The Last Day (TV story)

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The Last Day was a mini-episode released on 20 November 2013 as part of the run-up to the 50th anniversary special. It gave viewers a look into the Last Great Time War from the perspective of a Gallifreyan soldier, and showed the beginning volleys of the Fall of Arcadia, one of the final battles that happened right before the Doctor ended the Time War.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

A Gallifreyan soldier undergoes initiation in the use of a headcam, as well as the defence of Arcadia. During his training, the impossible happens and Daleks invade.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

A soldier opens his eyes to see a man standing over him. The man, also a soldier, wears an outfit with the Seal of Rassilon. The first soldier has been fitted with a headcam. As the other man explains its use in recording his thoughts, the newly-awakened soldier experiences frightening images. His instructor tells him not to worry about these hallucinations, and to disregard rumours that they are premonitions. He then takes him to the rooftop for his post. There, another soldier tells him that they are protected by impenetrable sky trenches. This makes Arcadia the safest place on Gallifrey. If even one Dalek did get through however, it could destroy the entire city. As the soldier is instructed on monitoring for possible intrusions, he is told to zoom in on a small object some distance away. He finds that it is a Dalek. This is not an illusion. Suddenly, many more Daleks appear behind it. As they fire, his headcam goes blank. The last sound heard in the background is a chilling death cry of anguish.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Note: No cast members were credited on-screen.

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Technology[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Arcadia is protected by sky trenches, and is therefore considered the safest place on Gallifrey.
  • Soldiers positioned in Arcadia have headcams installed into their brains, both to show to their families following death and to record the soldier's final moments for official record. The recording is censored, with violence and language deemed unsuitable for the soldiers' children cut out. Anything particularly graphic gets tinted red.
  • A side effect of the headcam are hallucinations, that could be interpreted as premonitions. The installation can also temporarily impair speech.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The soldier's red armour and round helmet design resemble the Chancellery Guard's uniforms from The Deadly Assassin [+]Loading...["The Deadly Assassin (TV story)"] and The Invasion of Time [+]Loading...["The Invasion of Time (TV story)"].
  • The events of this mini-episode are referenced by Cardinal Ollistra in the Eighth Doctor 2017 audio drama One Life [+]Loading...["One Life (audio story)"], despite the Fall of Arcadia, and therefore the events of this story, occurring in the War Doctor era. In fact, the title The Last Day also places it towards the end of the Time War.

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.

to be added

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Tenth Doctor later referred to having been at the Fall of Arcadia during the Time War. (TV: Doomsday)
  • The Fall of Arcadia and the Doctor's involvement in it is shown in TV: The Day of the Doctor.
  • The same Gallifreyan soldier who put the rookie through the ropes is later seen reporting to the War Council that Arcadia has fallen, and is approached by the War Doctor for his gun. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
  • Said soldier above also has a Northern (Mancunian) accent, backing up the Ninth Doctor's assertion that "lots of planets have a North" when he defended his own accent as a native one of Gallifrey. Curiously, the War Doctor was in contact with this soldier on the day he regenerated, but no evidence is given if that influenced his successor's accent. (TV: Rose)
  • Unlike Arcadia's sky trenches, the sky trenches guarding the capital of Gallifrey hold up when they are attacked by the converging forces of the Dalek fleet. The Tenth Doctor also mentions the sky trench around the planet is holding. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

Home video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Day of the Doctor DVD Cover
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Dalek television stories
For the purposes of this list, a "Dalek story" is one in which one living, authentic Dalek plays a part within the confines of the story, outside of flashbacks to previous stories and cliffhangers that lead into the following story. For this reason, stories such as The Space Museum are not counted due to the Daleks' appearance being defined by their importance to following stories, while stories such as The Wheel in Space and The Waters of Mars are absent due to the Daleks' only contribution being references to past Dalek stories. Stories like The Wedding of River Song, Hell Bent, Once, Upon Time and The Vanquishers are also not included due to the Daleks' appearance being restricted to a single scene of no consequence to the plot of the story, while the TV movie is also absent due to the Daleks only being heard from off-screen.
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Because of the ubiquity of this race, no attempt will be made here to list every appearance in every medium. Instead, we focus on televised appearances here, and invite you to explore a complete list of appearances elsewhere.
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