As a film enthusiast with a penchant for time travel tales, I must confess that Joy to the World has left me utterly smitten. Coming from the brilliant mind of Steven Moffat, this Christmas special is a whirlwind of adventure, humor, and emotion that transcends the usual boundaries of space and time.
Warning: contains spoilers for Doctor Who special Joy to the World.
This year at Christmas, we receive the gift of “Joy to the World” – a lively, chaotic one-off story penned by returning Doctor Who writer and ex-showrunner Steven Moffat. In it, a solitary Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) temporarily sets aside his feelings following his split with Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), to thwart an interstellar arms manufacturer who intends to create a weaponized star using a Time Hotel.
There’s quite a bit happening here – even before delving into a Silurian character navigating through history, an interaction with a dinosaur, the Doctor’s involvement in the first Christmas event, and a brief, impactful meeting with Joy Almondo, portrayed by Nicola Coughlan from Bridgerton.
However, quite unexpectedly, the richest thread that Moffat explores in this tale, the most emotional subplot, is unrelated to any of those aspects.
The heart of Joy to the World lies in Anita Benn, a seemingly unremarkable hotel employee played by Steph de Whalley. (But don’t forget that Eleventh Doctor quote from, fittingly, another of Moffat’s festive episodes: “I’ve never met anybody who wasn’t important.”)
At the beginning of this episode, Moffat cleverly uses the unique characteristics of the Time Hotel for the Doctor to pull off a self-causing paradox known as a bootstrap paradox. This paradox occurs when an action leads back to its own origin, resulting in an endless cycle.
To eventually transform into Future-Doctor and save Joy by time traveling, Present-Doctor must spend a full year residing at the Sandringham hotel.
Where the episode goes instead is somewhere entirely unexpected – and wonderful.
As a movie enthusiast, let me set the scene: I find myself seeking employment at a hotel, aimlessly trying to fill my days, and with an irresistible urge to employ a couple of my high-tech gadgets for some added efficiency. However, what I initially thought would be just another diversion turned out to be something far more valuable – I stumbled upon a friend.
Initially, we come across Anita as Joy enters Sandringham; she pops up briefly throughout the initial part of the episode, with her most notable moments being a source of comic relief during an uneasy interaction between the Doctor, Joy, and Melnak, the Silurian under mind control (played by Jonathan Aris).
In Steph de Whalley’s performance, she perfectly delivers the humorous elements, making it seem like this could be her final appearance. However, surprisingly, it is Anita who takes center stage, developing a heartwarming and lovely side story all her own.
Over time, the Doctor and Anita find themselves drawn together, each of them having recently experienced the loss of someone they deeply cared for. She encourages him to appreciate once more those subtle characteristics that define us as humans – the small gestures and idiosyncrasies – and she subtly communicates that while a TARDIS or a sparsely furnished hotel room can serve as temporary accommodations, they are not homes in the truest sense.
As I embark on a new journey with my trusty sidekick, life for this wandering time-traveler becomes an exhilarating mosaic of day-to-day adventures. Every moment brings fresh wonders and experiences that are as captivating as the latest blockbuster in the cinema. Although I briefly tasted a more settled existence with the Noble family not too long ago, in the persona of the Fourteenth Doctor, let’s agree to imagine this new chapter as if it were a completely separate reel on the silver screen for the Fifteenth Doctor.
Through my extraordinary encounters with Anita and later, Joy, I’ve come to realize the profound importance of having a companion. These experiences serve as gentle nudges, reminding me when I’m beginning to lose sight of myself, helping me see the world through different lenses.
Throughout the story, Whalley impressively holds her own, proving herself to be far more versatile than her initial portrayal of Anita suggested. As the Doctor enlightens Anita about the world’s wonders – no intended pun – she ultimately encounters the bittersweet reality that all his companions must face: the pain of parting ways.
In one scene after another, Nicola Coughlan shines as the main attraction, but De Whalley holds her own as an equally captivating co-star to Ncuti Gatwa in a heartwarming and charming subplot. The depth of their performances is such that you find yourself feeling let down when the narrative calls for the Doctor to depart, allowing the primary storyline to continue.
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2024-12-25 23:07