Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor (2013 Christmas Special)

I'll admit that it's going to be difficult for me to be objective and speak intelligently about this episode. Matt Smith leaving was really hard for me to take, for a number of reasons. I think the main thing is that Matt was my first Doctor that I didn't have an expiration date for. Capaldi will be the first Doctor that I experience anew with everyone else, without knowing what people think of him. What with my general dislike of Moffat as a person, I'm always skeptical when he tries something new, and a new Doctor is new indeed. However, I'm probably getting ahead of myself. Let's take a look at the plot of this episode, if we can really even call it a plot...

So a whole bunch of our favorite bad guys are hanging around in orbit around this planet, because some mysterious signal is broadcasting from the planet and everyone wants to know what's up. The Doctor, with the assistance of a modified Cyberman head called Handles, tries to figure out what's going on. He picks up Clara from her Christmas dinner with her family, and the two of them head to the planet. Handles identifies the planet as Gallifrey, which of course the Doctor rejects out of hand, because of course that's impossible.

So the Doctor and Clara are allowed to go down to the surface because of the Doctor's connection with the Church of the Papal Mainframe, which is being led by Tasha Lem, someone from the Doctor's past. When they get down to the planet, they learn the town is called "Christmas," and that it's impossible for anyone to tell a lie while there. They then see a crack in the wall - the crack in the wall, and we realize that Gallifrey is the one sending out the signal that has sent everyone here. The Time Lords are asking a question - "Doctor Who?" If the Doctor gives his name, the Time Lords will come through the crack and into this reality, which will start a huge war with all of the other aliens that are hovering in orbit around the planet. So, despite the fact that the Doctor would love to get his planet back, he decides not to say his name. He ditches Clara, sending her back to her Christmas dinner, and keeps guard around the town.

As the years go by, all of the other factions of aliens start battles and the town of Christmas (which is, obviously, on the planet Trenzalore if you hadn't guessed that), is in constant peril. The Doctor stays to defend it, aging as he does so. See, he's gone through his twelve regenerations, if you count the War Doctor and the Tenth Doctor's regeneration into himself. So this is the last body he's allowed. As he ages into an old man, Clara is brought back to Trenzalore by Tasha, who somehow knows how to fly the TARDIS. Clara stays with the Doctor for what seems like his last moments of life.

As the Doctor goes out to confront the attacking Daleks, Clara whispers into the crack in the wall that if the Time Lords love the Doctor, they shouldn't need to hear his name - they should just help him. And... they do. They give the Doctor a whole new regeneration cycle just in time. After a heartfelt speech and an appearance by Miss Amelia Pond, the Doctor regenerates, and we see Peter Capaldi in his first credited appearance in the role. The TARDIS appears to be crashing!

Alright, so let me start by saying that the plot of this episode was... I don't know. Confusing? Unnecessarily dramatic yet still somehow anticlimactic? A lot of elements from Eleven's time as the Doctor were brought back in. The crack in the wall, the Silence, Trenzalore, and more. But what did it all add up to? Nothing that made any sense! This episode had Cybermen, Daleks, the Silence, Weeping Angels, and more, and yet the presence of these iconic bad guys was not utilized well at all. In addition, the whole thing about getting a new regeneration cycle was sloppily executed and so cheesy I found myself rolling my eyes.

That being said, the acting saved the episode from being horrible. Clara and the Doctor's relationship really shone here as something special. Matt Smith killed it in this episode, playing an old man, and his relationships with Handles, Clara, and Tasha were all fantastic. I do have to ask, though, is Tasha supposed to be a previously unknown incarnation of River Song, or is it just that Moffat only knows how to write one type of female character? If it's the former, then props for a very subtle and clever character. If it's the latter, then I'm annoyed at her character altogether.

But yeah, Matt Smith. His final speech was like a love letter from the actor to the audience. I've heard some people saying that his regeneration was too grandiose, too special... but I don't agree. Think about how Ten regenerated into Eleven! He got to see literally all of his old companions before saying goodbye. Yes, Eleven's regeneration was extreme, but it fits his personality, and the actual moment was rather intimate. He gets to see Amy, he's with Clara, and then bam, he's gone. I really liked the last scenes for the amazing performance that Matt Smith gave.

For a big episode like this one, it feels odd to be saying so little about it. I suppose there isn't much to say, really. I didn't think much of the plot at all. I thought that all of the different elements coming together was rather sloppily done, and no real questions were answered. The Silence, the Daleks, all of that... it felt so unnecessary. For that matter, we never get to really explore any of the world building with the town called Christmas. It would have been an interesting endeavor, having a town where nobody can lie. And while I did enjoy the way that the Doctor became a caretaker for these people, it would have meant more if we could have spent some time with them. The same goes for Clara with her family. These people aren't characters, really. I don't know or care anything about Clara's parents, and time spent on them felt like a waste.

I'm still very excited, though, to see Capaldi tackle this role. I hope that Moffat doesn't mess it up. In particular, I'm looking forward to possibly seeing Clara's character grow and change. Again, I'm not holding my breath, but a girl can hope.

6.5/10