It was 2012. Matt Smith was at the height of his "raggedy man" powers, and Steven Moffat was busy rewriting the rules of time and space. But when the Doctor Who Christmas special The Snowmen premiered, fans weren't just looking for a festive romp. They were looking for a resurrection. The Doctor was grieving. Amy and Rory were gone, sucked into the past by a Weeping Angel in Manhattan, and the Eleventh Doctor had basically retired to a cloud above Victorian London. He was grumpy. He was wearing a top hat. He didn't care about the universe anymore.
Then came Clara. Well, the first Clara. Or the second? It gets complicated.
Most people remember this episode for the sharp-toothed snowmen or the debut of the new TARDIS interior. But looking back, this wasn't just a holiday filler. It was a massive pivot point for the show's mythology. It introduced the Great Intelligence as a recurring Big Bad, gave the Paternoster Gang—Vastra, Jenny, and Strax—their best material to date, and set up the "Impossible Girl" arc that would dominate the next year of television.
The Victorian Rebirth of the Eleventh Doctor
The Doctor we meet at the start of the Doctor Who Christmas special The Snowmen isn't the hero we knew. He’s a hermit. He’s hiding. He’s literally moved into the attic of the world. Matt Smith plays this beautifully, ditching the bowtie for a more "Scrooge-like" Victorian ensemble. It’s a tonal shift that felt necessary. After the emotional weight of The Angels Take Manhattan, the show needed to acknowledge that losing companions hurts. It’s not just "on to the next one."
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But then Clara Oswald walks in. Or rather, she chases him.
Jenna-Louise Coleman (as she was credited then) had actually appeared earlier that season in Asylum of the Daleks as Oswin Oswald. Seeing her again here, playing a barmaid/governess named Clara, blew everyone's minds. The chemistry was instant. It was faster, flirtier, and way more cryptic than his bond with Amy Pond. She was a puzzle he couldn't help but solve. When she says those famous words—"Run, you clever boy, and remember"—it isn't just a line. It’s a hook that dragged the Doctor out of his depression and back into the fight.
Richard E. Grant and the Horror of the Snow
Can we talk about how genuinely creepy Richard E. Grant is as Dr. Simeon? He doesn't need to shout. He just stands there with that cold, aristocratic menace. The Great Intelligence, voiced by the legendary Ian McKellen, uses Simeon as a vessel. The idea of snow that can remember you—snow that reflects your thoughts and grows teeth—is classic Moffat horror. It takes something pure and makes it predatory.
The snowmen themselves are a triumph of practical effects and CGI blending. They don't have faces until they need them. They’re blank. They’re silent. There's a specific scene where a snowman rises out of the ground behind Clara that still holds up as a genuine jump scare. It’s not about world-ending stakes yet; it’s about the intimacy of fear. The snow isn't just falling; it's watching.
That New TARDIS Smell
If you’re a gearhead for the show, the Doctor Who Christmas special The Snowmen is a landmark because of the TARDIS. We said goodbye to the "Copper" look—the messy, warm, orange-lit console room that defined the early Matt Smith era. In its place, we got a cold, blue, geometric masterpiece.
It felt more like a machine. It felt "Classic."
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The spinning rings, the clinical lighting, and the hidden levels made it feel like the Doctor was getting serious again. It reflected his mood: guarded and precise. It’s funny how a set change can signal a shift in a character's soul, but this one did. It was the Doctor's "Man Cave" in the clouds, and it remains one of the most beloved designs in the modern era of the show.
Why the Paternoster Gang Stays Iconic
Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Commander Strax. A Silurian detective, her human wife, and a Sontaran warrior-turned-butler. On paper, it sounds ridiculous. In execution, they are the heartbeat of this era.
Strax provides the comic relief that actually works because it’s rooted in his alien nature. Suggesting they fight the snow with "grenades" or "acid" is a running gag that never feels old. But Vastra is the anchor. Her "One Word" test for Clara is one of the tightest pieces of writing in the episode. It forces Clara to be honest, to be sharp. It proves she’s worthy of the Doctor’s time.
The Paternoster Gang gave the Doctor a family when he didn't have one. They were his keepers. Without them, he would have just stayed on that cloud until the end of time.
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The Great Intelligence: A Bridge to the Past
Newer fans might have seen the Great Intelligence as just another monster, but for the "Old Who" nerds, this was a massive callback to the Second Doctor era—specifically The Abominable Snowmen (1967) and The Web of Fear (1968). By bringing back this entity, Moffat was weaving the 50th-anniversary threads early.
It wasn't just a monster-of-the-week. It was a cosmic entity that existed outside of time, feeding on loneliness and intellect. Using Richard E. Grant (who actually played an unofficial Doctor once!) was a stroke of casting genius. He brought a sense of history to a role that could have been a one-dimensional villain.
What Most People Get Wrong About Clara’s Death
People often forget that Clara actually dies in this episode. Or rather, this version of her does. It’s a bold move for a Christmas special. Usually, these episodes are light, fluffy, and end with a big dinner. Instead, we got a funeral in the rain.
But her death is the catalyst. It’s the moment the Doctor realizes the universe is playing a game with him. He finds the gravestone that says "Clara Oswin Oswald" and the pieces start to click. The barmaid from 1892 is the same girl from the Dalek asylum in the future.
"A ship crashed on the north pole... no, that's not it."
The Doctor isn't just traveling for fun anymore; he's on a detective mission. This changed the momentum of Series 7B, turning it into a season-long mystery rather than just episodic adventures.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch
If you're planning to dive back into the Doctor Who Christmas special The Snowmen, keep these details in mind to get the most out of it:
- Watch the Prequels: There are several "minisodes" like The Battle of Demon's Run: Two Days Later and The Vastra Investigates that set the stage. They explain why the Doctor is in such a funk.
- Track the "Clever Boy" Motif: Notice how the delivery of this line changes between Asylum and The Snowmen. It’s a brilliant bit of acting by Coleman.
- Look at the Map: When Simeon is looking at his old maps and the "Great Intelligence" globe, the references to the 1960s episodes are everywhere if you know where to look.
- The Soundtrack: Murray Gold’s score for this episode is particularly whimsical. Listen for the "Clara Theme"—it’s a tinkling, piano-heavy melody that feels like falling snow.
- The Gravity of the Staircase: The sequence where Clara climbs the ladder to the TARDIS in the clouds is one of the most visual "fairy tale" moments in the show’s history. It defines the "Moffat Era" aesthetic perfectly.
The Doctor Who Christmas special The Snowmen stands as a bridge between two worlds. It’s the end of the Doctor’s solitude and the beginning of the mystery that would eventually lead us to the 50th Anniversary and the fields of Trenzalore. It’s festive, sure, but it’s also remarkably dark, deeply emotional, and essential viewing for anyone trying to understand the Eleventh Doctor's complex journey. Next time it snows, just remember: don't let it think about you.