Nick Setchfield of SFX gave the special four and a half out of five stars , writing that " the power of emotion saves the day again " was appropriate in light of the festivities and many fairytales referenced in the story . Setchfield was positive towards the " terrific " comedy with Strax , Coleman and the " surprisingly underused " Grant , as well as the new title sequence and TARDIS . While he wrote that the subtle callback of the Great Intelligence was " a tad more interesting than the usual ' So , we meet again ! ' schtick " , he ultimately felt their threat " never quite comes into sharp relief " . Neela Debnath of The Independent wrote that " The Snowmen " was stronger than the previous year 's " The Doctor , the Widow , and the Wardrobe " as it was connected to the overall story of the series , but " still has a way to go if it is to live up to ' A Christmas Carol ' " . Despite feeling that it was " enjoyable " , she noted that " the story feels truncated and rushed "