Doctor Who: Why Last Christmas is the perfect Christmas special

We take a look back at the episode Last Christmas, and why it just might be the perfect example of a Christmas special for Doctor Who.

Just over five years ago, Last Christmas was broadcast. The first of four Christmas specials for Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, the episode was a rather unusual one, even by Doctor Who standards.

Before its broadcast, what definitely leapt out about the episode was the inclusion of Santa Claus, as revealed in the cliffhanger of Series 8’s finale, Death in Heaven. So it would have been natural to assume that this was going to be a light and fun Christmas special. Instead, what we got was something much darker. Particularly with the Dream Crabs.

With more than a passing resemblance to the Facehuggers from Alien – a resemblance that the episode acknowledges – the Dream Crabs are certainly one of the creepier monsters of the New Series. Particularly with the way they attack, giving the episode some truly horrific moments.

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Strong influences

In fact, Last Christmas is an episode that wears its horror influences on its sleeve – with the focus on a group of isolated people being attacked at the North Pole, it’s hard not to be reminded of another horror classic, The Thing.

But it’s not just influences from horror that Steven Moffat uses for this episode. With the focus on not just dreams but also dreams within dreams, there’s a clear influence from the Christopher Nolan film Inception, too.

So, let’s sum up Last Christmas: Alien meets The Thing meets Inception, with Santa and his reindeer guest-starring. That’s the kind of combination that could only happen in Doctor Who.

And it has to be said, it’s a combination that’s handled well. Having watched it again for the first time in a few years, Last Christmas stands out as one of the better Christmas specials. It’s a shame that it’s a little overlooked, especially compared to other specials for Capaldi’s Doctor. With its mix of horror, sci-fi and quirkiness, it stands out as a perfect example of why many of us watch Doctor Who in the first place.

Is Last Christmas one of your favorite Christmas specials? Do you think it’s an underrated gem? Let us know in the comments below.