"light on substance". He believed the influences of Alien and Inception on the script provided viewers with "both food for thought and fuel for our nightmares". Michael Hogan of The Daily Telegraph awarded the episode a 4 out of 5, calling it "marvellously merry" and stating that it "had heart as well as head, so ended like a festive special should: happily, with a cockle-warming cosy glow". Chris Pyke of the Daily Mirror also praised the "Doctor Who spin" the various film references had. He also expressed praise over Clara's continuation, saying it was "the icing on the cake". Radio Times awarded the episode a 3 out of 4. Patrick Mulkern was "peculiarly touched by Clara’s sentiment, "Every Christmas is last Christmas" and her admission that the Time Lord is her very own Father Christmas". IGN awarded the episode an 8.8 out of 10, deemed "Excellent". Matt Risley labelled the episode "An entertaining and satisfying slice of Who that combines festive face-huggers with a Christmas miracle". He criticised the ageing Clara make up along with many other reviewers. He praised the episode as being both Doctor Whos most "festive and least yuletide-y" Christmas special. Simon Brew of Den of Geek heavily praised the episode for its writing, acting, direction and music, and considered it an improvement over the previous Christmas special "The Time of the Doctor". He felt that "Last Christmas" capped off what he felt was "one of Doctor Whos strongest years in recent times". Home media "Last Christmas" was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on 26 January 2015, in Australia on 28 January 2015, and in the United States on 17 February 2015. The ten Christmas specials between "The Christmas Invasion" and "Last Christmas" inclusive were released in a boxset titled Doctor Who – The Christmas Specials on 19 October 2015. Soundtrack Selected pieces of score from "Last Christmas", as composed by Murray Gold, were released on 18 May 2015 by Silva Screen Records as the third disc of the soundtrack covering series 8. Notes References External links Twelfth Doctor episodes 2014 British television episodes Television episodes written by Steven Moffat Doctor Who Christmas specials Doctor Who stories set on Earth Santa Claus in television Television episodes about dreams