Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe': Screaming trees
The Doctor helps a World War II family in the annual Christmas special
Holly Earl and Matt Smith in the latest "Doctor Who" Christmas special.
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The annual "Doctor Who" Christmas special premiered last night, and I have a very quick review of it coming up just as soon as I can't tell weapons from wool...
The Christmas specials have been a very mixed bag, and for the most part (last year's strong "Christmas Carol" homage excepted), the best ones have tended to be heavily-steeped in the series' ongoing storylines. "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" had very little to do with continuity, and the only scene that I expect I'm going to remember was the coda with the Doctor visiting Amy and Rory for Christmas dinner.
The rest of it was a fairly light, simple, pleasant but disposable story. "Doctor Who" is designed as a kids' show, but it rarely feels like one - or, I should say, it usually serves as a reminder that kids' entertainment can be just as smart and ambitious and moving as the stuff designed for grown-ups. This one felt more like the stereotype of what science fiction for kids might be. It also didn't help that none of the family members stood out especially strongly as characters, when usually one of Moffat's strengths is to give the guest stars three dimensions in very short order.
I never mind spending an hour watching Matt Smith be so pleased with himself as the Doctor, and the Doctor/Ponds reunion was nice, but overall, they've done better, even at holiday time.
What did everybody else think?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupCraig Ranapia
December 26, 2011 at 8:08AM EST Reply to Comment"The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe had very little to do with continuity..."
I guess you can't please everyone all of the time, but that might just be a feature not a bug for the folks who bitch about Moffat being obsessed with wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey arcs that are too damn clever for their own good. In the end, I think this was a perfectly acceptable way to spend an hour as the Christmas dinner settled. Which, in the end, is all it had to do.
milaxx
December 26, 2011 at 9:12AM EST Reply to CommentIt was warm & fuzzy and at the end we dot the Ponds. I think it was just what we needed after the whiz bang of a season we had. The ending was especially nice because it reminded us that even the Doctor needs family and in a way the Ponds are his family.
jan I agree. I enjoyed it. Also agreed with Craig Ranapia. I thought it was fine--maybe a bit predictable, but I still liked it.
December 26, 2011 at 10:49AM ESTTracey Not just "in a way" -- they're his in-laws!
December 28, 2011 at 2:12PM ESTI. S.
December 26, 2011 at 10:01AM EST Reply to CommentShould have been better. Some nice ideas and moments, but this was a rush job, and not just because of the patchy VFX. Moffat wrote six out of the past fourteen episodes, plus Sherlock, and it's obvious that he is now turning in rough drafts for the privilege of working on both at once.
This year, a writer who did a couple of (great) Who scripts in the 80s said it looked to him like the UK attempt to copy the US showrunner model is failing because the producer doesn't delegate enough to the writing team. The showrunner takes on too many episodes, so that not only his own work suffers but everyone else's misses the executive polish. I just hope Moffat's management can be as good as his writing.
December 26, 2011 at 4:05PM ESTThat's nonsense - Moffat wrote one episode in each season of 'Sherlock' and Sue Vertue has taken on the day to day production duties. Hey, you don't have to like 'The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe' - it's not even close to my all-time Top Ten Who stories. But while everyone is entitled to their own opinion, nobody is entitled to their own facts.
I. S. Right - Moffat co-wrote Sherlock (I assume that he and Gatiss do a pass on each other's scripts). He is also producing Who, and this year wrote almost half of it. I happen to like his work, a lot, but he has got to focus on what he does best.
December 26, 2011 at 10:17PM ESTed @Craig, he may have only written one script, but Moffat himself has admitted working on both has taken up a lot of time and it's been difficult to manage. He doesn't hand in his script and then go off to do something else. He's still involved in the production. For Who, he writes 6, and I'm guessing, like RTD did, he works on every script that he doesn't write, as well. I.S. isn't off base to suggest he has too much on his plate. I thought this was a very good episode, though, so no complaints here.
December 28, 2011 at 1:33PM ESTHwat @Craig Michael Ranapia
December 30, 2011 at 1:15AM ESTUsually the name on the credit list isn't the only one who has written or worked on a script. Especially when you are the head writer.
S
December 26, 2011 at 10:04AM EST Reply to CommentPoop
Tom Dickinson
December 26, 2011 at 10:34AM EST Reply to CommentThere wasn't much going on in this one, but I like the way the situation in the forest metaphorically reflected the refugee status of the family, and also the way Reg's homecoming prefigured the Doctor's arrival at Casa Pond.
odessasteps
December 26, 2011 at 11:06AM EST Reply to CommentGood, not great. I'd personally rate it fourth of the xmas specials, behind a xmas carol, xmas invasion and the next doctor. I liked the kids and the tree people (lets not call them ents).
consideract
December 26, 2011 at 12:12PM EST Reply to CommentI also will remember the mother (particularly her matter-of-fact embrace of all things strange), as well as the boy and the trees, lightly, not as intensely as stronger (female) episodes, but memorably. The story could have borne more load, but in a way its lightness mirrors its titular precursor (TLTWATW). One thing I do like is how Moffat lightly touches upon themes and motifs that he elsewhere has built upon heavily, or will develop later (such as the gentle twist of living wooden statues viz. angelic statuary). I also do like how he can deliver deft payloads from an otherwise breezy story. It could be argued that the coda could have been tacked onto any Christmas story, but I find *this* mother key to the Doctor's emotional shift from an observation of "humany wumany" family to his participation in what is now actually his family. As long as they are not off episodes, I appreciate the occasional light episode (in any series), and as such stories go, I find Moffat's light touch enjoyable, and even deft, particularly in their set-ups and gentle shifts in our main characters.
aamadis
December 26, 2011 at 12:31PM EST Reply to CommentI thought it was a bit pants. It was nice enoug,h but I really was expecting sensational. Moffat totally gets a pass on this though. I guess I can't expect him to be sensational every time. Agreed that the new characters didn't stand out. I never felt we got to know anything specific about any of them, and then we were already at the part of the story where the Doctor explains a lot of stuff and then it's all over. This is the first time I've ever thought of getting up in the middle a Who Xmas special and going to check my email. Guess I've been spoiled by the last few. Especially last year's, which I'll be rewatching later today to give myself a proper Who Xmas.
Meghan Gerc
December 26, 2011 at 4:29PM EST Reply to CommentI agree. Perhaps watching 2010's Christmas special immediately before 2011's was a poor choice, as I adored the former and then felt only luke warm towards the latter.
odessasteps
December 26, 2011 at 6:20PM EST Reply to Commentalso, am I remembering this wrong, but weren't there supposed to be (Classic) Cybermen? Were they on the ship at the beginning of the episode?
MaxS Yeah, I watched the prequel to this episode and it made it seem like we were about to see a much different episode than we saw. Then it started and the beginning didn't really have anything to do with the rest of the story. I think I may have enjoyed this one more than most. Davies' Christmas specials always involved the imminent destruction of the earth (or pretty much any other Davies episode for that matter). Moffat is clearly using the Christmas specials to show a smaller scale touching story. This one wasn't as inventive and fun as last years, but Matt Smith as the Caretaker showing the different rooms of the house made me smile almost as much as the montage last year of the Christmases.
December 28, 2011 at 12:27AM ESTed w I learned my lesson last year and didn't watch the prequel this time. It would either spoil or mislead.
December 31, 2011 at 1:59PM ESTJon88
December 27, 2011 at 8:19AM EST Reply to CommentFar too busy crushing on Claire Skinner ("Outnumbered") to mind the fluffiness.
Jon
December 27, 2011 at 12:09PM EST Reply to CommentAgreed. When I sit down to watch the DVD box set, I forsee myself skipping this episode -- as I do with "A Christmas Carol."
Mark Hamilton
December 27, 2011 at 3:11PM EST Reply to CommentI just feel it lacked what the last couple of series have lacked: the old fashioned 'good vs evil' ingredient in lots of classic narrative. Merlin seems to get this right so why can't Doctor Who? Misunderstood computers, Aliens lost and afraid on a strange planet are OK, but what I really love are great old fashioned villains like Davros!
Paul C
December 27, 2011 at 7:36PM EST Reply to CommentEhhh, it was just okay. Thought the little girl done a pretty decent job. It was really mushy emotionally in places but I guess that's par for this seasonal time. I know it's Christmas and all, but I really wish the father had of stayed dead. I knew he was alive, but it was still a bit eye-rolling. The monsters weren't that scary either.
Smith is still obviously aces, but the cameo from Amy & Rory at the end showed just how much of that element was missing from the show. Smith's Doctor is far better whenever he is bouncing off those two.
Anne Moss
December 27, 2011 at 7:49PM EST Reply to CommentA jungle a maze, a mysterious cupboard, ZONE OF TRANQUILITY. A window disguised as a mirror. A mirror disguised as a window! Cluedo, the Magna Carta, a yellow fort!
I could have watched an entire hour of Doctor-as-awesomest-tour-guide-ever.
And: he's happy! He has family! PONDS! :D
ed w
December 28, 2011 at 1:17AM EST Reply to CommentUnlike a lot of people I didn't care for the 1st Matt Smith era Christmas special, last year's. I wanted to like it but it bored me.
But this was great. Of course, it had a lot of sentimental wentimental stuff but it was appropriate. Casting the mom from Outnumbered was a smart move, perfect for the role, and the kids were just right.
As to Alan's mentioning of scenes he'd remember, mine would probably be when the Doctor first entered the other world and had great lines about Fairyland and incredulousness at modern schooling. And loved his frustration with the sonic screwdriver not working on wood.
"The rest of it was a fairly light, simple, pleasant but disposable story." As many of the best Who episodes are, to me at least. I'm glad we got a third good one this year in addition to the Doctor's Wife and Closing Time.
klg19
December 28, 2011 at 8:28AM EST Reply to CommentThere was a lot in this episode to delight me, but then I've been a fan of the Narnia books since I was 11 years old. The evacuation to Uncle Digby's (Uncle Digory in TLtWatW), the Doctor's "What DO they teach them in schools these days?," the brother's entrance into the snowy woods--even the fact that it was specifically a Christmas episode, given that the White Witch had turned Narnia into a land "where it's always winter but never Christmas"...these gave me great delight. As did the Doctor's tour of the manor (my new excuse for anything that goes wrong will be "seems to have developed a fault"), the tree people's visuals (gorgeous!), and the guest appearance of Bill Bailey (who played Manny on "Black Books" and the comic book store manager on "Spaced").
The Christmas specials tend to be more heartwarming, so the reunion of the family was lovely and touching, as was the parallel of evacuation (the family's and the trees) and death from the sky (acid rain and the plane's loss).
My one gripe would be Moffat's reliance on cutesy-wutesy. I loved "wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey" the first time I heard it, in "Blink;" the second and third times felt forced, and "humany-wumany" made me cringe.
But on the whole, I found it a blissful marriage of Narnia and Doctor Who, and a sweet Christmas story.
Tracey
December 28, 2011 at 2:22PM EST Reply to CommentI usually like the light touch of the Christmas specials. They're fun to watch. But this one... I dunno, it seemed like there were four different, unrelated episodes here. 1) the ship blowing up / Doctor crashing / helped by the mother; 2) Doctor as caretaker; 3) Narnia; 4) Casa de Pond. They were all nice little bits, but they just didn't seem to have anything to do with each other
Scott Rosenberg
December 28, 2011 at 3:49PM EST Reply to CommentI think the Christmas episodes should lean towards the sentimental and spiritual, and thought the episode was extremely successful on those grounds, even if a bit random and over the top. There were moments where it was just magical, and others where it was just gut-wrenching. Might be a bit forgettable on account of the random plotting, but in the moment I found it extremely satisfying, and definitely superior to last year's Christmas Carol sendup.
Hwat
December 28, 2011 at 5:40PM EST Reply to CommentI think I'm going to be forced to watch it tomorrow :(
Jesse 'Wolf' Robertson
January 2, 2012 at 11:28AM EST Reply to CommentI personally think that the "The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe" was (as Craig Revel Horwood would say) Hor-ree-blus darling. It was the worst Doctor who ever!!! I felt like turning the tv off and do something else, my god father, who is a die hard Doctor who fan fell asleep. Honestly I think ever since Steven Moffat took control of Doctor Who the show has gone from bad to worse. He turned the Daleks into the Power Rangers and now has retired under the bull faced lie that people were tired of them but what we were tired of was the new 'improved' Daleks. And don't get me started on River Song and Amy, River's annoying and Amy is annoying and just in the show for sex, (like the scene were she tries to have sex with the Doctor) Doctor who is supposed to be a family show and Moffat has sexed it up too much. For God's sake BBC fire Steven Moffat!!!
ed w Amy lost most of her sex appeal about half way through season 5 when her boyfriend started tagging along.
January 2, 2012 at 10:45PM ESTI agree at River being incredibly annoying. She's arguably the worst thing to happen to the series in the modern era.
littlemisspardox
February 7, 2012 at 9:38PM EST Reply to Commentto be honest and frank Dr. whos show quility has dropped not only in christmas specials but in general story qulity overall. Some of the things don't work and they seem to be forgeting that although a buld of the fans are new many old fans are still watching. Im 17 and grew up to this show. they say that they want the show to enteratin all adunces, however they seem to be dummbing down in my opinion and loseing tuch with some aspacts of the show. I.e. the sudlty is gone and the good/bad doctor at the same times isn't their anymore.