Christmas in Toronto was the seventeenth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Christmas Around the World. It was written by Andrew Cartmel and featured the Seventh Doctor.
Summary
Brockley and Campbell are having their annual Christmas party during a particularly cold and snowy winter. Jasmine Deering and her husband Shep enjoy the festivities. Jasmine notices a strange man at the party whom she had seen earlier at the diner.
The owners of Blackstone Beverages, Tobias and Kristianna Blackstone, come to the party to thank the agency for its successful campaign. Jasmine drew the images of Jolnir for the soft drinks ad. The Blackstones give Jasmine and Shep a turkey as thanks, though they also mention the word "sacrifice".
When the Blackstones leave to place a literal black stone on the frozen surface of Lake Ontario, Jasmine is approached by strange man, who calls himself the Doctor. He tells her that she has unwittingly helped to unleash a terrible power on Earth.
The Blackstone family has worshipped an alien called Jolnir for centuries. Jolnir draws power from the psychic energy of belief, and the Blackstone siblings intend to bring him back by using Jasmine's ad to increase belief in Jolnir. Jasmine doesn't believe the Doctor, and she tries to leave the party with her family, but there is too much snow. As they try to return to the office, they are confronted by some stockbrokers, who have become feral. They try to attack Jasmine's family, but the Doctor appears and throws cash at the stockbrokers, who still retain some sense of what they want in life.
Back in the office, Jasmine creates a new ad, this one ridiculing Jolnir. After she and the Doctor convince the station to air the ad, the psychic energy fades away. And all over Toronto, children throw away the Jolnir dolls they received for Christmas.
Characters
References
- "Jingle Bells" and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" play.
- Johnny Mathis plays on the radio.
- Croft thinks the Blackstones look like Mormons.
- Jasmine grew up in Alberta.
- Jasmine eats pecan pie at Gilchuck's Diner.
- Vodka, eggnog and champagne are consumed at the party.
Notes
to be added
Continuity
to be added