Does Doctor Who exist in the Doctor Who universe? Joy to the World moment unpacked

As a seasoned cinephile with over three decades of Doctor Who fandom under my belt, I must say that the recent Christmas special, Joy to the World, has left me both thrilled and puzzled in equal measure. The bootstrap paradox scene was undoubtedly a delight for long-time viewers, but the mention of miniature police boxes brought forth a wave of nostalgia that I couldn’t help but appreciate.

With the arrival of Doctor Who’s festive special, Joy to the World, I couldn’t help but notice an amusing easter egg that’ll delight longtime fans – but its significance runs deeper than you might initially assume.

In a unique turn of events, the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, tries to prevent the malevolent arms dealer Villengard from creating a new star through the use of portals within the Time Hotel.

In the course of his journey, he employs a self-recurring event paradox – where an action leads back to its origin, forming a never-ending cycle – to find a four-digit code necessary to prevent his new friend Joy (portrayed by guest star Nicola Coughlan) from being destroyed by the briefcase.

For him to accomplish this, however, he must spend a full year residing at the Sandringham Hotel, during which time he develops a heartwarming friendship with the hotel staff member, Anita (Steph de Whalley), on television.

In this stretch, Anita observes that the Doctor has amassed several small replicas of police boxes, which he showcases in his private space. He shares that these miniatures evoke memories of his home (the TARDIS), and casually ponders why so many of them are available for purchase online, expressing a slight bewilderment about their abundance.

2014’s “In the Forest of the Night” episode showcases a poster depicting the Twelfth Doctor, Clara Oswald, and their time-traveling vessel, the TARDIS, in its backdrop.

In other words, although the Doctor Who television series isn’t directly mentioned, there are subtle references and hints throughout the Doctor Who universe that seem to imply its existence. However, it’s also possible that these similarities are just coincidental.

In more recent times within the Doctor Who realm, there have been instances reminiscent of self-awareness, such as the inclusion of Kylie Minogue’s song “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” in season 14 episode Rogue, hinting that Minogue is part of the Doctor Who universe.

However, Minogue was already known for her role as Astrid in the 2007 Christmas special titled “Voyage of the Damned.

In the Doctor Who universe, if both Astrid and Kylie Minogue coexist, did the Doctor choose not to comment on Astrid’s striking similarity to Minogue during their first encounter? Or was it that he didn’t recognize the likeness at all?

Instead, you might find it worthwhile to ponder the meta instances and humor found in Doctor Who during this holiday season’s downtime!

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2024-12-25 23:03