Doctor Who's 'Last Christmas' Falls Flat in this Disappointing Holiday Episode Review

The much-anticipated annual tradition of tuning into BBC One for the long-awaited 'Doctor Who' Christmas special has once again come and gone. However, unlike previous years, the excitement and anticipation leading up to this year's offering, titled 'Last Christmas,' failed to translate onto screen.

Directed by Paul W. Feig ('The Heat') who made his debut on Doctor Who with 'Listen' earlier in 2014 alongside returning helmer Justin M. Doble ('Mummy on the Orient Express'), one would have expected a more engaging and heartwarming tale, especially given its Christmas setting.

Alas, this was not to be as 'Last Christmas' instead opted for an overdone retelling of 'The Day After Tomorrow,' with minimal effort put into making it feel remotely festive. Instead, we are treated to another dreary episode filled with endless exposition and underdeveloped supporting characters that fail to leave any lasting impression on viewers.

In fact, so much time is devoted towards explaining the basic premise of the story via dialogue heavy scenes between our Time Lord hero (played by Peter Capaldi) and his companions Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), that it soon feels like you've already seen this exact same plotline play out elsewhere in Doctor Who history. And let's not forget to mention the woefully miscast Matt Smith as an older version of himself, who appears at various points throughout proceedings looking more akin to a reject from 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' than any actual incarnation of the iconic Time Lord.

On paper at least, 'Last Christmas' had all the ingredients necessary for what could have easily been one of Doctor Who's finest holiday episodes yet. Unfortunately however, due to poor execution and subpar writing that fails to deliver on its promise, this particular Yuletide offering ends up feeling like nothing more than a wasted opportunity.

Overall then? If you're anything like me, then I'd highly recommend giving 'Last Christmas' a wide berth altogether and instead spend your precious viewing time elsewhere. After all, there are far better things out there to watch during the festive season than this lackluster offering from Doctor Who's creative team.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Doctor who last christmas review