Clara

Story: The Snowmen
Written By: Steven Moffat
Length: 60 Minutes
Year: 2012

2012's Christmas Special is much better than last years, which while entertaining and decently Christmassy enough, didn't really have enough going for it to make me want to pop it in again over and over.  This year has a whole range of new exciting things, as well as having enough Christmas bits to make you feel the greatness of the season.

The Doctor is retired after losing the Ponds, and he has parked the TARDIS in the clouds above Victorian England.  The TARDIS, by the way, has been wonderfully redesigned yet again, this time looking like a more realistic and believable updating of the original TARDIS (its all silver and futuristic, instead of the messy orange/yellow conglomerations that have been a part of the show since it's 2005 return).  I like the new look, it is darker yet cleaner, and it evokes the original without looking as cheap or simple (and it kept the multi-levels of the last set).  I didn't dislike either of the previous designs, but this new one feels just as good if not better.
Alright enough about set designs, plot wise the story is fairly thin, mad man bad guy works with some Evil Snow from space to create man-eating Snowmen to destroy the world, and the Doctor must come out of retirement with the help of Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Strax...and an curious and exciting young woman named Clara to save the planet Earth for Christmas yet again.  Introducing new elements like this more reserved and cynical 11th Doctor as well as acquainting the audience with Clara...a story is bound to be thin, and the ending (beaten by tears!) leaves a little something to be desired, but I had fun on the ride, and I'm excited to see what happens next for the Doctor and his new companion.

Spoilers ahead:  Clara is in some way shape or form the same character Coleman played in "Asylum of the Daleks", but how the same character can appear in what is now three different time periods and die in two remains to be seen and answered.  I'm excited to find out.

The episode was fun, I liked seeing the characters from "A Good Man Goes to War" return here, and I enjoyed re-acquainting myself with Coleman, who is bound to make an exciting new companion.  The new TARDIS set looks great, and the new opening titles are probably the best since the show's return, really exciting and capture the show perfectly (and the Doctor's face!).  Ultimately it is difficult to complain too much about this episode, despite it's lackluster plot wrap-up and a thin plot line.  Onward!

NEXT TIME: Evil Wi-Fi

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