Spoilers for the 2012 Doctor Who Christmas special will follow...
Despite the fact that Doctor Who is one of the greatest shows of all time, and Steven Moffat one of the best television writers around (Sherlock and Coupling provide further evidence of this), the combination of these two entities has not always yielded the exquisite results which one would expect.
Series 5 was a masterwork, seamlessly establishing Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor and Karen Gillan's Amy Pond as his mischievous, minxy Scottish companion. It's too bad, then, that so much of Series 6 and the first bit of Series 7 was frustrating rubbish. Aside from "Closing Time," (Craig! Alfie!) I strain to recall an episode that did not leave me disappointed, sometimes even in the extreme.
Once the character of Amy had been ruined by the constant presence of her obnoxiously pointless husband Rory, the plotlines began to run into the absurdly convoluted and even foolish. I became sick of Amy, beyond sick of Rory, even sick of River. If I never hear about that blasted astronaut again, it will be too soon. Concepts that were thrilling in their first few incarnations became too heavy-handed and repetitive (the Weeping Angels, anyone?). Complicated story arcs, some of which didn't even make sense, were thrown at the audience rapidly and chaotically, creating tonal and logic problems.
Worst of all, the show had become all about the bloody Ponds, with the Doctor too often shoved aside to make room for their chemistry-devoid angst.
Now that the Ponds, and their mutual obsession with their nonexistent amazing love story, have gone (much to the Doctor's grief, which does of course make us sad), the show gets a new lease on life, and Moffat hasn't wasted any time taking advantage of this factor.
"The Snowmen" is certainly one of the best Doctor Who Christmas specials I have seen, and that is taking into consideration the silly central villains (evil snowmen) and an underused Richard E. Grant who is constantly referred to as an "old man" though the actor is 55.
This episode soars due to the reemergence of a lonely, melancholy, hesitant Doctor who regains his ideals and romanticism thanks to the (re)introduction of his new companion, the plucky, witty barmaid/governess (in this incarnation anyway) Clara Oswin Oswald.
At the beginning of "The Snowmen," the Doctor is so solitary and sad that he's practically bitter. He's practically the Tenth Doctor - except that he continues his Eleventh Doctor trademark of cushioning himself with sidekicks. This time out, having supposedly abandoned humanity even while constantly tempted to assist them, the Doctor has brought along the hilarious, adorable Strax, along with Madame Vastra and Jenny. These returning characters are woven nicely into the lightly plotted Monster of the Christmas Special part, and the deeper, more important matter of the Doctor and Clara's meeting.
A bundle of intellectual, flirtatious, adventurous curiosity, Clara (played by Jenna Louise Coleman, who looks a bit like Lucy Hale by way of Christina Ricci) is a delightful character in her own right, sparking perfect chemistry with a particularly dapper, handsome, and charming Doctor in this episode. Of course, we also remember the character of Oswin Oswald from the beginning of Series 7, and eventually, so does the Doctor.
So while the story of the Snowmen is fleetingly entertaining, and is certainly enhanced by Ian McKellen's voice as the villainous Great Intelligence, the continuing saga of who Clara is, who she was and will be, and what she will mean to the Doctor takes precedence. I happen to enjoy a well-done Doctor/Companion love story, so with all of the kissing, epic mystery, and whip-smart repartee going on right off the bat here, I'm quite happy. The scene with the key, as well as Clara's deathbed scenes, were gorgeously executed. It must also be said that the snowy, cloudy climbs up the ladder to the TARDIS provided some of the most lovely visuals the program has produced thus far.
In order to capitalize on this promising new beginning, Moffat will need to maintain his impressively kaleidoscopic vision for how twistingly fascinating and emotional Doctor Who can be. However, he will also need to avoid the kinds of awkward, aggressive, confusing, melodramatic elements that held back Series 6-early 7. In returning to the purer versions of Doctor Who and his own identity as a writer, Moffat has started Series 7, part 2 off on the right note.
