The story might not be anything special, but it's fun, and that's all a Christmas special needs to be, in my opinion. At no point was I bored or confused.

I love the Twelfth Doctor in this. He mellowed out a little compared to his earlier seasons. He's got a bit of that quiet melancholy Capaldi does really well, but he also had really fun high energy moments, like figuring out the villains' plan. When he got excited to press buttons I got a little giddy, too.

Nardole is likewise fantastic in this, very funny and a great companion introduction for him. I like him a lot better in this story than in The Husbands of River Song.

The side characters are also quite good; Lucy is a lot of fun, especially when she's interrogating the Doctor with Mr. Huffles. That toy sure can scream. Grant is also great, he's just a very sweet guy. I enjoyed having him on my screen.

The plot wasn't super deep or complex (though there was, of course, the usual anti-capitalist speech at the climax), but it didn't need to be. Just a fun, straightforward story for the whole family.