Doctor Who: Ranking The Christmas Specials From Worst To Best
4. The Time Of The Doctor (2013)
Matt Smiths final, heartbreaking adventure as the Eleventh Doctor has more of a Christmassy feel than the previous regeneration special hell, its set in a town called Christmas but The Time of the Doctor, unlike Moffats other specials, is much more about the Doctor than anything else. In that respect, the episode is very near flawless. Matt Smith shines in what is undeniably his best Who performance to date, capping off three seasons worth of brilliance. The effusive enthusiasm of the Eleventh wanes down into a reflective melancholy as he contemplates the end of his story, while still being the Doctor who spends his time fixing childrens toys. Though Smith is the youngest face of the Doctor, his age and sadness have never been more apparent than in this episode, and all with the power of a simple glance. If his final speech didnt bring a tear to your eye, you must surely be a Cyberman. The Time of the Doctor relies on this to support its heartbreaking and highly effective emotional narrative, an excellence rivalled only by Jenna Colemans Clara, whose liberation from the difficult Impossible Girl storyline at the end of Series 7 allows her to be on top form throughout this special. While "The Time of the Doctor was undeniably focused on the Doctor, it still somehow became distracted from its own emotional narrative by trying to be something of a highlights reel of the past three seasons. The constant parade of familiar enemies, from the Daleks to the Silence to the Angels to the crack in the wall, serves to overcrowd and rush the episode. Part of it for example, the Papal Mainframe and the Church of the Silence deserves a commendation to Moffats creativity, but Moffat has always been better with set-up than pay-off, and it once again shows in this poorly-paced episode. Overall, however, The Time of the Doctor has many elements to enjoy and it's very apt as the Eleventh Doctors last hurrah. While rather frenetic and imperfectly planned out, it will make you cheer, give you a smile, and break your heart - sometimes all at once.
Canadian student. Spends probably an unhealthy amount of time enthusing over musicals, unpopular TV shows, and Harry Potter. Main life goal: to become fluent in Elvish.
