I don't understand how a writer of Steven Moffat's calibre can come up with a setting so great and make an episode so lacklustre. Big disappointment, it really bored me.

(big up Anita)

Whilst I appreciate what the story was going for, with a more mellow & emotional plot, a lot it fell flat for me due to the lack of time spent establishing characters. I did however really enjoy the moments spent with Anita at the Sandringham Hotel. I probably won't watch this one often as it did not work for me.

Ncuti is so good at being The Doctor and Moffat turns in such a fun script! Love how it subverts the usual Doctor Who tropes without veering too into navel gazing. Each Christmas special for Doctor Who always features a ton of direct dialogue about how The Doctor shouldn't be alone too long (yes yes we get it, new companion next season). It's nice how Moffat managed to show that more than he said it. And judging by the new trailer, next season is gonna be a goddamn delight.

Not sure how I feel about the ending shot? They should have also filmed an alternate ending for me and my Jewish friends where Actually she shows up in the second temple as the Maccabees smacked down their enemies (this is a Hanukkah joke).

A very fun and creative adventure that feels sullied somewhat by its resolution.

The Time Hotel was a lot of fun and I'd love to see it return, and the part of the plot where The Doctor had to stay in the hotel on Earth was heartwarming. It was honestly my favorite part of the episode, moreso than the overarching conflict.

The ending was honestly incredibly baffling, and what actually happened felt like such a jarring disconnect from how the story actually treated it. The Doctor failed at his goal, Joy ended her own life to become the star, but he just kind of smiles about it. I get that her consciousness lives on or something along those lines, but it just feels absurd that that's at all treated as an acceptable endpoint for her character, in the narrative or implied by the show.

I cackled at the reveal that it was the star over Bethlehem. I really liked that bit.

Joy to the World was a satisfying watch on the whole.  I loved the hotel and found it a very creative setting.  Especially in how writer Steven Moffat makes use of the idea.  The Doctor having to "take the long way" back to the hotel was great.  I loved the extended sequence of him hanging out there for a whole year.  Anita was really well done.  I especially like how she just comes across as a minor character at first and winds up becoming one of the best parts of the episode.  It was great character work and shows he still needs some healing even after 14's extended therapy session.

People talk so much about the Star of Bethlehem thing but it is like two minutes of a very long Christmas special.  I truly don't care about this enough to comment.  It's fine.  It's a Christmas special.  I hardly thought twice about the moment because it hardly felt that important, I feel it was just sort of an ending and resolution to Joy's character.  And that emotional pay-off, in my opinion, is very, very good.  This is the first time ever that I've encountered content that deals with the COVID pandemic without it being unnecessarily saccharine or silly.  No Zoom meetings, no masks, just the naked reality that so many people had to endure the death of their relatives without being in the same room as them.  The isolation and loneliness that brings.  This was a beautiful episode, and I really can't view it any other way.  Easily one of my favourites among the Chrismas episodes, and this opinion holds true even months after watching it.