Steven Moffat delivers an exceptional joke that made me cry at the end

Doctor Who has become synonymous with Christmas thanks to the many memorable episodes that aired during the holiday. After six years without a Christmas special, Russell T Davies restored tradition by ushering in the era of Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor. Although Davies wrote seven of the show's Christmas specials, it was Steven Moffat (who took over showrunner duties when Davies first left in 2010) who wrote the majority and, arguably, many of the best Christmas specials. He returns to write this year's entry and delivers another festive episode that's equal parts whimsical and wistful.

“Joy to the World” sees the Doctor traveling alone, having been separated from Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) in Doctor Who season 14 finale. While visiting a Time Hotel in the year 4202 – where each room takes its guests to other hotel rooms spread across time and space – he suspects a man checking in with a briefcase handcuffed to his hand. As he often does, the Doctor investigates and ends up on a timely adventure that sees him visiting Christmas Day 2024, prehistoric Earth, and several times in between.

It is in our day that he meets Joy (Nicola Coughlan) when a later holder of the briefcase enters his hotel room, eventually transferring the case to her. Once trapped in the suitcase, Joy is forced to continue her mysterious mission, forcing the Doctor to discover what it is and how he can free her. It's a fast-paced adventure with the Doctor working against the clock, as he always does, but it's the moments when the episode slows down that make it a great Christmas special.

The folder's plot ends up being more of a means to an end

But the ending is so moving it hardly matters

“Joy to the World” is a very accessible episode and could easily be someone’s first foray into Doctor Whowhich is a nice change, as recent Christmas or New Year specials haven't been as standalone. The use of time travel is clever, with the Doctor not actually using the TARDIS and instead relying on the Time Hotel's various rooms. The episode oscillates between a timely adventure and a heartwarming vacation tale, and it's a credit to director Alex Sanjiv Pillai that the two elements blend so well.

The entire folder plot is where the Christmas Special is weakest. It's a plot that doesn't hold up to close scrutiny, and if it weren't for how entertaining it is, the episode would probably be a failure. Fortunately, unraveling this mystery is secondary to what Moffat is really writing about – loneliness. It examines how terrible it is to be alone through Doctor Joy, and even brings it to our attention by referencing the COVID-19 pandemic. It's never directly named, but the trauma we still collectively carry from that time is at the heart of the episode's most emotionally charged scenes.

It was these scenes that brought me tears, as I remembered the horror of 2020. So, actually Doctor Who Fashion, the twist ending puts a happier spin on an otherwise dark moment, and I found myself crying even harder. Moffat has always been a master at eliciting an emotional response from us, and he does it again here. Some will certainly find where and when the story ends up being cheesy, but it's the kind of cheesy Doctor Who can usually get away with it, especially when it's directly related to the holiday in question.

Gatwa remains an inspired choice for doctor

And his supporting cast in this special is sublime.

Gatwa's Doctor is confident, a little flamboyant and not afraid to show his emotions. He was another great addition to the series' long legacy, and it's evident how comfortable he's become in the role since his debut. I particularly love his speech because it brings to the Doctor a playfulness that is not always present in other incarnations. Whether it's a witty retort, a comforting line or a great speech, he handles it all skillfully. This is a good thing, as a Moffat script is never short on humor, emotion or speeches.

As the Doctor is working with an entirely new supporting cast, Gatwa needs to build a relationship quickly and makes it look easy. No matter how long your doctor has been with another character, he makes it so believable that he cares deeply about them. It's one of Your Doctor's greatest strengths, this unabashed willingness to be there for someone, even when they're trying to put up walls.

Among the supporting cast, Coughlan's Joy was marketed as Gatwa's new companion for the special, but she is actually one of the many new characters he interacts with. Her character's cheerful personality hides a deep sadness and she gives a powerful performance, especially when it comes to revealing where this regret comes from. Joel Fry plays an employee at the Time Hotel and is one of those great companions who doesn't stick around long enough to be considered a companion, but manages to endear himself in a very short time.

The standout among the new cast, however, is Stephanie de Whalley's Anita. She runs the hotel where Joy will be staying for Christmas 2024 and her brief time with the Doctor is the episode's best scene. The friendship that blossoms between them exemplifies the episode's theme of how the Doctor wouldn't be so lonely if he just slowed down every now and then.

This year's Christmas special is at times a fun romp and at other times a dark reflection on the loneliness that can strike this special time of year. It's also a great episode for Gatwa's Doctor, playing to his strengths and allowing him to deliver yet another excellent performance. “Joy to the World” may not be Moffat’s best Christmas Special (that title still belongs to the truly excellent “A Christmas Carol”), but it’s easily the best Christmas Special Doctor Who had in many years.

THE Doctor Who Christmas special, “Joy to the World”, premieres December 25th on Disney+ and BBC.