The Time of the Doctor

 

That asteroid belt and starscape look amazing.

We're straight into narration from a previously unknown character here, and a cod-fairytale speech.

The Doctor has teleported onto a ship that he didn't know was a Dalek ship.

The Doctor now seems to be travelling with a pet Cyberman head.

He answers the phone & it's Clara demanding he pretends to be her fake xmas boyfriend.

Now he's aboard a Cybership, being invited to Xmas dinner. By Clara, not the Cybermen.

Prefer this latest theme arrangement to the 1st Smith era version of the theme, but it's still no good. Gutted that they didn't just stick with the Hartnell version after The Day of the Doctor actually.

Clara runs from her block of flats (she lives somewhere now!) into the TARDIS where the Doctor is naked, for... reasons.

Clara's gran from Benidorm can't see his clothes, so Clara says he's Swedish. The Turkey needs a time oven.

One of the ships at the mystery planet is the borg-cube lookalike church of the papal mainframe.

The Doctor is summoned aboard by the giant holo-head of Tasha Lem, Mother superius of the church.

"Boss of the psycho space nuns? That's so you!"

While the Doctor & Tasha get (re)acquainted, Clara gets to meet a Silent.

Smith's wig is pretty decent actually.

Tasha has shrouded the mystery planet in a force field and is maintaining a truce between all the aliens.

The Doctor & Clara get to go 1st & teleport down to the snowy planet. Clara's grabbed by a weeping angel.

Escaping the angels, they encounter some locals who tell them the town is called Christmas and is covered by a truth field, meaning no one can lie.

In the tower's cellar, the Doctor once again finds himself staring at Amy's crack.

Handles detects the origin of the signal through the crack - it's coming from Gallifrey...

With the question translated, we hear the question in the voice of Ken Bones' general from Day of the Doctor.

So the truth is revealed; the planet is Trenzalore, and if the question is answered the Time-Lords return and the Time War with them. The alien races all want to prevent that at all costs, so attack the town.

So the Doctor being the Doctor, he has to stay in the town to protect the people from the alien invaders.

And so it's a stand off. And the Doctor begins to age...

The TARDIS reappears, with a rather chilly looking Clara clinging to the outside.

"After all these years I've finally found somewhere that needs me to stick around."

Alas poor Handles; testament to Smith that the death of a cyberhead we only met this episode is so touching.

The Doctor explains to Clara that this is, in fact, his last ever incarnation.

We saw this planet in the future when he was dead.

The Doctor pops up to see Tasha, but it's a trap. The Daleks have infiltrated the church.

Tasha explains that "The Kovarian Chapter" were a splinter group, and they blew up the TARDIS to create the cracks that trap his destiny.

She also reveals that she died, and has been taken over by the Daleks.

The Doctor goads Tasha into reasserting her personality & she helps them escape.

The Doctor promises not to send Clara away again; then does anyway. Again.

So the Doctor stays on Trenzalore to fight with the church and the Silents against the Daleks.

Back to Christmas at Clara's. "These crackers are rubbish." "I bought them." "I know."

But after the briefest of wistful moments with Clara's gran he TARDIS reappears yet again. But it's Tasha at the controls.

She's brought Clara back because the Doctor is dying.

Great aging makeup on Smith; and of course great acting through that make up!

The Daleks demand the Doctor!

"I haven't got a plan but people love it when I say that."

Not enough aging make-up on Smith's hands there!

"Trouble with Daleks is they take so long to say anything. Probably die of boredom before they shoot me."

Clara demands the Time Lords change the Doctor's future but fails to point out that they got his name wrong.

Loving the booming Dalek Emperor voice & the Dalek heartbeat.

Amy's crack looms large in the sky and sends a blast of regeneration energy to the Doctor.

Nicely foreshadowed with the seal of Rassilon from the 5 Doctors when the Time Lords offered the Master a new regeneration cycle.

"Love from Gallifrey, boys!" The Doctor blasts the Daleks to smithereens with regeneration energy.

Clara returns to the TARDIS, where a bowl of fishfingers & custard adorns the console.

The Doctor looks young again, but the change has begun, this is "just the reset."

Love that "breath on a mirror" line.

The 11th Doctor has his "Androzani moment" as he sees young Amy & the children's drawings.

I do love that Akhaten music actually, fits the regeneration better than "I Am the Doctor"

And the unexpected Amy cameo! Well done for pulling that off.

And boom! Capaldi eyes!

Is that bit of celtic-y sounding music going to be his theme? I guess we'll find out...

TTFN! K. 
Coming Soon... Day of the Daleks