Doctor Who: The Snowmen

In the wintery atmosphere of 1892 London, the Doctor has found a new, yet reluctant home. Having defeated the Weeping Angels in the last adventure, the Doctor (Matt Smith) has grown weary of his constant battles to save humanity. The weight of his Time Lord heritage, coupled with the memories of his past, have taken their toll on the usually exuberant Time Lord. His new companion, Jenny (Jessica Raine), who shares the Doctor's time-traveling history, tries to persuade him to stay and fight alongside the living, but the Doctor has other plans. He has grown tired of the world and all its troubles, electing instead to live in obscurity, taking on menial jobs to make ends meet. However, in his quest for a quiet life, fate once again intervenes. The Doctor becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding a young governess named Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman). Clara has just taken up residence at a grand country manor, where she is caring for a young boy named Hugh. Clara's previous governess, Miss Smith, met an untimely demise, succumbing to an illness that caused her body to freeze solid in an instant. Clara senses that there is more to this story and sets out to uncover the truth. As Clara begins to investigate, she unwittingly crosses paths with the Doctor, who is working at a local menagerie to make a living. Clara's inquiries have piqued the Doctor's interest, and he agrees to help her unravel the mystery surrounding Miss Smith's demise. The threads of their investigation lead them to the enigmatic Dr. Simeon (Richard E. Grant), a mysterious and cunning figure with an obsession for the dead. The Doctor's radar is immediately set off due to Simeon's sinister nature, leading him to believe that there is something more to Simeon than meets the eye. Their investigation leads them to the frozen bodies of Simeon's deceased predecessors, which seem to have been preserved in a peculiar state. As Clara begins to suspect that something extraordinary is happening, the Doctor's intuition leads him to believe that the deaths are linked to his former companion, Oswin Oswald. The name sends a shiver down the Time Lord's spine, as it is a name he thought he had left behind in the Dalek Asylum. In a flash of memory, the Doctor recalls the events leading to Oswin's demise, where she too was killed by the deadly cryonite used by the Daleks to preserve the dead. Oswin Oswald was Clara's great-grandmother, and it seems that the Doctor's universe has come full circle. He sees an uncanny resemblance between Clara and the feisty Oswin, who fought tooth and nail against her captors until her untimely demise. The Doctor realizes that Clara is, in fact, a reincarnation of his dear friend and is being hunted by the very same forces that destroyed Oswin. In the midst of this unfolding mystery, the Doctor soon discovers that Simeon is at the epicenter of a sinister plot. The scientist has created an army of sentient snowmen that roam the countryside, wreaking havoc on the innocent and the brave. These snowmen are created using the cryonite, a deadly substance that Simeon has managed to adapt to his needs. The Doctor recognizes that he is dealing with another threat to humanity, and, driven by his unwavering commitment to protect the living, he decides to take on the monstrous snowmen. As the stakes grow higher, the Doctor teams up with Clara to uncover the secrets surrounding Simeon's plot and the role of the cryonite. With the snowmen closing in, they find themselves in a precarious fight for survival. With his Time Lord intuition guiding him, the Doctor navigates through the frozen landscape, employing his trademark wit and ingenuity to keep them one step ahead of their foes. The Doctor's investigation leads him to the source of the threat: a massive, imposing snowman standing guard over Simeon's sinister operation. Confronting the creature, the Doctor unleashes his wrath, but in a surprising twist, he discovers that the snowman is not a mindless monster, but a being of pure energy that is bound to Simeon's will. Understanding that the snowman's 'death' will be the key to thwarting Simeon's plans, the Doctor comes up with a plan to 'kill' the creature. As the Doctor's plan unfolds, Simeon's true intentions are revealed – he wishes to spread the cryonite across the world, turning the population into a legion of sentient snowmen. This twisted goal is driven by his desire for immortality and an eternal connection to the living. Clara, having grown close to the Doctor, finds herself struggling with her own fate, wondering about the likelihood of her life as a snowman under Simeon's control. In a thrilling climax, the Doctor and Clara execute their plan to destroy the snowman, breaking Simeon's hold on the creature and rendering the cryonite ineffective. With the sinister plot foiled, the Doctor and Clara share a heart-to-heart about their connection and the implications of Clara's existence. The film concludes with the Doctor reflecting on his decision to return to his life of time-traveling. The stakes he faced during the adventure have rekindled his passion for saving humanity. He sees Clara as more than just a companion – she has become a family member, a reminder of all the loved ones he has lost throughout his adventures. In a bittersweet farewell, the Doctor prepares to depart, leaving Clara behind, but promising her that their adventures together are far from over. The episode comes to a close with a hint of Clara's complex fate, raising questions that will be answered in future episodes. The Snowmen concludes with the promise of more adventures to come, leaving viewers eager for the next installment in the Time Lord's storied history.