Moffat’s writing deliberately parallels similar scenes from The Time of the Doctor but this time it’s Clara who's aged. The ending, when the Doctor comes to save Clara only to arrive 62 years late and find her as an old woman, is just beautiful in so many ways. The final scenes especially come to mind. It goes without saying that both Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman are phenomenally good here, in fact I’d say that both of them do some of their best work. The bit with the four books – “You Are All Dead” and “Very Very Very Dead” – is a particular highlight and Clara’s choice of the page number – Last Christmas is better though because it’s a bit more intricately done and has a much darker tone. In fact, it’s like I’m watching another Doctor Who episode from 2010 entitled Amy’s Choice, but that’s okay because that was a good one too. Dreams within dreams, within dreams, within dreams is like I’m watching Inception (yes those are his real kids at the end) but slightly less confusing. Where this story really shines is within its dreamy nature. A very dark theme for a Christmas Special – Happy Christmas, kids! The entire dream sequence is effective with the spooky blackboards reading YOU ARE DYING being the highlight. This isn’t the real Danny, this is the Danny of her dreams and when the Doctor comes to join them it’s this Danny, not the Doctor, who she listens to to wake up. Reunited with Danny Pink we get a look at the life she wanted to have with him but after the events of Dark Water/Death in Heaven she can now never have. Should it work? Probably not, but it does. The trip into Clara’s dream world is also an effective setup, one which could’ve been overdone but isn’t. It all sounds awfully silly but it works within the story because the ridiculousness of the whole thing is, as I’ve said already, a key plot point. Sure, why not? Also the red nose of Rudolph can be activated like a car alarm and at one point the Doctor flies the sleigh over London. That’s inspired casting and he brings just the right amount of humour and sarcasm to the part whilst avoiding the obvious trap of ruining children's visions of Santa Claus – in fact he adds to it, throwing in some explanations about how he does what he does: his sleigh is bigger on the inside and his reindeer can fly because he feeds them magic carrots.
#Doctor who last christmas episode number plus#
Plus Nick Frost plays him (and even gets his name into the titles) so I’d be prepared to let anything go to have him in Doctor Who. It would seem Moffat knows this however because he decides that the ridiculousness of Santa’s presence in the story is actually a key plot point. I mean seriously, it’s only been a few months since the Doctor met Robin Hood for crying out loud! On paper this concept reeks of childishness and though it’s a Christmas Special and the expected standards are lowered there’s a line, and including Santa Claus is pushing it.
I can’t say I was looking forward to the presence of Santa and his elves in this episode. It doesn’t take long for those lies to be addressed and apologies given and that’s a good thing let’s get on with the story. That’s where we join the story in Last Christmas, with the Doctor arriving on Clara’s rooftop as the pair of them come face-to-face with Santa Claus. Danny Pink is dead, Gallifrey is still missing and the Doctor & Clara both lie to the other about it before parting ways.
Death in Heaven was a good story, in this reviewer's opinion, but it was also rather depressing.
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