“Every Christmas is Last Christmas.”
Doctor Who has never been a series to stray from emotional moments but when The Doctor proclaims the above quote it isn’t hard to sense the pain within.
The Doctor and Clara Oswald are pulled into an adventure in the North Pole where an expedition has gone wrong and the only person that can help them is Papa Chrimbo himself (played by the wonderful Nick Frost).
Last Christmas acts as a bookend to the Season 8 finale, which can hurt it on a rewatch too. However, it has enough heart and light moments to make up for it.
Giving Clara the chance of closure with Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson) and her seeing she needs The Doctor (and vice versa) helps to set-up the tragedy to come in the following season.
There are a few moments that are laugh out loud funny and showcase Peter Capaldi’s talents but it narrowly misses the top 5.