Doctor Who fans were left in tears after Wednesday’s emotional Christmas special as the show included a devastating nod to the impact of the Covid pandemic.
In the episode, which guest-starred Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, the titular traveler ended up at the mysterious Time Hotel, where he joined forces with a lonely soul named Joy in an attempt to save Earth from an impending threat.
In the episode, The Doctor’s attention is drawn to a mysterious suitcase that attaches itself to its owner and uses the Time Hotel to jump between periods, in a fun take on the mystery behind the locked door that graces many a hotel room.
When the Time Lord discovers that the suitcase contains an unfinished star, he is tasked with preventing it from reaching its full growth, fearing that it could destroy life on Earth.
After meeting Joy at a modern hotel in London, The Doctor discovers that she travels away from home every Christmas, after her mother died alone in hospital in 2020.
Joy breaks down in tears and shares how she was unable to visit her mother due to Covid restrictions, and was instead forced to say goodbye to her on an iPad.
Doctor Who fans were left in tears during the Christmas special on Wednesday night
The episode focused on the Covid pandemic
While Joy’s anger at The Doctor’s cruel words was a plot device to snap her out of the suitcase-induced trance, viewers got a full picture of the effect of her mother’s death later in the episode.
Joy absorbed the star’s power in an attempt to save Earth, and after traveling back to the very first Christmas: Bethlehem in 0001, she was reunited with her beloved mother in the stars.
The episode then cut back to the death of Joy’s mother in the hospital, alone in 2020, a moment that undoubtedly resonated with many who lost loved ones during the pandemic.
The bittersweet ending left many fans in tears, with some also sharing their anger at the way the pandemic was handled.
Many fans took to X to share how emotional they got while watching Wednesday night’s episode.
One wrote on the social media platform: ‘Emotionally moved by the @bbcdoctorwho Christmas Special – Joy To The World. Sat here with tears of pure joy.’
Another confessed: ‘The ending brought me to tears, as someone who lost someone to Covid in 2020.’
Joy’s mother was in the hospital with Covid and could only communicate with her through her iPad
Many viewers were left very emotional after watching Wednesday’s episode
A third tweeted: ‘But what is this Christmas episode? I’m in tears right now!! #DoctorWho @bbcdoctorwho.’
‘That was the best Doctor Who Christmas Special ever. Nice. SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL. I’m in tears as are my whole family in the living room,” a fourth added.
Meanwhile, a fifth wrote: ‘Joy to the World was an incredible, incredible Christmas special. Perfect mix of heart and joy and tears – so many tears (classic Moffat). An episode you always wish you could see again for the first time.’
A sixth chimed in: ‘This was the best DW episode in a long time, I’m crying.’
The episode then concluded with a surprise tease for the upcoming second series, which will hit screens in 2025.
Ahead of the festive special, showrunner Russell T Davies confirmed that Rose Ayling-Ellis will join the cast in an episode he called ‘absolutely terrifying’.
He said: “One thing: we finished an episode last Friday, I took it with me to show my sister, and she was literally on the edge of her seat.
“We have a story starring Rose-Ayling Ellis… she’s the lead in one episode, which is amazing, isn’t it? I think this is our scariest episode, it’s absolutely terrifying but she’s amazing, Ncuti with her and the names of the guests in the cast are phenomenal.
“So we have great episodes coming, a lot of episodes, crazy episodes. Scary, completely crazy, great things are coming.”
Russell also confirmed that fans will get answers to the long-running mystery surrounding Anita Dobson’s character Mrs Flood, hinting that there will be plenty more of her character in 2025.