All that being stated, the broad, welcoming power that makes “Pleasure to the World” efficient on a macro degree additionally makes it barely sickly on a micro degree. From an emotional perspective, the episode is at its most profitable when it’s being quiet, permitting house for the melancholy that so usually coexists with happiness throughout the Christmas interval – and that made “A Christmas Carol” and “Final Christmas” such standouts within the pantheon of Who specials.
However too usually it goes for the massive swing, and over extends itself in consequence. The Physician’s year-long friendship with Anita, for instance, is performed splendidly by Ncuti Gatwa and visitor star Steph de Whalley, however what works about it’s how low-key, nearly mundane it’s. The huge swelling tearful goodbye – and the implication that Anita’s emotions for the Physician are romantic – feels overblown the place it must be quietly bittersweet.
See additionally Pleasure’s massive outburst revealing why she checked into the resort alone, and why she’s effervescent with rage. Once more, Nicola Coughlan performs it very effectively. Nevertheless it feels prefer it’s greedy for a degree of emotional affect that hasn’t actually been earned, and the references to the pandemic and Partygate really feel considerably heavy handed. Reducing to Pleasure’s mum in hospital on the finish can also be tonally awkward, shifting that plot thread from a memorial for an intimate household tragedy – and by extension all of the tens of millions of different intimate household tragedies suffered throughout that horrible interval – to a little bit of hand-wavey sci-fi magic. It’s undoubtedly effectively intentioned, and maybe some will discover it cathartic, however for me it left a barely odd style within the mouth.
After which there’s the matter of the Physician. Ncuti Gatwa is great, after all. However there’s a barely uneasy feeling that the present is not sure of what to do with the character, emotionally. We’ve seen the Physician moping round and lacking their departed companion earlier than. We’ve even seen it at Christmas. We’ve additionally seen them expertise and recognize a interval of regular residing amongst people, and we’ve heard them suggested by different characters that they shouldn’t journey alone. The beats all really feel very acquainted.
And it’s not like Ruby’s even useless! The Physician can pop in and see her every time he likes! Contemplating the horrible occasions that separated earlier Docs from beloved companions like Rose, the Ponds and Clara, a companion selecting to remain at residence and spend time along with her mum simply doesn’t have the juice to assist this degree of hand-wringing.
However OK. Talking of hand-wringing – sufficient. It’s Christmas, and Physician Who is on TV, and the episode is nice. Components of it are even nice! And it brings a message of hope – one thing that, nevertheless heavy handed and ingratiating, is sorely wanted right here, midway out of the darkish. It’s pretty to have it again.
