TV Series > Doctor Who - Season: 6 > Christmas Special 2011

TV Episode Details:

What a way to start an episode! One of the most amazing Starships we have seen in the series shows up to destroy the earth, but Just as they announce that Earth is alone, and all the weapons are targeted, the ship goes boom and Tthe Doctor is fleeing from the explosions. For someone who has been against violence for such a long time, it sure looked like he was a master saboteur.

"Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it's a plan."

So, while escaping, he ends up crashing to earth in an alien space suit, and managed to get the attention of a rather slow woman, named Marge, who just happened to drive by. She was so ditzy that didn't have any issues with helping a man, who obviously fell from space, and couldn't without seeing his face due to the helmet on backwards. Really? She should of at least acted surprised. They have made clueless characters before, but this one was so bad that it ruined the opening experience for me.

Eventually, she drops him off at a police box, the wrong one of course, then her time was over. Ha! We couldn't of been that lucky. After her husband dies in the war, she makes a wish before Christmas, which ends up being answered by The Doctor.

The children Lily and Cyrol were good additions, and gladly they took most of the screen-time, and not the ditzy mother. Together, with The Doctor, they go on an adventure to a world, in the year 5345, where christmas trees are alive and grow their own decorations.

Lily: "Why are you trying to rewire the wardrobe?"
Doctor: "Have you seen the way I dress?"

Other than the 'mother' of all problems, this episode was really good. All of the 'fixes' that the Doctor made to the house were fantastic, and when the episode needed to be serious and suspenseful, it did so masterfully. I don't understand how acid rain can melt a planet, and how they can use what would be left as fuel, but as far a wacky plots for this series, it was kind of believable. This also had some of the best lines that I have heard in a long time.

It wouldn't be a Christmas Special without the happy ending, and this years felt extra special. Not only did the family get reunited with their father, thanks to some slight change in time, but our hero got to visit Rory and Amy, 2 years later, in a very heart-warming scene. Part of me was hoping that we were done with their story, but it still felt good to see them again.

I enjoyed most of the episode, but the mother issues really hurt my attention span. I was also hoping for the episode to play on the title a bit more. You can't tease The Lion, The Which and the Wardrobe without actually having it closer to the story. I think they should of made the tree people the real villains and added more fantasy to the episode, and loose the dame in the process (or made her the evil queen).