Doctor Who: 12 Best Twelfth Doctor Episodes

Featuring nightmarish monsters, an intelligent plot and strong character development, Capaldi’s first Christmas special was anything but festive fluff. The Kantrofarri were an impressive, grotesque creation, that provided the episode with some considerable scares as they hunted down their prey. Moffat did an excellent job of building the layered dreams, gradually undermining the faith of the characters (and audience) in the reality they could see, and bringing them to the chilling realisation that they were all slowly dying.

The supporting characters were compellingly brought to life, and established a believable group dynamic which did a great job of concealing the artifice of the dreams. The presence of a snarky Santa balanced the episode with some levity, as well as providing touching moments of hope and comfort.

Last Christmas also did a beautiful job of addressing the loss of Danny, as Clara came to terms with her grief and moved forwards. Danny’s final moments on the show were a fitting tribute to his heroism and love for Clara, and his last lines were truly poignant. With Clara and the Doctor given a second chance and setting off to resume their travels, the episode ended on a joyful note.