Last Christmas stands as one of Doctor Who’s most tonally mismatched episodes. It vacillates awkwardly between a festive, family-friendly Christmas special and a brooding horror pastiche – unsure whether to emulate The Santa Clause or Alien. The Series 8 shift towards darker storytelling feels particularly jarring against the seasonal cheer it half-heartedly pursues.

Faye Marsay, as Shona, emerges as the story’s undeniable star. Her performance balances physical comedy and emotional sincerity effortlessly, particularly in her awkward dance sequence – a highlight that shows she would clearly have potential as a companion. By contrast, Nick Frost’s Santa Claus grates quickly. Played as a “bit”, the gag wears thin over the hour-long runtime. The humour never really lands.

The premise – a layered dreamscape riffing on Inception with face-hugging “dream crabs” – lacks sufficient depth to sustain its length. Repetitive questioning of “Are they awake?” and over-explained rules drain tension, leaving the plot feeling stretched. A tighter 30-minute edit might have salvaged the pacing, but as is, the story’s ideas feel undercooked.

Ultimately, the episode epitomises a broader fatigue with the Twelfth Doctor’s “sullen edge” by this stage. While Series 8’s finale hinted at a shift towards lightness, Last Christmas doubles down on gloom – I have an appetite for something different at this point.