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TARDIS Guide

Overview

First aired

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Written by

Steven Moffat

Directed by

Jamie Payne

Runtime

60 minutes

Time Travel

Present, Future

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Christmas, Earth, England, London, Trenzalore

UK Viewers

11.14 million

Appreciation Index

83

Synopsis

Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe's deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars - among them, the Eleventh Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his companion must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe.

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Reviews

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8 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

My favourite favourite special...love the concept of the Doctor die of age this time


This review contains spoilers!

the eleventh doctor really had a strong introduction to the show, season 5 and 6 were solid plot wise but i think 7 couldve tried being more episodic than plot because after a certain point i just stopped caring and wasnt really invested. i adore matt smiths acting as the doctor but hes been overstaying his welcome for me, so this episode just didnt hit as hard as it couldve. and i just didnt care for the concept. i think the idea of the doctor just growing old and waiting for his end to come can be really emotional but this just didnt do it for me as far as elevens farewell went.... it just feels like they tried to build up for something crazy and the result was underwhelming. i cant really word it quite well. this review is honestly more just complaints about season 7 falling off as a whole. i guess they just lost all the momentum from how crazy season 6 was


This review contains spoilers!

There’s so much fun to be had with this story. Only 20 minutes in, you’ve already encountered the Silence, the Weeping Angels, and The Daleks. There’s also Matt Smith’s bald head, which was a clever use of a unique opportunity. However, the episode does feel overstuffed for its runtime and perhaps a bit unfocused. The appearance of the crack in the wall was a thrilling moment. The feeling it gave me is a testament to how much I loved Series 5.

Tasha Lem, the “sexy priestess” doesn’t resonate with me as a character. It felt unnecessary and repetitive given similar female representation in the form of other Moffat characters. Dedicating so much of Matt’s final story to this one off character he was supposed to know dearly felt off. The introduction of a new romantic interest undermines the emotional weight of River Song’s story, which was central to Matt Smith’s arc. It adds a dud note.

The episode also suffers from having too many villains and not enough focus. While some parts, like the Barnable subplot, were charming, the pacing felt bloated. The concept of the Christmas meal spanning the entire episode was delightful, but much of the dialogue felt like characters making grand speeches instead of truly connecting. That said, Matt Smith’s very final speech—his quieter farewell, not the one before the bombastic regeneration energy scene —was absolutely beautiful and deeply moving. Amy Pond’s return to say goodbye to her “Raggedy Man” perfectly recaptured my nostalgia of Series 5. Bittersweet as it’s just before he disappears forever.

Peter Capaldi’s introduction at the end was electrifying. It’s a thrilling moment that leaves you eager to see what’s next…!


This episode has a lot of haters. I am not one of them. It's bombastic and Moffat-y and indulgent, and it's wonderful. Handles is excellent, Tasha Lem is compelling, it retroactively does make s5 and 6 make sense (mostly), and it's fun. It's just fun.

And then it breaks your heart. Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman put their all into this and it shows. I can't ask for more.


This review contains spoilers!

I think I'm officially getting tired of Moffat's vision of Who. He really doesn't seem like he has anything else to give to the show.

So much happened in that episode that should have been epic but none of it was. The return of the Timelords, the Doctor's last life, the regeneration into Capaldi...and I couldn't think of a worse way to handle them all than what we got to be honest.

I wanted to like it but I really didn't on first watch. Started off interestingly but soon went downhill. Not a worthy farewell for Smith.


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Statistics

AVG. Rating598 members
3.70 / 5

Trakt.tv

AVG. Rating983 votes
4.18 / 5

The Time Scales

AVG. Rating189 votes
3.65 / 5

Member Statistics

Watched

1250

Favourited

107

Reviewed

8

Saved

2

Skipped

0

Owned

10

Quotes

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DOCTOR: We all change, when you think about it. We're all different people all through our lives. And that's okay, that's good, you've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this. Not one day. I swear. I will always remember when the Doctor was me.

— Eleventh Doctor, The Time of the Doctor

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Transcript Needs checking

(Cold Open)

TASHA [OC]: Once, there was a planet, much like any other, and unimportant. This planet sent the universe a message. A bell tolling among the stars, ringing out to all the dark corners of creation. And everybody came to see.

(A huge space fleet of Judoon, Terileptils, Silurians et al is orbiting an icy ringed planet. Three tones are being repeated over and over again.)

TASHA [OC]: Although no one understood the message, everyone who heard it found themselves afraid. Except one man. The man who stayed for Christmas.

[Spaceship]


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