The 2024 Doctor Who Christmas Special marked Steven Moffat’s final stint as a writer on the legendary British series, and he found numerous interesting ways to communicate that in the episode, including referencing his first Doctor Who episode. Scottish television writer Steven Moffat got involved with Doctor Who long before the rebooted series even launched in 2005. Doctor Who season 14 bore the hallmark of Moffat’s writing in the “Boom” episode and the Christmas Special signaled Moffat’s huge influence on the entire franchise with one smart and subtle Easter egg.
Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa has triumphantly led Doctor Who season 14 as the Fifteenth Doctor, with his first appearance on the show in the last episode of the 2023 60th anniversary specials. Gatwa will be returning for Doctor Who season 15, but Steven Moffat confirmed in an interview with TV Choice Magazine that he would not. This huge milestone in the BBC show was evident throughout “Joy to the World,” Moffat’s 2024 Doctor Who Christmas special episode, which called back Moffat’s brilliant “The Empty Child” from Doctor Who season 1.
“Joy To The World” Contains A Clever Callback To Doctor Who Season 1’s “The Empty Child”
The 2024 Doctor Who Christmas Special Called Back An Old Episode
The Doctor Who episode “Joy to the World” recalled “The Empty Child” with one simple Easter egg. However, Steven Moffat’s last Doctor Who episode referenced his legacy in a few different ways, including paralleling some of the atmosphere and tonality of “The Empty Child.” The main Easter egg signaling the circularity of Moffat’s tenure on the show was the Blitz poster in the lobby of the Time Hotel. This refers, of course, to the timeframe and setting of “The Empty Child,” which took place in 1941, at the height of London’s Blitz.
“Joy To The World” Is Spiritually Similar To Steven Moffat’s First Doctor Who Story
Steven Moffat Writes Symmetry Into His Doctor Who Episodes
“Joy to the World,” starring Nicola Coughlin as Joy, launched into many exciting threads that recalled Moffat’s first Doctor Who story. “The Empty Child” was the ninth episode of season 1 and had the Ninth Doctor, Billie Piper’s Rose, and John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness adventuring through London. It set up the characters of Doctor Who’s season 14 for more intrigue in “Joy to the World” by introducing the planet Villengard. Joy and the Doctor encountered Villengard, who had some problematic and dangerous plans, in “Joy to the World.”
Villengard is a planet and an organization in Doctor Who, with the organization taking its name from its home planet. This villainous weapon manufacturer has been a Moffat emblem since “The Empty Child,” reappearing throughout his episodes. As such, it makes for a perfect end to Moffat’s time on Doctor Who. “The Empty Child” and “Joy to the World” shared a tonality, in a sense. Both episodes had incredibly sentimental endings, which emphasized the end of an era in many ways. Steven Moffat will be missed in future seasons of Doctor Who.
