The Runaway Bride is the second ever Christmas special of Doctor Who. This was the first Christmas special I watched live as I just got started and as I have mentioned previously, I watched The Christmas Invasion after Doomsday. It’s the first episode in full to star future star Catherine Tate as Donna Noble who is well known for being the nicknamed The Temp Of Chiswick.
I love the whole carry on from Doomsday and I feel more touched by 10 even though we have Donna being a shouting and bossy bride which I love. BACK TO MOURNING ROSE LEIGH! GET BACK TO THE BRIDE LATER! I find it effective as Rose doesn’t appear at all as it fits the Doctor himself experiencing grief. It’s a shame it goes on too long after as it creates this favouritism problem with Rose.
BACK TO DONNA FRIENDS! I love her backstory. The scene about her meeting Lance (Her fiancée? WHAT WAS HE PLAYING AT?) being so persuasive and then he ends up using her in a alien plot (TUT TUT!).I loved her questions and she had that sense of humour. If she wasn’t a success, she would never have been a full time companion in 2008.
Empress of the Racnoss is an entertaining villain. I found a alien that made me laugh but was scary and had a threatening plan. I love the whole plan with her wanting her children to survive. The climax involving the Empress is actually more funny to watch as she shouts “MY CHILDREN!”
I like the reuse of the robot Santa’s from The Christmas Invasion (ALSO KNOWN AS PILOT FISH). They are more used here as the servants of the Empress but I like the whole thing with the remote control and bring back the trees that can kill and are added with killer baubles. Remember, “I am going to get killed by a Christmas,” which was said by Jackie Tyler. The remote controlled baubles are used at the end for great effect when the Doctor without remorse drowns the Racnoss children for revenge which works better than his anger in his final few episodes.
I like the episodes it just works a a fun romp and is very enjoyable.I just the think the overrunning Rose mentions in S3 ruin the narrative here.
Score: 9/10
