While working with different members of the research team to find out how to stop the dream crabs,Clara is absorbed by one of them and imagines herself with a living Danny Pink. The doctor,having been absorbed voluntarily to warn her of what's happening,manages to successful pull them both of the supposed illusion until he realizes the onion effect of the what the dream crabs are doing-using layers of plausible illusion to keep everyone unconscious while they slowly consume them.
Thinking everyone was attacked in the bases infirmary,they awaken when the doctor deduces the same effect-with the identical copy of the polar base operation manual containing totally different first words on the exact same page. During another try of this,realizing the pain they are all feeling in their head as the key focal point for their actual reality,the doctor realizes the persistent presence of Santa Claus questioning everyone as to his reality is actually a safety net.
The reality of everyone's situation is they are all asleep,in different places on Earth,possibly different times even and the dream crabs are all linking them together as part of a plan. In order to escape this,Santa appears with his reindeer and sleigh-taking everyone with him and giving the doctor the chance to indulge in a fantasy of steering his sleigh. Soon everyone remembers who they are and disappear-all except Clara.
The doctor believes he has awakened on a planet and returns to free Clara from the dream crab only to find her 62 years old. He talks to her about her supposed experiences since they last met before Santa again reminds him to "wakey wakey",and he wakes up on the same red planet-and rescues the real and young Clara from the dream crab. And invites her back to the TARDIS with him for yet more journey's through space and time.
Upon first viewing? This emerges as possibly one of my very favorite Doctor Who Christmas tales. Perhaps one of the best of such Doctor Who stories thus far. The story really kicks into how each of the characters,in particular with Clara missing the deceased Danny Pink and the doctor in turn missing Clara,with how much the imagery of Christmas really fires up the imagination. That plus Nick Frost as a rather pimped out attituded Santa,complete with comedy Elves makes for a story full of horror,laughs,toy robots taking siege of an imaginary moon base and a tangerine! In the Whoniverse? Christmas is always fun!
