Is Doctor Who: The Last Christmas’ Santa The ‘Real’ Santa?
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The Doctor Who Christmas special is one of our favorite holiday traditions here at Giant Freakin’ Robot, so every day closer we get to this year’s installment — entitled “The Last Christmas” — makes us just a little bit happier. Not to mention full of questions, and those questions aren’t finding many answers in this new batch of promotional images from the special. Chief among them: what the hell is up with all the goddamn oranges?
The Doctor’s got an orange. Santa Claus has an orange. I’m betting Clara’s got an orange or two stashed somewhere too. What does it all mean? I haven’t the foggiest, except that maybe this year The Doctor is facing off against some sort of vitamin C vampire.
Also prominently displayed is Santa himself, as played by Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg bestie Nick Frost. Series star Peter Capaldi says the shenanigans begin in a very Santa Claus-y way, with Jolly Old Saint Nick crashing into Clara’s roof — sleigh, elves, reindeer, and all. Capaldi adds, “But while this might otherwise be an excuse for cheer and happiness it’s actually a nightmarish development, and only the Doctor knows why!” Well, naturally.
But is this bloke the real honest-to-gosh Santa himself? I mean, this is Doctor Who, so it seems far more likely that he’s a robot, or a visitor from another dimension where all Earth’s holiday stories literally happened, or at least the Santa who fought those Martians back in the day. Or…maybe not. Capaldi says:
Kids will be glad to know that Santa will remain intact by the end of the show. He’s not a Santa robot or Santa alien or anything sci-fi like that! He’s the real genuine Santa Claus!
Well, I guess Futurama did already call dibs on the robot Santa thing. And The Doctor has already shared adventures with Robin Hood, King Arthur, and the Loch Ness Monster, so why not Santa? And, as Capaldi points out, “The Doctor is slightly competitive with any semi-mythical characters and it’s the same with Santa. The Doctor probably thinks Santa’s had things to himself for too long.”
Also worth pointing out are some shots of people with what looks to be some sort of alien parasites on their heads. I mean, they could just be face masks somebody bought at the H.R. Giger estate sale, but I definitely get a “Starro the Conqueror” vibe from the things.
Doctor Who: The Last Christmas will premiere on Christmas Day.
