Doctor Who: A Star-Studded Review of Joy to the World

Warning: Plot details for “Joy to the World” ahead.

One of Steven Moffatt’s signature storytelling techniques in Doctor Who is his ability to uncover frightening monsters hidden within ordinary life. He has transformed everyday objects like statues, shadows, and even silence into some of the most chilling villains in the series. While the concept of a mysterious extra door often found in older hotel rooms may not resonate with every viewer, it provides a rich narrative vein for Moffatt to explore. This intriguing idea serves as the foundation for “Joy to the World,” the highly anticipated Doctor Who Christmas Special for 2024. The episode captures a lighthearted and whimsical spirit, embodying the chaos and joy often associated with the festive season.

Since its revival, Doctor Who has reestablished itself as a cultural phenomenon in the UK, and part of this resurgence includes its placement in the prestigious BBC One Christmas Day programming lineup. This scheduling has solidified its status as a shared cultural experience for audiences. Throughout most of its post-2005 history, Doctor Who has aired its festive specials alongside the likes of Strictly Come Dancing and EastEnders, representing a quintessential British equivalent to major television events like the Super Bowl or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Regardless of personal preferences, families are typically expected to gather around the television and partake in these holiday traditions.

The festive specials come with their own set of challenges and advantages, including a prestigious timeslot, extended runtime, and significantly larger budget. These factors mean the show must appeal to a wider audience than usual. This creates a unique viewing environment where dedicated fans might find themselves seated next to less-engaged family members who fill any quiet moments with chatter about local happenings or their neighbor’s garden renovations. Consequently, the narrative needs to be more accessible, allowing viewers to enjoy the story even if they aren’t paying full attention. Ultimately, it aims to provide a refreshing escape from the often melodramatic offerings on BBC One during the Christmas season.

Traditionally, the festive special is at the discretion of the showrunner; however, Russell T. Davies has entrusted Moffatt with this responsibility. Moffatt, who previously succeeded Davies as showrunner, co-created Sherlock and is widely hailed as the most talented Doctor Who writer of the 21st century. With such an impressive track record and having already penned the episode “Boom” for Ncuti Gatwa’s inaugural season as the Doctor, expectations for this special are exceedingly high.

Moffatt, known for his skillful farce and keen understanding of narrative structure, opens the episode in medias res. The Doctor is seen providing room service to a diverse array of guests across various historical epochs, including the base camp of Edmund Hillary at Everest and the luxurious Orient Express. His adventure leads him to encounter Joy in a dismal London hotel room set in 2024. Following the opening credits, we rewind to the Doctor’s arrival at the enigmatic Time Hotel, a unique establishment where guests can vacation through different periods in history. There’s no need to worry about causality or any of the complexities associated with time travel, as this hotel is ingeniously designed to safeguard its guests from inadvertently altering the timeline.

The Doctor, in search of milk for his coffee at the hotel buffet, becomes intrigued by a suspicious figure: a person attempting to check into a room while chained to a briefcase. With a sense of urgency, the Doctor recruits Trev, one of the hotel staff, to keep a watchful eye while he investigates further. Unbeknownst to them, the briefcase possesses sentience and is malevolent, transferring its influence from one host to another. Once it jumps to a new host, the previous one disintegrates, adding a layer of urgency to the Doctor’s mission.

In a twist of fate, the Doctor encounters Joy, who, through a series of comedic misadventures, ends up handcuffed to the briefcase in place of the hotel manager. When the Doctor attempts to open the case in search of a solution, it ominously threatens to kill whoever is connected to it unless a four-digit code is provided. The Doctor, who emerges from his future, takes Joy along with him, leaving “our” Doctor stranded in 2024 without his beloved TARDIS. As the hotel door closes behind them, the Doctor unleashes a barrage of frustration towards his future self, questioning why he often finds himself alone and why people seem to leave him. Compounding his distress is the fact that he usually doesn’t have to travel “the long way around,” experiencing one day after the other.

The episode then shifts focus to provide an extended segment where the Doctor builds a rapport with Anita, the hotel manager. He takes on the role of the hotel’s handyman, gradually lowering his emotional defenses as he spends time with Anita, culminating in a relationship that resembles a platonic partnership. This extended sequence, which would be unusual for a standard episode, showcases glimpses of their shared life together. The Doctor makes the microwave larger on the inside, paints Anita’s car a vibrant TARDIS blue, and they even engage in meaningful conversations while seated in chairs—a significant visual, given the TARDIS’s infamous lack of seating. However, as the year progresses and it becomes time for the Doctor to resume his own adventures, he bids a heartfelt farewell to Anita.

Upon returning to the Time Hotel, the Doctor re-enters the events of a year prior, sharing the vital code and whisking Joy away for new escapades. He discovers that the briefcase contains the embryonic form of an artificially created star, which could provide unimaginable power to its owner. However, without possessing the Hand of Omega, stars take an extensive period to mature, far beyond what anyone would be able to wait for to test their theories. The only feasible solution is to hijack the Time Hotel and transport it back to the age of dinosaurs to observe its effectiveness as humanity begins its journey.

As Joy, still under the briefcase’s influence, ventures towards the hotel’s dinosaur-themed room, the Doctor races against time to sever the connection it has over her. To achieve this, he must provoke an intense emotion strong enough to disrupt the bond between Joy and the case before it can destroy them both. He pushes her, challenging her to reveal the reason behind her stay at the low-budget London hotel. It becomes clear that she is mourning the loss of her mother, who passed away from COVID-19 while in isolation, leaving Joy unable to say goodbye. Tragically, just as the Doctor is about to deactivate the star seed, it gets devoured by a visually stunning dinosaur, placing it out of his reach.

In a race against time, the Doctor and Joy return to the hotel and, after 65 million years, discover that the star is now primed to explode. It has become trapped within a stone structure sealed behind a heavy door, a challenge neither can overcome as time slips away. In a moment of ingenuity, the Doctor, who confidently claims to be “good with rope,” pilfers a length of rope from the Everest base camp and secures it to the Orient Express, using it to haul the stone door aside. This thrilling sequence showcases impressive action but is somewhat marred by subpar CGI when Gatwa stands on the train. It’s characteristic of Doctor Who: capable of rendering lifelike dinosaurs yet unable to produce a convincing train scene.

At this point, the narrative begins to lose clarity, as Joy’s eyes flash with the energy of possession. When the Doctor returns, he finds Joy in an ambiguous state—has she consumed the star? Formed a bond with it? As she stands on a cliff edge, she asserts her intention to merge with the star and transport it to the heavens, ensuring it poses no threat. In my notes, I scribbled, “Don’t let this be Bethlehem,” only to realize moments later that they are indeed in Bethlehem, complete with three camels resting outside a stable. Such a moment adds an unexpected twist to the narrative.

Joy ultimately reunites with her mother, while the Doctor resumes his journey through time and space, ensuring that Anita secures a position managing the Time Hotel. Additionally, the episode teases the return of Ruby Sunday, who is set to rejoin the series in its second season.

As previously noted, “Joy to the World” cannot be evaluated using the same criteria as a standard episode, as it is designed to cater to multiple audiences. However, it may not rank among the best offerings of either Steven Moffatt’s body of work or the collection of Doctor Who Christmas Specials. Similar to several episodes from the Disney era, it suffers from a slightly disjointed quality where pacing falters at inconvenient moments. While I appreciate the extended segment showcasing a “normal” year in the Doctor’s life, the overarching narrative framing it could have been more tightly woven to balance moments of slowness. Overall, it provides a lighthearted way to enjoy an hour while indulging in holiday treats, with enough sentimental elements to leave viewers feeling they have witnessed something meaningful. However, I doubt I will revisit this episode as frequently as I would classics like “The Christmas Invasion.”