Specials, Episode 2 | 1 part | First broadcast: 25 December 2024 | Writer: Steven Moffat | Director: Alex Sanjiv Pillai
Cast
- Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor
- Nicola Coughlan as Joy Almondo
- Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday
- Joel Fry as Trev
- Jonathan Aris as the Hotel Manager
Summary
At the far-future Time Hotel, which secretly houses time-travel access hidden within hotel rooms throughout history, the Doctor investigates a killer briefcase that leaps between hosts and finds himself separated from his own timeline for a full year, spending it working alongside hotel employee Anita before reuniting with guest Joy Almondo to stop the weapons company Villengard from exploiting the briefcase, a living incubator for a “star seed,” as a weapon, and Joy ultimately sacrifices herself to become the Star of Bethlehem, offering comfort across time to those who need it, including a passing Ruby Sunday.
Interesting Facts
- This standalone Christmas special served as an interlude between Series 14 and Series 15, and was Millie Gibson’s only appearance between the two series as Ruby Sunday.
- It marked Steven Moffat’s return to write a Doctor Who Christmas special, his ninth script for the show overall.
- The episode introduces the “Time Hotel” concept, which becomes essential to the plot of the Series 15 finale.
- Villengard, the weapons company previously introduced in “Boom,” returns as a recurring antagonist organization.
- The special drew 5.91 million consolidated viewers and an 80% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
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