The Doctor Who Christmas Special Trailer Is Perfect

The Doctor Who Christmas special is coming up soon, and this trailer is only getting me more excited for the episode premiere. Check out ho-ho-how perfect this preview for "Last Christmas" is.

The big question circling this year’s Christmas special is, of course, the fate of Clara Oswald. Will she continue travelling with the Doctor into the coming year, or will the Christmas special be her last hurrah? The official word from the BBC is that we’ll have to wait and watch the special to find out. However, I’ve got to say after watching Clara try to unsuccessfully erase the words “you are dying” from that chalkboard in the trailer, I’m pretty concerned for her fate.

Rumors had been circulating over the summer that Clara would be done travelling with the Doctor after this year’s Christmas special. After the Season 8 finale, however, the internet starting lighting up with more rumors that actress Jenna Louise-Coleman had gone back on her choice to leave the show. Again, it doesn’t seem great for Clara’s fate that she is unable to get “you are dying” off the chalkboard, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll see the last of Clara on Christmas day. It doesn’t surprise me that Moffatt and the Doctor Who writers are keeping us guessing over Clara’s fate. This season has given Whovians quite a few surprises, with the true identity of Missy, and the fate of this season’s new “companion” Danny Pink.

Of course, I’d be completely remiss if I failed to mention Nick Frost’s amazing portrayal of the one and only Santa Claus. I hadn’t realized it prior to now, but this seems to be the role that Frost was basically born to play. I mean, the dude’s name is Nick Frost, for goodness' sake. But really, he looks awesome in that Santa suit, doesn’t he? I can’t wait to see more of him as Old Saint Nick.

I am also incredibly curious to hear about Santa’s role in the Christmas special. I mean, it makes a great deal of sense for Santa to be a Timelord. The guy can travel across the entire world in one night? He can fit gifts for the entire world in his sleigh? I don’t know about you, but that sounds like bigger-on-the-inside technology, don’t you think? Even if he isn’t a Timelord, Santa clearly seems to be experienced in fighting aliens, so I’m looking forward to hearing the backstory there.

Though the trailer is basically perfect and everything you want to see in a Christmas special promo, it doesn’t give us a great deal of information concerning the episode’s plot. So here’s what we know: it’s been a while since Clara has been with the Doctor, and we know that they're with some other random travelers in the North Pole. Some strange, slimy-mouthed aliens and Santa Claus are on the way to help them out. We’ll just have to wait until "Last Christmas" to find out what’s going on.

The Doctor Who Christmas special will air in the U.S. on BBC America on Christmas Day.