Steven Moffat’s penchant lies in unearthing a monster lurking beneath the ordinary, where the familiar and the eerie converge. With his mastery of mediums, he’s crafted an array of eerie antagonists that haunt the present, including statues come to life, sinister shadows, misplaced youth, and even the notion of silence itself. Despite its relative rarity, the enigmatic additional door typically found in older lodge rooms remains a treasure trove of storytelling potential waiting to be explored. The inspiration behind 2024’s Christmas special of “Pleasure to the World”? Which captures the essence of a leisurely and joyous Christmas experience, with a dash of whimsy, much like the holiday season should be, don’t you think?
When the present was re-presented to the UK’s cultural landscape, it did so in a way that had never occurred before. A key aspect of the course’s success was its inclusion in the BBC One Christmas Day schedule, thereby becoming a ubiquitous cultural reference point on that day. Since the show’s revival in 2005, episodes have consistently followed the Christmas and New Year’s special broadcasts. In Britain, events akin to those that draw massive crowds for the Super Bowl or Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade take place on Christmas Day itself. While you may not enjoy every dish served, it is still expected that you will sit down with your family and partake in the meal.
While the specials’ extended timeslots, prolonged runtimes, and broader price ranges bring benefits, they also come with significant drawbacks. To reach a vast audience, the live show must cater to diverse viewers, from passionate fans seated alongside curious newcomers, whose conversations during lulls focus on neighborhood rivalries and communal curiosity about neighboring gardens. As such, the narrative requires a more relaxed pace, allowing viewers to absorb the events unfolding without demanding their full attention. Amongst the overwrought cheer and drivel on the BBC One Christmas Day roster, A Winter’s Tale stands as a welcome respite of genuine pleasure.
The tone and style of Doctor Who has been a collaborative effort between showrunners throughout its history, with various producers and writers contributing to the series’ iconic character and storylines. J.J. Davies passed the torch to acclaimed television producer and writer Steven Moffat. Moffat took over from Davies to helm the series initially, co-creating and earning widespread acclaim as one of the most exceptional Doctor Who authors of the 21st century. Given his sterling reputation and previous work on the first season of Doctor Who with Ncuti Gatwa, anticipation is understandably high.
Moffatt, an accomplished author of farce, boasts a remarkable command of narrative structure, making it unsurprising that we begin with his work. Physicians are catering to a diverse clientele across various time zones, from Edmund Hillary’s Everest base camp to the Orient Express, before a chance encounter with pleasure in a desolate London hotel room in 2024? Following the credits, we seamlessly transition back to the Physician reappearing at the TARDIS, allowing guests to embark on a journey through time. Here’s a rewritten version of your text:
As the physician discreetly attempts to pilfer some milk for his morning espresso from the lodge buffet, his gaze falls upon a disturbing sight: a person, briefcase in hand and handcuff chain attached, attempting to gain unauthorized access to a restricted area. As the Physician discreetly dispatches Trev, a trusted worker, to maintain vigilance while he reconnoitres ahead to uncover any potential scheme that may be unfolding. It appears that the entity is a malevolent force, capable of transferring itself from one individual to another with alarming speed and ferocity, leaving a trail of possessed hosts in its wake? As soon as it leaps to the next host, the last one dissolves.
As the physician hastened along, he stumbled upon an unexpected encounter with Pleasure, whose antics resulted in her being handcuffed to a nearby case rather than the intended lodge supervisor. As the physician delves into the mysterious case, a sense of urgency grips them as they realize that the case’s very existence hangs precariously in the balance, poised to exact a deadly toll on anyone connected to it unless it can be placated with a cryptic four-digit code. Who shall present the code? As the Physician emerged from his temporal journey, he carried a sense of satisfaction with him, abandoning “his” Physician to navigate the unfamiliar terrain of 2024 without the TARDIS’s aid. As the lodge door swings shut, the Physician’s frustration boils over, and he lambasts his future self for being perpetually alone, with everyone else seemingly abandoning him. He’s uniquely distressed because he rarely has to take an out-of-the-way route, especially immediately after parting ways with someone else.
As the episode unfolds, a substantial portion is dedicated to showcasing the Doctor’s interactions with Anita, the lodge manager, in a leisurely paced sequence that fosters connection and rapport. As the physician settles into his new role as the lodge’s handyman, he gradually lowers his defenses, indulging in extended conversations with Anita until their friendship blossoms into a warm, platonic companionship. Here is the rewritten text:
Rarely would you encounter such an unconventional sequence in a typical episode, as brief glimpses into the Doctor’s and Anita’s lives are woven throughout. He amplifies the internal dimensions of the microwave, repaints Anita’s car the iconic shade of blue reminiscent of the TARDIS, and they sit together on the few available chairs, a testament to the scarcity of seating within the time-traveling vehicle. As the year comes full circle, the physician’s temporary sojourn at last draws to a close, prompting him to bid Anita farewell with a wave of his hand.
With the Time Lodge restored, the Physician suddenly appears at the scene, revealing the crucial code and whisking Polly away to her next escapade. Physicians pondered the briefcase’s contents, discovering it housed an embryonic form of an artificially created star capable of generating a limitless supply of energy for its rightful owner. Until you attain mastery over the Hand of Omega, star formation is an excruciatingly slow process that stretches beyond human endurance, rendering observation virtually impossible. Until you’ve seized control of a temporal portal and dispatched it back to the era of dinosaurs, waiting patiently to see if this unorthodox experiment succeeds in altering the course of human history.
Pleasure, an elusive sensation despite being present, leads the protagonist to the lodge’s prehistoric dinosaur exhibit while the physician futilely attempts to regain control over her. To achieve this, he intentionally evokes a robust emotional response that ultimately poisons the connection between the situation and its context, rendering the link obsolete in the process. The burly man taunts her, probing for the reason behind her decision to reside at a humble London hostel. As she mourns the loss of her mother, who succumbed to COVID-19 in a hospital isolation ward, Pleasure is left grappling with the poignant regret of being unable to bid farewell in person. Regrettably, the physician failed to deactive the star seed before a radiant dinosaur devoured it, rendering it inaccessible until further notice.
As The Physician and Pleasure returned to the lodge, they found that a staggering 65 million years had passed since their initial visit. To their astonishment, the star was now capable of detonation. Trapped within the ancient edifice’s imposing walls, a formidable stone door now bars their progress, its weight too great for either to budge, as the clock ticks away mercilessly. The physician, renowned for his expertise in handling rope, pilfers a length from the Everest base camp and secures it to the rear of the Orient Express to facilitate the removal of the stone. The kinetic sequence, while formidable, is marred by the underwhelming CGI effects during Gatwa’s practice standing scene. While capable of creating realistic dinosaur simulations, the program falls short in replicating authentic professional practices.
As the Physician’s gaze lingers on the issue, its very essence begins to unravel, much like the fleeting spark in Pleasure’s eyes that momentarily flashed with an otherworldly vitality. Yet, when the Physician finally returns, the star – and perhaps even reality itself – has been consumed by Pleasure’s insatiable hunger? Was ultimately absorbed into something greater. Formed a deep emotional connection with it? As he approaches the precipice, he discovers her poised at the very edge, where Pleasure has promised she will transcend with the star, carrying it effortlessly into the celestial expanse, a spot devoid of harm to anyone. As I scribbled furiously in my notebook, the words “Don’t let this be Bethlehem” seemed an apt description of the scene unfolding before me – until, that is, the camera pulled out to reveal that we were indeed standing at the very gates of Bethlehem, with three camels patiently waiting outside a secure perimeter. Oy.
As the Physician concludes his visit, pleasure is rekindled as Anita is reunited with her mother. Meanwhile, the physician departs once more to continue his travels, but only after securing Anita’s employment at the Time Resort. The additional shots we receive give us a glimpse into Ruby Sunday’s future, as this show is set to return to the present for its highly anticipated second season.
On the premiere, however, you can’t opt for “Pleasure to the World” as the theme song for a daily episode because it caters to multiple entities. While I wouldn’t venture to call it the most outstanding episode of Steven Moffat’s work or the current crop of Christmas specials, Like the entire Disney-era episodes, this production boasts a barely coherent yet high-quality execution that veers wildly between languid moments and frenetic bursts at entirely unpredictable intervals. While I’m drawn to the unconventional narrative structure that spans multiple years in the life of the physician, the framing device could be tightened to better balance the pace and flow of the story. Savoring an hour-long pause, replete with the savory essence of holiday turkey or its equivalent, can induce a sense of introspection that prompts one to ponder the profundity of life’s fleeting moments. I won’t be revisiting this one-time viewing experience like I would with a series that warrants repeated analysis.
