Episode #273 - The Husbands of River Song

River: When you love the Doctor, it's like loving the stars themselves. You don't expect a sunset to admire you back. And if I happen to find myself in danger, let me tell you, the Doctor is not stupid enough, or sentimental enough, and he is certainly not in love enough to find himself standing in it with me! 

The Doctor: Hello, sweetie.

Episode #272:      The Husbands of River Song.

Companions:        The 12th Doctor.

Air Date:             25th December 2015

The Twelfth Doctor is on the planet Mendorax Dellora in 5343, where he is asked by a man named Nardole to follow him, thinking he is a surgeon, on the orders of River Song. A surgeon is required to remove a diamond from the head of the tyrannical King Hydroflax. It became lodged there due to a ruthless act of thievery gone wrong, and River seeks to recover it. Surprised that River cannot identify his newest face, the Doctor struggles to break the news to her while learning how she acts on her own - and how many other lovers she has had. However, both he and River soon find that the time is drawing close for the last page in the diary of their journeys together to be written.

The Husbands of River Song is another hodge-podge Christmas special that does little but emphasise that it's Christmas here in the real world. It's another episode that jumps from place to place with no real story behind it. But it doesn't matter. With this episode we are here to see the final visit from the Doctor's wife River Song. It's an episode with a lot of humour, silliness and once we get to the end, a hint of romance. 

As Christmas episodes go, this isn't too bad. The real Christmas trappings only appear right near the beginning and hinted at towards the end. Otherwise it's more or less a modern Who story with a heavily humorous plot line. I am not even going to dwell on the story as it doesn't go anywhere. The Husbands of River Song basically wraps up the end of the 9th season of the show. The Doctor has had his moment of mania and now is calming down again. Realising that there are things and people in the universe other than Clara.

We do however have the introduction of a new companion of sorts in the bizarre little character of Nardole, played by Matt Lucas. He only has a "small" part in the story really but he will go on to be appear in the following season with an important role. 

Episode #233: The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe

Madge: Are you the new caretaker?
The Doctor: Usually called "The Doctor." Or "The Caretaker." Or "Get off this planet." Though, strictly speaking, that probably isn't a name.

Episode #233:      The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor.
Air Date:               25th December 2011.

Christmas Eve, 1938. Madge Arwell comes to the aid of an injured Spaceman Angel, the Eleventh Doctor, who promises to repay her kindness – all she has to do is make a wish. Three years later, Madge escapes war-torn London with her two children for a dilapidated house in Dorset. Crippled with grief at the news her husband has been lost over the English Channel, she wishes to give her children the best Christmas ever. The Arwells are greeted by the Doctor, who acts as their madcap caretaker. However, a mysterious Christmas gift from him leads them into a wintry, magical world. Madge must learn how to be braver than she ever thought possible... and that wishes can come true.

Another Christmas special and a better one than recent years. Although set at Christmas the season of good will is not the centre piece of the story which immediately boosts it for me. But saying that the episode features a nice amount of Christmas spirit which does raise a little smile even now watching well past Christmas itself.

The episode itself does not tie into any of the continuing plots and is nicely self contained. The only reference to the previous show is the future setting of Androzani Major. The foresters are from that system but it isn't clear whether the story takes place there or not. If it does, it doesn't resemble anything from 5th Doctor story The Caves of Androzani.

Like previous Christmas stories, this one seems based on a piece of literary work. In this case, as I am sure you can tell by the name, it is The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Thankfully there isn't too much of a correlation between the two. Other than a play on the name, it is only the strange "magical" box which takes them from the old country manor in 1938 to an alien forested winter planet in the distant future.

While the build up is slow and there isn't an actual villain to the story, what I enjoy most about this is the emotional aspect that builds up in the second half. First off by building on the love of a mother for her children, and then the revelation of her husbands death and finally the union of the family on Christmas morning... even I had a lump in my throat watching it. Whether I had that the first couple times I watched this I don't recall but it hit me this time.

The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe is a good story but it does suffer from both slow pacing and a lack of any real story. It just starts, flows along and then ends. Not to mention, once again, that is a little too fairytale for me. I suppose that is fine from the point of view of a basic Christmas episode for the family but it isn't what I would like to see from a special episode like this. Still, enjoyable.