A Christmas Carol

"How can I have new memories?"

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 25 December 2010

Series: 2010 Christmas Special

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

Amy Pond and Rory Williams are trapped on a crashing space liner, and the only way the Doctor can rescue them is to save the soul of a lonely old miser. But is Kazran Sarcick, the richest man in Sardicktown, beyond redemption? And what is lurking in the fogs of Christmas Eve?

Verdict

A Christmas Carol was an excellent Christmas Special episode! It's been a long old time since I rewatched this story and it must be one of the adventures I have rewatched the least of the modern era. That's not because it's bad by any means as my rating here and previously confirm, but it does take a certain mood to watch a Christmas Special outside of the festive period. I'm keen to plough on with our modern era rewatch as after Series 6, I think I've only watched each episode once since broadcast so they will feel much more unfamiliar and that's something I'm very excited for. However this one was a really strong Christmas debut for Steven Moffat and he really captures the tone. Whilst being on an alien planet with floating fish, this feels very Victorian and Christmassy which is an impressive feat. I think the Sardicktown setting is excellent and the lighting really gives it a mystical and magical atmosphere despite the emotional tone of what occurs. This is a bit of a companion lite episode with Amy and Rory enjoying their honeymoon on a spaceship that just happens to now be crashing in the skies of Sardick's planet. Amy looked incredible in her kissogram outfit reprised from The Eleventh Hour and Rory is one lucky chap in his Roman garb. Quite the honeymoon then! I'm allowed to compliment Amy's appearance here as despite watching with my own partner Gemma, she too fancies Karen Gillan so there's a mutual understanding there. The introduction to Kazran Sardick is excellent and I love how grumpy he is. It sets an immediate tone and his being the only one with the power to save the crashing ship in his skies is extraordinary. With the controls being isomorphic, the Doctor is quite literally helpless and that's a rare sight. His anger towards Kazran for not helping or even caring that over four thousand people will die in the crash is magnificent. His mission takes over the plot with him delving deep into the past of Kazran and opening his mind. He changes his entire past and gives him numerous Christmas memories with Abigail, a woman with limited time after serving as collateral for a loan Kazran gave out to her family. She was ill and had limited time, with only eight days left to enjoy. Her interaction with Karan throughout was brilliant and it was lovely to see how their relationship developed as he got older. I thought the directing was impressive and the constant movement and pace of Kazran watching back his past literally change before his eyes as the Doctor interacted with his younger self was outstanding. I was a huge fan of that. I thought the young adult Kazran not telling the Doctor about the issue with Abigail was a little strange and he was quite harsh towards the man that had given him several memorable Christmases. But now there was some compassion there, and it all linked back to the moment where he wouldn't hit the boy. The Doctor latching onto that was superb and I liked how he incorporated that into showing the younger Kazran his Ghost of Christmas Future. The allusions to Dickens' A Christmas Carol were very well done and Amy being the Ghost of Christmas Present and using a hologram to show him the situation on the crashing ship was very good. Abigail was ultimately going to provide the resolution with her singing to control the fish, but it was good to have the threat of Kazran changing so much that his own isomorphic controls failed. Abigail was on hand to see the ship safely and she reacted very nicely to the elderly Kazran. He got to fly off with her on her final day which was lovely, whilst the Doctor was out to answer to Marilyn Monroe! Overall, a fantastic story! 

Rating: 9/10