Last Christmas This Year

Here it is, my first Doctor Who related post – a review of the 2014 Christmas Special, Last Christmas. There will be spoilers, so please don’t read until after you’ve watched!

Short version – liked it, didn’t LOVE it, but up in my top 5 (out of the ten made) of the Christmas specials.  My absolute favorite is still A Christmas Carol. That story and the Matt Smith Doctor simply fit the season perfectly.  This one? Well, someone had asked me about about a week prior if I was excited for Nick Frost’s guest starring role.  I was, as long as he wasn’t ACTUALLY playing Santa.  I like Nick Frost, and his portrayal of the jolly old elf was very “Nick Frost-ish” (Frosty??) but until the big reveal about the Dream Crabs I was feeling kind of uncomfortable about Santa’s role in the story. I love all the Fantasy stuff of say, the Mind Robber, I didn’t even have a problem with the Doctor and Clara meeting Robin Hood earlier this season (I had other problems with THAT story, mind you.) But the Santa stuff felt really out of place, initially. Ironically, I found myself at the very beginning wondering if Santa was part of a dream sequence for Clara, but then reconsidered as that wouldn’t be up to Moffatt’s usual trickiness.  First instincts, always go with first instincts!

Once Santa was explained, I was able to get into the story more – I think given a second viewing, I’ll be able not to be so preoccupied with WHY Santa was there and just enjoy the ride. Usually, this isn’t a problem for me with Doctor Who, but until the explanation, Santa and his comedy elves just pulled me out of the story.  It was funny, but I couldn’t see how it fit into Doctor Who.

Does anyone else think that Shona is essentially being set up as a new companion?  Loved her character and she had more depth than pretty much anyone else at the polar base. Who’s Dave, will we find that out NEXT Christmas?  It’s confirmed that Clara is back for Series Nine, so maybe alongside the new girl, or will she end up leaving next year and bring Shona back (kind of a Donna Noble situation, although this time actually planned out. Oh Donna, we do miss you.)

So on a scale of one to twelve, I’ll say about a 7 – 7.5. It’s not Christmas Carol or Time of the Doctor, but far better than End of Time. Santa and his Tangerines (good band name, should have used it in World’s End, Nick) are still secure as not being mythic constructs in the Who Universe, while still leaving a veiled hint as to his reality at the end. But please, don’t have any part of the coming season be part of a continued dream sequence.  You can go that well one time and have it be successful (if done well) (and it was).  Any more and you get Patrick Duffy in the Shower all over again.