Steven Moffat used his final Doctor Who episode to mock his own legacy

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who's “Joy to the World”

Steven Moffat couldn't resist a parting joke at his own expense in Doctor Who2024 Christmas Special. As writer responsible for the 1999 Comic Relief skit The curse of fatal deathMoffat's long-standing association with Doctor Who began before the British sci-fi franchise even embarked on its modern era. He later contributed classic episodes like "The Girl in the Fireplace" and "Blink" during Russell T Davies' stint as Doctor Who showrunner, Moffat ended up becoming RTD's successor in 2010 - a position he held until Peter Capaldi Doctor Who regeneration in 2017.

Finding it impossible to stay away for long, Steven Moffat contributed "Boom" to Doctor Who season 14, and also wrote the 2024 Christmas special, “Joy to the World.” After that, however, Moffat maintains that he has no plans to continue his involvement in the Doctor Who season 15 and beyond, teasing that "Joy to the Would" could represent his final contribution to the TV institution. If Doctor WhoWhether Moffat's future is clear or not, the former showrunner took the opportunity to joke about his own legacy, possibly for the last time.

2024 Doctor Who Christmas Special Gently Mocks the Weeping Angels

An ironic moment of self-deprecation from Moffat

The moment in question occurred during the fifteenth year of the Doctorate with Anita at the Sandringham Hotel. Telling Anita about the past 60 years of adventures, one specific exchange during the 12-month montage stood out. After the doctor emphasized: "I'm not kidding! I can't move if I'm looking at them!" Anita, having already accused the concept of being absurd, responded with "But this is rubbish!"Clearly, this scene was a callback to the Weeping Angels - a villain invented by Moffat himself.

After "Blink" aired for the first time, Weeping Angels were widely praised as one of the best Doctor Who villains of the story, with "don't blink"idea hailed as an innovative and clever trick. Moffat himself, speaking through Anita in "Joy to the World", seems to disagree. When mocking villains for not being able to move when they are watched, Anita poked fun at the very thing that made Moffat's Weeping Angels seem so scary and original in "Blink".

The Weeping Angels are a big part of Steven Moffat's Doctor Who legacy

The Weeping Angels will always be a sign of Moffat's enormous contribution

Steven Moffat contributed greatly to Doctor Whoboth as a writer and showrunner, but as his presence in the franchise wanes, so does his influence on the current product. Arguably the most visible mark of Moffat's legacy, however, remains the Weeping Angels. The stone assassins have continued to torment the Doctor since Moffat stepped aside, and will no doubt return soon.

Precious few Doctor Who the writers create a villain memorable enough to become a recurring enemy across eras, and the Weeping Angels will continue as a shining beacon of Moffat's long-term impact on the show. Still, Anita's humorous review gently placed the Weeping Angels on the same level as the Daleks. Just like Moffat's statues, the Daleks were terrifying when first introduced, but gradually became less frightening as audiences realized that the deadly pepper pots could be thwarted by a flight of stairs.

Likewise, the Weeping Angels were creepy in “Blink,” but their inability to move when observed is an even greater limitation than the Daleks' mobility, making the angels much less effective than they used to be. Like this Doctor Who reinvented the Daleks in 2005 to restore their aura of terror, perhaps future Doctor Who seasons should evolve the Weeping Angels to make them seem less ridiculous to the average hotel manager.