I kind of feel like Moffat wanted to play more with ideas he had during Boom, since a fair plot point was recycled from that. Poor Vater Trev…
Joy… didn’t really click that much with me as an episode companion.
OTOH, Anita was definitely the companion of the episode. She spent a year with him while he didn’t have access to the TARDIS, and then got a chance to time travel afterwards. Honestly, if Big Finish doesn’t jump on this, they don’t know what they are doing. You could do both a Time Hotel series featuring her, and a series of her adventures with the Doctor during that year.
i really went in feeling the trailers showed too much, and I fear they did… i missed the christmas specials but this and last years were both underwhelming but maybe this was moreso since it was moffat and i had higher expectations. i’ll give it a rewatch though but yeah not a fan unfortunately
My review I will post on here at some point, but I have just been busy celebrating Christmas with my family. I thought it was a fun Special though, if a little convoluted, and I liked particularly 15 and Anita’s friendship.
I think the problem with the star can be viewed from a few different angles, but this is what my understanding of the problem is:
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the star over Bethlehem is not just to make the Nativity look pretty: it is a sign of Jesus’ divine favor and kingship that allows the Wise Men/ Magi to find him. By giving the star a “just so story” explanation, some Christians feel that it cheapens the miracle of Jesus’s birth, and takes God out of the Christmas story. (Even if Doctor Who is a work of fiction.)
Personally, I saw the final gag about the Villengard star being the Nativity star coming from a mile away. To me, the combination of star+ Christmas+ anytime in history only had one solution (First century Judea). It pained me to have to wait there for the last seven minutes or so so that Moffat could show off how clever he was by placing the star in the most obvious place he could put it.
Despite not really enjoying the ending, I liked the Time Hotel setting, and was thrilled to see the classic Moffat standards of the bootstrap paradox and long way round return. I’d probably put this one in the middle of the Christmas special heap.
I wish we had more time with Anita, she’s in my top 3 favourite characters in the Disney Who era already . Hopefully Big Finish pick up the character, or she features as a main character in a future story after bumping into the Doctor (unlikely).
I loved the Time Hotel, humans would totally make a luxury thing like that with time travel tech. Of course it was ‘paradox proof’, it had to be, but that reason was glossed over so it wouldn’t overshadow the main feature of the episode, the Doctor. Personally I don’t like when the writer creates a magical solution to these problems for some episodes, then the next has the Doctor running around stopping a paradox again.
Overall it was a nice episode, but was barely Chirstmassy for a Christmas special and had some low points.
I have created a separate thread for Religion in Doctor Who - a delicate subject to speak about but one I wanted to explore a bit more, and didn’t want to derail this thread.
But it’s interesting that some people are saying this was too Christmassy and others that it wasn’t Christmassy enough.
For me it was Christmassy enough - set on Christmas Day, the time hotel was decorated, Christmas Everywhere All At Once, the speech about the Christmas during COVID, the fact that it is linked to the first Christmas.
Also just the whole “feel” of the episode was that it was about family and, more importantly, friendship. The year with Anita was wonderful and showed how you can have a “found family”.
On rewatch I enjoyed this episode more than I did at first!! I think it’s a good special most the way through let down by it’s ending and the christmas special slot. I wrote a full review which I need to do more of ^-^
BCE is fine with me. But does the Time Hotel really care? They are providing the ‘experience’ for those who want to say “I was there”. Perhaps the date was as shown. Close proximity to, yet not exactly, the night (or year).
Maybe ‘the night’ was sold out? It’s like seats in the theatre. Not exactly front row, but still worth the experience.
Really liked this one. The time hotel is a clever idea that I think was utilised well. Ncutis outfit was fab.
Into spoilers:
Was nice to see Ruby. I think lots of us felt her exit was a bit weird in season 1 but it’s becoming clear it’s going to be more of a break which I think makes more sense.
Regarding the ending:
I enjoyed the reveal. As sci-fi stories revising religion goes I think this was pretty measured. (Maybe because I rewatched Prometheus lately).
I’m now thinking about all the minor little conveniences of the Time Hotel
Obviously there’s the kitchen being 30 minutes in the future, but also thinking about the fact there’s a bar, they can just perfectly age wine and such as well
This episode sold me on Ncuti as the Doctor. He really emitted that Doctor vibe in this one. Also loved the Time Hotel as a concept and setting, very brilliant. Some good timey-wimey paradox shenanigans here as well. The production design and visuals are top-notch. Just look at Bad Wolf flexing its muscles with that dinosaur scene!
Really liked how Moffat touched upon the Doctor
suffering from being alone and not travelling with Ruby anymore.
And Anita was the highlight—another great companion who never was.
I was surprised by how little Joy shows up here; she’s basically only in the second half. I didn’t really warm up to her despite her sweet nature and tragic backstory (I have no problems with the COVID aspect, as it brought a relatable dimension to the plot). She is the weakest link of the episode and never felt like more than a narrative device.
I also found Ty and the Silurian sorely underused.
Another plot point that felt a bit off was the star seed thing, which never felt truly developed or dangerous enough. This episode lacked a real threat.
The little Indiana Jones sequence towards the end was a highlight!
The ending is a mixed bag. I don’t have a problem with the religious aspect and the clever final twist, but I don’t find it necessary. Surely, the message of spreading joy and hope could have been delivered in another way?
So, Ncuti’s best episode and the best Christmas special of RTD2. A strong 8/10 from me.
One aspect about the ending that we don’t talked about is that it feelt cheep. I would have liked that someone got the blame and actually faced consequences for their terrible thing. We got none of that.
. Hopefully Big Finish pick up the character, or she features as a main character in a future story after bumping into the Doctor (unlikely).
