# Doctor Who Christmas Special 2013 - Matt Smith's final episode (spoilers as it airs) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 25, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149 "2013-12-25T15:42:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/1 "2013-12-25T15:42:24Z")
What time does this air in England? We can discuss the final Matt Smith episode of the show here and I think open spoilers is fine as it airs in England. It is, of course, also this year’s Christmas episode. Merry Christmas! The Doctor “dies”!!! 😃 😕 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/2 "2013-12-25T15:45:06Z")
We have it set to record, not sure if we’ll be back home before airtime. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/3 "2013-12-25T16:00:16Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > What time does this air in England? 7:30 pm GMT. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/4 "2013-12-25T16:12:09Z")
I’ll have to avoid this thread for a while, it’s not showing on BBC America until 9 over here. God, I hope it’s not too depressing. 10’s sacrifice nearly killed me. No joke, I was crying and trying to drink hot cocoa, and I hiccuped/sobbed when I swallowed and things went into airways and it was bad. On the plus side, I wasn’t crying about Dr. Who afterwards! ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/5 "2013-12-25T16:27:48Z")
While waiting for the new episode, a couple of favorite quotes from past Doctor Who Christmas specials. A Christmas Carol (2010): **The Doctor** : [Pointing to frozen Abigail] Who’s she? **Kazran** : Nobody important. **The Doctor** : Nobody important? Blimey, that’s amazing. You know that in nine hundred years of time and space and I’ve never met anybody who wasn’t important before. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (2011): **Madge** : Their father’s dead. **The Doctor** : I’m sorry. **Madge** : Lily and Cyril’s father—my husband—is dead and they don’t know yet because if I tell them now then Christmas will always be what took their father away from them, and no one should have to live like that. Of course when the Christmas period is over I shall… I don’t know why I keep shouting at them. **The Doctor** : Because every time you see them happy you remember how sad they’re going to be. And it breaks your heart. Because what’s the point in them being happy now if they’re going to be sad later. The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/6 "2013-12-25T18:55:05Z")
Unfortunately it looks like Time Warner is no longer carrying BBC America in my area (Troy, OH). Bastards. Anywhere I can watch it online legally while it’s airing on tv? I suppose I’ll probably have to wait until it hits Amazon streaming… ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/7 "2013-12-25T19:47:25Z")
Well, it should be on right now. It’s 1:46 Central Time, 7:46 London GMT I learned long ago they are 6 hours ahead of me. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/8 "2013-12-25T20:53:00Z")
That was dreadful. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/9 "2013-12-25T20:54:52Z")
I won’t spoiler anything, other than to say that you might need to concentrate 😉 Lots of tying up of loose ends, and answers to big questions (with varying degrees of success) General impressions: Some really good jokes, and Matt Smith is a wonderful actor. Jenna Coleman is really good too, and is well used for a change. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/10 "2013-12-25T21:00:21Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > That was dreadful. Why? How? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/11 "2013-12-25T21:13:02Z")
Oh, and there’s one liitle sequence with Matt that has to be seen to be believed - one of the most discombobulating in all of Who history 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/12 "2013-12-25T21:22:54Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Why? How? It was a confused mess and did not hold my attention. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/13 "2013-12-25T21:30:04Z")
…was complicated and a sort of ‘end of an era’ episode. However it paled in comparison to ‘The Day of the Doctor’, which was very satisfying. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/14 "2013-12-25T21:32:32Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Oh, and there’s one liitle sequence with Matt that has to be seen to be believed - one of the most discombobulating in all of Who history 😃 I just watched it and still don’t know which scene you mean. But I cried at that other scene! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/15 "2013-12-25T22:47:01Z")
Goodbye Raggedy Man. ☹☹ Pretty depressing for a Christmas Special. I’m glad we had a few months warning. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/16 "2013-12-25T23:28:27Z")
Felt like an episode written in a rush after Matt Smith suddenly and unexpectedly said the next episode would be his last. Which is what happened. Liked it okay, but not sure hundreds of years passing while hanging around in one place was necessary. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/17 "2013-12-25T23:51:05Z")
A senior citizens worst nightmare. A few hundred years in a nursing home would be a horrible way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Vicullum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/6de8d8/32.png) [@Vicullum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicullum)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/18 "2013-12-26T00:08:23Z")
The writing certainly feels rushed and sloppy, especially the ending. So the entire run of the episode the Time Lords are looking for a way back into the “main” universe and they’ve been sending a repeating signal, hoping the Doctor would respond so they’ll find a “weak spot.” At the end Clara just goes up to the crack and begs them for help. They hear her and gift the Doctor another regeneration…and just disappear? WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/19 "2013-12-26T00:46:22Z")
> [@Vicullum](#): > > So the entire run of the episode the Time Lords are looking for a way back into the “main” universe and they’ve been sending a repeating signal, hoping the Doctor would respond so they’ll find a “weak spot.” At the end Clara just goes up to the crack and begs them for help. They hear her and gift the Doctor another regeneration…and just disappear? WTF? The Time Lords are using, not finding, a weak spot to communicate with the Doctor. He can’t give them the safe word, ie his name, to let them know that their re-emergence isn’t going to kick off a new time war, because their simple message has attracted every bunch of tooled-up arseholes in the universe. There’s a localised siege that goes on for centuries. The Doctor knows his time is up, and walks out to his real death. Clara basically just says to the Time Lords “You’ve only got one chance of getting out without a massive war again, and that’s to help the wayward son out here”. And they do, and they’ll get another chance at freedom, which hopefully we’ll see during Peter Capaldi’s tenure. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149/20 "2013-12-26T02:48:45Z")
Blimey, that was brilliant. It tied up a massive pile of loose ends . It was obvious a long time ago that Moffat never had a masterplan and was just piling mysteries on mysteries without any answers in mind. Given that, the answers we got were surprisingly satisfying , and they somehow managed to give them without bogging down the plot. I loved having the Doctor finally get a chance to stick around and get old. Moffat’s at his best when he actually uses time travel as something more than a device for getting from one story to the next. He toyed with the idea of the Doctor taking “the long way” all the way back in “The Girl in the Fireplace.” After twelve lifetimes, it’s nice that at least one besides the first would get to die of old age. OTOH, having Matt Smith show up young at the end was rather gratuitous. So was the reunion scene at the end, even if it did make the room I was watching in rather dusty, if you know what I mean. I liked what we saw of Capaldi, but of course, I wish it was more! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-christmas-special-2013-matt-smiths-final-episode-spoilers-as-it-airs/677149.md?page=2)