For me this was one of the better Xmas Specials. Moffat wrote it, and I think he's at his best when he's writing standalone high-concept episodes rather than showrunning (not that he was bad at that--he was an excellent showrunner, but his best bits were things like Blink, etc.)
Ncuti Gatwa was the best I think he's been yet. Though this was shot in early 2023, apparently! Before The Legend of Ruby Sunday, his first episode even came out.
Loved the timey-wimey stuff. Classic Moffat closed-loop paradox.
The TARDIS would have totally circumvented this entire plot but there was a one-sentence throwaway line about why he couldn't use the TARDIS.
One weird thing to me is that while I know it can't work from a storywriting perspective, why can't the Doctor simply summon the TARDIS from anywhere in time and space? He can wave his sonic at a mobile phone which can then call anywhere in time and space, so he has the ability to send signals anywhere and anywhen instantaneously. He can talk to UNIT in real-time in 2024 when he's in the year 5 Billion in a different galaxy. Why can't that signal be 'come to this point in space/time'? Or even 'come to this point in space/time but 5 minutes ago'?
But yeah, that would literally make him a god. I get that it basically breaks any plot you could ever devise; it just feels a bit contrived sometimes and the throwaway 'TARDIS won't work in this situation' line just felt like a throwaway gloss-over.
Bit of the usual 'love > science' stuff at the end. Why did her mum die and then her soul or whatever flew like a glowy thing to the star which was when her daughter flew into the air? (And also where was that star?) But that's the nature of the show.
Those pedantic complaints aside, I really enjoyed this episode.
Ncuti Gatwa was the best I think he's been yet. Though this was shot in early 2023, apparently! Before The Legend of Ruby Sunday, his first episode even came out.
Loved the timey-wimey stuff. Classic Moffat closed-loop paradox.
The TARDIS would have totally circumvented this entire plot but there was a one-sentence throwaway line about why he couldn't use the TARDIS.
One weird thing to me is that while I know it can't work from a storywriting perspective, why can't the Doctor simply summon the TARDIS from anywhere in time and space? He can wave his sonic at a mobile phone which can then call anywhere in time and space, so he has the ability to send signals anywhere and anywhen instantaneously. He can talk to UNIT in real-time in 2024 when he's in the year 5 Billion in a different galaxy. Why can't that signal be 'come to this point in space/time'? Or even 'come to this point in space/time but 5 minutes ago'?
But yeah, that would literally make him a god. I get that it basically breaks any plot you could ever devise; it just feels a bit contrived sometimes and the throwaway 'TARDIS won't work in this situation' line just felt like a throwaway gloss-over.
Bit of the usual 'love > science' stuff at the end. Why did her mum die and then her soul or whatever flew like a glowy thing to the star which was when her daughter flew into the air? (And also where was that star?) But that's the nature of the show.
Those pedantic complaints aside, I really enjoyed this episode.
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