vivdunstan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
vivdunstan) wrote2024-12-25 09:12 pm
vivdunstan) wrote2024-12-25 09:12 pm
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Doctor Who: Joy to the World thoughts
This is going to be full of spoilers, so I recommend only reading after you've seen the episode, or if you're sure you won't be watching it.
This was the latest Doctor Who Christmas special, Ncuti Gatwa's second, and a script from familiar face Steven Moffat. It was very Moffat-y, from the opening montage switching between multiple time zones and settings, through to the Doctor being stuck in one location for a long time, and people dying but being uploaded. Also the timey wimey ness of the future Doctor meeting his past self, in rather a neatly developed way.
I wish I liked it more. I liked a lot of the elements. I really liked the two quasi companions Joy and Anita, and their actresses did great. I especially wish we'd seen more of Joy. I liked Trev a lot. But he died quickly! I liked the Covid elements, though I suspect it may have triggered a lot of difficult memories for many people watching. I even coped as an agnostic with the Star of Bethlehem content.
But it felt like too many ideas thrown into a blender, and nothing given enough room to develop. I wish the script had been pared back more. And yes, there were things I just didn't see enough of.
On plus I am very excited by the brief glimpse of the next series. Varada Sethu's companion looks very intriguing, an older, more mature character than Ruby. And yes, we get Ruby back too.
But it's not great when I'm more excited by the next series trailer than the Christmas special. On plus it's not "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe". But it should have been better. More trimming, fewer festive trimmings.
This was the latest Doctor Who Christmas special, Ncuti Gatwa's second, and a script from familiar face Steven Moffat. It was very Moffat-y, from the opening montage switching between multiple time zones and settings, through to the Doctor being stuck in one location for a long time, and people dying but being uploaded. Also the timey wimey ness of the future Doctor meeting his past self, in rather a neatly developed way.
I wish I liked it more. I liked a lot of the elements. I really liked the two quasi companions Joy and Anita, and their actresses did great. I especially wish we'd seen more of Joy. I liked Trev a lot. But he died quickly! I liked the Covid elements, though I suspect it may have triggered a lot of difficult memories for many people watching. I even coped as an agnostic with the Star of Bethlehem content.
But it felt like too many ideas thrown into a blender, and nothing given enough room to develop. I wish the script had been pared back more. And yes, there were things I just didn't see enough of.
On plus I am very excited by the brief glimpse of the next series. Varada Sethu's companion looks very intriguing, an older, more mature character than Ruby. And yes, we get Ruby back too.
But it's not great when I'm more excited by the next series trailer than the Christmas special. On plus it's not "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe". But it should have been better. More trimming, fewer festive trimmings.