode appears to have been constructed around a “Joy to the World” pun by Steven Moffat, which might not result in the most robust narrative. However, being a Christmas special, it’s expected to have such elements; after all, episodes like “The Husbands of River Song,” “A Christmas Carol,” and “The Runaway Bride” have proven that these festive installments can be quite memorable. It’s worth noting that many people in the U.K. (and beyond) gather to watch this show on Christmas Day with their families, even if they don’t regularly follow the series. Given this expanded audience, I find myself more forgiving of elements that feel a bit cheesy or contrived.
In this episode’s intricate setup for the extended joke, the Doctor has placed the TARDIS within the main plot element, known as the Time Hotel, where guests can visit different historical moments through their room doors (even humorously hinting that one might lead to Jesus’ birth night). However, the Doctor isn’t there for a history tour; he merely needs some milk. In a melancholic touch, he unintentionally takes two mugs, symbolizing his current lack of companionship. It’s entertaining to observe him acting before thinking—he reaches for his sonic screwdriver before recognizing that he intends to investigate a Time Hotel guest with a chained briefcase on his wrist.
The Doctor seeks assistance from the amiable and accommodating hotel worker Trev, who remains unbothered when the Doctor suggests he may not need to clear his thoughts. Assigned to keep tabs on the Doctor via a psychic link, Trev is told to wait at the bar until a room becomes available. He vows that this task will be the least he’s ever failed to fulfill, and the Doctor departs to frighten individuals across history by mysteriously appearing through doorways and feigning as if delivering a time-traveled room service snack from the Time Hotel kitchen, which operates 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
As we observe, the briefcase appears to have an intriguing effect. It seems to cause people’s gaze to dart, and they utter cryptic phrases like “The star seed will blossom, and the flesh will awaken.” However, once someone else takes the briefcase off their hands, these individuals mysteriously disintegrate. The briefcase has been passed around, from a bartender, to Trev, and now it’s in the hands of his Silurian supervisor.
In a modern London hotel room, shared by the character Joy (known from “Bridgerton” portrayed by Nicola Coughlan), the Doctor and a Silurian enter. Joy, who greets even flies with Merry Christmas, is startled by these newcomers. The receptionist Anita, taken aback initially, decides it’s not her place to interfere. Joy, annoyed that the Doctor and Silurian seem more interested in a briefcase than acknowledging her presence, grabs it herself. In an emotional plea, the Doctor fails to save the Silurian. After some friendly banter about mansplaining, the Doctor opens the briefcase revealing a glowing orb, causing a countdown for Joy’s disintegration. The only way to prevent this is with a security code. Fortunately, another future version of the Doctor arrives just in time to provide the necessary code.
In this episode, it becomes increasingly apparent that solitude is a dominant theme. We’ve previously learned that Joy was intending to celebrate Christmas alone. With his future self failing to provide him with clear guidance, the Doctor finds himself venting about how others dislike him and inevitably abandon him. With few options left, he requests assistance from Anita, another individual who appears to spend a considerable amount of time alone, by asking if he can assist at the hotel for a year.
In a way that’s unexpected, Anita appears less startled than one might anticipate when the Doctor performs unusual actions such as changing her car color to blue, causing a mop to self-clean, or expanding the size of his microwave from within. She also doesn’t question him too intensely about his newfound interest in collecting TARDIS figurines. However, he does share a small piece of his personal life when he explains the significance of “Auld Lang Syne.” Yet, it is when he invites Anita to sit in the additional chair in his room that signifies a significant shift in their relationship. This act, which might seem insignificant for someone who doesn’t typically use chairs within the TARDIS, marks a new phase in their friendship. We see them spending time together playing games during what they call “chair night,” enjoying drinks outside while wearing sunglasses, and both agreeing that romantic partners are unnecessary. Essentially, sitting together is a symbol of caring for each other!
It’s clear that Anita is aware that the Doctor is embarking on a mission – he requests her permission to examine a door in a suite occupied by newlyweds on Christmas Day 2025, yet she can’t help but feel sad as he prepares to depart. During an emotional farewell, the Doctor confesses his curiosity about experiencing time in chronological order and expresses his gratitude for Anita, calling it a marvelous experience. He asks her to remember him occasionally, for old times’ sake. With tears in her eyes, she sends him off. The Doctor exits through a portal he knew would become accessible due to a brochure he carried with him. Upon his return, he passes on the code to his past self, thereby completing the loop. As we revisit a familiar scene, there’s an additional detail – before pulling Joy into the Time Hotel, he takes a moment to look at the extra chair in the room.
In my own words, I’d say: The Doctor clarifies that this briefcase serves as a tool for crafting a unique star, acting as an alternative energy source. Manipulating its activation across different time zones is akin to hastening the process by microwaving it. To combat the influence the briefcase has over Joy, the Doctor embarks on a psychological analysis, or perhaps it’s more like criticism that seems inspired by Moffat’s writing style for Sherlock. From the perspective of her chosen hotel room, he deduces that Joy must be a troubled soul, given the apparent despair and loneliness of the Christmas-bound room. Frankly, I found the room quite charming, even cozy! And honestly, I don’t see myself as someone who loathes themselves…
Despite this, the Doctor continues to probe, questioning whether Joy’s mother was joking when she named her daughter who always follows rules and pleases others. This comment hits a nerve for an already distressed Joy, as her mother passed away alone during the COVID-19 lockdown, and their last meeting was over video call. In this unfamiliar setting, Joy becomes so enraged that she pushes the Doctor. She weeps and confesses that Christmas Day is when her mother passed, and these memories flood back, causing her to lose control of the briefcase she’s holding.
It’s been discovered that Villengard, the arms manufacturer we frequently mentioned last season, is connected to this briefcase. In a chilling revelation through the Silurian’s uploaded consciousness, an interface suggests that Villengard “regards the unintentional loss of life during its pursuit of limitless energy sources” which could incinerate Earth, painting a sinister picture of this company. Simply put, they are as wicked as cartoons portray villains to be.
The Doctor emphasizes that this process would require approximately 65 million years, which is about as long as it takes for a dinosaur to swallow a briefcase in anger. Quickly returning to the Time Hotel, the Doctor and Joy are informed by Trevor, now part of Villengard’s interface along with his psychic attachment, about when and where the star will be ready. Upon discovering the star trapped within a safe inside a shrine, the Doctor is so engrossed in planning a strategy to open the safe and hurl the star into space that he fails to notice Joy’s eyes glowing with excitement.
As a passionate cinephile, I leap back to gather necessary items from the designated Time Hotel locations – the Orient Express in 1962 and Mount Everest’s base camp in 1953. Alone with the briefcase while the safe unlocks, Joy yearns for the star’s survival and takes it in. When I finally join her, she, along with all the characters we’ve witnessed, vanish, explaining that the star seed will flourish, but only in distant, unpopulated areas to prevent harm. Intriguingly, Joy appears… joyful about this development.
Before she ascends into space, she notes that although the Doctor was correct about his hotel room examination, he had resided there for an entire year. She suggests that he should seek a friend. This seems to be a gentle hint for the Doctor to travel with a companion once more. However, it’s worth mentioning that he wasn’t always alone in that room; he did develop a bond with Anita (whom I must admit, was unexpectedly not invited to gaze upon the stars alongside him). The explosion of Joy creates a star that brings smiles to faces across all time zones, including Ruby. Before discovering that the Doctor has proposed her for a position at the Time Hotel, Anita witnesses this celestial event. Joy’s mother sees it in the hospital and appears to recognize her child before she dissolves.
At last, we’ve reached the climactic moment Moffat has been leading us to. The Doctor gazes out and suddenly comprehends something, exclaiming, “Happiness to the world!” The camera shifts to unveil three camels and a distant city, which on-screen text verifies as Bethlehem in the year 1. The ‘Star of Bethlehem’ that some believe guided the three wise men (and their camels) towards baby Jesus is none other than Joy. Indeed, “Happiness to the world, the Lord has arrived.” Whether this special successfully developed its characters or delivered adequate emotional resolution is up for debate, but one thing is certain: it stayed true to the holiday spirit. What could be more fitting for Christmas than Jesus Christ?
Cut For Time (Lord)
In a more relaxed and conversational style:
Some individuals might argue that Fifteen cries excessively, and while I may not have displayed as much emotion as him upon the Silurian’s demise or Joy’s departure because I was still getting to know those characters, I believe it’s entirely consistent with the Doctor’s character to feel deeply sorrowful about anyone’s death, no matter how long the acquaintance. Personally, Ncuti’s tears are so poignant that they make me feel even more emotional once he starts crying.
In this installment, we don’t learn the mysterious woman exchanging sapphic love letters (and enjoying “Murder on the Orient Express” aboard the real Orient Express) by name, but she is credited as Sylvia Trench. Moffat has revealed in an interview with Mashable that this character is intended to be the same Sylvia Trench from the James Bond series, and he also shares insights about her background in the interview.
Scattered throughout the episode are nods to previous events, such as the Doctor mentioning Weeping Angels or carrying on the gravity joke from the 60th-anniversary specials. Additionally, he hints at his expertise in knots, a skill we witnessed in last year’s Christmas special. I appreciate these little easter eggs; they cater well to devoted fans without overwhelming casual viewers.
In addition to the upcoming Christmas special, a sneak peek trailer for the next season has been released. This season seems to introduce more villains who break the rules of our universe since they hail from elsewhere. One shot that caught my attention shows a cartoon character emerging from a screen. We catch glimpses of Ruby and a new character portrayed by Varada Sethu, who may be familiar for her role in “Boom.” It also appears Mrs. Flood might make an appearance.
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2024-12-27 02:54