History Recap / DoctorWho2014CSLastChristmas

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: When Jenna Coleman initially signed on to do a second series, she wasn't sure she could work as well with a different Doctor, and asked that her second series would be her last. By the time filming for the series finale "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven Death in Heaven]]" began, Jenna found that she so enjoyed working with Peter Capaldi, she asked Moffat if she could at least come back for the Christmas special. During filming of this special, she asked to stay on for another series (after reportedly being lobbied by Capaldi, who didn't want to lose her). This is why both "Death in Heaven" and "Last Christmas" feel like traditional "companion departure" episodes, only to be subverted at literally the last minute; originally they were both written as played straight examples of a companion's departure. Steven Moffat has stated, however, that in both cases he was prepared for (hopefully) Coleman's change of heart.

* WinToExit: The only way to break free from the snare of the world of the Dream Crabs is to stop falling asleep.

%%* WinToExit:

->''"0Every Christmas is [[TitleDrop last Christmas.]]"''

The one with SantaClaus. Scratch that- Santa Claus gone {{Badass}}.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/last_christmas_promo_44.jpg]]

[[caption-width-right:375:[[labelnote:Click here to see the RadioTimes magazine poster for this episode:]] http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/last_christmas_poster_5343.jpg But do ''you'' know if you're awake? You better find out for goodness sake!]][[/labelnote]]

->''"You know the big problem in telling fantasy and reality apart? They're both ridiculous."''

Gather round, children, it's story time! The tale of "Last Christmas" we'll now tell ... in rhyme![[note]][[ThisIsGonnaSuck We apologise]] [[SelfDeprecation in advance . . .]] Now on with the dance.[[/note]]

''There's three other people inside that base, actually; there’s Professor Albert, and Bellows, and one named Ashley.[[note]]Albert's played by Michael Troughton: Patrick Troughton's son, wouldn't you know! Yep, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight yet another Troughton]] appears on the show . . .[[/note]] And hey, looks like you'd better add on two more. You see, the Doctor and Clara just burst through the door.''

''So is this all a Crab dream? What's real and what's not? What never existed, and what's been forgot? [[note]]And maybe that snow isn't even real snow! [[Recap/DoctorWho2005CSTheChristmasInvasion Just like]] [[Recap/DoctorWho2006CSTheRunawayBride all those]] [[Recap/DoctorWho2007CSVoyageOfTheDamned other times;]] [[Recap/DoctorWho2012CSTheSnowmen that'd sure blow . . .]][[/note]] It all looks so life-like! It all looks uncanny! Especially when Clara wakes up, and there’s Danny!''

'''''[[OhCrap YOU. ARE. DYING . . .]]'''''

* {{Bookends}}: To the discussion of relative age in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E1DeepBreath "Deep Breath"]]. In that episode, Clara appears to have difficulty seeing the Doctor she came to know after he changes appearance and now looks older. In this episode, it's Clara who now looks older, yet the Doctor still sees her as a young woman.

** The Twelfth Doctor is once again referred to as a "magician", as he referred to himself in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E5TimeHeist "Time Heist"]].

* FourIsDeath: Four "dead" sleepers who turn out to be doubles of the four researchers; Shona, the fourth person to read from the manuals, gets the word "dead" ''twice''. This is subtly lampshaded by the Doctor, whose first word upon realising the pattern is a dramatic "Four . . ."

* HowCanSantaDeliverAllThoseToys: Santa claims his sleigh is BiggerOnTheInside. However, we only see him in dream layers . . .

-->'''Santa:''' We, we are just three passing, perfectly ordinary roof people, [[BlatantLies doing some emergency . . . roof things!]]

** The Doctor driving Santa's sleigh and reindeer is reminiscent of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kXvs0aKSt0 a 2009 BBC One ident starring Ten]]. For that matter, a car alarm being used in Rudolph's own nose resembles the way Ten used a chirping car alarm to lock the TARDIS from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime the Christmas special of that same year]]. The scene is also reminiscent of a similar scene (only involving a flying shark) in [[Recap/DoctorWho2010CSAChristmasCarol "A Christmas Carol"]].
** Old!Clara's statement that she never found another man in her life to measure up to the Doctor echoes Sarah Jane Smith's feelings towards the Doctor in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E3SchoolReunion "School Reunion"]]. In fact, although the time frame is different, the Doctor expressing regret at not visiting a beloved former companion sooner, and said companion bemoaning the fact she'd gotten old in the meantime, also reflects the Doctor-Sarah Jane reunion in "School Reunion".

** Old!Clara and the Doctor's bittersweet reunion is rudely interrupted by Santa . . . but neither of them are complaining after.

* NoodleIncident: The Doctor wakes up near a volcano. What he was doing there is never explained. Nor why it closely resembles the volcano seen in a previous dream Clara was in from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E11DarkWater "Dark Water"]].

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: When Jenna Coleman initially signed on to do a second series, she wasn't sure she could work as well with a different Doctor, and asked that her second series would be her last. By the time filming for the series finale [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven "Death in Heaven"]] began, Jenna found that she so enjoyed working with Peter Capaldi, she asked Moffat if she could at least come back for the Christmas special. During filming of this special, she asked to stay on for another series (after reportedly being lobbied by Capaldi, who didn't want to lose her). This is why both "Death in Heaven" and "Last Christmas" feel like traditional "companion departure" episodes, only to be subverted at literally the last minute; originally they were both written as played straight examples of a companion's departure. Steven Moffat has stated, however, that in both cases he was prepared for (hopefully) Coleman's change of heart.

** The ExpandedUniverse book ''The Time Lord Letters'' reveals that when all is said and done, the Doctor believes him to be really-real. He writes Santa a thank-you letter for reuniting him with Clara in reality (having lied to her about not knowing who to thank) . . . which he leaves stuffed up a chimney.

** MindScrew mystery and horror atmosphere at an isolated polar base ran over by mysterious alien parasites . . . One of the characters (and then several others) get to do a creepy visit of the base's infirmary. It's almost like a family-friendly version of ''VideoGame/{{Penumbra}}'' . . .

** More than once the Doctor asks, "[[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} Who you gonna call?]]" . . . with the answer being SantaClaus.

* TwoWordsAddedEmphasis: When Shona refuses to believe that Santa is in the room with them, Santa answers, "I've got three words, Shona, don't make me use them . . .''Franchise/MyLittlePony''!"

The one with Santa.

* BiggerOnTheInside: Allegedly Santa's sleigh. How else could he fit all those countless presents in?

** ''Series/GameOfThrones'' was on Shona's list, despite some crossover between the casts of ''Who'' and ''Thrones'' - including the actress who plays Shona, although she had yet to make her first appearance on the show at this point.

** One of the Arctic base scientists comments that the Dream Crabs are rather like the facehuggers from ''{{Film/Alien}}''. The "PURGE" screen toward the beginning of the film (when Shona is entering the infirmary) is remarkably similar to the screen that's shown as the ''Narcissus'' launch process starts in Alien. However, they have rather more in common in appearance and habits with the headcrabs in the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series.

* TakeThatAudience: Having Clara briefly seen as an elderly woman - yet the Doctor ''does not really care'' about this, saying she will always look the same to him - is a but of take that towards fans who were negative about the age gap between the two actors any hint of character romance as a result.

Gather round, children, it's story time! The tale of "Last Christmas" we'll now tell . . . in rhyme![[note]][[ThisIsGonnaSuck We apologise]] [[SelfDeprecation in advance . . .]] Now on with the dance.[[/note]]

The 2014 ''Series/DoctorWho'' ChristmasEpisode.

Gather round, children, it's story time! The tale of "Last Christmas" we'll now tell... in rhyme![[note]][[ThisIsGonnaSuck We apologise]] [[SelfDeprecation in advance...]] Now on with the dance.[[/note]]

'''Tis the night before Christmas; that brightest of days! And the Doctor and Clara have parted their ways. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven Though Gallifrey's gone still and Danny Pink died, each claimed to be fine – and each of them lied.]]''

''There's three other people inside that base, actually; there’s Professor Albert, and Bellows, and one named Ashley.[[note]]Albert's played by Michael Troughton: Patrick Troughton's son, wouldn't you know! Yep, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight yet another Troughton]] appears on the show...[[/note]] And hey, looks like you'd better add on two more. You see, the Doctor and Clara just burst through the door.''

''"Say, who are those folks lying there in that bed? With those [[Film/{{Alien}} facehugging]] Dream Crabs clamped around their head?" And they've ''thought'' of them now, so the sleepers attack. And the Dream Crabs descend! And they can't drive them back-''

''So is this all a Crab dream? What's real and what's not? What never existed, and what's been forgot? [[note]]And maybe that snow isn't even real snow! [[Recap/DoctorWho2005CSTheChristmasInvasion Just like]] [[Recap/DoctorWho2006CSTheRunawayBride all those]] [[Recap/DoctorWho2007CSVoyageOfTheDamned other times;]] [[Recap/DoctorWho2012CSTheSnowmen that'd sure blow...]][[/note]] It all looks so life-like! It all looks uncanny! Especially when Clara wakes up, and there’s Danny!''

'''''[[OhCrap YOU. ARE. DYING...]]'''''

* AdventuresInComaland: When people are taken over by dream crabs this has to happen for them to wake. This happens for much of the episode, with Clara's encounter with Danny being an especially vivid example.

* AllJustADream: Everything in this episode, (except for the final scene, maybe) is a dream created by the Dream Crabs. However, unlike standard instances of the trope, this episode serves to undo the parting of the Doctor and Clara, and it's also quite dangerous as one individual is KilledOffForReal and the Doctor determines the same could apply to both him and Clara, too.

* AskAStupidQuestion: The question is usually along the lines of 'how can Santa be real?' The answer is "of course, he's not! This is a dream, stupid".

* ChristmasMiracle: The Doctor hasn't missed his chance to travel with Clara again, as Old!Clara turns out to be a final dream layer and she is more than happy to join him again.

* DyingDream: This trope is caused by the dream crabs, which slowly drain their victims' brains but stimulate pleasant dreams to keep the victim pacified.

* FaceHugger: The dream crabs suck out your brain through a small hole they make in the skull. Similarities to other works are acknowledged in the episode.

* FourIsDeath: Four "dead" sleepers who turn out to be doubles of the four researchers; Shona, the fourth person to read from the manuals, gets the word "dead" ''twice''. This is subtly lampshaded by the Doctor, whose first word upon realising the pattern is a dramatic "Four..."

* HowCanSantaDeliverAllThoseToys: Santa claims his sleigh is BiggerOnTheInside. However, we only see him in dream layers...
* ImplausibleDeniability: Santa, at the beginning, ''in full view of his sleigh, elves and escaped reindeer'', tries to bluff Clara.
-->'''Santa:''' We, we are just three passing, perfectly ordinary roof people, [[BlatantLies doing some emergency... roof things!]]
* InternalHomage:
** The Doctor driving Santa's sleigh and reindeer is reminiscent of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kXvs0aKSt0 a 2009 BBC One ident starring Ten]]. For that matter, a car alarm being used in Rudolph's own nose resembles the way Ten used a chirping car alarm to lock the TARDIS from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime the Christmas special of that same year]]. The scene is also reminiscent of a similar scene (only involving a flying shark) in [[Recap/DoctorWho2010CSAChristmasCarol "A Christmas Carol"]].

* MeaningfulEcho: Clara says she couldn't marry the Doctor because he was "impossible", riffing on her own nickname as The Impossible Girl.
* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Of the four scientists at the Arctic base, the man is the one who dies to prove that the threat is real, while the three women survive to the end. One of the only other major male characters in the story, Danny, is already dead. The Doctor, of course, is not expendable.

** Old!Clara and the Doctor's bittersweet reunion is rudely interrupted by Santa ... but neither of them are complaining after.

** The ExpandedUniverse book ''The Time Lord Letters'' reveals that when all is said and done, the Doctor believes him to be really-real. He writes Santa a thank-you letter for reuniting him with Clara in reality (having lied to her about not knowing who to thank)...which he leaves stuffed up a chimney.
* SantasExistenceClause: Zigzagged in that Santa is only the dream image of everyone involved and represents their subconscious fighting to keep them alive, but he admits that he exists and is real in their beliefs and hearts. Then that final shot of the tangerine on Clara's windowsill as the TARDIS takes off will keep the audience guessing.
%%% Do not natter. Eleven's picture of "Jeff" aside, this episode is ambiguous.
* ShipTease:

** MindScrew mystery and horror atmosphere at an isolated polar base ran over by mysterious alien parasites... One of the characters (and then several others) get to do a creepy visit of the base's infirmary. It's almost like a family-friendly version of ''VideoGame/{{Penumbra}}''...

** More than once the Doctor asks, "[[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} Who you gonna call?]]"... with the answer being SantaClaus.

* TwoWordsAddedEmphasis: When Shona refuses to believe that Santa is in the room with them, Santa answers, "I've got three words, Shona, don't make me use them...''Franchise/MyLittlePony''!"

* WalkingInRhythm: To avoid thinking about the dreamcrabs, Shona has "Merry Xmas Everybody" by Slade played over her headset, and dances past the aliens.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:

-->'''Doctor:''' It's Christmas at the North Pole! Who you gonna call?

* YouGetMeCoffee: The Doctor sends Clara to get the dreamcrab in the sample container, and they engage in some friendly SnarkToSnarkCombat over this trope.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: The people infected by dream crabs end up attacking through the video monitors.

* VisualPun: Santa arrives at the Arctic base "[riding] a red-nosed reindeer", á la Slade's [[StandardSnipped "Merry Christmas Everybody"]], which is heard shortly before.

* AskAStupidQuestion: The question is usually along the lines of 'how can Santa be real?' The answer is 'of course, he's not! This is a dream, stupid'.

* {{Bookends}}: To the discussion of relative age in "Deep Breath". In that episode, Clara appears to have difficulty seeing the Doctor she came to know after he changes appearance and now looks older. In this episode, it's Clara who now looks older, yet the Doctor still sees her as a young woman.

* BringMyBrownPants: Shona says she has to pee before entering sickbay where the dreamcrabs are, but the others are monitoring her internal signs and know she's just stalling.

** Professor Albert mentions that the Dream Crabs are a lot like [[Film/{{Alien}} Facehuggers]], prompting a discussion about the movie ''Film/{{Alien}}''. Creator/JohnHurt--who plays the War Doctor--and Creator/PaulMcGann--who plays the Eighth Doctor--feature in ''Alien'' and ''Film/{{Alien3}}'', respectively.

** The Twelfth Doctor is once again referred to as a "magician", as he referred to himself in "Time Heist".

* DreamWeaver: The M.O. of the Dream Crabs, who put people into a euphoric dream state while their brains are digested. They are incredibly insidious: Once they've got you, they make you think you're not dreaming but in danger of being grabbed by them again. Then they grab you again and put you in another dream layer and try to repeat the process ad infinitum so that even if you manage to free yourself, you're still trapped, which gives them enough time to consume your brain.

* EarWorm: Invoked by name as a defense mechanism when Shona dances past the sleepers to "Merry Christmas Everybody".

-->'''Danny:''' You don't know what I'm wearing underneath this Santa outfit.
-->'''Clara:''' Your pyjamas. You're too shy to wear less than two layers.
-->'''Danny:''' Yeah, you could'a used your imagination!
-->'''Clara:''' Yeah, I don't really have to.

* HeyThatsMyLine: The Doctor gets grumpy when Santa takes over his role as MrExposition. ''Santa Claus'' does not get to talk scientifically nor is he allowed to say "bigger on the inside".

-->'''Santa''': We, we are just three passing, perfectly ordinary roof people, [[BlatantLies doing some emergency... roof things!]]

** The Doctor driving Santa's sleigh and reindeer is reminiscent of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kXvs0aKSt0 a 2009 BBC One ident starring Ten]]. For that matter, a car alarm being used in Rudolph's own nose resembles the way Ten used a chirping car alarm to lock the TARDIS from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime the Christmas special of that same year]]. The scene is also reminiscent of a similar scene (only involving a flying shark) in "[[Recap/DoctorWho2010CSAChristmasCarol A Christmas Carol]]".
** Old!Clara's statement that she never found another man in her life to measure up to the Doctor echoes Sarah Jane Smith's feelings towards the Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E3SchoolReunion School Reunion]]". In fact, although the time frame is different, the Doctor expressing regret at not visiting a beloved former companion sooner, and said companion bemoaning the fact she'd gotten old in the meantime, also reflects the Doctor-Sarah Jane reunion in "School Reunion".

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The final shot of the tangerine, implying that Father Christmas is real or that they’re still dreaming. It's even possible that, perhaps, the tangerine was real and influenced Father Christmas’s predilection for them.

* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Of the four scientists at the Arctic base, the male is the one who dies to prove that the threat is real, while the three women survive to the end. One of the only other major male characters in the story, Danny, is already dead. The Doctor, of course, is not expendable.

* NoHuggingNoKissing: Averted; Clara hugs the Doctor in the back of the sleigh. He responds awkwardly at first, but then enjoys the moment. She later gives him a kiss too ([[AnywhereButTheirLips on the cheek, of course]]). (This marks a shift in the Doctor who had previously adhered to a no hugging rule; hereafter he allows Clara to hug him at will and begins hugging her on occasion, too. Their relationship becomes more affectionate subsequently, as well.)
* NoodleIncident: The Doctor wakes up near a volcano. What he was doing there is never explained. Nor why it closely resembles the volcano seen in a previous dream Clara was in in "Dark Water".

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: When Jenna Coleman initially signed on to do a second series, she wasn't sure she could work as well with a different Doctor, and asked that her second series would be her last. By the time filming for the series finale "Death in Heaven" began, Jenna found that she so enjoyed working with Peter Capaldi, she asked Moffat if she could at least come back for the Christmas special. During filming of this special, she asked to stay on for another series (after reportedly being lobbied by Capaldi, who didn't want to lose her). This is why both "Death in Heaven" and "Last Christmas" feel like traditional "companion departure" episodes, only to be subverted at literally the last minute; originally they were both written as played straight examples of a companion's departure. Steven Moffat has stated, however, that in both cases he was prepared for (hopefully) Coleman's change of heart.

--->'''Shona''': You're a dream, that's going to save us?\\
'''Santa''': Shona, sweetheart, I'm Santa Claus. You may have just defined me.

** One of the arctic base scientists comments that the Dream Crabs are rather like the facehuggers from ''{{Film/Alien}}''. The "PURGE" screen toward the beginning of the film (when Shona is entering the infirmary) is remarkably similar to the screen that's shown as the ''Narcissus'' launch process starts in Alien. However, they have rather more in common in appearance and habits with the headcrabs in the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series.

** The very ''idea'' of the dreamcrabs is very similar to ''ComicBook/ForTheManWhoHasEverything'', with the the dreamcrabs standing in for the equally destructive [[LotusEaterMachine Black Mercy]].
** The Doctor mentions [[Series/{{Sherlock}} deleting]] the arctic base scientists from his mind.

* ChristmasMiracle: The Doctor hasn't missed his chance to travel with Clara again, as Old!Clara turns out to be a final dream layer.

* GoodWithNumbers: We find out that Clara is ''very'' good at solving math problems in her head. The Doctor at one point wishes she wasn't.

* NoodleIncident: The Doctor wakes up near a volcano. What he was doing there is never explained.

* ArcWords: Part way through the episode, the Doctor asks three different times why the scientists are up there, and each of them say ItsALongStory. This becomes a little more meaningful when the Doctor shows that no one seems to be able to explain the story of why they're there. They just claim it's a long story, because it's really a dream so they don't actually know the answer.

* BadSanta: Steven Moffat made a point of assuring people that this would be averted.

* ChristmasElves: Wolf and Ian, Santa's ServileSnarker duo.
* ChristmasMiracle: The Doctor hasn't missed his chance to hook up with Clara again, as it turns out to be a final dream layer.

** Also like "Time Heist", this episode features an alien presence that'll liquefy your brain if you think of the wrong thing, although the Teller didn't actually ''drink'' the resulting soup.
** After "[[Recap/DoctorWho2005CSTheChristmasInvasion The Christmas Invasion]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWho2006CSTheRunawayBride The Runaway Bride]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E11TurnLeft Turn Left]]", "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime The End of Time]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E4ThePowerOfThree The Power of Three]]", this is the sixth time that ''Doctor Who'' has used the song "Merry Christmas Everybody" by Slade.

* FantasyKitchenSink: Lampshaded by the Doctor when, after they've been rescued by Santa and his elves, he calls attention to the blue police box outside, a camouflaged spaceship belonging to an alien "magician" who travels in time and space.

* FourIsDeath: Four "dead" sleepers who turn out to be doubles of the four researchers; Shona, the fourth person to read from the manuals, gets the word "dead" ''twice''. Subtly lampshaded by the Doctor, whose first word upon realising the pattern is a dramatic "Four..."
* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: The people infected by facecrabs end up attacking through the video monitors.
* FreezeFrameBonus: Shona's "to do" list includes three of the films that directly inspired this episode (and presumably her memories of them contributed to the main dream): ''Film/{{Alien}}'', ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'', and ''Film/MiracleOnThirtyFourthStreet''. She also planned to marathon ''Series/GameOfThrones'', but that isn't really plot relevant. Coincidentally, the actress would go on to have a recurring role in the series in 2015, while Creator/MaisieWilliams would have a recurring role in Series 9 of ''Doctor Who''.

* InternalHomage: The Doctor driving Santa's sleigh and reindeer is reminiscent of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kXvs0aKSt0 a 2009 BBC One ident starring Ten]]. For that matter, a car alarm being used in Rudolph's own nose resembles the way Ten used a chirping car alarm to lock the TARDIS from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime the Christmas special of that same year]]. The scene is also reminiscent of a similar scene (only involving a flying shark) in "[[Recap/DoctorWho2010CSAChristmasCarol A Christmas Carol]]".

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The final shot of the tangerine, implying that Father Christmas is real. Or that they’re still dreaming. Or, perhaps, that the tangerine was real and influenced Father Christmas’s predilection for them.

* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Of the four scientists at the Arctic base, the male is the one who dies to prove that the threat is real, while the three women survive to the end. One of the only other major male characters in the story, Danny, is already dead.

* SantaClaus: [[http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/christmas-special-santa-is-real-not-evil-69037.htm He's not some alien imposter, either!]] He's a dream image conjured by the Dream Crab-infested brains, but his entire existence revolves removing the crabs and saving their lives, so he's the real Santa in being a jolly ([[JerkWithAHeartOfGold kinda]]) giver of gifts (maybe).

* ShipTease: Elderly Clara has rejected all suitors because there was only one man would could match up to Danny Pink, but it wouldn't have worked because that man was impossible. [[{{Pun}} "Who"]] could that be? The fact she says this as an old woman who physically looks older than the Doctor lampshades the attitude held by some that the actors were too far apart in age for any sign of shipping to be acceptable (despite the fact the Doctor could be played by a 10 year old and still be immensely older than any of his co-stars).

** One of the arctic base scientists comments that the Dream Crabs are rather like the facehuggers from ''{{Film/Alien}}''.
*** More than one: the "PURGE" screen toward the beginning of the film (when Shona is entering the infirmary) is remarkably similar to the screen that's shown as the ''Narcissus'' launch process starts in Alien. However, they have rather more in common in appearance and habits with the headcrabs in the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series.
** The setting and tone also bring to mind Creator/JohnCarpenter's ''Film/TheThing1982'' (although that was set in Antarctica). It's confirmed by one of the movies on Shona's list being ''Literature/{{The Thing From Another World}}'' (which was set in the Arctic), the inspiration for Carpenter's movie.

* SpeakIllOfTheDead: How the lies from the Series 8 finale ultimately come to light. Thinking Danny to be alive, the Doctor figures that slandering him is fair game to get an emotional reaction out of Clara to make her stop thinking about the sleepers, causing her to reveal the truth in her outrage. He later makes amends by referring to Clara's dream recreation of Danny as "brave".

* ThisIsReality: Everyone points out how Santa is impossible, and then throws it back in their face by proving it's all very real. Then we learn he's only a dream figment and it what was all trying to get them to see they needed help.
%%* TrappedWithMonsterPlot:

''Clara's grown up past all those fairy-tales; she stands her ground, giving Santa [[NoSell NoSale]]. Then up on that roof there's [[MostWonderfulSound a wonderful sound]] -- the TARDIS! It's back! Is there sense to be found? The Doctor pops out, attack eyebrows half-mast; he wants Clara inside, and no questions asked.

Gather round, children, it's story time! The tale of "Last Christmas" we'll now tell... in rhyme![[note]][[ThisIsGonnaSuck We apologize]] [[SelfDeprecation in advance...]] Now on with the dance.[[/note]]

%%* {{Deconstruction}}: The episode partially deconstructs the 'Isolated Base Under Attack' that is a regular DoctorWho plotline.

* AllJustADream: Everything in this episode, (except for the final scene, maybe) is a dream created by the Dream Crabs. However, unlike standard instances of the trope, this episode serves to undo the parting of the Doctor and Clara, and it's also quite dangerous.

** ''Series/GameOfThrones'' was on Shona's list, despite some crossover between the casts of ''Who'' and ''Thrones''.

* FreezeFrameBonus: Shona's "to do" list includes three of the films that directly inspired this episode (and presumably her memories of them contributed to the main dream): ''Film/{{Alien}}'', ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'', and ''Film/MiracleOnThirtyFourthStreet''. She also planned to marathon ''Series/GameOfThrones'', but that isn't really plot relevant, more of a nod to actress Faye Marsay who played the Waif on GOT a few months later.)

* GoodWithNumbers: We found out that Clara is ''very'' good at solving math problems in her head. The Doctor at one point wishes she wasn't.

* InternalHomage: The Doctor driving Santa's sleigh and reindeer is reminiscent of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kXvs0aKSt0 a 2009 BBC One ident starring Ten]]. For that matter, a car alarm being used in Rudolph's own nose resembles the way Ten used a chirping car alarm to lock the TARDIS from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime the Christmas special of that same year]].

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: When Jenna Coleman initially signed on to do a second series, she wasn't sure she could work as well with a different Doctor, and asked that her second series would be her last. By the time filming for the series finale "Death in Heaven" began, Jenna found that she so enjoyed working with Peter Capaldi, she asked Moffat if she could at least come back for the Christmas special. During filming of this special, she asked to stay on for another series (after reportedly being lobbied by Capaldi, who didn't want to lose her). This is why both "Death in Heaven" and "Last Christmas" feel like traditional "companion departure" episodes, only to be subverted at literally the last minute; originally they were both written as played straight examples of a companion's departure.

* ArcWords: Part way through the episode, the Doctor asks three different times why the scientists are up there, and each of them say ItsALongStory. This becomes a little more meaningful when the Doctor shows that [[spoiler:no one seems to be able to explain the story of why they're there. They just claim it's a long story, because it's really a dream so they don't actually know the answer]].

* {{Deconstruction}}: The episode partially deconstructs the 'Isolated Base Under Attack' that is a regular DoctorWho plotline.

* FaceHugger: The dream crabs. Similarities to other works are acknowledged in the episode.

* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Of the four scientists at the Arctic base, the male is the one who dies to prove that the threat is real, while the three women survive to the end. And one of the only other major male characters in the story, Danny, is already dead.

* MomentKiller: Clara and Danny AlmostKiss before someone knocks on the door. Given the timing, Clara assumes it's her dad. It's the Doctor, trying to wake Clara up from her LotusEaterMachine.

** Actually, the 2010 Christmas special, "[[Recap/DoctorWho2010CSAChristmasCarol A Christmas Carol]]" previously established that Santa Claus ''is'' real in the Whoniverse, and the Doctor has a photo of the two of them together to prove it. His real name is Jeff.
* ShipTease: Elderly Clara has rejected all suitors because there was only one man would could match up to Danny Pink, but it wouldn't have worked because that man was impossible. [[{{Pun}} "Who"]] could that be?
** The fact she says this as an old woman who physically looks older than the Doctor lampshades the attitude held by some that the actors were too far apart in age for any sign of shipping to be acceptable (despite the fact the Doctor could be played by a 10 year old and still be immensely older than any of his co-stars).

* WinToExit: The basic plot of the episode.

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* MeaningfulEcho: Clara says she couldn't marry the Doctor because he is "impossible", riffing on her own nickname as The Impossible Girl.
* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Of the four scientists at the Arctic base, the male is the one who dies to prove that the threat is real, while the three women survive to the end.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: When Jenna Coleman initially signed on to do a second series, she wasn't sure she could work as well with a different Doctor, and asked that her second series would be her last. By the time filming for the series finale "Death in Heaven" began, Jenna found that she so enjoyed working with Peter Capaldi, she asked Moffatt if she could at least come back for the Christmas special. During filming of this special, she asked to stay on for another series (after reportedly being lobbied by Capaldi, who didn't want to lose her). This is why both "Death in Heaven" and "Last Christmas" feel like traditional "companion departure" episodes, only to be subverted at literally the last minute; originally they were both written as played straight examples of a companion's departure.