Doctor Who has returned to its traditional spot on Christmas Day with Joy to the World, a festive, timey-wimey adventure that balances whimsy with emotion. In this episode, the Doctor stumbles into a mystery involving the corporate villains Villengard, who are using the Time Hotel—a place where time operates in unusual ways—to hatch a baby star from a psychic briefcase. Along the way, the Doctor befriends Anita, spends a year as an odd-job man, calls Nicola Coughlan a “sad sack human train wreck,” and narrowly avoids being eaten by a dinosaur. It’s an entertaining, heartfelt special that captures the spirit of Christmas while offering a fresh take on the classic Doctor Who formula.
The return of the Christmas special after a five-year absence felt like a much-needed revival for the show’s holiday tradition. Following the fun but uneven The Church on Ruby Road in 2023, Joy to the World offers a more refined and accessible experience for both long-time fans and newcomers. With Steven Moffat at the helm, this special marks his first festive episode since Twice Upon a Time in 2017. Fans were eager to see how he would approach the format, and the result is a blend of both lightheartedness and depth, drawing from previous festive specials while carving its own unique space in the Doctor Who canon.
Moffat’s approach to Joy to the World is largely safe but effective. The episode is designed to be accessible, allowing viewers of all backgrounds to enjoy it without needing a deep understanding of the show’s continuity. While the central emotional throughline—the Doctor’s loneliness and longing for a companion—remains familiar, it’s presented in a way that doesn’t require extensive prior knowledge. The Time Hotel concept, with its peculiarities such as kitchens existing 30 minutes into the future, offers a clever and engaging backdrop for the story. The mechanics of the hotel are explained at key moments, ensuring the audience remains grounded in the narrative. This approach allows the episode to maintain a sense of fun without becoming bogged down in convoluted plot points or references.
The returning villain, Villengard, is a faceless corporate entity with familiar villainous traits—largely motivated by profit and power. This serves as an effective, if somewhat one-dimensional, antagonist. The reference to the previous season’s Boom is a nice nod to continuity for dedicated fans but is presented in a way that doesn’t overwhelm casual viewers. Coughlan’s portrayal of Joy, while charming, ultimately doesn’t have much depth to work with, as her character is more of a plot device than a fully fleshed-out figure. However, her performance adds warmth to the episode, making her moments on screen enjoyable, even if her character arc doesn’t carry much emotional weight.
The episode also benefits from Gatwa’s portrayal of the Doctor, which continues to impress. His performance strikes a perfect balance between humor and emotional depth, with the character’s loneliness and grief felt in subtle, powerful moments. One of the episode’s highlights is the Doctor’s interaction with Joy, where he deliberately provokes her in a moment of emotional conflict. The complexity of Gatwa’s performance, shifting from cruelty to regret, adds depth to the character and anchors the emotional core of the episode.
The Time Hotel itself is a standout concept, offering plenty of opportunities for clever humor and imaginative world-building. The idea of time being manipulated within the hotel, where certain rooms exist in different time periods, allows for some inventive storytelling moments. One notable scene involves the Doctor traveling to the future in an unconventional way, which slows the narrative down for some quieter character moments. While this is a concept Moffat has explored in previous episodes, it remains effective here, providing a breather from the fast-paced action.
The episode’s emotional beats are generally well-executed, though there are moments where the story leans too heavily into sentimentality. The Doctor’s year-long friendship with Anita is one of the more understated emotional arcs, and while it’s handled well, the farewell at the end feels overly dramatic. The implication of romantic feelings between Anita and the Doctor feels forced, as it lacks sufficient build-up to justify such a large emotional payoff. Similarly, Joy’s emotional outburst about her past, though well-acted by Coughlan, seems to push for a level of emotional intensity that isn’t entirely earned by the story.
Another point of tonal dissonance is the subplot involving Joy’s mother, who is in the hospital. The shift from an intimate, personal tragedy to a sci-fi solution feels jarring, especially in the way it attempts to provide a sense of closure through a fantastical resolution. The use of pandemic and political references, such as nods to Partygate, also feels somewhat heavy-handed, detracting from the emotional resonance of the moment.
As for the Doctor, while Ncuti Gatwa’s performance is consistently captivating, there’s a sense that the character’s emotional arc doesn’t break new ground. The Doctor’s grief over the absence of a companion, while poignant, feels familiar, and the fact that Ruby, the Doctor’s companion, isn’t deceased but rather choosing to spend time with her family, undercuts the emotional weight of the situation. Compared to previous Doctors who were separated from companions under far more tragic circumstances, this separation feels less significant, which diminishes the episode's emotional impact.
Despite these minor missteps, Joy to the World remains a strong and enjoyable Christmas special. Its balance of adventure, humor, and heartfelt moments makes it a fitting return to the Christmas Day slot for Doctor Who. The message of hope, though occasionally heavy-handed, is a welcome theme, particularly after the challenges of the past few years. The special encapsulates the spirit of Doctor Who with its mix of sci-fi spectacle and emotional depth, offering an entertaining and uplifting experience for viewers of all ages.
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So
Comments