Steven Moffat’s Last Doctor Who Episode: A Humorous Take on His Legacy

Warning: spoilers ahead for Doctor Who’s “Joy to the World”

In the latest Christmas special of Doctor Who for 2024, writer Steven Moffat delivers a self-referential joke, highlighting his long-standing association with the iconic show. Moffat, who first gained recognition with the 1999 Comic Relief sketch The Curse of Fatal Death, has contributed significantly to Doctor Who’s legacy with unforgettable episodes like “The Girl in the Fireplace”and “Blink”during Russell T Davies’ tenure as showrunner. His leadership of the series began in 2010 and continued until the transition to Peter Capaldi’s Doctor in 2017.

Despite stepping away from the role, Moffat returned to the franchise for Doctor Who season 14 with the episode “Boom”and took part in the 2024 Christmas special, “Joy to the World.”However, he has indicated that this project may mark the end of his direct contributions to the series, suggesting a significant shift in the landscape of Doctor Who moving forward.

Doctor Who’s 2024 Christmas Special Offers a Humorous Take on the Weeping Angels

A Playful Moment of Self-Deprecation from Moffat

The Doctor and Anita enjoy Chinese food in the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special.

A standout moment during the special involves the Fifteenth Doctor conversing with his companion Anita at the Sandringham Hotel. As he recounts the adventures of the past sixty years, a humorous exchange emerges. After the Doctor insists, “I’m not kidding! Can’t move if you’re looking at them!”Anita retorts, “But that’s rubbish!”This playful banter serves as a clever nod to the Weeping Angels, a terrifying creation of Moffat himself.

When “Blink”first aired, the Weeping Angels were lauded as one of Doctor Who’s most chilling adversaries, with Moffat’s “don’t blink”premise celebrated for its creativity. Yet, in Joy to the World, Moffat, through Anita, cheekily critiques this very premise, humorously undermining the eerie terror that the Weeping Angels once embodied.

Weeping Angels: A Cornerstone of Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who Legacy

Weeping Angels: A Symbol of Moffat’s Immense Influence

Larry Sparrow stands between the Weeping Angels after their defeat in the Doctor Who episode

Moffat’s contributions as a writer and showrunner have left an indelible mark on Doctor Who, with the Weeping Angels being perhaps the most significant. This chilling adversary continues to haunt the Doctor, even as Moffat’s direct involvement diminishes.

As the franchise moves forward, it may be essential for future seasons of Doctor Who to reinvent the Weeping Angels to maintain their effectiveness. Unlike many villains, the Weeping Angels have become a cultural touchstone, representing a core aspect of Moffat’s enduring influence.

Anita’s tongue-in-cheek critique positions the Weeping Angels alongside the Daleks, albeit poking fun at their bizarre limitations. The challenge for future showrunners will be to refresh the concept of the Weeping Angels, ensuring they remain a formidable threat rather than a source of amusement for hotel managers.

Weeping Angel Appearances In Doctor Who
“Blink”- 2007
“The Time of Angels”& “Flesh & Stone”- 2010
“The God Complex”- 2011
“The Angels Take Manhattan”- 2012
“The Time of the Doctor”- 2013
“Hell Bent”- 2015
“Revolution of the Daleks”- 2021
“The Halloween Apocalypse”- 2021
“Once, Upon Time”- 2021
“Village of the Angels”- 2021
“Survivors of the Flux”- 2021
Class (spinoff) – 2016

In conclusion, while the Weeping Angels delivered terror in “Blink,”their unique limitation when being observed presents a challenge to maintain their fear-factor. Just as Doctor Who innovatively reshaped the Daleks in 2005 to restore their menacing presence, it may be time for the franchise to rethink the Weeping Angels to keep them captivating rather than comical for modern audiences.

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