But is it real? Like Leonardo DiCaprio and the gang in Inception, The Doctor, Clara, and the science team must travel up the various levels of the dream in order to escape the dream crabs’ deadly grip. All things considered, it is probably one of the most straightforward, least headache-inducing resolutions to a Doctor Who adventure during the Moffat era. It’s hard to tell though if the author was just being direct, or whether he’s heard the criticism of his over-reliance on timey-wimey contortions, or deus ex machina, and decided to not go that way.
I will say that I fell for the final twist, the one where The Doctor saves Clara from the dream crab 62 years after their last meeting. It was easy to pickings given that ominous title, but it made one all the more grateful that it looks like it’s going to be the continuing adventures of Twelve and Clara in the coming ninth series.
Another breath of fresh air in “Last Christmas” was a lighter mood for Capaldi’s typically crotchety Doctor. Although The Doctor has a couple of slap-worthy moments in the first half, his mood became less sullen and more animated as the episode wore on, capping it off with a veritable eruption of giddiness as The Doctor took the reins of Santa’s sleigh for a midnight ride out of the North Pole, and then later when he finds the young Clara and realizes it’s not too late to make up.
Capaldi still gets his curmudgeonly moments though, like when the situation with the death crabs is compared to Alien. “That’s really offensive,” he says with a deadpan mix of surprise and disgust. “No wonder everyone keeps invading you.” But really, are we to believe that this is the first time in 35 years that The Doctor’s heard of Scott’s breakthrough film?
On the other hand, I’m not sure we got the best of Coleman here, but I don’t think that it’s her fault either. Having said that, it’s somewhat of a relief to know her position as companion is safe (for now?), as a really nice team dynamic had been developed between her and Capaldi, at least before things went somewhat off the rails at the end of series eight. Coleman came into her own as Capaldi’s co-star, owing to the fact that much of her time with Smith was as a mystery box meant to be resolved rather than a character meant to be built up. It was also nice to see Clara and The Doctor share a moment of mutual admiration in the end without the necessity of making that moment either sarcastic or comedic.
For “Last Christmas” to end with The Doctor and Clara remembering what makes them a compelling team, and embracing that over all that separated them, and nearly destroyed them, was a message befitting the show and the season: every Christmas could be the last Christmas, which is why you spend that time together. Every time the TARDIS lands, it’s a new chance for adventure, discovery and redemption. An experience not to be undertaken alone, or easily forgotten afterwards. Following the change in Doctors, the romantic melodrama, and the hangover of celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who, “Last Christmas” was a pleasant reset. Like a tangerine in you stocking, it’s a delicious treat, though maybe not the one you wanted for Christmas.
And for the record, not everyone hates the tangerine.
