Dr Who Xmas Special 2017: Twice upon A Time — Thanking Mr Moffat

25th December, 2017.

You know … 

You can — sort of — guess I need to be up early, for work, tomorrow.

I’m writing this, for heaven’s sake: rather than doing something more Christmas.

But, to be fair?

I have spent a lot of time with my family, today: with lots of presents given and received.

Of and at least one smashed plate, one dropped glass, and a lot of frayed tempers!

But that’s Christmas for you.

Happy … with grotty bits … 

~≈§≈~

That’s truly Christmas for you.

The extraneous bits of Christmas?

Well, I think I can say the gifts I’d managed to get my family went down well.

And one or two gifts I got given caught my eye.

There’s an iTunes card in there: from Ruth and Jude.

An Amazon Gift card from my mother.

And a copy of the newly remastered Tom Baker era Shada: famously never finished because of a strike.

All gratefully received, I should add.

~≈§≈~



Of course, the really extraneous part of Christmas?

For me as a Dr Who fan is extremely extraneous.

Yep.

You’re right … 

It was Twice upon a Time … 

And Hmmm is a possible response.

~≈§≈~

Twice upon a Time opens where The Doctor Falls leaves off: showing us a 12th Dr reluctant to regenerate.

Confronted by a 1st Doctor who — in a frozen moment of time — in the lead up to his regeneration.

Both … are confronted by a bemused WW1 British Army Captain (Mark Gatiss) who needs help.

He’s seen time freeze: just as he was facing a kill or be killed moment against a German soldier.

It’s only then that the 12th Dr’s TARDIS is stolen …

Only to be met by a mysterious humanoid figure: seemingly made of glass, and seemingly keen to question the Doctor about his past … 

Oh … and introduce him to Bill Potts … 

~≈§≈~

Now …

That’s possibly given you short shift on Twice upon a Time, now isn’t it?

Quite possibly.

After all, Steven Moffat is famously given short shift about his plots.

Which this doesn’t deserve, I think.

Basically, both the First and Twelfth Doctors are seriously considering death as an option.

So are visited by the Testimony: an organisation that’s only seemingly evil.   But are, in fact, a future equivalent of the Time Lord own Matrix: recording a human’s memories, just before they die, and adding it to a huge repository of knowledge.

It’s only with the help of Bill they realise what’s happening.

And decide to live as a result.

Sending the Captain back to his proper timeline, first: to the day, in 1914, when English and German troops declared a truce.   (Turns out he’s Captain Archibald Lethbridge-Stewart …)

Sending the First Doctor, to make the change he must.

And leaving the Twelve … ?

To his regeneration into a radically new form … 

~≈§≈~

That’s not necessarily what you’re wanting to know, though, is it?

You’re wanting to know what I thought, aren’t you?

I have to admit, I liked it: really.

Granted I have my reservations.

I don’t know if Twice Upon a Time is necessarily his best: that possibly goes to Blink or the Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone two parter.   Or possibly World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls.

But … ?

But it does serves as a good last bell for Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, and good study of how he and Bradley’s take on the First Doctor are different†, yet similar … 

And as a brilliant cliffhanger introduction to the 13th Doctor.

That’s where I think Twice Upon a Time scores.

It’s a good handover from one Doctor to another, with enough references for those of us in the know to take some glee in* … 

And a good way for the now retired show-runner to hand over.

Well played Mr Capaldi.

And thank you, Stephen Moffat, for keeping the torch lit.

*        Back in the day, there was a children’s character called Mr Pastry: played by an actor called Richard Hearne.   Apparently, some at the BBC considered him a suitable replacement for Jon Pertwee, when the latter gave up the role of the Doctor.

†        In one scene, the Twelfth uses his sonic sunglasses to work out something is a computer generated image.   The First Doctor spots it isn’t: because the face is un-even.   And uses his naked eyes to do so.   Good ol’ fashioned, scientific observation: rather than gadgets.   I hope Jodie’s taking notes …