Doctor Who: Joy To The World Review (Ups & Downs)

[@WhoCulture]

Easter eggs breakdown for Joy to the World is now live! ➡ kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIG8eq1qnalgoKs

[@Kelvryn]

That was a great episode. I am completely satisfied with it as a doctor who Christmas special.

[@stewiegriffin631]

@@Kelvryn The construction of the 4 digit security code was very clever. RIP Tim Brooke-Taylor. 🙏

[@THEsnapcrakklepop]

First of all, I felt more emotionally connected to Anita in one episode than I did to Ruby in an entire season. We actually got to see her and the Doctor bond and grow in their friendship in a way we didn’t get to see with Ruby. More Anita please! Second of all, I firmly believe Mr. Basil-stand-outside-in-an-air-raid survived the war and his descendants went on to reside in Oklahoma, where we definitely have stood outside when the tornado sirens go off! 🤣

[@IreneWY]

I hope they bring Anita back. I loved Anita

[@aristotlethelost691]

So true. It finally felt like there was an actual connection going on between a doctor and a companion that meant something. Honestly the extent to which the doctor who upset regarding ruby leaving didn’t hit me as hard as it normally would. There must really wasn’t much to ruby’s character or their connection!

[@mujiescomedy279]

I disagree about Ruby tbh. We didn’t see their friendship grow but that’s because the doctor and Ruby just clicked straight away. Which is pretty realistic. Sometimes people do just click. But I do love Anita. And I felt so bad for her cause of her clear unrequited love for the doctor. But completely accepting of his sexuality. I had forgotten it was a Moffat episode until the year sequence cause I thought “this is just like time of the doctor” but in a different way

[@aristotlethelost691]

@@mujiescomedy279 I do see your point. I guess I just feel like for me, it’s harder to connect emotionally to that sort of thing. And yes, the signature Moffat Timelapse montage. He does it on Bill’s first episode too!

[@jordanparker6872]

The way the super up is added to the main counter makes no sense please add a separate counter for theses

[@itayshlamkovich465]

Can't believe you didn't gave an up for the plunger "is it loaded?"

[@spiderboris79]

The Doctor is thinking... 'It's a Christmas slash New Years special... WHY HAVE I NOT SEEN THE DALEKS YET??!'

[@arbjbornk]

That was a major oversight.

[@22espec]

I was going to write the same thing, it was a great and funny moment

[@Charliefarley170287]

That was my highlight of the whole episode 😂

[@thetadoesstuff]

I loved when the doctor said "pardon my french but what the french is going on here?" I absolutely lost it at that lmaooo

[@ttylerjames]

i loved the call back to 11 and “The Doctor’s Wife” when 15 fixed Anita’s car and she said “it doesn’t take me where I want to go” and the Doctor says “no, but it always takes you where you need to go”

[@aannddrryyaa]

Yea, that was good writing.

[@marlonbonnici]

Yeah, trying to remind people of how good the show used to be.

[@FlickR7881]

The Doctors Wife is one of my favourite episodes. Matt Smith was a wonderful incarnation of the Doctor. The emotion he showed when saying 'good-bye' to Idris........you could feel it. It was palpable. A lovely nod to 11. Absolutely beautiful ❤️

[@kgcoop5077]

Knew I recognised it lol

[@heatherglover7789]

yeah

[@AlfredSnellgrove-Smith]

I’m really hoping Anita will be a bit like Donna. Appear in a Christmas special and then become a companion a couple of years later

[@Genideb]

I kinda like her more than Joy. She had some good chemestry with the Doctor. At least in my opinion.

[@AlfredSnellgrove-Smith]

@ agreed, I was not really a fan of Joy. She annoyed me quite a lot and I personally found her not very in relatable in comparison to Anita. Just my opinion though of course

[@Genideb]

@AlfredSnellgrove-Smith Same. And I feel that Anita had more screen time. Every scene with her an the Doctor remind me of Power of 3. Doctor and normal life.

[@heatherglover7789]

@@Genideb me too

[@heatherglover7789]

@AlfredSnellgrove-Smith definitely agree

[@smallsnake9172]

If I don't see Anita again i will be so sad

[@Legendary3Dgamer]

Same

[@JunoJ0911]

Yeah. Mrs Flood’s suitcase… all those places and times… the time hotel… plus the doctor told Anita ruby’s name… I’m betting she’s A MAJOR part of the next season, just not Steph Walley. I predicted Sutekh before last season even started. Mark my words. Anita is Anita Dobson/Mrs Flood like Susan Twist was Susan Triad.

[@heatherglover7789]

@@JunoJ0911 wow, yeah, would LOVE this to be the case

[@FireFalcon]

Next time on Anita All Along

[@geokard]

I hope Anita becomes the third season's companion. I know it has been done before with Donna, to meet a character and in a later season this character becomes the companion, but if the execution is good I would love her coming back. She was amazing and their chemistry was off the charts! It was a really heartwarming episode!

[@ugolomb]

The Doctor wil know where to find her -- it'll be a much easier reunion than "Partners in Crime". And it will bring back the Time Hotel, which I felt was a great idea that still has further potential

[@TexasPirate]

I agree Icreally liked Anita. and the actress did a great job for being new cat acting.

[@abdizur8765]

Assuming there is a third. I'd say Chuti overstayed his welcome, but he wasn't welcome in the first place. 😑

[@dylanmaxey2531]

plus the friendship wasn't s*xualized and gasp she is over 20 years old. Creepy the companions are barely legal age running around with basically an old man. Best companions are those not afraid to act like an adult and call out BS to the doctor.

[@geokard]

@@dylanmaxey2531 yeah I agree with you. That's why Donna is my favourite Nuwho companion. The Doctor, in my opinion, needs friends more than anything, to support him but also to restrain him from damaging others and mostly himself.

[@ugolomb]

The chair issue goes back to the Giggle. One of the first things --- maybe the very first thing! -- the 15th Doctor says, upon entering 14's Tardis, is "What you need in this place is a chair". Then he duplicates the Tardis, adds a jukebox to it -- but totally forgets about *his own suggestion* for a chair!

[@xLionsxxSmithyx]

It's so weird... The older Tardis had chairs. Ecclestons Tardis had a chair.

[@ugolomb]

@@xLionsxxSmithyx IIRC, all NuWho Tardises up to 14/15 had chairs in the console room. That's definitely true for Doctors 9 through 12; I'm a bit hazy about 13, though I remember her sitting down on what looked like terraces/steps in the console room (as you can tell, I haven't watched much of 13's run; from the little I've seen, Whittaker was good but was ill-served by Chibnall's writing)

[@Fenriir]

I'd LOVE to see Anita as a true companion in the future, she was definitely a highlight in the episode

[@magdam7087]

I think there is a chance mostly because they did it before with donna in the runaway bride and brought her back for a season

[@dresdenvalareo1002]

"The Kitchen is 30 minutes in the future. It gets your order to you before you choose it" "It's still microwaved?" "Yeah well you can't expect miracles" I died 😂

[@gameburn178]

Yes, the show had many great one liners, it was easy to overlook that one. When I watched it a second time I laughed even harder.

[@WildeMermaid]

Joy's story had me sobbing it really hit close to home for me. My dad was dying in the hospital around christmas 2021... i caught covid while visiting & missed the last week of his life. Yes, it did it feel soon, but it also seems necessary. It was/is a life altering thing for many. It would be worse for it to be ignored like it never happened or isn't still happening. While this episode was a bit heavy i loved the concepts included w/ the doctor slowing down, the time hotel, making friends, seeing the hobbit door, t-rex, Joy bringing hope/joy to the world, Trev's help, Anita's opportunity, & all the little references, etc.

[@ashleyklotz3762]

It hit close to us too, me and my boyfriend, lost our parents last year in 2023, me my dad and him his mom. We were both very, very close to our parents but he has been struggling without his mom, I'm not ashamed to day he was mommas boy, the same as I was a daddy's girl. His mom had serious health problems her entire life and he gave up his life to take care of her. This episode brought up more than just a passing thought of her, so it really hard for him to watch, it made me feel bad for asking him to watch it with me. Christmas was her favourite holiday, so an episode like that where it touches on not only grief but also the rage of feeling like one could've done more was a lot to take in. So I do understand how you feel, a lot of people would say that but I actually do

[@theresabradley4716]

My sincere condolences to you both.

[@katebrown8629]

For me too. My Mom died in November 2020. The hospitals weren’t allowing any visitors so I couldn’t be with her. When Joy told her story I started sobbing. I think it’s important for tv/movies to tell these stories. I found it very cathartic. I’m sorry for your loss.❤

[@TheJxn38301]

LOVED the moment where the doctor is talking to himself while he's instinctively putting on his coat, knowing that he's seen something significant but not quite knowing what it is yet, like his subconscious is always one step ahead of him

[@TheTeamAka]

Considering anita spent a year with the doctor i think she should be considered an offical companion even tho she hasnt been a tardis, but considering 10 was only around for 3 years martha/donna spent a similar amount of time

[@timlemmens1087]

If she doesn't come back on TV then Big Finish us definitely going to do something with her.

[@neiljohnstone8240]

I believe the definition of a companion is "Has travelled in the Tardis more than once"

[@TheTeamAka]

@@neiljohnstone8240 wilf?

[@TheTeamAka]

@@neiljohnstone8240 also you could say like the kids from forest of the dead or what ever that 12 doctor episode was all the kids went twice

[@DrWhoFanJ]

⁠@@TheTeamAka_In the Forest of the Night.*_ _Forest of the Dead_ is an entirely different episode.

[@BenOnSports]

"Basil" standing outside watching the air raid is basically the same as an American southerner watching a tornado from our front porch. It's just what we do.

[@davemochi]

"It came from nothing, but so did the universe and nobody complains" Best quote of the year.

[@sandmboy1]

AND WRING- EVERY SCIENTIST I KNOW WILL TELL YOU THAT CANT BE A BEFORE THE bIG bANG- but not one have them havee xplained how it could start from nothing. Ive complained about it all my life!

[@Streifi]

@@sandmboy1 It was more meant in the way, nobody complains about being there, when the origin is still shrouded in darkness, but when the correct code only existed because the Doctor gave it to himself creating a causal loop, then somebody is worried about the origin. That said, of course people are arguing about the origin of the universe, but not on the same level as they're arguing about the original origin of a piece of information in a closed or stable time loop.

[@johnhmaloney]

I usually hate closed time loops, but The Doctor addressing it, and especially that line, made me feel so much more accepting of it. It was a brilliant 4th wall break.

[@aevelizee]

It's a great line, but I was just thinking before that "oh but wait, how did he learn the code again?... Oh right, all those scribbles in his room, he must have done his research, I mean he had one whole year, a great mind like him would figure it out" and felt reassured when BAM! Here comes the line telling me, nope, it's just a good old plothole with nothing but a witty line as a remedy. 😅

[@Twillek1019_]

@@sandmboy1damn bloody Jesus dude, calm the fuck down.

[@droskie5]

I want more Trev and Anita

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

me too

[@Legendary3Dgamer]

​@Ibalistic_hedge yh but i definitely want Anita to return as a companion or just in general

[@jacalyntweedie5377]

@Ibalistic_hedge Does that really matter in Doctor Who world?

[@joshpetzoldt6344]

I'm in two minds about this. While it would be great to see Trev again, that would mean Joy could come back too and that would totally undermine her incredibly beautiful farewell scene with The Doctor.

[@droskie5]

@@joshpetzoldt6344 I see. Wasn't prepared for them to kill him off. It was unexpected.

[@Breyyne]

There was a 'blink and you miss it' mavity moment in the episode.

[@Jonno92100]

Honestly, I really wish they’d go back and fix the mavity thing. The joke is getting old 😅

[@quintuscrinis]

​@Jonno92100 given when it started I imagine mavity will be a key part of "series 2 (version 3)".

[@idjles]

Mavity will be fixed when Who returns from the fantasy parallel universe it is presently in.

[@ThatLegoGuy-10140]

I scared my family when I noticed it and got wxcited

[@kanton4108]

@@Jonno92100 sorry for your pain

[@k012957]

Anita in the Time Hotel would be a great spinoff.

[@ThatSoddingGamer]

That...sounds like a good idea, actually. If she doesn't end up being a future companion, than it would be neat if they did some spin-off shorts where she has to deal with guests and their shenanigans, since she's good at rolling with crazy stuff. I could see her popping into the 3rd century to tell a Time Hotel guest that's about to get luck to keep it in their pants, as knocking up someone in the past absolutely will mess with the timeline. Or a guest that goes back to try and steal a relic and her just sighing and telling them "You think you're the first guest to have that _brilliant_ idea?" Unfortunately, I don't see them ever doing this. Fun idea for a collection of shorts, or a web series though.

[@alhdgysz]

Better than the war series...

[@johnhmaloney]

Yes! I actually said to myself while watching it that I want an entire series just devoted to the year that The Doctor spent on Earth in this episode.

[@richardc5100]

Don’t watch trailers simple

[@Aezetyr]

Anita was the companion, and Joy was the problem that they solve. I felt that The Doctor and Joy didn't really have a solid connection. Anita's actor should have had billing after Joy.

[@Silent002]

Thinking of billing, it was absolutely bizarre that Ruby was in there for 5 seconds and got second billing on a single page. I get that she's important to season 1 and that technically this episode was part of that season, but I agree that it makes more sense to have Joy then Anita. I guess there are some contractual shenanigans going on there.

[@ABetney]

The emotion can't have been dialed-down due to feedback as Doctor Who Unleashed says that this was filmed in Oct-Nov 2023, before any Ncuti episodes were even broadcast! It's just how it was written.

[@FanboyMarkJabroni]

"The afterlife has not been without incident, sir."

[@stevehaughton360]

Mr Benn's any era clothing shop, with a red suit of armour was a throwaway gag that only people of a certain age will absolutely love

[@ftumschk]

Being of a certain age, that made me chuckle out loud :)

[@anthonygreen7063]

It never stops being a surprise to me that only 13 episodes of Mr. Benn were ever made.

[@SighManP]

@@ftumschkOf course this was wasted on those not old enough (I spotted it too)

[@mightymarkdean]

​@anthonygreen7063 there's 14 episodes with the Gladiator one from 2005

[@fantasybooknerd1961]

Definitely ‘being of a certain age’ the Mr Benn gag made me laugh.

[@TTMMH42]

Nail on the head, felt like they wasted Joy, I liked the yearlong montage but it completely disconnected us from the character. It honestly left me wishing he went back for Anita to invite her to be a companion

[@whysoserious8666]

Anita is the main companion and just as lost and lonely. She works the desk in a hotel on Christmas and has no other friends the year she spends the doctor.

[@jeffwalker7185]

A silly thing I noticed during the episode, is for the most part, Ncuti carried the tray correctly. The tray was on the tip of his fingers, which were spread out to distribute the weight of the tray and its contents evenly. Often when you see someone carrying a tray on TV, it is on the flat of their palm, fingers together. This makes it difficult to ensure the tray stays level as you move around. A nice attention to detail.

[@sabrinatirabassi3529]

Maybe Ncuti was a waiter to make ends meet when he was still a struggling actor.

[@jeffwalker7185]

@@sabrinatirabassi3529 That is a great point. I trained as a silver service waiter in the 1980s, and even though it is years since I worked in the trade, I still carry trays correctly and stack plates on my arms etc. I also noticed that Ncuti carried single plates on the tips of his fingers, which would be the correct way to carry a plate.

[@ABetney]

Yeah, I wondered if Ncuti has had previous waiting experience.

[@Donnagata1409]

@@ABetney It might be, nothing wrong (or even unusual) about that.

[@ABetney]

@@Donnagata1409 I wasn't aware that I implied there was anything wrong with that - I certainly don't think there is.

[@jamiegannon2327]

The relationship btw Anita and the Doctor is so very touching. Incredibly moving.

[@gameburn178]

When the Dr shows his appreciation for Anita it seems very genuine. And justified: he needed to be there and the fact she remained there with him was important. This Dr is not a lone wolf. I think I'm beginning to prefer him to most of the rest, with the exception of Smith and maybe Capaldi. It's the vulnerabilities that define character.

[@MatadorMedia]

It annoys me when The Doctor acts like it's the first time he's ever sat still. You spent 800 years on Trenzalore...

[@TBrincefield]

On Trenzalore he was in a seige, fighting a war. Here he was experiencing a quiet time, with a friend with nothing to do but wait.

[@kevin10001]

Well what about his exile on earth In the early 70’s and the 24 year day he spent with river its like this era of the show wants to act like they came up with the concept of the doctor staying in one place for a long period of time when that’s not the case

[@MatadorMedia]

Or the year he spent with the Ponds watching the cubes. Or the 20 years she spent solitary in space prison.

[@CassidyShadewing]

@@MatadorMedia somewhat similar, 12 having to guard the vault with Nardol. Sure he adventured, but he was still coming back to one specific place. This and others mentioned were also stuff Moffat wrote. So it's even more strange.

[@ElVitorolin]

@@CassidyShadewing Lets not go so further back, he just spent god knows how long on earth with donna and her family as fourteen so he does have experience i dont know why the writers didn´t mention that

[@DavidJacobs-rl1rj]

Trev should be a mini-companion of sorts, as 15 altered his psychic link with the hotel and somehow enabled him to communicate via the sonic, so every so often maybe 15 should be interrupted by Trev via the sonic to explain/question/confer on things

[@Soccerdog2009]

The plot with Joys mom made me cry, having gone though something close to that with Covid and losing my grandma and not being able to be there with her. What Joy says is true about following the rules and letting people down. I followed the rules to do my part and what was right and I couldn't be with my loved ones that were alone and sick but others didn't follow the rules and lost nothing. It wasn't fair to me or my family. We did what was right and it still wasn't enough.

[@gameburn178]

You may have saved some other lives though. You helped avoid spreading the virus further. I'm glad you did what you did. Thank you.

[@BonnVoyageTravels]

We think Anita might end up being Mrs flood! Firstly, Mrs flood is played by Anita Dobson and calling a character Anita for that reason is very RTD 😂 Secondly, she had that little tardis ornament at the end, and the line with Mrs Flood “what haven’t you ever seen a tardis before” just seems to fit that. Obviously the doctor spoke to her about his life and experiences, so it would make sense how she knows his story (and therefore how she could be a narrator for it). He could have told her about companions, places, things etc! And, Mrs flood has that suitcase with lots of stickers of different locations in space and time. It would make total sense if she was working for the time hotel, that she would be able to go and see all these places! The suitcase even has the orient express and New York which we know the time hotel has doors to! Would be a cool theory!

[@HerrChew]

Love this theory!!

[@a.m.gnovember151]

Holy crap, I think you did it...

[@xLionsxxSmithyx]

2 problems with that... Mrs Flood was Old af in 2023... Anita isn't that old I'm 2024... They're literally nothing to do with eachother... Mrs Flood is a nothing burger.

[@BonnVoyageTravels]

@@xLionsxxSmithyx but working in the time hotel could change/age her I guess, if she’s been to so many places! Plus what’s to say Anita is human? She barely blinked seeing the Silurian 😂 she was very ‘minding her own business’ like Mrs Flood in 43 yards!

[@xLionsxxSmithyx]

@@BonnVoyageTravels She works in Hospitality... trust me, she's seen weirder things.

[@xfer43]

Anyone else notice how Murray Gold included the “Voyage of the Damned” score when the Doctor comes out into the Time Hotel at the beginning.

[@joshpetzoldt6344]

Thanks for pointing that out. I thought I recognised that piece of music and it had be bugging me that I didn't know where I'd heard it before.

[@davemoore1233]

I noticed The Kinks "Father Christmas" when he first arrived.

[@joshpetzoldt6344]

@@davemoore1233 There was a Kinks song? I totally missed that too. To be fair, I'm pretty sure that's a rather obscure one. I didn't even know The Kinks had a Christmas song.

[@MrStGeorgeIllawarra]

Well this is the Temu version of Voyage. Right down to the blonde female lead sacrificing herself for the greater good.

[@davemoore1233]

Okay, I guess I was mistaken. I heard a couple of notes that my mind expanded into a complete bar.😁

[@ThatSoddingGamer]

I actually agree on the ending with Joy taking in the Starseed. I am not exactly opposed to it being done, it's all very nice and Christmas-y ending and all, but it's _not explained_ how that worked out. How was this dangerous thing that was going to destroy the world become a sort of apotheosis for Joy (and to a lesser extent, the others that were killed and copied by it)? It's not like Doctor Who needs to be grounded in science fact, but it's just lacking in any real setup. It simply happens that way because Joy wills it to be so, somehow.

[@pierrickpenard-dumont889]

I completely agree with you. We don't need it to be realistic but we need it to have an explanation in universe that is not just "it happened".

[@nailinthefashion]

I think something that most people missed is that this is a very Tennant inspired episode with a more optimistic twist. Often we'd meet such tragic characters like Lady Cassandra or the Face of Bo and there'd be this sense of dread with the end of the episode. But i feel this doctor is more about how we can celebrate life at one's end of it... makes me super excited for season 2, cuz it seems like they're gonna explore this doctor's purpose more closely.

[@potofshamrocks8128]

17:56 what I wanna know is how she got the star seed into her chest In the first place. My current and only theory is that she ate it which is completely ridiculous

[@swhp_ah_mc_autism]

I think she ate it

[@Lacerated1DJ3]

I agree 100%, how and why would she EAT a star? oh this thing is about to blow up so let me just eat it. Who is she The Mask!

[@A1exBOfficial]

Agreed! I would've liked to have seen more of that 're-possession' moment apart from glowy eyes. When she talks to it, it's like the star is suddenly sentient and sad and doesn't want to be blown up??

[@EternalCharax]

The Doctor going on about what the hotel room a person chooses says about them ignores the fundamental fact that most of the time you DON'T choose the hotel room you stay in - you choose the type of room, but the hotel allocates the actual room. Also the bit where he wonders what it's like to live "one day after the other, in the right order", ignoring the whole 3rd Doctor's time on earth, the time where 11 lived with Craig, 14 settling down for therapy...

[@Blazing_Ninja]

And the 11th doctor in the power of three for a bit

[@ugolomb]

Also, the 12th Doctor spent several decades at St Luke's University. However, most of these had some tension attached -- e.g., the Third Doctor was working for UNIT, 12 was guarding Missy's vault, etc. As for 14's therapy -- there's some timey-wimey confusion as to whether this is part of 15's timeline or not, and given that, whether he'd actually have any recollection of it. Does "rehab out of order" imply that 15 actually does have memories of this period in 14's life? Or is still a parallel time line to his own?

[@aannddrryyaa]

Excellent observations. Right away I said the same thing... we don't choose our hotel room, typically. And yeah, Mr. Smith has spent time as a human.

[@IainGibson-h9h]

To an extent, but some hotels will offer a choice of room types. Luxury hotels will offer named or themed rooms, and there's also the choice of hotel. Most of the time though, the choice is about what you can or are willing to afford.

[@Donnagata1409]

@@IainGibson-h9h That's the point. Usually you get the cheapest room you can find that's still acceptable.

[@RogerWilber]

The point of the Starseed ending was that the villain was always Villengard and the Starseed was, itself, being taken advantage of, I think.

[@leefisher6366]

6:55 - A down you missed is that the Silurian manager of the hotel would know what a hairdryer was. He would therefore know it wasn't a weapon. 🦎

[@Maria-z7h5b]

He wasn't the solution manager but the Starseed

[@Maria-z7h5b]

*Silurian

[@xLionsxxSmithyx]

​@@Maria-z7h5b he was both...

[@Thorned_Rosey]

My favourite line is when Anita hands 15 a plunger, and 15 says "uhh is this armed??" in like a worried tone (cuz of that special thingy with 14 and a dalek if you know what I'm talking about) I just thought it was hilarious

[@Donnagata1409]

It was!!!

[@MaybeAnnatar]

I had really mixed feelings on this episode. On one hand you have Trev and Anita. He got a small amount of screen time before his death, but Trev's last words being that he was sad he let the Doctor down broke my heart. The year with Anita was genuinely wholesome and I really bought the bond 15 and Anita clearly shared and I actually thought the tears when it came time to separate was well earned. On the other hand Joy kind of felt like a background character in her own episode.

[@Illustrator64]

When the Everest scene first appear, I was thinking of "Oh please be Edmund Hillary" who is one of those mountaineers who climbed the famous mountain and he's from New Zealand. The reason why I bring this up because in this year (2024), we had 2 big Doctor Who events in New Zealand. We had a convention where we get to meet the 9th Doctor himself as well as some cast members of the show. Another big event is an exhibition of Doctor Who in Wellington where they showcase everything to do with show (Props, costumes, creature designs, etc.) even includes how it links to science so there is something for everyone not just the Whovians and the event lasted for couple of months.

[@alanknight3778]

And bloody brilliant it was. I went in October and loved it. (The exhibition that is) And it was great that they did indeed include Sir Edmund in this episode.

[@Tulf42]

I enjoyed the year the Doctor had with Anita more than the episode itself. I love these episodes of the Doctor trying a normal life on Earth like The Lodger or the Doctor as John Smith in Human Nature/The Family Of Blood. Even the Ninth Doctor admires the story of the couple to be wed in Father's Day for not having a life like theirs.

[@kenjacobs620]

I liked the bootstrap paradox involving the code for the briefcase. For me it was a callback to the timey-wimey explanation in Blink. This should be mentioned in the Easter Eggs video.

[@bakerby]

I am glad to see the love for the character of Anita. I was so happy to watch a Doctor Who episode where things slowed down and characters and relationships were given time to develop. I wish there had been something like this between the Doctor and Ruby in season one. It is difficult believing they are ‘best friends’ when we saw no character moments between the two. In terms of Chuti’s emotional moments, I believe this is part of the therapy that he was retroactively given when he regenerated. I thought every single tear spilt in this episode was worth it, and i prefer every tear shed to any of the angry hissy fits from 9 or 10. Having seen Joy in all the trailers should have been a dead giveaway that she was not the highlight (like seeing Paul Giamatti’s Rhino in the Amazing Spider-Man 2 trailer).

[@Kallosis]

Moffat needs to be given credit for his use of time travel in his stories. It's a show about time travel and he uses that for nearly every story he personally writes.

[@MableM1985]

I loved the chemistry and relationship between the Doctor and Anita. I would have loved to have had her be his companion. Their friendship was so palpable and her character was so relatable. You could see her character arc as a companion being built but alas! As for the Doctor’s crying in Season One, if they had just had the Doctor comment on his first tears in that first instance, like, “so this is who I am this time, I’m more emotional” or something like that, then it would make more sense for the audience each time it occurred rather than lose more depth and meaning with each episode, and it would feel more like a Doctor uncovering his new self and getting more in touch with his centuries of pain.

[@BonnVoyageTravels]

I think we will see her again! Just think of Mrs Flood - the suitcase with all the stickers, the knowledge about his companions (he even told her ruby’s name!), maybe Mrs flood is Anita out looking for the doctor (plus the Anita Dobson name connection!)

[@MableM1985]

@@BonnVoyageTravelsoh wow! That’s a great theory! I didn’t make all those connections!

[@cozyvrc]

15:00 my uncle died 2 years ago, not from covid but it was on Christmas Day just like joys mom, and this episode got my mom extremely emotional, she said she’d never felt this many emotions all at once

[@gnomeandgarden6157]

How could you not Up the plunger?! "Is it armed?" Comedy vs tragedy... Tragedy has an upward movement, followed by a downward finish. Comedy is the downward movement with an upward finish. How does Joy's story not fit? Joy accepting the Starseed... Would have liked to see more people shown as the carriers. Both to accentuate Villengard as the villain,(if that needed to be pointed out, but I think it may return...) but more the accrual of all the people sacrificed to the seed. I honestly thought the Starseed was going to be the creation of the Sun, with them going back further and further each door... Then the Tyrannosaur: "Is this an Adric retcon?"

[@ghilemaer]

I was thinking the same about the plunger line and the Doctor's face when Anita handed it to him! It was so funny--how could she not mention it? Is she THAT tired of the Daleks?

[@michaeltortorice9876]

The T-Rex was the same one from Deep Breath. Remember how that one just suddenly disintegrated with no explanation? Its sheer size allowed it to last longer than a Human or Silurian, but it still succumbed to the Villengard programming.

[@somerandomguy2073]

​@michaeltortorice9876 The Clockwork people torched it to get rid of evidence. There were several "spontaneous combustions" reported in the newspaper, where they had burnt the people they stole body parts from.

"If there's an air raid why would stand outside on the balcony?" Well, Churchill definitely did. He either sat on the balcony or on the rooftops. One famous story is that he was on the rooftops one day during a raid while everyone else was down in the bunkers. He sat down on the closest thingy he could find. After a long while, a very polite Buckingham palace employee came to speak to him to beg him to move because he was sitting on the ventilation system and the royal family downstairs was kind of running out of air. IDK if that particular story's true but that Churchill had no patience to wait inside is a recorded fact.

[@Mtusic]

I think the episode would have been better if the star seed had actually detonated or begun to detonate and there was a high pressure situation where the doctor has to do some sort of last resort to either contain it or destroy it.

[@DaddyStoat]

Nobody does Doctor dialogue like Moffat. "You've just been mansplained to by a briefcase"

[@Tuskin38]

Loved that line

[@devoltar]

And straight up admitting mansplaining is kinda the doctor's thing ;)

[@Caim_Go]

​@@devoltar he's been doctorsplaining the whole universe at this point 😂

[@3wheelyboy]

I kind of wish Anita was the next companion now

[@Amlock87]

Dear God now

[@BonnVoyageTravels]

We think she might end up being Mrs Flood - the suitcase with all the stickers, the knowledge about his companions (he even told her ruby’s name!), maybe Mrs flood is Anita out looking for the doctor!

[@Llamacoints]

@@BonnVoyageTravelsI wondered that too lol

[@Pooter-it4yg]

There's a clothing rental shop in the hotel called Mr Benn's. You're far too young to get this reference, but there was a children's TV show in the '70s called Mr Benn, where the main character would visit a costume shop, try on period clothes and then be transported to that time through a magic door. This is the clear inspiration for the time hotel. I'm afraid that although the setting was a good idea I found this to be a tedious self indulgent catalogue of nudge wink back references with sentimentality in place of story. People seem to think Christmas specials have to be light and fluffy but that isn't actually true (we've had invasions of Earth and crashing spaceships) and increasingly the specials have been become only lightness and fluff. The only point of all this was a final magical burst of "never mind, cheer up". PS The hotel kitchen would surely have to be half an hour in the past and your order sent back in time for it to be ready instantly. Technically the kitchen would be preparing your order before you chose what you wanted.

[@Coins2Collect]

Mr.Benn!!!! Can’t believe she didn’t mention the shop, hopefully something is noted in the Easter egg video 🤞🏻

[@DaddyStoat]

The shopkeeper wore a fez... just saying. :D

[@BudgetModeller]

Thank God some one else saw it!!!

[@Pooter-it4yg]

@@BudgetModellerHa ha. A new idea is usually just an old one that younger people have forgotten. Mutatis mutandis.

[@Carpedog2206]

It left me thoroughly confused. How did she become the star? Did she somehow thwart Villaingard’s evil plot? And why was Anita working in the time hotel and not noticing? And didn’t we see Joy speaking to insects or bees in a trailer? Loved every minute, until the last five.

[@darynvoss7883]

I think we all should know to expect the Christmas specials to be uplifting and lighthearted. They're not going to put out something like Dot and Bubble at Chrtistmas

[@MrJesusPrime]

I lost my mom during COVID and watching this episode at Christmas with family we really connected that part of the story. As a family we all teared up a bit but it was good tears.

[@Doomshroom00]

I kinda wish Trev stays alive and become a future companion of the doctor

[@DocHayes420]

Me too

[@jasonbratley9924]

Both Trevor and Anita​ were strong contenders for companions in my opinion.

[@geoffroi-le-Hook]

The Doctor could remember the face when he next regenerates

[@kanton4108]

I wish for Trev to be an android. Before people go "uh bro, that's soooo lame", hear me out; Nardole was a head.

[@tanakagorogodo7318]

21:08 The Doctor is less sad because Ruby is actually alive. Amy & Rory died bruh. Well technically.

[@timlemmens1087]

There was more good than bad for me. Maybe the ending came out of nowhere, but the bit with her mom's spirit reuniting with the star made up for that. I might watch it again.

[@Donnagata1409]

I sure will.

[@whophd]

LOL “Bethlehem” wasn’t obvious at all to me until it came on screen

[@Donnagata1409]

It rather was to me. Surprised.

[@devoltar]

Painfully obvious if you grew up with Christmas Star references. As a child of the 80s/90s in american churches, it was definitely groan worthy. I liked the cheeky reference at first but when he looked down I was like "No... Please don't... Sigh". Not everything has to be explicit, especially for the non-Christians in the room.

[@kanton4108]

@@devoltar I watched an old 80s episode of The Twilight Zone. A group had stumbled across an asteroid loaded with historical records, art, all sorts from an extinct civilization. When the leader finally realised when the civilisation had gone extinct, he realised that the massive explosion in space occurred 3,000 years before the birth of Christ. Given how long it took for the light to reach the earth, it was discovered that the explosion WAS the northern star that the wise men followed.

[@orionishi6737]

Why was he even at Bethlehem? Like what happened? When? The star seed was supposed to have been hidden for 65 million years, well past Bethlehem. Which also means the star seed explosion shouldn't even be visible to any of those people in the time before 2024.

[@JacktheRah]

@@devoltar What annoyed me about that was making Christmas somehow just about religion. Which first of all is weird for Doctor Who considering that The Doctor is arguably more important on human history than Jesus is so humans worshipping Jesus but not the Doctor is weird, it’s best to avoid this topic. And second of all Christmas isn’t just about Christianity, a lot of people celebrate it for different reasons and I feel like suggesting otherwise just isn’t very representative of the time period we’re living in.

[@thelethiferousmoose]

Anyone else confused by why there was a door to a tree fort in prehistoric times with zero explanation for why it's there or who built it? The hotel doesn't make rooms, it leads to existing locations, so why does this exist?

[@calebpotterwilliams]

It could be of Silurian origin, they roamed the planet during the dinosaur times before retreating underground so that could be it perhaps

[@thelethiferousmoose]

yeah maybe, doesn't really account for the record player and other items in the hut from more modern times 🤷‍♂️. It seems more like something a time traveler built.

[@lorenzocupelli316]

@@calebpotterwilliams My personal canon, the Silurian manager made it built so he could go enjoy his times, even for a short while.

[@zaeranos]

The ending/climax was actually an up for me. The entire special we were made to believe that the star seed is really powerful. Due to the antics of the suitcase and Villengard, we assumed it is a destructive and evil power. We were right that it is really powerful, but we misunderstood it's true nature. Having Joy become one with the seed and all those other personalities also pop-up showed it's true nature. It is the power to bring people together, and for a Christmas special I think it is one of the best endings.

[@gregknight498]

Did no one else realize the entire episode was an allegory for THE Christmas story… at the time when Mary & Joseph lived prophecy led the ruler to enforce a law to allow him to account for people to protect his reign, so Jesus’ coming was something many people feared except for Mary… Joy also agreed to deliver a SUN which just happened to be the same star that guided the wisemen.

[@seoulgt86]

Hmmmm wow I missed that. Good eye.

[@AngelicusImmortus]

The return to Anita was cool. The lack of chairs in the Tardis, is a symbolism for him being in constant motion; meaning the chairs & “Chair time” showed him stopping for a change. So we see him sit and talk to someone - we’ve been having the “between adventures” idea that he talks to his companions but in this case, he was static. He had to wait, so we saw him bond with someone. Joy doesn’t just take the seed. Each person that we see with the suitcase appears in that moment. Saying that as the time hotel was timeless, they were able to hack into its suitcase & take control of it enough to take its explosive power to a safe distance. So, we see all the characters we’ve witness die, reappear in that moment. Yes there was going to be a Christmas edge of Bethlehem (Joy to the World being a hymn both Murray Gold & Moffat have referred to in different interviews) I’d argue the episode is more about the “long way round” section. How he reacts when he is forced to cope with a slow progression of a year where he can’t just jump through time. Side note - at first during the very early stages of the Blitz, some people did go out onto balcony’s and watch the bombers. The thought being they would only target factories or military positions. My Dad was about 15 at that time & was roped into repairing roofing and guttering that had been damaged by bomb blasts. He always said, at the time he thought people were crazy watching the planes fly over. Whilst for him he’d be up a ladder fixing tiles so a roof didn’t leak, only to be fixing the same building two days later; then one day coming along and the building and half the street was gone. So, perhaps Moffat has/had a relative like that who remembered the weird reactions some folk had to it.

[@michaeltortorice9876]

Have you noticed how when Moffat makes a Christmas special, it's a proper Christmas episode, while RTD makes an episode with the occasional Christmas element, but otherwise could just be any other episode. Anita is a companion as far as I am concerned. "She never flew on the TARDIS!" Don't care; my comment, my rules. The "mean Doctor" moment was so 4thDoctor/Sarah in The Ark in Space that I was not fooled for a minute. Also, I heard the cuff unlock. When I heard "the flesh will rise", I was expecting (hoping for?) a reference in some way to The Rebel Flesh. Anyway, good video. And since we never know where we'll end up, it's not too soon to say Happy Who Year!

[@ModelsExInferis]

My Dad was in hospital during covid and I wasn't allowed to visit him before he died, so Joy's Mum dying in the same way really caught me off guard. Certainly wasn't expecting that in Doctor Who! Overall I quite liked the special, it wasn't Earth-shattering, but was pretty decent. The Mr. Benn's costume shop in the Time Hotel made me laugh! That's pretty bloody obscure, even for Moffat!

[@Lumibear.]

Good breakdown thanks! Personally, the reason why the ending felt unsatisfying was because the plot was wholly grounded in our hero fighting some Big Corp tech and saving Joy, then suddenly she’s giving her life to help God guide three wise men to Jesus and floats off Cats style to heaven. Ok, but then the whole plot was pointless? Yaayyyy…

[@PhillipeStLeger]

Anita was amazing! I really hope we see her again. I loved everything about her chemistry with 15.

[@BonnVoyageTravels]

We think she might end up being Mrs Flood - the suitcase with all the stickers, the knowledge about his companions (he even told her ruby’s name!), maybe Mrs flood is Anita out looking for the doctor!

[@Sk8rToon]

I’m still missing the “Joy to the World” vs “Joy to the Worlds” title controversy. I didn’t see any plural worlds in the actual episode. So even though there was confirmation of the plural name in later marketing, the fact that it wasn’t in the actual episode (unless I missed it) just has me confused

[@ernstfrutphlinguhr2494]

Anita was a great character and I really hope we see her again.

[@quaggy85]

Felt like Joy did an Astrid, but the ending aside, was an enjoyable episode.

[@wintervalconspiracy]

Commenting before watching the video, but in our house we enjoyed it overall - the Doctor Who Christmas episode is meant to be a jolly romp rather than solid canon and lore written from hard science fiction, so so long as it delivers on the former, any of the latter which is included is a bonus. We thought it was Ncuti’s best performance so far - series one to be honest pretty much felt like he was an actor who was playing a part called The Doctor, but this one felt like he’s starting to actually believe himself to be The Doctor rather than just being an actor playing a role; that’s what made David Tennant’s and Peter Capaldi’s tenures so good, and why Christopher Ecclestone and Jodie Whittaker fell a bit short. It’s common in the UK for people to complain that the Easter eggs go on sale in the shops on Boxing Day, but this episode had so many in-jokes and references the Easter eggs were available from Christmas Day - again, not a complaint because the Christmas episode is supposed to be a jolly romp rather than it taking itself too seriously. I did feel sorry for Anita losing the person who had obviously become her best friend over the year; it was perhaps a weakness in the story that we didn’t really see the extent to which she surely became the Doctor’s best friend. I hope we get to see her again in the future rather than just being a disposable character.

[@feralart]

One of the hotel doors was a hobbit door.

[@AlleyRose]

Ellie needed to give the Hobbit door and up. That’s the only door I really wanted to see the inside.

[@wolftitan]

I hope the TVA comes and trims this Doctor Who timeline. (Someone gets it)

[@WGL]

I had had a big problem with the slide landings I was so glad to see a proper materialization and I'm glad someone else pointed it out too

[@NjHourquebie]

Joy's ending felt a little Astrid-y (Voyage of the Damned), and while I agree that it was a bit of a cop-out, it felt like a proper Doctor Who Christmas Special

[@honeymckinley9357]

I said the same thing watching it - another woman sacrifices herself by becoming kind of stardust

[@All.New.Maggie.Who.]

Great Christmas episode. Was the ending a bit cheesy, yes, but I love it for a Christmas ending!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨✨✨✨

[@gabrielm2234]

We NEED Anita back, if not so we riot 😭

[@BonnVoyageTravels]

We think she might end up being Mrs Flood - the suitcase with all the stickers, the knowledge about his companions (he even told her ruby’s name!), maybe Mrs flood is Anita out looking for the doctor!

[@dekunt6549]

9:33 mate he cried 3-4 times in this episode alone.

[@lawrencestalbow-best2317]

Literally. It felt like Moffat was parodying RTD by making him cry even more than usual.

[@windowone]

Anita better be the next companion cuz if he doesn't go back there imma be pissed

[@BonnVoyageTravels]

We think she might end up being Mrs Flood - the suitcase with all the stickers, the knowledge about his companions (he even told her ruby’s name!), maybe Mrs flood is Anita out looking for the doctor!

[@raybearoz]

Are you planning anything for the War Games Colourization... it was amazing

[@l.salisbury1253]

This is USA calling... The Time Hotel reminded me of the Restaurant At the End of the Universe! (Where, remember, the 5th Doctor was the Dish of the Day...!!)

[@markosborne4310]

And the dressing gown was very Arthur Dent

[@davidjunk6117]

Covid - seeing it in the episode really made Joy's story hit home and feel relatable. That helpless feeling was so relatable.

[@HereticReborn]

It kinda continued the Doctor Who endings just don’t quite hit it. Although did Ellie miss that Joys eyes glowed when she was left with the briefcase near the end. I don’t think she had the idea to take the star into her, but the briefcase told her. It does look like the emotionally vulnerable post therapy doctor may be getting a tougher skin and realizing that his hard distant side has a place. Like Ncuti’s Doctor couldn’t have done that make joy and scene early last season. So nice to see the character develop. I do wonder who hired Villengard to make the star seed tho.

[@ZOLTAR436]

Maybe it was The Meep's Boss😬😬

[@maxiej6756]

I really liked the episode. I’ve been a fan since the 3rd doctor. I appreciate your opinion and review. What I like most is when an episode in the new era doesn’t turn out like you expect. To me that’s one thing I like about a series is a surprise ending. It’s very boring for me when things turn out like I expect. You said you had expected certain things so I’m glad you rewatched it and kinda got it. Looking forward to your next video.😊

[@willow_tree5599]

Say what you will about Joy's screen time, I agree it was too short...but that didn't stop me crying when she got angry about her mum

[@foxesofautumn]

It was weird to hear Boris Johnson get called out on DW but... deserved.

[@GothamClive]

@@foxesofautumn I totally hated that scene. I didn't see it as Johnson getting called out, but as everybody who followed the rules getting attacked. If you didn't break the rules to see your dieing relatives than you are weak and a disappointment if you don't afterwards turn into a star. And then the stuff about the hotel room made it even worse. For most people a hotel room doesn't say anything about them except what they can afford. And I have definitely stayed in worse rooms. This one wasn't that bad. It was made worse in the end when Anita was rewarded by not running her own hotel anymore, but by working for a soulless company. To me it felt like an attack on poor people who do what they can to achieve the best they can. Why aren't they just rich, then they don't have to follow any rules and have a better life.

[@Donnagata1409]

@@GothamClive Come on, it was clear he did not mean it, he was just getting a rise out of her.

[@FrantasticMakeup]

Expressing one's emotions and "emotional outbursts" are two different things. Stop referring to them as one and the same.

[@markdaniels1146]

Loved this episode! Such a great Christmas story. I love that the time hotel wasn’t bad and had to be destroyed. In my mind this whole story was brilliant from start to finish. ❤🎄

[@ashleyklotz3762]

Happy late Christmas Ellie!!! I was almost impatiently waiting for this from you, I absolutely love you, you always make my day 😍😍

[@SassySapphireUK]

I loved the drop of the word mavity again. 😂

[@TheSirSpence]

My whole family audibly groaned at that moment

[@SassySapphireUK]

@TheSirSpence I get that BUT I feel nothing is ever just there for chance. So might be more important down the road.

[@NathanCameron-gc3sm]

I loved the Bethlehem thing. The year was wrong, and the cgi at the end was bad. It was better than last year’s Christmas special but still isn’t the best. 5.5/10. Loved the Anita thing, felt very quality of life and wonderful. It was different and amazing, and cinematic

[@mattryan7124]

The year is not necessarily wrong. The modern calendar and years were placed with an estimation of Jesus’ birth made by the Jesuits of the era if I remember correctly.

[@frenchbois194]

I stayed up waiting for your guys reaction

[@DocHayes420]

Me too

[@alanknight3778]

Just finished watching the episode. I honestly think it's my favourite Christmas episode ever. The Christmas ones tend to be a bit overwrought, which is to be expected, but we now have an actor playing the Doctor who has the emotional range to make it seem natural and unforced. Completely brilliant.

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

Who in their right mind would task Ellie with ranking Moffat episodes? *The Girl in the Fireplace* is a Moffat episode and we all know how weird she is about that. 😜

[@Raineyluwho]

Love you, Ellie. Happy New Year! 🥳🎉💜

[@igorschmidlapp6987]

The 15th Doctor is played too "over-the-top" for my taste. But again, that's ME.

[@isaiasherrero7889]

i agree

[@seanrobinson6850]

We're entirely not used to over-emotional doctor.

[@shawnholbrook7278]

I really liked this episode, I'm so happy that we had a proper Christmas Special . Hope Y'all had a Merry Christmas!

[@valentinbomlander7262]

This was a fantastic episode❤ even my girlfriend enjoyed it, and that says a lot😭🙏

[@JoeThornhill]

Don't feel bad, Ellie. I never thought about the guests dressing for the time period until I heard you say it. And I watched it at about 9pm on Christmas and it's 04:40 on the 27th.

[@panman1964]

+1 for reference to “mavity”

[@PeterCamberwick]

Yeah, and that's still bloody stupid.

[@DrWhoFanJ]

@@PeterCamberwickNot at all.

[@devoltar]

@@PeterCamberwick It was cute at first but it's getting old, and will start to be confusing for new viewers. It's about time he had a good nerdy Newton story that incidentally corrects that little bit of the timeline.

[@AlmostYearly]

-2

[@DrWhoFanJ]

@@AlmostYearly Said no-one with a brain ever.

[@jaimieharris5275]

Ellie, I’m excited to see your ranking episode of Moffatt’s episode. I’m with you; his episodes are my favorites. The only episode in modern DW I put above his episodes is The Doctor’s Wife.

[@DocHayes420]

I almost got more teary-eyed than The Doctor during this episode!

[@thatjeff7550]

I want to give an Up just for Ellie. Always appreciate a WhoCulture with her smiling face.