Warning: spoilers ahead for Doctor Who2024 Christmas special, “Joy to the World”.Steven Moffat's return to Doctor Who seems to have been brief, but even if he never writes another script for the long-running British sci-fi show, his last two stories have brilliantly set up a great antagonist for the future of Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor and possibly even all the actors to play the Doctor after him. Then, Doctor Who season 15 could be a slow continuation of a plot revived by the former showrunner. The best Doctor Who Episodes written by Steven Moffat were scattered throughout the show's post-revival history.
The 2024 Christmas special, “Joy to the World” is the 50th episode written by Moffatand as such, it would be a great time for him to leave the franchise for good. His work on the show dates back to Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor's time in the TARDIS. However, when Moffat replaced Russell T. Davies as the Doctor Who showrunner in 2008, that's when he really managed to leave his mark on the saga. On the surface, its influence Doctor WhoThe Disney era may seem subtle, but it isn't.
'Boom' and 'Joy To The World' made Villengard more prominent in Doctor Who
Gatwa's doctor probably had the biggest run-ins with Villengard
Steven Moffat introduced Villengard to the franchise in Doctor Who season 1episode 9, “The Empty Child”. The nefarious planet is home to countless weapons factories, and advanced instruments of death are distributed far and wide. However, Villengard appears very little in “The Empty Child”. In Moffat's later efforts, after taking over as showrunner, he began working with Villengard on more and more scripts.
One of the most notable cases was the 2017 Christmas special “Twice Upon a Time,” but Moffat's two most recent episodes are Villengard's biggest releases yet. Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 3, “Boom,” heavily features Villengard technology, as does the 2024 Christmas special “Joy to the World.” The villainous organization's previous outings have largely been contained in singular episodes, but Moffat did this recently so Villengard can't be ignored or forgotten to move forward. Without “Boom” or “Joy to the World,” Villengard would still be bubbling away in the background.
Has the doctor already beaten Villengard? It is not confirmed
“The Empty Child” ends with a second episode – Doctor Who season 1, episode 10, “The Doctor Dances.” At the end of two parts, the Ninth Doctor mentions that he destroyed Villengard's factories. While there's no reason to believe the Doctor is lying in this scene, it's also possible that his solution wasn't as definitive as he thought. In other words, Villengard may very well still be active after resisting the Time Lord's attempt to wipe them from existence.
Villengard is a large corporation with immense firepower and influence. So while the Doctor may believe he has neutralized the threat for good, Villengard could have survived the Doctor's attack and continued elsewhereor even rebuilt after the Time Lord believed the planet to be inert. Alternatively, the Doctor may have managed to completely annihilate Villengard, but a program like Doctor Who it allows threats from the past to emerge all the time. If Villengard is gone, that doesn't exclude them from the timeline. They are still somewhere in the past, thriving.
Villengard has the potential to become a major antagonist in Doctor Who's future
Moffat's storyline could last for years
Villengard wasn't exactly insignificant when he appeared in Doctor Whobut it hasn't been a particularly big focus either. For example, “Boom” really only addresses the devastation caused by Villengard in one specific world, while the arms dealers are almost definitely wreaking even more havoc in every corner of the universe. Then, the doctor often ends up treating only the symptoms and not the disease when it comes to Villengard, which will only allow the organization to regroup and return after the Doctor leaves in apparent victory.
Moving forward, the continued threat posed by Villengard will certainly only increase. It would be great if Russell T Davies could continue the work done by Moffat and turn Villengard into a truly fearsome adversary for the Doctor in the years to come. This would also solve the problem of the show endlessly bouncing between the Cybermen, the Daleks, and the Master as the main opposition to the famous Time Lord. Eventually, the Doctor will obviously emerge victorious, but Doctor Who it can certainly make it an exciting ride.