#SRCZ TV Catch Up // Doctor Who, Christmas Special 2014: “Last Christmas”
CAUTION: Spoilers Ahead!
Starring: Peter Capaldi,
Jenna Coleman, Nick Frost
Director: Paul Wilmshurst
The Doctor Who Christmas
Special is a modern television tradition (or so it seems) and 2014 is no
different. With a new episode to enjoy either with, during or before festive
trimmings it was all to play for on just how seasonal Last Christmas would
actually be.
Traditionally, (there’s
that word again…), the Christmas special can go either way. We can get either a
good-natured stinker of an episode or a bona-fide, story advancing classic.
Increasingly, it’s the latter with the former seemingly a relic of the
oft-maligned “RTD era”. If 2012’s The Snowmen introduced Clara Oswald properly
and 2013’s Time of the Doctor waved a somewhat overblown good bye to then-outgoing
lead Matt Smith what does this year’s Wham referencing Last Christmas do?
The truth is that it didn’t
do anything nearly as series relevant as the last two seasonal episodes. In
terms of story though it follows on from season eight perfectly with similarly
toned but necessarily more condensed story line involving face hugger like
Dream Crabs with an apetite for sucking out their victim’s brains whilst giving
them nice dreams.
On first viewing, Last
Christmas takes a bit of getting into, making sense only gradually. (Not a bad
thing, all said.) On second view though the complicated and well written dream –based
narrative is an easier sell. (Much like the whole of season eight, in fact.) if
you view this a bridge in an arc, designed to reunite Clara and The Doctor with
the guaranteed social glue of some adventuring, then it’s a better experience
and all the more engaging.
The publicity for the episode
made much of the very red presence of that most ubiquitous of seasonal figures
Santa Claus. It’s never made entirely clear if this really is Santa or some
other doppelganger posing as Santa who just happens to have reindeers and a
sleigh, but his action hero approach to being the big red one is certainly engaging.
There is nary a Ho Ho Ho to be heard here, with his entrances being rather
grand and his lines way on the gruff, semi-sarcastic side and quite frankly, as
a non believer in this universe, that’s the kind of Santa we can get into.
Peter Capaldi is as engaging
as ever as The Doctor, getting some great lines in along the way to highlight
his skill for comedic roles whilst we see Jenna Coleman get even more drama to
work with as we’re teased mercilessly as to her character’s fate in the show.
Will she stay or will she go? The false flag of an aged Clara visited by The
Doctor and released from the grip of a Dream Crab is an effective shock and
would have made for a perfectly understated exit if it had not been a dream.
Although important to the narrative
of the episode, the surprise return of Danny Pink (previously deceased in
season eight finale Death in Heaven) after such a short time did feel a little unnecessary
at times but as a final appearance it was a mercifully un melodramatic one than
the type witnessed previously. Is he
another Rory Williams? I guess we’ll find out next season…
The verdict then? While
not necessarily an instant classic, Last Christmas did do a good job of
injecting darkness and claustrophobia into the traditionally schmaltzy
Christmas Special. Roll on season 9!
Did you spot? Michael
Trougton, son of Second Doctor actor Patrick in a small role!
Quotes: “There’s a horror
movie called Alien? No wonder people keep invading you!!” (The Doctor)
“Every Christmas is last
Christmas” (Danny Pink)
Santa: “It’s bigger on the
inside” (Upon being asked by the Doctor how he fits all the presents in his
sleigh)
Coming Next: Season 9,
Episode 1: “The Magician’s Apprentice”
(S.Gahan)
