As a special treat for followers, a unique deal is being offered beneath the Christmas tree, commencing with the release of “Pleasure to the World,” this year’s delight. Although the team is wrapping up their work and moving forward from the celebratory atmosphere of the previous episode, this larger-than-life story boasts a subplot that could easily be spun off into a standalone, awe-inspiring episode.
As it approaches its midpoint, “Pleasure to the World” momentarily shifts gears. As the Physician organizes his stay at the Time Lodge, an establishment comprising numerous gateways currently calibrated to transport visitors to every Christmas in history, we are rapidly whisked through a succession of these portals as he pursues a mysterious suitcase that inexplicably bounds between various hosts, all helplessly bound. A curious phenomenon unfolds as the Physician and the briefcase’s current custodian, a vigilant Silurian supervisor at the lodge, find themselves traversing a doorway into the midst of Christmas 2024 in London, where they simultaneously encounter a youthful girl named Pleasure amidst the humble confines of her rundown lodgings. As turmoil subsided, the Physician found the suitcase had somehow begun to unravel, its essence dissipating as it transferred to a new host: the Silurian perished and Pleasure became tethered to the briefcase’s latest vessel, prompting her to intone eerie prophesies amidst star seeds unfolding. Before the Physician has a chance to comprehend the situation involving the suitcase, he enters the room.
The physician, unconcerned by his predecessor’s displeasure, effortlessly dismissed the request for information about treating the briefcase’s mysterious affliction, instead expertly guiding Pleasure from the room as he departed, leaving “our” physician to ponder the intricacies at a distance. As the door thuds closed behind us, our attention remains fixed on “our” physician, who finds himself trapped in 2024, sans TARDIS and any prospect of returning to his own time.
This prolonged sequence has the potential to craft a killer episode that resonates within itself. Without any resources or shelter, the physician is forced to offer his services to Anita, the lodge’s supervisor, taking on odd jobs and renting out Pleasant’s vacant room. As the physician’s free time allows for an investigation into the mysterious suitcase, he finds himself captivated yet still constrained to remain seated, riveted to one spot, as if compelled to relive a life that is unfamiliar to him.
This notion is not a concept familiar to everyone, after all? During much of the Third Doctor’s tenure, he found himself exiled on contemporary Earth, forced to fend for himself; yet, he continued to participate in various escapades in his role as UNIT’s scientific advisor. As the Fourteenth Doctor’s journey comes to a close, he is unexpectedly gifted the chance to coexist and form meaningful connections with Donna Noble and her loved ones, liberated from the weighty responsibility of being the Doctor. Steven Moffat, the showrunner who penned “Pleasure to the World,” had long been captivated by the notion. Episodes like “The Lodger” and “The Energy of Three” explored the concept of the Doctor temporarily abandoning his wanderlust in the fourth dimension to experience a more conventional life. Even the River Music vacation special, “The Husbands of River,” touched on this idea as the Physician momentarily traded his timey-wimey adventures for a taste of domesticity.
Unlike in “Pleasure to the World,” where this narrative sequence was fully explored, previous episodes only superficially examined these pivotal moments, focusing instead on summarizing the Physician’s prolonged stays in specific locations and times, ultimately obscuring their underlying motivations. The timeless Doctor embarks on an odyssey through space and time, battling fearsome creatures and safeguarding unsuspecting planets from catastrophic demise? As a rare occurrence in a typical human life, the Physician’s initial reluctance to engage stems from the fact that, for a sci-fi adventure series, dwelling on standard human experiences can be quite underwhelming.
As we’re treated to a remarkable third of the episode, arguably its finest moment, we’re invited to sit with the Physician as he navigates this year’s journey, delving deeper into Anita’s world and grasping what it means to truly live. By the time his year comes to a close and he must bid farewell to his new friend, the emotional sting is almost as potent as losing a lifelong companion – a poignant reminder of the fragility of human connection. Without a grand menace or thriller lurking in the shadows, the Physician’s narrative unfolds without the ticking clock pressure, even when he’s aware that his room reservation at Pleasure’s lodge is limited to only a year. Instead, the series transforms into an exploration of this fresh perspective on the Doctor’s life and sense of being.
Crucially, establishing a personal connection with the physician is essential, providing a therapeutic space where they can form a meaningful friendship and collaborate more effectively through this approach. It’s not just because the final season struggled to make the Doctor and Rose genuinely feel like the friends the series consistently portrayed them as, but also because it’s not with Pleasure, de facto “companion” of the Doctor, that he processes his loneliness after parting ways with Rose. As Anita’s sole confidant, her profound connection and inspirational force drives him forward in the aftermath of losing his closest companion – a relationship that had a profound impact on his formative experiences. While previous vacation specials have explored this theme in part—”The Runaway Bride” touched on the Tenth Doctor’s emotional attachment to Rose, while “Voyage of the Damned” hinted at his feelings for Martha—their ultimate conclusions serve as a poignant reminder that the Doctor yearns for someone with whom he can share the thrill of adventure.
At its most radiant, “Pleasure to the World” poses an existential query: Does life’s true meaning lie in sharing the journey with another, rather than traversing Time and Space?
Now available globally on Disney+, as well as exclusively on BBC for viewers in the UK and Ireland.
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