Spoilers under the cut, obviously!
Oke, so this is the end of an era: the Capaldi-era and even more so: the Moffat-era. I'm sad to see Capaldi go, but not at all about the end of 'Moffat'-Who, I'm more than ready for a new type of storytelling! I thought this special was a fitting end for Capaldi's Doctor. The introspective style of the story fitted his take on the character. And I really liked him and the First Doctor together, a two Doctors team unlike any other! The villain not being a villain after all, was creative and a nice touch in a Christmas Special. I absolutely adore the story of the Christmas truce of 1914, but it felt way too much like an afterthought here. They could have used that story as a setting for a whole Christmas Special, instead of this little nod. In a review I read online someone asked the question: what was the plot? And that's a question I would also ask and one of the reasons I'm glad to see Moffat go. This was so much more of a philosophical monologue than a Christmas adventure and I seriously wonder if kids understand and enjoy an episode like this. So, not a top favourite, not even in my Top 5 of Doctor Who Christmas Specials. But memorable nonetheless, if only for the last speech of Capaldi as the Doctor. He really did speeches so well!
Call the Midwife:
From the heat of South-Africa last year to the Big Freeze of '62-'63 in this year's Call the Midwife Christmas Special: the setting couldn't be more different! But the heartwarming storylines and beloved characters are the same as always, ofcourse! Although... I've always said I absolutely love the mixture of sorrow and joy that Call the Midwife gives us, but this year it somehow all felt a bit stale. It could have something to do with what I've been dealing with personally, but I felt less touched by this Christmas Special than other years. The abuse storyline was just horrible and the mother and daughter reuniting at the end of the episode felt like they were saying: now it's all good again. Which, ofcourse, it isn't. The storyline with the stillborn baby just felt cheap to me, I saw it coming from miles away and it was just too easy. Not to be all negative: I loved Nurse Crane and Reggie and all the neighourhood children digging for the milk bottles in the snow and I adored Barbara and Tom together (especially her saving him a piece of chocolate when he comes home late at night!). So, this special just didn't do it for me, but I'm still looking forward to the new season very very much!
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