Goblin Season

Merry Christmas again, and this year you can tell by the Doctor Who special. I always liked the tradition of a Doctor Who special for Christmas, I'm glad Russell T Davies brought it back, and to-day's was a particularly good one, despite the fact that I think the director was a weak link.

Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson are both good and, despite him being an openly gay Doctor, the episode ended with unmistakably romantic vibes between the two. Which is slightly puzzling but, whatever, it has the subtle excitement to it that distinguished the relationships in Davies' first run.

I was sold on Millie Gibson in the scene when she's on the phone with the woman informing her that her birth parents couldn't be located. I've always found that particular stock plot, of the character searching in vain for their birth parents, kind of lame. I don't know, maybe there's a fanbase of orphans out there who get really invested in these stories but I sense that's probably not the case. But Ruby trying to restrain the heartbreak in her voice was pretty effective acting from Gibson.

Gatwa has charisma and I like his big broad grin, it kind of reminds me of Tom Baker. His choice to wear a kilt is great though the scene of him dancing in the club was one of many that made me wish the episode had a different director. His cross-cutting and compositions show no evidence of instinct. Mostly there are just too many damned close-ups, which is a problem that has plagued British television for a long time.

I really liked the main goblin plot. I'm sure a lot of people will be reminded of Gremlins (which I was watching yesterday!) but I suspect even more people will be reminded of Labyrinth. When the buildup started for the reveal of the Goblin King, I half expected it to be Jareth. No such luck.

But really, it was great. I loved how the ship was run on a rope system of luck and coincidence and the Doctor had to figure out how to speak the language in minutes. It was a fresh context for the usual Doctor business and it worked great.

Ruby getting temporarily erased from time was a nice It's a Wonderful Life moment as we see how her adoptive mother and grandmother led poorer lives without her. Gatwa's performance in the scene was also marvellous. Davies still hasn't made up for the bi-regeneration thing (I gather I'm far from the only one who disliked it) and I miss the usual post-regeneration disorientation. But this was a good Christmas special.

I also didn't like the tacked on ending of the Doctor saving the woman who was killed by the falling Christmas tree. If they really didn't want to kill her, they could've shown her just managing to get out of the way. It doesn't make sense that the Doctor even knew about her or what happened to her. It feels like a hasty, late rewrite, like Clara being saved at the end of "Last Christmas". I thought Davies had strong-armed himself into a position of creative freedom. Maybe not? It would be really annoying if no-one's allowed to die now on Doctor Who. Or even regenerate!

New Doctor Who episodes are available globally on Disney+. In the UK it's on the BBC iPlayer.