2nd Opinion, Take 2 “Joy to the World” – Mediocre Moffat
JC reviews the 2024 Doctor Who Christmas special.
Steven Moffat has suggested that “Joy to the World” might be his final contribution to Doctor Who, and if so, it’s a disappointingly mediocre note to bow out on. Maybe I’m mistaken, but I expected better from the man that has given us so many classic episodes. Then again, I felt the same with “Boom“, so maybe his best days are behind him now?
While the concept of a time-travel hotel is at least intriguing, the idea is frustratingly underexplored. The Time Hotel raises several big questions—how did they gain access to time travel in the first place? How do the staff prevent guests from tampering with history? Is it simply accepted if a guest dies in the past, or even kills someone? What safeguards exist to prevent all-out timeline chaos? Yet, these issues are glossed over, and even the Doctor fails to voice any concerns about it. In fact, this so-called Time Lord seems completely fine with it, which feels totally out of character (and not for the first time this era).
The episode features plenty of Moffat’s signature storytelling elements—people dying only to be “uploaded” to a network of some kind, ominous repeated phrases, and, of course, some timey-wimey shenanigans, with yet another bootstrap paradox sequence. While these elements are executed competently, they pale in comparison to similar moments in Moffat’s stronger stories. Coming so soon after “Boom”, which was already loaded with Moffat’s familiar bag of tricks, this lack of originality has become a recurring issue in this “new” era of the series, making these story elements feel like reruns.
Then there are the messy attempts at social commentary. As has been the case with much of this latest era, these moments felt unnecessary and misjudged. While the pandemic’s impact was undeniable, it no longer feels like a hot topic in a world that has largely moved on. Moreover, many viewers will not want to be reminded of personal losses during what is meant to be a fun Christmas Day romp. Adding to the missteps was the casual misandry, with the Doctor now apparently a “mansplainer”—an eye-rolling moment reminiscent of “The Star Beast“. Once again, a prejudicial jab aimed at entirely the wrong target.
I thought Nicola Coughlan’s one-off companion, Joy, was underwhelming. Coughlan did what she could with the role, but her character lacked depth, and the script didn’t give enough time to develop her as a memorable companion. It didn’t help that she spends a good chunk of the episode essentially taken over by the main threat. As a result, later attempts at pulling at the heartstrings didn’t land as intended.
On the other hand, Anita (played by Steph de Whalley) was an unexpected standout. In fact, the Doctor’s year-long stay with her at the hotel was my highlight of the episode, showcasing genuine humanity and warmth. It left me wondering why Anita wasn’t the central companion instead, and why this subplot wasn’t actually expanded into the core narrative. Perhaps De Whalley wasn’t considered a big enough name for the second lead, but it feels like a sadly missed opportunity.
As for the rest of the main characters, they were largely forgettable. Trev and the Silurian were killed off too quickly to leave much of an impression. (On a side note, can we please bring back the classic Silurian design?) The Doctor’s overly emotional reactions, particularly crying over a character he barely knew, felt overdone and misplaced (and how many times has Gatwa’s Doctor cried now?!).
Finally, aside from the requisite festive decorations and the ending “twist” (that a portion of the audience will surely not be happy with), I felt the episode was a Christmas special in name only. It just lacked the Christmas magic of specials past. It also looked overly-lit and more budget than the rest of this Disney era of the show, like one of those Hallmark Christmas films you get forced to watch by your significant other!
Ultimately, while there were flickers of potential, “Joy to the World” fails to live up to the high standard of a great Doctor Who Christmas special, let alone a potential swan song for Moffat. It’s not without moments of charm, but overall, it struggles to capture the magic of Doctor Who at its best.
