Doctor Who Validates Obscure Detail from Tom Baker Era as Canon, Potential Return in Season 15

Warning: Spoilers for the 2024 Doctor Who Christmas special, “Joy to the World,”are contained within.

Exploring Nostalgic Threads in Doctor Who’s Christmas Special

The enduring legacy of Doctor Who enables it to revisit long-neglected plots. Showrunner Russell T. Davies has ingeniously chosen to reintroduce a particularly obscure element from the Tom Baker era, a significant period for the series. Baker, celebrated as one of the most beloved actors to portray the Time Lord, graced the screen as the Fourth Doctor from 1974 until 1981. His tenure is marked by rich narratives, and the re-emergence of Sutekh in the upcoming season 14 serves as a testament to Davies’s appreciation for Baker’s era. This creative direction may foreshadow developments for Doctor Who season 15, aligning with the broader narrative established during Baker’s iconic run.

Christmas Special Highlights the “Icelandic Alliance”

Potential Revival of the Nordic Coalition in “Joy to the World”

Ncuti Gatwa and Nicola Coughlan in wreckage

Ncuti Gatwa and Joel Fry in the Time Hotel

Ncuti Gatwa and Nicola Coughlan walking into a cave

Within the episode, known as the Icelandic Alliance, an inventive coalition of nations prominently featured during the 51st century in Doctor Who, is notably revived. Originating from the 1977 storyline “The Talons of Weng-Chiang,”this narrative thread had all but faded from memory over the years. Yet, “Joy to the World”breathes new life into it, showcasing two significant mentions, marking a promising return to this almost forgotten aspect of the series.

\ud83d\udce3\ud83e\udd86 Duck pond mystery solved, read all about it! Get the Whoniverse headlines in The Timey Wimey \ud83d\uddde\ufe0f #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/8YDSNw26PH — Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) December 16, 2024

The first reference to the Icelandic Alliance appears through a headline on a newspaper clutched by Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor, which was subsequently showcased on the official Doctor Who X platform. The second instance manifests through a leaflet that mentions the Alliance at the Time Hotel. Although its return may seem unexpected, it aligns perfectly when considering the writer behind “Joy to the World.”

Anticipated Role of the Icelandic Alliance in Season 15

Implications of Prisoner Zero’s Innocent Verdict

Prisoner Zero looking at the Doctor in Doctor Who.

Notably, Steven Moffat, a former showrunner, penned the script for “Joy to the World,” effectively bridging the past and present by linking the Icelandic Alliance to one of his original characters, Prisoner Zero. Introduced in only one episode, “The Eleventh Hour,”starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, Prisoner Zero was apprehended by the Doctor. However, this recent narrative unveils that Zero’s trial concluded with an innocent verdict endorsed by the Icelandic Alliance. Given this revelation, Doctor Who season 15 could pave the way for exciting developments involving both the Alliance and Prisoner Zero.

For more details, check out X.