Doctor Who s08e92 Episode Script
Last Christmas
1 Moron! Numbskull! Elf! That's racist! Of course it's not racist, you ARE an elf! Chimneys? I'm sorry! I'm just checking that you can see these massive chimneys.
IThey're hard to miss.
As you've clearly demonstrated, Ian! Donner! Donner and Blitzen! Come on down, down here, boys.
Good boys, good boys.
Rudolph? Just, just clear all the tangerines up.
Pick 'em up - all of them, Ian.
You know no-one really likes the tangerines, don't you? How dare you! That's my signature gift! That and the walnut.
Down here, boys, come on.
Rudolph?! Sir? We've been seen.
Hello Hello.
Hello! Hello, human.
You can't call her human! It's not racist.
They don't mind.
Hush up, both of you.
Sorry about this girl? W-We are just three passing, perfectly ordinary roof people, doing some emergency roof things.
Carry on.
Merry Christmas.
If-if it is Christmas, I mean! I don't much care for things like that, myself.
Pfft! I mean, Christmas! Are you Santa Claus? Me?! No! No! It's ridiculous No, no, no! Rudolph! Rudolph! Down here! All right, fine, yes.
Yes, it's me.
Guilty.
How did you recognise me? You know how you grew that beard as a bit of a disguise? People have picked up on it.
OK, no.
Hang on, stop, shut up.
What? Seriously, you you're Father Christmas? You're real? Of course I'm real! How could he not be real? How do you think those presents got under the tree every year? By magic? Well, I thought it was my mum and Mum and Dad?! Well, of course it was! I mean, it makes perfect sense! Your mum and dad, one day a year, for no particular reason, just out of the blue, suddenly decide to give you a great, big pile of presents.
No, no, no.
Because "They love you so much!" It's a lovely story, dear.
Yeah, but it's time to start living in the real world, yeah? OK, right.
Clara Oswald.
Mostly favours travel books, science kits.
Strict ban on hair products.
Marginal for the naughty list, '93.
Believer until the age of nine.
Why did you stop? Because you're a fairy tale.
I grew out of fairy tales.
Did you, Clara? Did you really? Clara, I want you to step inside the TARDIS.
I don't want you to talk, I want you to do as I ask.
Please.
That was good, with the box.
Hmph! Not often we get upstaged on a rooftop.
Yes, I'm really here.
I'm back.
Now get inside the TARDIS.
I know what this is.
I know what's happening, and I know what's at stake.
I don't think you do, Doctor.
But I promise, before this Christmas Day is done, you'll be glad of my help.
Happy Easter! Brutal! Cool exit line, though.
Be sure to save some room for a tangerine, Doctor.
Nobody likes tangerines.
I'm really back here.
This is this is real, yeah? Doctor? Talk to me.
I never thought I was going to see you again.
What is going on out there? What's happening? That noise.
Never knew how much I loved it.
There's something you have to ask yourself, and it's important.
Your life may depend on it - everybody's life.
Do you really believe in Santa Claus? Do you know what? Yeah.
Right now, yeah.
I think I do.
Doctor Who Special #14 Last Christmas 'You are now 20 feet from the infirmary.
'In a moment, as soon as you're ready, ' I'll disable the security protocols.
Your neural link is good and holding.
We stand ready to abort and extract at the first sign of an anomaly.
We're going to be with you 'every step of the way, Shona.
' We're all depending on you and we know you won't let us down.
Shona, I'm opening the door.
I need the toilet! No, you don't.
We're monitoring your bodily functions.
'And how are you monitoring THAT? Cos that's rude!' That is perverted.
Do you remember my briefing, Shona? Yeah Well, no.
I remember some of it.
Some of it? How much? Till he put his hand on my knee.
'And then I was just grossing.
' It was intended as a comfort! For whom? 'All I could see was his nose, 'with all the little hairs coming out of it.
' Have you seen those? It's like he's got insects trapped up there, all trying to escape, with their wee, wiggly legs.
OK.
Let's just go through this again.
'There are four sleepers inside the infirmary.
'You're fine, so long as they don't wake up.
She's in range.
' Shona, I'm unsealing the infirmary.
'From now on, everything you think and feel, 'everything you see, will be available to them.
' Most of it's fine, like traffic noise when you're sleeping.
So long as you don't think about them.
So long as you don't look at them.
So don't think about them Don't look at them.
I thought there was going to be music.
We've got your playlist, ready to go.
Focus on the words of the song, try to remember what comes next.
'That will work like interference.
Here comes your earworm.
' Keep your eyes on the floor.
'Shut them where possible.
' Focus on the music and move forward through the infirmary.
It's the time that every Santa has a ball Does he ride a red-nosed reindeer? Does a ton-up on his sleigh? Dear Lord, she's not actually If dancing works, it works.
This is insane! So here it is, Merry Christmas Everybody's having fun This is working! Look to the future now It's only just begun Are you waiting for the family to arrive? Are you sure you've got the room to spare inside Argh! Argh! Shona? Shona, what's wrong? We've, we've got ghosts! 'Ghosts?!' Yeah, yeah, it's a skeleton man and a girl in a nightie! Doctor? No, no, you're making me think about them, don't make me think about them! What are they? Look, just don't ask, yeah? And don't look.
Don't make me think about them! Deaf.
Blind.
How can they see us? How do they even know that we're here? They can only see you, yeah, if you see them.
So just don't look, don't even think about them! Telepathic! They can home in on their own image in someone else's brain.
Third-party perception.
Mind piracy.
We're being hacked.
What does that even mean? The visual input from your optic nerve is being streamed to their brains.
Stop broadcasting.
Close your eyes! They're still coming, aren't they? It's because you're still thinking about them.
So long as you retain them as an active memory, they can still home in.
Think about something else.
How?! So here it is, Merry Christmas Why is she singing?! Everybody's having She's running interference.
She's trying to distract herself.
304 minus 17.
Sorry, what? Plus 20 - just do it! 507.
Minus 14, times four.
1,972.
Stop being so good at arithmetic! I can't help it! Danny Pink! What's Danny Pink up to right now? Probably flirting with your neighbour or texting women of low moral character.
Don't you dare.
Don't you dare say that.
I was only Danny Pink is dead.
No, he's not.
He's dead.
Go, run, now, now, now! Come on, quick, quick, come on! Here they come! No! Good boy.
Well, now.
What seems to be the problem? This is the North Pole.
We don't want any trouble here.
Rudolph? Easy, son.
Oi! Sleepy heads! It's Christmas Eve, early to bed.
Who the hell are you? Take a guess, go on.
Push the boat out! Tooth Fairy, maybe? Easter Bunny? Shut your mouth, wise guy, or you get yours! It's a balloon animal.
That's a toy gun.
Yeah, well, at least it's unsuitable for children under four! Parts small enough to swallow.
So watch out.
This is ridiculous.
Am I dreaming? Very good! I need to know exactly who you are, and what's happening here.
Hello, Ashley.
Lead scientist on a polar expedition! That microscope really paid off, didn't it? Now, your mum and dad wanted me to get you a toy one, but sometimes, I take a chance.
Who are you? Why are you dressed like that? Why do you think? Come on, this is mental! This is totally not happening.
I got three words, Shona.
Don't make me use 'em.
What three words? My.
Little.
Pony.
Shut up, you! Yeah? I've got lots more, babe.
I will mark you, Santa! OK, Doctor, are you going to explain? What is going on? It's an invasion, Miss Oswald.
An invasion of what, elves? THAT is racist.
Elfist! Which is a bit hypocritical, from someone of your height.
You seen them before, Doctor? I've heard of them.
The Kantrofarri.
Colloquially known as the Dream Crabs.
Yeah.
Depending on how many of those are already on Earth, the human race may well have seen its last day.
So, are we going to stand about arguing about whether I'm real or not, or are we going to get busy saving Christmas? Santa goes badass! He's giving me the feels.
Shut up! That's a that's a verbal warning.
Please, stop it.
Is it dead? I don't know.
Possibly.
I'm assuming extra-terrestrial.
Definitely.
Then how can you have heard of these things? Guess.
Because you're extra-terrestrial, too? Do you believe that? If you are Santa - .
.
what are you doing here? It's the North Pole.
And I own it.
He means the actual pole.
It goes right through the middle of the workshop.
I've got a selfie with it! Show her.
Look at Ian! The North Pole isn't an actual pole.
Of course it is.
Look.
If it was an actual pole, it would not be stripy.
It's got to be stripy! Otherwise, you couldn't see it moving round.
It's actually basic physics.
Why's it called a Dream Crab, for a start? Theorise.
Because it generates a telepathic field.
And? Alters perception.
Meaning? I seem to be doing all the work here.
Meaning we can't trust anything that we see or hear.
Go to the window.
Why? Because it gets worse.
What is that? That's how Clara and I got here.
In a box? Technically, in a telephone kiosk.
How? Because it's a spaceship in disguise.
You know what the big problem is, in telling fantasy and reality apart? What? They're both ridiculous.
It's Christmas Eve! Yeah.
You don't have to tell me that.
Then why aren't you out delivering presents? Technically I am.
Well, you're not.
You're stood right there.
Shona, grow up, love! Yeah, do the math, baby.
There's not just one Santa delivery team.
How could there be? There are 526,403,012 children all expecting presents before tomorrow morning.
So, that's 22 million children per hour! It's impossible! Obviously, I've got a second sledge.
So we don't know what is real and what isn't? Exactly.
Are we in danger? We are well way past danger, Clara.
If I'm right, and I usually am we're dying.
Then how do we stay alive? I like you.
Straight to the point.
I want you to show me how you first encountered those creatures, and what happened to those people in the infirmary.
I notice you all wear mini-cams.
So I assume there is footage.
Is it possible I'm about to work with someone who might be a dream? If it helps, so am I.
We have footage on the drives.
I'll see what I can pull up.
Ashley? What's this polar base for? Why are you all here? It's a long story.
What you said about Danny Unacceptable.
I know.
I had to flood your mind with random emotion.
Random?! You never told me he was dead.
You said he made it back.
I lied.
I lied, so you'd go home to Gallifrey instead of fussing about me.
I never found Gallifrey.
I lied.
So you'd stay with Danny.
So we're dying, then? Yes.
Why? Complicated.
How long do we have? No idea.
Just Doctor, give me something to do.
Trust nothing.
Accept nothing you see.
Whatever happens, interrogate everything.
In case it's a lie? In case it's a lie.
Reindeer can't fly.
They just can't.
No, no, they can't.
It's a scientific impossibility.
That is why I feed mine magic carrots.
You all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm trying to talk sense into Beardy-Weirdy.
You don't seem much like a scientist.
That's a bit rude, coming from a magician! Why are you out here? What brought you to the North Pole? Long story, isn't it? You missed the killer question.
Sorry, what? Beardy-Weirdy.
Yeah? How do you get all the presents in the sleigh? It's bigger on the inside.
Doctor? Sorry, starving.
What am I looking at? Footage from a week ago.
A side expedition from our main mission.
What is your main mission? Long story.
Ice cave directly beneath this base.
Now, look at what we found.
Dormant at first.
Until you looked at them too long.
Till you thought about them.
Exactly.
Sleeping.
Probably been down there for centuries.
And it wakes up when you think about it? They can detect their own mental picture in any nearby mind.
That's Bellows' theory.
It's like it responds to the presence of any data concerning itself.
That was always the legend.
You think about a Dream Crab, a Dream Crab is coming for you.
This is where it gets really nasty.
Only now? OK.
Then what? They're a bit like Facehuggers, aren't they? Facehuggers? You know, Alien.
The horror movie, Alien.
There's a horror movie called Alien? That's really offensive.
No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
First, they just slept.
Couple of days, just lying there.
And then they became aggressive? If we got close enough, yeah.
It would take the Dream Crab a little while to take control.
Depends how much of the host brain was Was what? Digested.
Are they still alive under those things? Depends what you call alive.
Are they suffering? No, no, no.
The Dream Crab induces a dream state.
Keeps you happy and relaxed, in a perfectly realised dream world, as you dissolve.
Merciful, I suppose.
Compared to what? Compared to that turkey leg you keep eating.
Could you rewind? I'd like to see them dormant again.
Clara, could you fetch me the dead one? Maybe I could fetch you a cup of tea while I'm at it! Yes, and a punch in the face, too.
My very next suggestion.
Fair enough.
Doctor? What's wrong? We're thinking about it.
Clara! 100 minus 42 is 58 times 3 is 174 minus 32 is 142 divided by 7 is 20 and, and, and a bit.
Think about something else, think about something else.
Danny Pink, Danny, Danny.
Danny Pink, I love you and I'll never see you again, and I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I lied.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry Who are you? What do you mean, who am I? Who do you think I am? Danny? Merry Christmas! Come on! Come on where? Downstairs.
Why? Well, you know what day it is! What day is it? Easter.
It's Easter Day.
That's why I'm dressed like this, I'm Father Easter! Is that a thing? No, because it's Christmas! Well, you've made me want chocolate now.
Good.
Come on, you.
Out of bed, downstairs.
I have surprises.
Tickets for the Indian Orient Express.
That painting we saw in Paris, and permission to own a cat.
How did you know? Because those are exactly the things I want and you are too clever ever to be wrong.
How do you make you clever into me being clever? I always protect your ego from the truth.
Thank you for that! It's Christmas.
Hurry up, then! Danny? Whose blackboard is that? What blackboard? Are you coming? Yeah, just a moment! Clara? Coming! Clara! Yeah.
Just a minute.
'Dying!' 'Dying!' 'Clara! Clara!' Well, come on then.
You don't know what I'm wearing underneath this Santa outfit! Your pyjamas.
You're too shy to wear less than two layers.
You could have used your imagination.
Yeah, I generally have to.
'Clara!' Clara, you're dreaming.
You're dying.
Can you hear me? Clara? We did try to waken the others.
No stimulus worked.
OK, we kill it.
We find a way to kill it and we get it off her.
How do we kill it? There's no way to kill it without killing your friend, too.
And as a scientist, may I just say, I don't like the way you're talking Santa! In the infirmary, you told the sleepers to go to bed, and they obeyed you.
Sorry, doesn't mean I can get that creature off her.
But you can get back in there unharmed.
What?! You're asking Santa for help? He doesn't exist! And how would you know that? How did you become an expert on what does and doesn't exist? I can commit several million housebreaks in one night, dressed in a red suit with jingle bells.
So of course I can get back into the infirmary.
Good.
Because there's only one way that I can communicate with Clara.
Your dad? Going by the timing, I'd say so.
If you let him anywhere near the subject of golf, I will do a thing, and it will not be a good thing.
Aren't we giving him golf clubs? And I'm prepared to use them! Hi.
Hi.
Doctor? It's not real, Clara.
You know it's not real.
It's a dream, and it's killing you.
Merry Christmas! You remember Danny, of course.
Not as well as you, clearly.
You've made him a fraction taller.
Merry Christmas, PE.
Compliments of the season, sir! Dialogue's pretty good, too.
Nice work.
It's all in the detail.
Just stop it.
He's not real, Clara.
None of this is real.
What's real is that there is an alien organism wrapped around your face, keeping you warm and happy, while it eats you.
Mince pie, anyone? You're dying.
If this is a dream, how can you be here? How can we both be having the same dream? There was only one way to get to you.
And what was that? I'm dying, too.
Have we just killed him? Have we just made it worse? He thinks he can join the dream, get her out.
Have a little faith.
You just wake up.
Just leave me here, please.
You have a pain right here.
It's like an ice cream pain, but gentle.
Do you know what that is? The skin and bone have been parted, probably half an inch, and something has pushed right into the soft tissue of your brain and is very slowly dissolving it.
I want you to picture it this way.
Somebody has put a straw right through your skull and is drinking you.
You should be screaming with agony, but there's anaesthetic.
Everything around you right now - even Danny, especially Danny, that's the anaesthetic.
Why are you doing this? Why are you saying all that? Because it's true! How long do you think you've been here? All day.
No, no, no, no.
Barely five minutes.
Because dream time goes faster.
Because this isn't real.
Danny isn't real.
Danny Pink died saving the world.
I really didn't.
I'm sorry.
I thought there was a way back for him, but I was wrong, I can't change that, he's dead.
I didn't die saving the world, Doctor, I died saving Clara.
The rest of you just got lucky.
How long has she got? Minutes, till it's irreversible.
Well, then, get out the way.
I'm a dream and you know I am, right? Right, one thing.
But it's important.
It's a very important thing.
That is totally how you guessed all my presents.
I miss you.
Five minutes.
What? You can miss me for five minutes a day.
And you'd better do it properly.
You'd better be sad.
I expect my five.
But all the rest of the time, Clara, all the rest of the time, every single second, you just get the hell on with it.
Clear? Don't you soldier me! Do as you're told.
Brave.
Dead already.
How does she wake up? I don't know.
Just try.
Accept this isn't real, and try.
Do it.
For me.
When I wake up, you won't be there.
Do you know why people get together at Christmas? Because every time they do, it might be the last time.
Every Christmas is last Christmas.
And this is ours.
This was a bonus.
This is extra.
But now it's time to wake up.
Argh! Clara? Clara, look at me, Clara! Clara! Breathe, breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
So these creatures - when their feeding goes wrong, they die? The carnivore's hazard.
Food has teeth too.
You OK? No.
Good.
There are some things we should never be OK about.
There doesn't seem to be a wound.
No.
And the pain's still there, isn't it? Is it the ice cream pain? Just here? Cos I've got that.
It's the cold, I think.
Some sort of reaction.
But only on one side, just that spot there.
Doesn't that strike you as odd? Well, we've all got it.
OK.
So why do we all have that pain? Theorise.
Don't treat me like a beginner! I was dreaming, then I woke up, I know that.
Do you? And have you ever woken up from a dream and discovered you're still dreaming? Dreams within dreams - dream states nested inside each other.
All perfectly possible.
Especially when we are dealing with creatures who have weaponised our dreams against us.
I don't know about anybody else, but I'm pretty certain I'm awake right now.
Which is odd, when you think about it.
Odd? Impossible, in fact.
How can any of us be awake? I don't understand.
Remember how we all first met? In the infirmary? Come on, quick, quick, come on.
Go! Run, now! Those creatures coming down from the ceiling, attacking us.
Here they come! We never stood a chance.
How did we survive that? Well, w-we were rescued.
Yeah, we were rescued.
And who was it that rescued us? No, no, no, I need you to do the east coast right now.
Well, otherwise you'll be delivering to the islands in broad daylight.
Yeah, listen Please try and remember that our mugshots are on every Christmas card.
Yeah, just get it done, head towards the northern lights.
Yes, I remembered to switch them on! The Helman-Ziegler test - the only reliable dream test that I know.
Your base manual.
I take it none of you have memorised this.
I haven't, I haven't read it.
These books should be identical in the real world.
But as they don't exist in your memory, in a dream, they can't be.
Agreed? Clara.
Give me any two-digit number.
All right, all of you, turn to page 57 and look at the very first word.
Right, when I point at you.
Isotope.
Well? Extremely.
Inside.
Chocolate.
Why did I get chocolate, what's that about? This can't be right.
We must have got it wrong, that's all.
Well, we'll do it again.
Clara? 24.
24.
We.
Are.
All.
Shona? Dead.
Since the attack in the infirmary, nothing has been real? The attack is still going on.
This is it! We've been dreaming since then? For Easter's sake! Of course you've been dreaming! Haven't you been paying attention? Rudolph - did you see the nose? The North Pole? Come on, with stripes?! This is a dream! How much more obvious do you want me to make it? Because I can text the Easter Bunny, you know.
Seriously? You're trying to help? As you stand here, chatting, chatting, your lives are ending.
Unless you wake up, unless you free yourselves from these dreadful creatures, they're going to destroy you.
You're a dream who's trying to save us? Shona, sweetheart, I'm Santa Claus.
I think you just defined me! This makes perfect sense.
The Dream Crab tries to make the dream as real as possible to trap you inside it.
It creates dreams within dreams so you can never be sure if you are really awake.
But your brain knows something is wrong.
Your subconscious fights back.
THIS is your mind, trying to tell you this isn't real.
So it gives you me.
Sweet Papa Chrimbo! It gives you comedy elves, flying reindeer.
Exactly! A time-travelling scientist dressed as a magician.
Classic! No, no, no.
Hang on.
No, no, no, no.
Living in a phone box.
It's a spaceship in disguise! You see how none of this makes any sense? Shut up, Santa! I've watched over you all your lives.
I've taken care of you from Christmas to Christmas.
But you're not real! And yet, that never stopped me.
All of you, come near.
Come here, come on! Join hands.
No, look, we don't need all this touchy-feely stuff.
Shut up, Doctor! Join hands.
Come on, concentrate.
Why? You are deep inside this dream, all right, and it is a shared mental state, so it is drawing power from the multi-consciousness gestalt which has now formed telepathically No, no, no.
Line in the sand.
Santa Claus does not do the scientific explanation! All right.
As the Doctor might say, "Aw, it's all a bit dreamy-weamy!" Why don't you just go and make a naughty list? I have, mate, and you're on it! Don't give me that look.
You're supposed to be warm and friendly and cheerful! Look at your great bedside manner! Don't be so hostile! Doctor, behave! This is very sweet.
But right now I have an alien life form wrapped around my face, and apparently it's digesting my brain.
When you speak, how do I know it's not the Dream Crab? Good question.
Spoken like a scientist.
Can I put it another way? Why would the part of our brain that is trying to keep all of us alive choose you for a face? Is anyone else asking that? Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
All of us.
All of us.
Why you? Well It's the North Pole, it's Christmas Day.
You're dying.
Who you gonna call? Just one last time? One last Christmas, as if your lives depended on it.
Please! Believe in Santa! I'm not very good with this holdy-hand thing.
Tough.
I WILL hold Clara's hand, but that's it.
Shona, take his hand.
No, I'm fine, I'm fine.
This is very Christmassy, isn't it? OK, so what do we? Where did he go? We're waking up.
That part of the dream is over.
We're on our own now.
Well, then.
What do we do? That pain in your head.
Make it worse.
Head towards it.
So when we wake up, what do we expect? Only a few moments will have passed at the most.
The attack is still in progress.
I'm scared.
Congratulations.
That means you're not an idiot.
It's not like the last time.
Last time wasn't real.
Good luck.
Stay calm.
And God bless us, every one.
Run! Clara! Doctor! Out, out, now! NOW! Everyone all right? Yeah.
Good.
Bye.
Sorry, I'll just go and No need for chatting, you'll only get attached.
This isn't Facebook.
What about the Dream Crabs? They're fine.
And the people that they're eating? Beyond help.
Doctor, the others are still in danger.
Only if they're stupid.
There are polar bears on this ice cap.
Am I supposed to do something about that, too? We know Dream Crabs are still on Earth.
There are lots of dangerous things on this funny little planet of yours, Clara, most of which you eat.
I'm the Doctor, not your mam! Doctor? If Santa was only in the dream why was he on my roof? Four! Four patients.
Four manuals.
Hurry! Do you know what I hate about the obvious? What? Missing it! As you were, no saluting.
Are you the same people as before? Of course they are! Sorry, I deleted you.
Well, that's not a very nice attitude, is it? Four manuals, yes? Yes, why? One each.
One each, yes.
What's the problem? The problem is, you can't see the problem.
For instance, you, gobby one.
I have a name, actually.
Doesn't matter, I don't need it.
When we first met you in the infirmary, what were you doing? It's a long story.
Uptight boss one.
What is the primary mission of this polar base? It's a long story.
Sexy one - what brings you to the North Pole at your age? It's a long story.
OK.
Why are they all giving the same answer? Because that is a tiny bit freaky.
You think that's freaky? Try this.
We were in the TARDIS - why did WE come here? It's a long story.
Doctor? Dreams, they're funny.
They're disjointed, they're silly, they're full of gaps.
But you don't notice, because the dream protects itself.
Stops you asking the right questions.
For example, why do you have four manuals, one each, when you have a crew of eight? Or did you forget about your friends in the infirmary here? But we woke up! Dreams within dreams, I warned you.
This isn't a dream.
I know it isn't.
No-one knows they're not dreaming.
Not one of us.
Not ever.
Not for one single moment of our lives.
Clara? Page number.
Make it a good one.
Very.
Very.
Very.
Dead.
And who's going to be the first to admit it? Admit what? That the pain is still there.
Actually, I think it's getting worse.
Yes, there is an alien organism in your brain, eating it.
Of course it's getting worse.
Doctor? What are they doing? Factually, getting up.
Significantly, sensing the endgame.
How? I don't understand.
Well, look at them.
Go on.
Look at them.
Look at them properly.
Look who they are.
They're you.
The sleepers are you.
How can they be us? Because we're dreaming, all of us.
This base isn't real.
None of us are actually standing in the room.
I'm probably asleep in my TARDIS.
Clara, you must be in bed.
God knows where the rest of you are, probably scattered all over the world.
But wherever you are, the Dream Crabs have got us, and we're all being networked into the same nightmare.
What are they doing? It's your subconscious again.
The sleepers represent the part of your mind that's already surrendered to the attack.
These are dream images of what's coming to kill you.
That's me! That's actually me! No, it's a metaphorical construct representing a psychic attack within a shared dreamscape.
Do please keep up.
But it's me! Don't get too close.
Why? Because this is a nightmare.
Look out! They're coming through! Out! Outside, now! Run, run, run, run! Run! Run, run, all of you, go.
Run! We'll freeze to death out here.
But it's just a dream.
This dream just killed your friend, start taking it seriously.
Where's Albert? Where's the professor? He probably just woke up somewhere in the real world, dead.
If we don't wake up now, we'll do the same.
But how? I don't know.
The TARDIS! Come on! Come on! Doctor, it's not the real TARDIS.
Well, let's hope that I dreamed it really well then.
It's us.
Of course it's us.
We're dreaming too.
My God! How is that possible? How can there be so many?! The logic of a nightmare.
So, tell us how to wake up.
Because you're always talking like you're so clever, going on and on.
So tell us what to do! We have to leave this place.
Leave it? How? Use your imagination.
Excuse me? Dream yourselves home.
But how? Come on, it's Christmas, the North Pole, who you gonna call? Hyahhh! Get in the sleigh.
Fortunately, I know all your home addresses.
Hyah! So, what happens now? Hyah! This is us just waking up, right? Could be.
Well, I hope so.
Waking up or Or? Just focus on this.
Do you believe in Santa Claus? I've always believed in Santa Claus.
But he looks a little different to me.
Look! You want to take the reins, Doctor? You're a dream construct, currently representing either my recovering or expiring mind.
Yes, but do you want a go? Yeah.
All right.
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
Easy! This way.
No, no, no! Up a bit.
Don't stop.
There we go.
Look at me.
Look look at me! Look at me! I'm riding a sleigh.
I'm riding a sleigh.
Yippee yah-yay! Maybe you could Yeah, yeah.
I work in a shop.
I'm sorry? I thought I was a scientist.
That's rubbish.
Finally, something that makes sense.
You're horrible, you.
Perfume.
What? I'm an account manager for perfume.
Does this mean we're waking up? Possibly.
With any luck, we'll all wake up in our proper times and places.
Proper times? Well, we could all be from different time zones.
Time travel is always possible in dreams.
We might not know each other? Not any of us? No, possibly not.
Well, you know what we should do? We should swap numbers.
We should have a reunion.
Bellows! Gran! Dinner's ready.
Yeah, sorry, I must have dozed off.
Now I'm pretty sure I can remember my number so if you memorise it then you text me, we can go for a curry The chances of you remembering any of this are very slim.
Well, don't say that.
We'll remember, won't we, Ashley? Ashley? Am I next? Is it me now? Shona, you're going home.
You're surviving.
Do you want to hang out sometime? We can just hang out.
Sure.
Santa, can I stay a bit longer? Gross! It's a pity we have to wake up, really.
It's not really something we do every day, is it? No, no, strictly once a year.
We stay we die, Clara.
You're always such a downer, Doctor.
Clara! You really should be waking up, too, Clara.
Just a little longer.
Why? Every Christmas is last Christmas.
Hyah! Clara.
Might have known that you would be the one to sleep in.
OK.
I tracked the psychic signal here.
I'm pretty sure that I know how to do this now.
One of the advantages of actually being awake.
So, you just hold still.
I've just got to zap the neural centres.
OK.
There you go.
The Dream Crabs must have got to me first then found you in my memory.
The others were collateral damage.
Well Good to see you properly at last.
How long has it been? Clara You know about 62 years.
Doctor I have missed you very much you stupid old man.
I've missed you too.
These are Christmas hats, I've seen people use them.
You put them on and absolutely anything seems funny.
Probably won't work on you.
Probably not.
You want to try? Go on, then.
Can you really see no difference in me? Clara Oswald, you will never look any different to me.
So, how was it then? How was what? The 62 years that I missed.
How was my life, you mean? Is there a Mr Clara? No.
But there were plenty of proposals.
They all turned you down though? I turned them down! I travelled.
I taught in every country in Europe.
I learned to fly a plane.
Regrets? Hundreds.
I just wish there were time for a few more.
Yeah, they're always the best part.
Christmas cracker? We should do one.
No-one ever matched up to Danny? There was one other man.
But that would never have worked out.
Why not? He was impossible.
We should do this every Christmas.
Because every Christmas is last Christmas.
I'm sorry I was stupid.
I should have come back earlier.
I wish that I had.
Do you, Doctor? How much do you wish that? I'm not still? Wakey, wakey! Clara! Doctor.
Am I young? No idea.
Is that any good? That's good.
The TARDIS is outside.
So? So, all of time and all of space is sitting out there.
A big blue box.
Please don't even argue.
Merry Christmas, Doctor.
Merry Christmas, Clara Oswald.
Well, look at you, all happy.
That's rare.
Do you know what's rarer? Second chances.
I never get a second chance, so what happened this time? Don't even know who to thank.
IThey're hard to miss.
As you've clearly demonstrated, Ian! Donner! Donner and Blitzen! Come on down, down here, boys.
Good boys, good boys.
Rudolph? Just, just clear all the tangerines up.
Pick 'em up - all of them, Ian.
You know no-one really likes the tangerines, don't you? How dare you! That's my signature gift! That and the walnut.
Down here, boys, come on.
Rudolph?! Sir? We've been seen.
Hello Hello.
Hello! Hello, human.
You can't call her human! It's not racist.
They don't mind.
Hush up, both of you.
Sorry about this girl? W-We are just three passing, perfectly ordinary roof people, doing some emergency roof things.
Carry on.
Merry Christmas.
If-if it is Christmas, I mean! I don't much care for things like that, myself.
Pfft! I mean, Christmas! Are you Santa Claus? Me?! No! No! It's ridiculous No, no, no! Rudolph! Rudolph! Down here! All right, fine, yes.
Yes, it's me.
Guilty.
How did you recognise me? You know how you grew that beard as a bit of a disguise? People have picked up on it.
OK, no.
Hang on, stop, shut up.
What? Seriously, you you're Father Christmas? You're real? Of course I'm real! How could he not be real? How do you think those presents got under the tree every year? By magic? Well, I thought it was my mum and Mum and Dad?! Well, of course it was! I mean, it makes perfect sense! Your mum and dad, one day a year, for no particular reason, just out of the blue, suddenly decide to give you a great, big pile of presents.
No, no, no.
Because "They love you so much!" It's a lovely story, dear.
Yeah, but it's time to start living in the real world, yeah? OK, right.
Clara Oswald.
Mostly favours travel books, science kits.
Strict ban on hair products.
Marginal for the naughty list, '93.
Believer until the age of nine.
Why did you stop? Because you're a fairy tale.
I grew out of fairy tales.
Did you, Clara? Did you really? Clara, I want you to step inside the TARDIS.
I don't want you to talk, I want you to do as I ask.
Please.
That was good, with the box.
Hmph! Not often we get upstaged on a rooftop.
Yes, I'm really here.
I'm back.
Now get inside the TARDIS.
I know what this is.
I know what's happening, and I know what's at stake.
I don't think you do, Doctor.
But I promise, before this Christmas Day is done, you'll be glad of my help.
Happy Easter! Brutal! Cool exit line, though.
Be sure to save some room for a tangerine, Doctor.
Nobody likes tangerines.
I'm really back here.
This is this is real, yeah? Doctor? Talk to me.
I never thought I was going to see you again.
What is going on out there? What's happening? That noise.
Never knew how much I loved it.
There's something you have to ask yourself, and it's important.
Your life may depend on it - everybody's life.
Do you really believe in Santa Claus? Do you know what? Yeah.
Right now, yeah.
I think I do.
Doctor Who Special #14 Last Christmas 'You are now 20 feet from the infirmary.
'In a moment, as soon as you're ready, ' I'll disable the security protocols.
Your neural link is good and holding.
We stand ready to abort and extract at the first sign of an anomaly.
We're going to be with you 'every step of the way, Shona.
' We're all depending on you and we know you won't let us down.
Shona, I'm opening the door.
I need the toilet! No, you don't.
We're monitoring your bodily functions.
'And how are you monitoring THAT? Cos that's rude!' That is perverted.
Do you remember my briefing, Shona? Yeah Well, no.
I remember some of it.
Some of it? How much? Till he put his hand on my knee.
'And then I was just grossing.
' It was intended as a comfort! For whom? 'All I could see was his nose, 'with all the little hairs coming out of it.
' Have you seen those? It's like he's got insects trapped up there, all trying to escape, with their wee, wiggly legs.
OK.
Let's just go through this again.
'There are four sleepers inside the infirmary.
'You're fine, so long as they don't wake up.
She's in range.
' Shona, I'm unsealing the infirmary.
'From now on, everything you think and feel, 'everything you see, will be available to them.
' Most of it's fine, like traffic noise when you're sleeping.
So long as you don't think about them.
So long as you don't look at them.
So don't think about them Don't look at them.
I thought there was going to be music.
We've got your playlist, ready to go.
Focus on the words of the song, try to remember what comes next.
'That will work like interference.
Here comes your earworm.
' Keep your eyes on the floor.
'Shut them where possible.
' Focus on the music and move forward through the infirmary.
It's the time that every Santa has a ball Does he ride a red-nosed reindeer? Does a ton-up on his sleigh? Dear Lord, she's not actually If dancing works, it works.
This is insane! So here it is, Merry Christmas Everybody's having fun This is working! Look to the future now It's only just begun Are you waiting for the family to arrive? Are you sure you've got the room to spare inside Argh! Argh! Shona? Shona, what's wrong? We've, we've got ghosts! 'Ghosts?!' Yeah, yeah, it's a skeleton man and a girl in a nightie! Doctor? No, no, you're making me think about them, don't make me think about them! What are they? Look, just don't ask, yeah? And don't look.
Don't make me think about them! Deaf.
Blind.
How can they see us? How do they even know that we're here? They can only see you, yeah, if you see them.
So just don't look, don't even think about them! Telepathic! They can home in on their own image in someone else's brain.
Third-party perception.
Mind piracy.
We're being hacked.
What does that even mean? The visual input from your optic nerve is being streamed to their brains.
Stop broadcasting.
Close your eyes! They're still coming, aren't they? It's because you're still thinking about them.
So long as you retain them as an active memory, they can still home in.
Think about something else.
How?! So here it is, Merry Christmas Why is she singing?! Everybody's having She's running interference.
She's trying to distract herself.
304 minus 17.
Sorry, what? Plus 20 - just do it! 507.
Minus 14, times four.
1,972.
Stop being so good at arithmetic! I can't help it! Danny Pink! What's Danny Pink up to right now? Probably flirting with your neighbour or texting women of low moral character.
Don't you dare.
Don't you dare say that.
I was only Danny Pink is dead.
No, he's not.
He's dead.
Go, run, now, now, now! Come on, quick, quick, come on! Here they come! No! Good boy.
Well, now.
What seems to be the problem? This is the North Pole.
We don't want any trouble here.
Rudolph? Easy, son.
Oi! Sleepy heads! It's Christmas Eve, early to bed.
Who the hell are you? Take a guess, go on.
Push the boat out! Tooth Fairy, maybe? Easter Bunny? Shut your mouth, wise guy, or you get yours! It's a balloon animal.
That's a toy gun.
Yeah, well, at least it's unsuitable for children under four! Parts small enough to swallow.
So watch out.
This is ridiculous.
Am I dreaming? Very good! I need to know exactly who you are, and what's happening here.
Hello, Ashley.
Lead scientist on a polar expedition! That microscope really paid off, didn't it? Now, your mum and dad wanted me to get you a toy one, but sometimes, I take a chance.
Who are you? Why are you dressed like that? Why do you think? Come on, this is mental! This is totally not happening.
I got three words, Shona.
Don't make me use 'em.
What three words? My.
Little.
Pony.
Shut up, you! Yeah? I've got lots more, babe.
I will mark you, Santa! OK, Doctor, are you going to explain? What is going on? It's an invasion, Miss Oswald.
An invasion of what, elves? THAT is racist.
Elfist! Which is a bit hypocritical, from someone of your height.
You seen them before, Doctor? I've heard of them.
The Kantrofarri.
Colloquially known as the Dream Crabs.
Yeah.
Depending on how many of those are already on Earth, the human race may well have seen its last day.
So, are we going to stand about arguing about whether I'm real or not, or are we going to get busy saving Christmas? Santa goes badass! He's giving me the feels.
Shut up! That's a that's a verbal warning.
Please, stop it.
Is it dead? I don't know.
Possibly.
I'm assuming extra-terrestrial.
Definitely.
Then how can you have heard of these things? Guess.
Because you're extra-terrestrial, too? Do you believe that? If you are Santa - .
.
what are you doing here? It's the North Pole.
And I own it.
He means the actual pole.
It goes right through the middle of the workshop.
I've got a selfie with it! Show her.
Look at Ian! The North Pole isn't an actual pole.
Of course it is.
Look.
If it was an actual pole, it would not be stripy.
It's got to be stripy! Otherwise, you couldn't see it moving round.
It's actually basic physics.
Why's it called a Dream Crab, for a start? Theorise.
Because it generates a telepathic field.
And? Alters perception.
Meaning? I seem to be doing all the work here.
Meaning we can't trust anything that we see or hear.
Go to the window.
Why? Because it gets worse.
What is that? That's how Clara and I got here.
In a box? Technically, in a telephone kiosk.
How? Because it's a spaceship in disguise.
You know what the big problem is, in telling fantasy and reality apart? What? They're both ridiculous.
It's Christmas Eve! Yeah.
You don't have to tell me that.
Then why aren't you out delivering presents? Technically I am.
Well, you're not.
You're stood right there.
Shona, grow up, love! Yeah, do the math, baby.
There's not just one Santa delivery team.
How could there be? There are 526,403,012 children all expecting presents before tomorrow morning.
So, that's 22 million children per hour! It's impossible! Obviously, I've got a second sledge.
So we don't know what is real and what isn't? Exactly.
Are we in danger? We are well way past danger, Clara.
If I'm right, and I usually am we're dying.
Then how do we stay alive? I like you.
Straight to the point.
I want you to show me how you first encountered those creatures, and what happened to those people in the infirmary.
I notice you all wear mini-cams.
So I assume there is footage.
Is it possible I'm about to work with someone who might be a dream? If it helps, so am I.
We have footage on the drives.
I'll see what I can pull up.
Ashley? What's this polar base for? Why are you all here? It's a long story.
What you said about Danny Unacceptable.
I know.
I had to flood your mind with random emotion.
Random?! You never told me he was dead.
You said he made it back.
I lied.
I lied, so you'd go home to Gallifrey instead of fussing about me.
I never found Gallifrey.
I lied.
So you'd stay with Danny.
So we're dying, then? Yes.
Why? Complicated.
How long do we have? No idea.
Just Doctor, give me something to do.
Trust nothing.
Accept nothing you see.
Whatever happens, interrogate everything.
In case it's a lie? In case it's a lie.
Reindeer can't fly.
They just can't.
No, no, they can't.
It's a scientific impossibility.
That is why I feed mine magic carrots.
You all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm trying to talk sense into Beardy-Weirdy.
You don't seem much like a scientist.
That's a bit rude, coming from a magician! Why are you out here? What brought you to the North Pole? Long story, isn't it? You missed the killer question.
Sorry, what? Beardy-Weirdy.
Yeah? How do you get all the presents in the sleigh? It's bigger on the inside.
Doctor? Sorry, starving.
What am I looking at? Footage from a week ago.
A side expedition from our main mission.
What is your main mission? Long story.
Ice cave directly beneath this base.
Now, look at what we found.
Dormant at first.
Until you looked at them too long.
Till you thought about them.
Exactly.
Sleeping.
Probably been down there for centuries.
And it wakes up when you think about it? They can detect their own mental picture in any nearby mind.
That's Bellows' theory.
It's like it responds to the presence of any data concerning itself.
That was always the legend.
You think about a Dream Crab, a Dream Crab is coming for you.
This is where it gets really nasty.
Only now? OK.
Then what? They're a bit like Facehuggers, aren't they? Facehuggers? You know, Alien.
The horror movie, Alien.
There's a horror movie called Alien? That's really offensive.
No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
First, they just slept.
Couple of days, just lying there.
And then they became aggressive? If we got close enough, yeah.
It would take the Dream Crab a little while to take control.
Depends how much of the host brain was Was what? Digested.
Are they still alive under those things? Depends what you call alive.
Are they suffering? No, no, no.
The Dream Crab induces a dream state.
Keeps you happy and relaxed, in a perfectly realised dream world, as you dissolve.
Merciful, I suppose.
Compared to what? Compared to that turkey leg you keep eating.
Could you rewind? I'd like to see them dormant again.
Clara, could you fetch me the dead one? Maybe I could fetch you a cup of tea while I'm at it! Yes, and a punch in the face, too.
My very next suggestion.
Fair enough.
Doctor? What's wrong? We're thinking about it.
Clara! 100 minus 42 is 58 times 3 is 174 minus 32 is 142 divided by 7 is 20 and, and, and a bit.
Think about something else, think about something else.
Danny Pink, Danny, Danny.
Danny Pink, I love you and I'll never see you again, and I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I lied.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry Who are you? What do you mean, who am I? Who do you think I am? Danny? Merry Christmas! Come on! Come on where? Downstairs.
Why? Well, you know what day it is! What day is it? Easter.
It's Easter Day.
That's why I'm dressed like this, I'm Father Easter! Is that a thing? No, because it's Christmas! Well, you've made me want chocolate now.
Good.
Come on, you.
Out of bed, downstairs.
I have surprises.
Tickets for the Indian Orient Express.
That painting we saw in Paris, and permission to own a cat.
How did you know? Because those are exactly the things I want and you are too clever ever to be wrong.
How do you make you clever into me being clever? I always protect your ego from the truth.
Thank you for that! It's Christmas.
Hurry up, then! Danny? Whose blackboard is that? What blackboard? Are you coming? Yeah, just a moment! Clara? Coming! Clara! Yeah.
Just a minute.
'Dying!' 'Dying!' 'Clara! Clara!' Well, come on then.
You don't know what I'm wearing underneath this Santa outfit! Your pyjamas.
You're too shy to wear less than two layers.
You could have used your imagination.
Yeah, I generally have to.
'Clara!' Clara, you're dreaming.
You're dying.
Can you hear me? Clara? We did try to waken the others.
No stimulus worked.
OK, we kill it.
We find a way to kill it and we get it off her.
How do we kill it? There's no way to kill it without killing your friend, too.
And as a scientist, may I just say, I don't like the way you're talking Santa! In the infirmary, you told the sleepers to go to bed, and they obeyed you.
Sorry, doesn't mean I can get that creature off her.
But you can get back in there unharmed.
What?! You're asking Santa for help? He doesn't exist! And how would you know that? How did you become an expert on what does and doesn't exist? I can commit several million housebreaks in one night, dressed in a red suit with jingle bells.
So of course I can get back into the infirmary.
Good.
Because there's only one way that I can communicate with Clara.
Your dad? Going by the timing, I'd say so.
If you let him anywhere near the subject of golf, I will do a thing, and it will not be a good thing.
Aren't we giving him golf clubs? And I'm prepared to use them! Hi.
Hi.
Doctor? It's not real, Clara.
You know it's not real.
It's a dream, and it's killing you.
Merry Christmas! You remember Danny, of course.
Not as well as you, clearly.
You've made him a fraction taller.
Merry Christmas, PE.
Compliments of the season, sir! Dialogue's pretty good, too.
Nice work.
It's all in the detail.
Just stop it.
He's not real, Clara.
None of this is real.
What's real is that there is an alien organism wrapped around your face, keeping you warm and happy, while it eats you.
Mince pie, anyone? You're dying.
If this is a dream, how can you be here? How can we both be having the same dream? There was only one way to get to you.
And what was that? I'm dying, too.
Have we just killed him? Have we just made it worse? He thinks he can join the dream, get her out.
Have a little faith.
You just wake up.
Just leave me here, please.
You have a pain right here.
It's like an ice cream pain, but gentle.
Do you know what that is? The skin and bone have been parted, probably half an inch, and something has pushed right into the soft tissue of your brain and is very slowly dissolving it.
I want you to picture it this way.
Somebody has put a straw right through your skull and is drinking you.
You should be screaming with agony, but there's anaesthetic.
Everything around you right now - even Danny, especially Danny, that's the anaesthetic.
Why are you doing this? Why are you saying all that? Because it's true! How long do you think you've been here? All day.
No, no, no, no.
Barely five minutes.
Because dream time goes faster.
Because this isn't real.
Danny isn't real.
Danny Pink died saving the world.
I really didn't.
I'm sorry.
I thought there was a way back for him, but I was wrong, I can't change that, he's dead.
I didn't die saving the world, Doctor, I died saving Clara.
The rest of you just got lucky.
How long has she got? Minutes, till it's irreversible.
Well, then, get out the way.
I'm a dream and you know I am, right? Right, one thing.
But it's important.
It's a very important thing.
That is totally how you guessed all my presents.
I miss you.
Five minutes.
What? You can miss me for five minutes a day.
And you'd better do it properly.
You'd better be sad.
I expect my five.
But all the rest of the time, Clara, all the rest of the time, every single second, you just get the hell on with it.
Clear? Don't you soldier me! Do as you're told.
Brave.
Dead already.
How does she wake up? I don't know.
Just try.
Accept this isn't real, and try.
Do it.
For me.
When I wake up, you won't be there.
Do you know why people get together at Christmas? Because every time they do, it might be the last time.
Every Christmas is last Christmas.
And this is ours.
This was a bonus.
This is extra.
But now it's time to wake up.
Argh! Clara? Clara, look at me, Clara! Clara! Breathe, breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
So these creatures - when their feeding goes wrong, they die? The carnivore's hazard.
Food has teeth too.
You OK? No.
Good.
There are some things we should never be OK about.
There doesn't seem to be a wound.
No.
And the pain's still there, isn't it? Is it the ice cream pain? Just here? Cos I've got that.
It's the cold, I think.
Some sort of reaction.
But only on one side, just that spot there.
Doesn't that strike you as odd? Well, we've all got it.
OK.
So why do we all have that pain? Theorise.
Don't treat me like a beginner! I was dreaming, then I woke up, I know that.
Do you? And have you ever woken up from a dream and discovered you're still dreaming? Dreams within dreams - dream states nested inside each other.
All perfectly possible.
Especially when we are dealing with creatures who have weaponised our dreams against us.
I don't know about anybody else, but I'm pretty certain I'm awake right now.
Which is odd, when you think about it.
Odd? Impossible, in fact.
How can any of us be awake? I don't understand.
Remember how we all first met? In the infirmary? Come on, quick, quick, come on.
Go! Run, now! Those creatures coming down from the ceiling, attacking us.
Here they come! We never stood a chance.
How did we survive that? Well, w-we were rescued.
Yeah, we were rescued.
And who was it that rescued us? No, no, no, I need you to do the east coast right now.
Well, otherwise you'll be delivering to the islands in broad daylight.
Yeah, listen Please try and remember that our mugshots are on every Christmas card.
Yeah, just get it done, head towards the northern lights.
Yes, I remembered to switch them on! The Helman-Ziegler test - the only reliable dream test that I know.
Your base manual.
I take it none of you have memorised this.
I haven't, I haven't read it.
These books should be identical in the real world.
But as they don't exist in your memory, in a dream, they can't be.
Agreed? Clara.
Give me any two-digit number.
All right, all of you, turn to page 57 and look at the very first word.
Right, when I point at you.
Isotope.
Well? Extremely.
Inside.
Chocolate.
Why did I get chocolate, what's that about? This can't be right.
We must have got it wrong, that's all.
Well, we'll do it again.
Clara? 24.
24.
We.
Are.
All.
Shona? Dead.
Since the attack in the infirmary, nothing has been real? The attack is still going on.
This is it! We've been dreaming since then? For Easter's sake! Of course you've been dreaming! Haven't you been paying attention? Rudolph - did you see the nose? The North Pole? Come on, with stripes?! This is a dream! How much more obvious do you want me to make it? Because I can text the Easter Bunny, you know.
Seriously? You're trying to help? As you stand here, chatting, chatting, your lives are ending.
Unless you wake up, unless you free yourselves from these dreadful creatures, they're going to destroy you.
You're a dream who's trying to save us? Shona, sweetheart, I'm Santa Claus.
I think you just defined me! This makes perfect sense.
The Dream Crab tries to make the dream as real as possible to trap you inside it.
It creates dreams within dreams so you can never be sure if you are really awake.
But your brain knows something is wrong.
Your subconscious fights back.
THIS is your mind, trying to tell you this isn't real.
So it gives you me.
Sweet Papa Chrimbo! It gives you comedy elves, flying reindeer.
Exactly! A time-travelling scientist dressed as a magician.
Classic! No, no, no.
Hang on.
No, no, no, no.
Living in a phone box.
It's a spaceship in disguise! You see how none of this makes any sense? Shut up, Santa! I've watched over you all your lives.
I've taken care of you from Christmas to Christmas.
But you're not real! And yet, that never stopped me.
All of you, come near.
Come here, come on! Join hands.
No, look, we don't need all this touchy-feely stuff.
Shut up, Doctor! Join hands.
Come on, concentrate.
Why? You are deep inside this dream, all right, and it is a shared mental state, so it is drawing power from the multi-consciousness gestalt which has now formed telepathically No, no, no.
Line in the sand.
Santa Claus does not do the scientific explanation! All right.
As the Doctor might say, "Aw, it's all a bit dreamy-weamy!" Why don't you just go and make a naughty list? I have, mate, and you're on it! Don't give me that look.
You're supposed to be warm and friendly and cheerful! Look at your great bedside manner! Don't be so hostile! Doctor, behave! This is very sweet.
But right now I have an alien life form wrapped around my face, and apparently it's digesting my brain.
When you speak, how do I know it's not the Dream Crab? Good question.
Spoken like a scientist.
Can I put it another way? Why would the part of our brain that is trying to keep all of us alive choose you for a face? Is anyone else asking that? Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
All of us.
All of us.
Why you? Well It's the North Pole, it's Christmas Day.
You're dying.
Who you gonna call? Just one last time? One last Christmas, as if your lives depended on it.
Please! Believe in Santa! I'm not very good with this holdy-hand thing.
Tough.
I WILL hold Clara's hand, but that's it.
Shona, take his hand.
No, I'm fine, I'm fine.
This is very Christmassy, isn't it? OK, so what do we? Where did he go? We're waking up.
That part of the dream is over.
We're on our own now.
Well, then.
What do we do? That pain in your head.
Make it worse.
Head towards it.
So when we wake up, what do we expect? Only a few moments will have passed at the most.
The attack is still in progress.
I'm scared.
Congratulations.
That means you're not an idiot.
It's not like the last time.
Last time wasn't real.
Good luck.
Stay calm.
And God bless us, every one.
Run! Clara! Doctor! Out, out, now! NOW! Everyone all right? Yeah.
Good.
Bye.
Sorry, I'll just go and No need for chatting, you'll only get attached.
This isn't Facebook.
What about the Dream Crabs? They're fine.
And the people that they're eating? Beyond help.
Doctor, the others are still in danger.
Only if they're stupid.
There are polar bears on this ice cap.
Am I supposed to do something about that, too? We know Dream Crabs are still on Earth.
There are lots of dangerous things on this funny little planet of yours, Clara, most of which you eat.
I'm the Doctor, not your mam! Doctor? If Santa was only in the dream why was he on my roof? Four! Four patients.
Four manuals.
Hurry! Do you know what I hate about the obvious? What? Missing it! As you were, no saluting.
Are you the same people as before? Of course they are! Sorry, I deleted you.
Well, that's not a very nice attitude, is it? Four manuals, yes? Yes, why? One each.
One each, yes.
What's the problem? The problem is, you can't see the problem.
For instance, you, gobby one.
I have a name, actually.
Doesn't matter, I don't need it.
When we first met you in the infirmary, what were you doing? It's a long story.
Uptight boss one.
What is the primary mission of this polar base? It's a long story.
Sexy one - what brings you to the North Pole at your age? It's a long story.
OK.
Why are they all giving the same answer? Because that is a tiny bit freaky.
You think that's freaky? Try this.
We were in the TARDIS - why did WE come here? It's a long story.
Doctor? Dreams, they're funny.
They're disjointed, they're silly, they're full of gaps.
But you don't notice, because the dream protects itself.
Stops you asking the right questions.
For example, why do you have four manuals, one each, when you have a crew of eight? Or did you forget about your friends in the infirmary here? But we woke up! Dreams within dreams, I warned you.
This isn't a dream.
I know it isn't.
No-one knows they're not dreaming.
Not one of us.
Not ever.
Not for one single moment of our lives.
Clara? Page number.
Make it a good one.
Very.
Very.
Very.
Dead.
And who's going to be the first to admit it? Admit what? That the pain is still there.
Actually, I think it's getting worse.
Yes, there is an alien organism in your brain, eating it.
Of course it's getting worse.
Doctor? What are they doing? Factually, getting up.
Significantly, sensing the endgame.
How? I don't understand.
Well, look at them.
Go on.
Look at them.
Look at them properly.
Look who they are.
They're you.
The sleepers are you.
How can they be us? Because we're dreaming, all of us.
This base isn't real.
None of us are actually standing in the room.
I'm probably asleep in my TARDIS.
Clara, you must be in bed.
God knows where the rest of you are, probably scattered all over the world.
But wherever you are, the Dream Crabs have got us, and we're all being networked into the same nightmare.
What are they doing? It's your subconscious again.
The sleepers represent the part of your mind that's already surrendered to the attack.
These are dream images of what's coming to kill you.
That's me! That's actually me! No, it's a metaphorical construct representing a psychic attack within a shared dreamscape.
Do please keep up.
But it's me! Don't get too close.
Why? Because this is a nightmare.
Look out! They're coming through! Out! Outside, now! Run, run, run, run! Run! Run, run, all of you, go.
Run! We'll freeze to death out here.
But it's just a dream.
This dream just killed your friend, start taking it seriously.
Where's Albert? Where's the professor? He probably just woke up somewhere in the real world, dead.
If we don't wake up now, we'll do the same.
But how? I don't know.
The TARDIS! Come on! Come on! Doctor, it's not the real TARDIS.
Well, let's hope that I dreamed it really well then.
It's us.
Of course it's us.
We're dreaming too.
My God! How is that possible? How can there be so many?! The logic of a nightmare.
So, tell us how to wake up.
Because you're always talking like you're so clever, going on and on.
So tell us what to do! We have to leave this place.
Leave it? How? Use your imagination.
Excuse me? Dream yourselves home.
But how? Come on, it's Christmas, the North Pole, who you gonna call? Hyahhh! Get in the sleigh.
Fortunately, I know all your home addresses.
Hyah! So, what happens now? Hyah! This is us just waking up, right? Could be.
Well, I hope so.
Waking up or Or? Just focus on this.
Do you believe in Santa Claus? I've always believed in Santa Claus.
But he looks a little different to me.
Look! You want to take the reins, Doctor? You're a dream construct, currently representing either my recovering or expiring mind.
Yes, but do you want a go? Yeah.
All right.
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
Easy! This way.
No, no, no! Up a bit.
Don't stop.
There we go.
Look at me.
Look look at me! Look at me! I'm riding a sleigh.
I'm riding a sleigh.
Yippee yah-yay! Maybe you could Yeah, yeah.
I work in a shop.
I'm sorry? I thought I was a scientist.
That's rubbish.
Finally, something that makes sense.
You're horrible, you.
Perfume.
What? I'm an account manager for perfume.
Does this mean we're waking up? Possibly.
With any luck, we'll all wake up in our proper times and places.
Proper times? Well, we could all be from different time zones.
Time travel is always possible in dreams.
We might not know each other? Not any of us? No, possibly not.
Well, you know what we should do? We should swap numbers.
We should have a reunion.
Bellows! Gran! Dinner's ready.
Yeah, sorry, I must have dozed off.
Now I'm pretty sure I can remember my number so if you memorise it then you text me, we can go for a curry The chances of you remembering any of this are very slim.
Well, don't say that.
We'll remember, won't we, Ashley? Ashley? Am I next? Is it me now? Shona, you're going home.
You're surviving.
Do you want to hang out sometime? We can just hang out.
Sure.
Santa, can I stay a bit longer? Gross! It's a pity we have to wake up, really.
It's not really something we do every day, is it? No, no, strictly once a year.
We stay we die, Clara.
You're always such a downer, Doctor.
Clara! You really should be waking up, too, Clara.
Just a little longer.
Why? Every Christmas is last Christmas.
Hyah! Clara.
Might have known that you would be the one to sleep in.
OK.
I tracked the psychic signal here.
I'm pretty sure that I know how to do this now.
One of the advantages of actually being awake.
So, you just hold still.
I've just got to zap the neural centres.
OK.
There you go.
The Dream Crabs must have got to me first then found you in my memory.
The others were collateral damage.
Well Good to see you properly at last.
How long has it been? Clara You know about 62 years.
Doctor I have missed you very much you stupid old man.
I've missed you too.
These are Christmas hats, I've seen people use them.
You put them on and absolutely anything seems funny.
Probably won't work on you.
Probably not.
You want to try? Go on, then.
Can you really see no difference in me? Clara Oswald, you will never look any different to me.
So, how was it then? How was what? The 62 years that I missed.
How was my life, you mean? Is there a Mr Clara? No.
But there were plenty of proposals.
They all turned you down though? I turned them down! I travelled.
I taught in every country in Europe.
I learned to fly a plane.
Regrets? Hundreds.
I just wish there were time for a few more.
Yeah, they're always the best part.
Christmas cracker? We should do one.
No-one ever matched up to Danny? There was one other man.
But that would never have worked out.
Why not? He was impossible.
We should do this every Christmas.
Because every Christmas is last Christmas.
I'm sorry I was stupid.
I should have come back earlier.
I wish that I had.
Do you, Doctor? How much do you wish that? I'm not still? Wakey, wakey! Clara! Doctor.
Am I young? No idea.
Is that any good? That's good.
The TARDIS is outside.
So? So, all of time and all of space is sitting out there.
A big blue box.
Please don't even argue.
Merry Christmas, Doctor.
Merry Christmas, Clara Oswald.
Well, look at you, all happy.
That's rare.
Do you know what's rarer? Second chances.
I never get a second chance, so what happened this time? Don't even know who to thank.