My Review of Doctor Who: "The Giggle"

 

Written by Russell T. Davies

Directed by Chanya Button

The Toymaker: "Do you like my puppets, Doctor? Do you like my fun? All of them have played and lost but here's my favourite one."

Our final episode in a trilogy of specials for the 60th and if the first two didn't feel like they were referencing the show as a collective whole, then this certainly made up for it. This one definitely hit on that front.

Last year, every single special factored a familiar villain and this year's option was to go for less known ones. We had the Meep and now we've got The Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris). Yes, a character last seen fifty seven years ago. A character from a story that had been divisive with its content.

Anyways we opened up to 1925 where John Logie Baird (John MacKay) sent his right hand man Charles Banerjee (Charlie De Melo) to acquire a Stooky Bill puppet for his television transmission, only for that simple purchase to have dire consequences ninety eight years later.

Yep, the toy came from a shop owned by the Toymaker and now thanks to that one transmission everyone has gone mad with thinking they're right all the time. There's chaos in the street and the only people unaffected are UNIT staff wearing the Zeedex arm bands courtesy of the Vlinx. Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) gave a good demonstration of what also happened when not wearing those arm bands.

Along with Kate we had the returns of both Shirley Anne Bingham (Ruth Madeley) and Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford) along with the introduction of Colonel Christopher Ibrahim (Alexander Devrient). The latter didn't have much to do but after The Power Of The Doctor laying the groundwork, we have our new UNIT set up for the next era. 

Back to the Toymaker and there's a delight battle of wits between the powerful godlike creature and the Doctor and Donna. Neil Patrick Harris played off brilliantly against David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the Toymaker took pleasure in playing off the Doctor's losses but at the same time being unable to resist a game.

The attack on UNIT was not only something we saw as recently as last year with The Master (who's also referenced) but The Toymaker even upped the camp factor before forcing the strangest regeneration on the Doctor yet. Well, not a regeneration but a bigeneration instead.

Yeah, instead of David Tennant changing into Ncuti Gatwa he managed to split into the latter instead with some help from Donna and Melanie. If this show can survive a half human Doctor, outlier versions of the character and the Timeless Children, the bigeneration idea will not kill the show one bit. It's still a rather wild choice.

However wild or not, there was something satisfying in watching the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors band together over a simply ballgame in order to defeat the Toymaker. It was a swift to deal with him as a character and likely sets up a future confrontation down the line if needed.

As for the Doctors, the outcome here was to have two TARDISes and for the Fourteenth one to retire with Donna's family and Auntie Melanie. I can see why that might have rubbed some up the wrong way but I liked it. The Fifteenth one on the other hand gets to travel the stars and very soon make a new best friend. I can't think of anything better than that.

- The Toymaker brought Donna up to speed about the fates of Amy, Clara, Bill and the Flux through the use of puppets. Donna also got a job at UNIT and Trinity Wells has her own show.

- The Master was trapped in The Toymaker's gold tooth after losing a game and now a mystery woman has the gold tooth. Also who or what is The One Who Waits?

- Referenced characters/events included the First Doctor and Toymaker, Sarah Jane, Adric, River, Rose, Sabalom Glitz, Davros/Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels, the Pandorica, Time War, etc.

- We're definitely getting more of Rose Noble in the next era and the Doctor referring to her as his niece was sweet. Brief voice/body double cameo for Wilfred too.

- Standout music: The use of Spice Up Your Life by the Spice Girls and the Fifteenth Doctor's Theme as well.

- Chronology: 1925 Soho and 2023 London.

The Giggle managed to serve as both a series finale to the 2005 era of Doctor Who while also being a prelude of an unpredictable future for the series. This was a fantastic episode, easily the best of the three with exceptional performances from David Tennant, Ncuti Gatwa, Catherine Tate and Neil Patrick Harris respectively. I loved every minute of this one. Now let's head to The Church On Ruby Road for Christmas Day.

Rating: 10 out of 10