Countdown to Christmas - The Runaway Bride Review

This is one of my top-two favorite Christmas Specials, and here's why.

Mainly, I just like any episode where none of the characters have ever met the Doctor before and have no idea what he's capable of. Donna has just met the Doctor, and after learning he's an alien, just blows him off as some weird Martian before learning who he truly is.

There's a lot of character development with Donna in this episode. She starts out as some snobby Londoner with a limited world-view, before evolving into someone who sees the universe for what it really is. Donna goes from someone obsessed with tabloid news, celebrities, and whatever the latest fad is (at least that's how Lance describes her) to someone who wants to go out and do good in the universe (as evidenced in Partners in Crime). The Doctor shows her a better way of living, and I think Lance's comments about the Racnoss Empress showing him the universe helped, too.

We also get to see once again how kind and caring the Doctor is. Rather than whine and grovel the whole time about Rose, he puts all those emotions aside to help Donna. The Doctor lives in the moment and in that moment, he set aside his own feelings to help this complete stranger get married and save her life. This shows how selfless the Doctor is, always willing to put himself aside to help others, no matter who they are. The episode highlights the Doctor's fundamental philosophy that it is always better to help another person because you can always help yourself another day.

I also like the little details as well. Things such as the fact that the Battle of Canary Wharf was two months ago, which puts that episode sometime in October 2007. That, and the robot Santas (pilot fish drones) that only ever appeared in Christmas Specials and not in any other episodes.