Continuing where The Doctor Falls left off, the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) arrives at the South Pole where he comes face to face with his crotchety first incarnation, (David Bradley) who like himself is close to the brink of regenerating. Together they encounter glass-like entities, who have been snatching people from various time zones. One such victim is an unnamed world War One captain (Mark Gatiss), who fate would have it, was spirited away before he was to be killed in the line of duty. Together the two Time Lord personas attempt to return the soldier to his own timeline while attempting to uncover the entity's plot which reveals a couple of unexpected twists.
Marking something of a watershed moment in the history of the series both classic and new, Twice Upon a Time not only marks the second time that another actor has portrayed William Hartnell's antiquated, irascible first Doctor, (Richard Hurdnall took on the mantle in the 20th Anniversary Special; The Five Doctors in 1983) but that a woman has inherited the role. While the story proves to be the second best of Capaldi's Christmas specials, with it being pipped to the post by 2014's Last Christmas, it still proves to be an emotional and engaging send-off for Capaldi if a somewhat flawed one.
To get down to its merits, Bradley is, of course, the ideal choice to play the original Doctor (he had played William Hartnell in the television bio-pic; An Adventure in Time and Space in 2013) who William Hartnell I suppose effectively brought to life. I say suppose as I can't say I was ever a fan of his pro-type so to speak. I just never warmed to the character greatly whose successor, the late great Patrick Troughton sublimely perfected as a total differentiation. Nevertheless, Bradley delivers a wonderful rendering of the role, choosing wisely not to attempt to impersonate Hartnell but channel the essence of the character. Peter Capaldi is quite simply awe-inspiring, giving one of his best performances in the role if not the best, and one that he certainly owes to the series not least of all himself. Like previous regeneration episodes, (even the dreadful The End O Time Parts One and Two) it is as reflective and emotional as it should be.
Pearl Mackie makes a return as the former companion, Bill Potts who had just recently made her departure from the TARDIS at the end of Series 10. It's not the first time companions have briefly reprised their roles, and it has proven to have become something of a trend that has been guilty of being contrived in the past. It's pulled off quite effectively here as it's woven into the plot. Mackie defies the naysayers who predicted she would be irritating and obnoxious as she comes into her own, and proves them wrong. Her quiet little moments with the Twelfth Doctor, who remains irresolute as she attempts to convince him that she is the genuine article are wonderfully realized through their nuanced performances.
Mark Gatiss makes a welcome guest cast member, although of course not for the first time (he played Prof. Charles Lazarus in 2007's; The Lazarus Experiment) as the rather a-typical World War One Captain who has the very British reserve, and stiff upper lip challenged by the extraordinary predicament he finds himself in.
The story itself while efficient enough is somewhat unremarkable given that it's not the most innovative of concepts, as it plainly borrows from the movie, Avatar. It's something of a potential pitfall with multi-doctor stories that require them to be brought together by a means that could come over as forced. It does however act as a neat conceit for Capaldi's Doctor to reflect on his era as it reaches its end. The main theme of the story is that of closure, and looking back on the past as a means to confront a future of uncertainty. It's hammered home in a myriad of ways that offer not only nostalgia which works considerably better than David Tennant's swansong, which suffered from Russell T. Davies self-indulgence.
With Rachel Talalay directing again, she seamlessly uses BBC archive footage from The Tenth Planet, which was William Hartnell's final story, and competently melds into the Christmas Special with its vintage black and white monochrome fading into colour beautifully. She also brilliantly brings the South Pole to life, and alien antagonists, The Testimony is given an eerily ethereal quality that compliments the more haunting tone of the episode. And with its plot dealing with the Doctor's refusal to regenerate and to preserve the man that he currently is, they offer a possible respite to his struggle before he reaches his catharsis. It elevates towards its pinnacle with Capaldi's passionate final speech, which after the dust settles and we are faced with the rather stunning features of Jodie Whittaker before the credits finally roll, we are left to muse about what the future has in store with Chris Chibnall taking over the reins from Steven Moffat. If anything, Twice Upon a Time makes for a successful bridge between both men's respective eras, and while not exactly perfect it's one that won't necessarily be forgotten too soon.
Marking something of a watershed moment in the history of the series both classic and new, Twice Upon a Time not only marks the second time that another actor has portrayed William Hartnell's antiquated, irascible first Doctor, (Richard Hurdnall took on the mantle in the 20th Anniversary Special; The Five Doctors in 1983) but that a woman has inherited the role. While the story proves to be the second best of Capaldi's Christmas specials, with it being pipped to the post by 2014's Last Christmas, it still proves to be an emotional and engaging send-off for Capaldi if a somewhat flawed one.
To get down to its merits, Bradley is, of course, the ideal choice to play the original Doctor (he had played William Hartnell in the television bio-pic; An Adventure in Time and Space in 2013) who William Hartnell I suppose effectively brought to life. I say suppose as I can't say I was ever a fan of his pro-type so to speak. I just never warmed to the character greatly whose successor, the late great Patrick Troughton sublimely perfected as a total differentiation. Nevertheless, Bradley delivers a wonderful rendering of the role, choosing wisely not to attempt to impersonate Hartnell but channel the essence of the character. Peter Capaldi is quite simply awe-inspiring, giving one of his best performances in the role if not the best, and one that he certainly owes to the series not least of all himself. Like previous regeneration episodes, (even the dreadful The End O Time Parts One and Two) it is as reflective and emotional as it should be.
Pearl Mackie makes a return as the former companion, Bill Potts who had just recently made her departure from the TARDIS at the end of Series 10. It's not the first time companions have briefly reprised their roles, and it has proven to have become something of a trend that has been guilty of being contrived in the past. It's pulled off quite effectively here as it's woven into the plot. Mackie defies the naysayers who predicted she would be irritating and obnoxious as she comes into her own, and proves them wrong. Her quiet little moments with the Twelfth Doctor, who remains irresolute as she attempts to convince him that she is the genuine article are wonderfully realized through their nuanced performances.
Mark Gatiss makes a welcome guest cast member, although of course not for the first time (he played Prof. Charles Lazarus in 2007's; The Lazarus Experiment) as the rather a-typical World War One Captain who has the very British reserve, and stiff upper lip challenged by the extraordinary predicament he finds himself in.
The story itself while efficient enough is somewhat unremarkable given that it's not the most innovative of concepts, as it plainly borrows from the movie, Avatar. It's something of a potential pitfall with multi-doctor stories that require them to be brought together by a means that could come over as forced. It does however act as a neat conceit for Capaldi's Doctor to reflect on his era as it reaches its end. The main theme of the story is that of closure, and looking back on the past as a means to confront a future of uncertainty. It's hammered home in a myriad of ways that offer not only nostalgia which works considerably better than David Tennant's swansong, which suffered from Russell T. Davies self-indulgence.
With Rachel Talalay directing again, she seamlessly uses BBC archive footage from The Tenth Planet, which was William Hartnell's final story, and competently melds into the Christmas Special with its vintage black and white monochrome fading into colour beautifully. She also brilliantly brings the South Pole to life, and alien antagonists, The Testimony is given an eerily ethereal quality that compliments the more haunting tone of the episode. And with its plot dealing with the Doctor's refusal to regenerate and to preserve the man that he currently is, they offer a possible respite to his struggle before he reaches his catharsis. It elevates towards its pinnacle with Capaldi's passionate final speech, which after the dust settles and we are faced with the rather stunning features of Jodie Whittaker before the credits finally roll, we are left to muse about what the future has in store with Chris Chibnall taking over the reins from Steven Moffat. If anything, Twice Upon a Time makes for a successful bridge between both men's respective eras, and while not exactly perfect it's one that won't necessarily be forgotten too soon.