Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Custom Image by Daniel Bibby
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who's 2024 Christmas special, "Joy to the World."Steven Moffat's return to Doctor Who appears 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 major antagonist for the future of Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor and possibly even every actor to play the Doctor after him. So, Doctor Who season 15 could be a slow-burning continuation of a plot revived by the former showrunner. The best Doctor Who episodes written by Steven Moffat have been sprinkled throughout the show's post-revival history.
The 2024 Christmas special, "Joy to the World," is the 50th episode written by Moffat, and as such, it would be a great time for him to bow out of 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 took over from Russell T. Davies as the Doctor Who showrunner in 2008, that's when he was truly able to leave his mark on the saga. On the surface, his influence on Doctor Who's Disney era may seem subtle, but it isn't.
"Boom" & "Joy To The World" Made Villengard More Prominent In Doctor Who
Gatwa's Doctor has arguably had the biggest run-ins with Villengard
Steven Moffat introduced Villengard to the franchise in Doctor Who season 1, episode 9, "The Empty Child." The nefarious planet is home to countless weapons factories, and the advanced instruments of death are distributed very far and very wide. However, Villengard only features very little in "The Empty Child." In later Moffat efforts, once he had taken over as showrunner, he started to work Villengard into more and more scripts.
One of the most notable instances was 2017's Christmas special, "Twice Upon a Time," but Moffat's two most recent episodes are Villengard's biggest outings yet. Doctor Who season 14, episode 3, "Boom," heavily features Villengard tech, and so does the 2024 Christmas special "Joy to the World." Previous outings for the villainous organization have been largely contained in singular installments, but Moffat has very recently made it so Villengard can't be ignored or forgotten about going forward. Without "Boom" or "Joy to the World," Villengard would still be bubbling away in the background.
Did The Doctor Already Beat Villengard? It's Not Confirmed
"The Empty Child" concludes with a second episode - Doctor Who season 1, episode 10, "The Doctor Dances." In the two-parter's finale, the Ninth Doctor mentions he destroyed the factories of Villengard. While there's no reason to believe the Doctor is lying in this scene, it's also possible his solution wasn't quite as final as he thought. In other words, Villengard may very well still be active after weathering the Time Lord's attempt at wiping them from existence.
John Hurt's War Doctor turns the Villengard factories into palm trees using a molecular fruit bomb in the Doctor Who comics. However, with this moment happening away from the main show, it's questionable whether this act is part of the official Doctor Who canon.
Villengard is a vast corporation with an immense level of firepower and influence. So, while the Doctor may believe he neutralized the threat for good, Villengard could have survived the Doctor's attack and continued elsewhere, or even rebuilt after the Time Lord believed the planet to be rendered inert. Alternatively, the Doctor may have been successful in completely annihilating Villengard, but a show like Doctor Who allows threats from the past to arise all the time. If Villengard is gone, that doesn't scrub them from the timeline. They're still out there somewhere in the past, thriving.
Villengard Has The Potential To Become A Major Antagonist In Doctor Who's Future
Moffat's storyline can last for years
Villengard hasn't exactly been insignificant when it has shown up in Doctor Who, but it hasn't been a particularly big focus either. For example, "Boom" only really addresses the devastation caused by Villengard on one specific world, while the arms dealers are almost definitely wreaking even more havoc in all corners of the universe. So, the Doctor often only ends up treating the symptoms rather than the disease when it comes to Villengard, which will only allow the organization to regroup and go again after the Doctor has departed in apparent victory.
Related
Doctor Who's New Companion Is Copying Ruby Sunday In An Incredibly Specific Way
Although Ruby Sunday left at the end of Doctor Who season 14, the show seems determined to recreate the introduction of Millie Gibson's character.
Moving forward, the ongoing threat posed by Villengard will surely only increase. It would be great if Russell T Davies could continue the work done by Moffat and develop Villengard into a truly fearsome adversary of the Doctor in the years to come. This would also solve the problem of the show endlessly cycling 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 can certainly make it a thrilling ride.
Your changes have been saved
The latest season of Doctor Who introduces the Fifteenth Doctor, joined by new companion Ruby Sunday. Their first adventure begins with "The Church on Ruby Road," where they face powerful new foes and unravel the mystery surrounding Ruby's origins. The Doctor grapples with the aftermath of a unique regeneration event and battles enemies more formidable than ever before.
Release Date December 25, 2023
Franchise(s) Doctor Who
Character(s) Commander Millington , Polly , Gordon Lowery , Dervish , Wheeler , Radar Technician , Uncredited , Dr. Grace Holloway , K9 (voice) , Lieutenant Carstairs , Peladon , Chancellor Flavia , Curtis , Mike , Self , Ted Moss , Sarah Jane Smith , Miranda , Mykros , The Master , Arek , Megara Voice , Dodo Chaplet , Peter Warmsly , Jackson
Creator(s) Donald Wilson , Sydney Newman
Seasons 1
Writers Russell T. Davies , Dave Gibbons , Kate Herron , Steven Moffat
Streaming Service(s) Apple , Britbox , M , Dis
English (US) ·